Are your results better than expected

If you don't have the balance, work on balance exercises with a trainer. Also, for squats, you can use your own body weight and hold on to a bar, chair, or anything that is stationary. Lunges can also be done stationery in in the same manner. Start by holding onto something, and eventually you will be able to do walking lunges, with some weights. To use the squat machine or leg press, try going to a gym when it is less crowded and be assertive about using it. You can do these exercises by using your own body weight and graduate to using dumbells and weight machines. When I started, I couldn't do one situp or pushup, and my balance was terrible.

If you can do it, some sessions with a trainer would help you to get started.

Many gyms also have "body scultping" classes that utilize light weights and other exercises that would help your core and the rest of your body. Yoga and Pilates would also help with your core strength, which would also help with your balance issues.

Gail

It sounds like you know your stuff and have had great results.  My family is great about driving me around.  I cannot drive otherwise I would definitely attend the classes they offer at the Y.  My middle daughter had great results doing Body Pump, but it is  offered only 2 or 3 times per week  and the schedule does not match my family's.  A trainer I can do and was actually going to hire one as my New Year's resolution - no doubt that will help alot.

I understand where you are coming from.  I am 42, happily married, and my husband doesn't want me to have plastic surgery.  I've lost 100 lbs, and I feel like I look better in clothes than I did when I was twenty or even eighteen and close to this same weight.  

After looking at tons of pics and reading reading reading and looking at myself, I've opted not to do ps for now.  I reserve the right to change my mind in the future, although I DO think - the sooner, the better.  But the truth is, its a LOT of money, even if insurance will pay for my tummy tuck and I have to pay for the other stuff.  

I know I'll never look good in a bathing suit.  I also know even if I had a lower body lift and breast augmentation, I'd never go through having my thighs done, so its a moot point.  I can't take off work that long and I have three kids and one is about to start college and the other two will follow shortly thereafter.   All kinds of things to think of.  I also have two close friends who had RNY and lbl and ba, and both had problems with recovery, and one has had her left breast fixed three times now.  The other has a torn muscle from hip bone to belly button where she had adhesions from surgery that is taking ten weeks to heal and keeps her from working out.  I know these are exceptions, but I can't help but think I'd be that 1% that everything happens to.

I just have to accept, for me, that I have missed the boat on the 25 year old body.  I didn't have it when I was 25 and spending 15 plus years 100 lbs overweight pretty much sealed the deal on me having it in my forties.  :)

You are right.  We can't fully turn back the clock.  I am very thankful for my renewed health.  I honestly never planned on having PS; it has been fairly recently that I began giving it serious thought.  That is very unfortunate your friends are having difficulty.  I hope their issues fully resolve soon.

I have 3 daughters.... one graduated college and the following year my middle and youngest daughters entered college.  That is a huge expense, and mine attended college locally in order to save money.  Nevertheless their education was priority, so I understand your situation.  While my kids are now grown I have shifted my focus to concentrating on retirement and all that means financially.

I appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts.

 Great questions.

I had my plastics at 61.  I've been fat since I was seven.  Many decades of wear and tear on my skin.

Dr. Sauceda promised me improvement and that's what I got.  Is it perfect?  No.  Are the fods at the bottom of my tush returning as the swelling leaves?  Yes a little on one side.  When I'm able, it will be my job in the gym to finish off what Dr. S couldn't possibly do.  I still have a roll of skin on my upper back.  That wasn't a procedure I had done.  My arms are a bit flabby but weights will improve that.  My thighs are still swollen with a scar to my knees but that big pad of fat behind my knee is gone.  My breast are delightful.  My tummy is flat with no muffin top.  When sitting a have a cute little roll of fat, for lack of knowing what to call it.  Don't know if it's fat or swelling but I bet piates core work will have it looking great.

At my age I expected great improvements and got them

I went into surgery with my waist between 30-31, wearing size 10 jeans.

Today I measure 36-26-36 and last week went to Old Navy for size 6 jeans, without the stretchy fabric.  How can I not be over the moon thrilled?  I am totally delighted.

I recently stripped in a restaurant bathroom to show Gail my body.  What did you think Gail?

I was in AWE!!! Your breasts were lovely, your tummy to die for, arms and legs are vastly improved, and your tush was great.  I think when the swelling goes down, the arms and legs will look even better. I was very, very impressed. The incision lines on your arms looked a lot better than I expected, and I don't think your scars will be that noticeable.  The leg incisions were redder, but that will decrease with more time. I think your face looked fuller and younger, your eyes were less hooded, and as the swelling goes down and things settle out, it will look even better. I also liked your LBL incision line and how the mons area was lifted.

Thank you for sharing your results with me. It gives me hope.

You are actually a tiny person, especially your upper body.

Gail

 LOL Gail!  Me and tiny have ever been used in the same sentence!

I think that the remaining work is up for me to decide what I wnt because it will all happen through exercise.

I think that my leg scars are redder because of the swelling, walking, standing etc.  they get way more pressure than anything else.  I have confidence that it will improve week by week.  The leg with the seromas is healing slower than the other leg.

In response to all of us showing off our bodies, I think we are ll just so incredibly tickled to have these new bodies.

I will definitely keep my clothes on at the dentist next week as I've only been there once before.  :)

These are definitely the comments I need to hear...hands down.  I expected my butt to be the biggest challenge, and it is.  I will not get my arms done; I will have to use the gym for that.   My breasts look good.  The implants have held up in spite of the weight gain.  I was not expecting Dr. L to do the inner thigh lift, but he said he can do everything all at once.  I am taking a step back and embracing improvement.  I did not expect a 20 something body...at least I hope that is not where my mind was.  I think it takes time to process the first professional who has seen my body post WLS.  Even my bariatric surgeon hasn't. 

You are very encouraging, and it is quite obvious how happy you are with your results.  Thanks for sharing.

After all you've been through, PS wise, I would have stripped too!

I love your response.  You are grateful with your results and put everything into perspective.  It is hard for me to visualize the impact to my body  post surgery.  What I hear on this forum is how satisfied everyone seems to be with their results and how happy they are they had their procedure(s).  Your drop in clothing size is one of the most dramatic I have seen. 

Once I have my next consult I can take a step back and process this.  I may lurk around the forum for a while, but I know myself...eventually I will move forward with all of this.  I also know letting go of that amount of $$ is a huge factor too, but there is no way around it.  Having this done is important to me.

Lee!!! You crack me up!

I have stripped down numerous times already.

I will show my new lil boobs and belly to anyone that will hold still long enough.

This past week, I happened to see my RNY surgeon's nurse. I shut the door and whipped them out!


Poor girl.