This is such a tough topic for me to discuss. I want to spread the “love thyself” message. I want to be a women who looks in a mirror, flaws and all, and says “I love you, just the way you are”. I’ve always wanted to be that person but truthfully, I’m not and never was. I envy people who have that quality at any size, they are a truly inspirations.
It wasn’t until I accepted myself that weight loss was possible. When I accepted my flaws, faced my emotions and believed in ME, I was able to really step up to the challenge and long term commitment that weight loss took.
Once I reached my goal, I faced the new challenge so many people who lose weight do. I had/have access skin and body issues that I would not have if I never carried the extra 70lbs. Excess weigh puts stress on our bodies in more ways then one and (especially as we age) it doesn’t just snap back to pre-weight shape. I think most of us know this.
So once I reached my goal weight I decided to have a Tummy Tuck. It was actually an easy decision for me. I’ve always had an issue with my midsection and the amount of skin that was left was excessive. There was nothing I could do to minimize it on my own and I looked at the procedure as the last stop on transforming into the new me. It was a way to say goodbye to the chubby girl inside and welcome the confident slim women I always knew I could be.
It worked, it really did. I do not regret for one single minute that I made that decision. Even with the pain, long recovery time and year of payments it was worth it.
Would I be miserable with out it? Probably not. I’d probably wear baggier clothes and baby dolls tops a bit more and be a little less confident but I would have survived. I’m sure of that, but I had the means, and the guts, so I did it.
Now I’m making another decision. This decision took me almost a year to make and it has me reconsidering my self-love and self-acceptance. In that year I’ve accomplished more physically then I ever considered possible. I’m a weight training fanatic now and I have less then 12 hours until my first ever 5K. My body is in better shape then I could have ever imagined.
At my last post-op appointment for the tummy tuck I mentioned a few areas to the doctor that still bothered me. A little extra skin here a little stubborn fat there. He recommended a procedure and I’ve pondered it since last August.
On one side, I have the confident, “your just fine the way you are” girl saying, “it’s not worth it”. You’ve come so far and you look great. Be happy with who you are and just keep doing what your doing. You are fabulous!
On the other side, I have the confident (yes both these women are confident), “you’ve come so far but you could look better” girl saying, “why not, you deserve this”. You really have come so far, and you do look great but there are some things out of your control and if you have the means to fix them then why not. You only live once after all!
My decision is one that not all will agree with but in the end it’s mine to make. I’ve decided to proceed with the surgery and I will be getting extra skin and fat removed from my sides and thighs in a few weeks.
The funny thing, I feel better getting all that off my chest! It really was a hard decision for me and I didn’t let too many people in before making it. Surgery is scheduled for June 17 and in a weird way I’m looking forward to it. As with everything, it’s another stage on my journey and one I will learn and grow from.
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Finally my first Farro idea! I have to say, I love this stuff! It's chewy and yummy and, well, fun! I tossed it with what I could find in my pantry and it made a wonderfully satisfying lunch. Filling but not heavy, tasty and quite nutrient dense. According to NutritionData.com this [...] -
I've seen it mentioned in a few of my clean eating and healthy cook books but honestly, I never even thought of Farro as an option for me. I refuse to shop at specialty stores and I try to use only common products that I can keep in stock and purchase from a typical grocery [...] -
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I have no idea where this idea came from. I was hungry. It was lunch. I had Brussels Sprouts. That was all the catalyst I needed.:) I decided to use a slice of real bacon to add flavor and little fat that would help sauté the sprouts. I'm trying [...] -
WOW was this good. I mean seriously good. It's not vegetarian so don't start throwing stones. I'm calling it a Garden Vegetable Burger because I use the new Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread. It was this recipe on Allrecipes.com that inspired [...] -
I drink water 99.9% of the time but every so often it just doesn't cut it. I want something else. Something more. Something slightly sweet. Today was one of those days. I decided to make a refreshing drink based on the famous Arnold Palmer, half lemonade and half iced [...] -
The other day I made a whole chicken on the grill in pieces. It was delicious! Just a little BBQ sauce and an open flame is all I need to make The Husband happy in the dinner department. I also picked up a few ears of corn from the grocery store. They aren't in season [...] -
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Leftover brown rice and leftover sauce meet in this quick lunch idea inspired by my favorite food of all time: Pizza. I swear I can turn anything into a pizza concoction. Have you seen all my pizza ideas? I've used everything from pumpkin to zucchini, polenta to wontons. Nothing is off [...] -
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You know that tradition 7 Layer Mexican Dip? The one with the cream cheese, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, cheese, green onion and olives? Yea. That's the one. Well I had a craving for it the other day. Well, not exactly for it as I can never make anything the way it's suppose [...] -
If you go through the archives of GreenLiteBites I have about 5 total beef recipes. Five. Compare that to the 80+ I have tagged with chicken/turkey there's a clear winner in the meat department on my blog and in my home. I don't have a beef with beef (omg The Husband [...] -
I'm a kitchen sink smoothie maker. Whatever I have on hand goes in the blender and viola! A quick breakfast or a healthy snack. Last year I posted an "Elastic Approach" to how I make smoothies but I still like to share specific combinations that worked really well. This was one [...] -
The other night it was just the kids and I home for dinner and I decided to make what I wanted to make no holds barred. Without The Husband home it's much easier for some reason. Hmmm wonder why? Ok, not here to husband bash.. really.. I'm not! I'm here [...] -
*sigh* I was really hoping to share an awesome turkey burger idea. I had grand plans for my leftover ground turkey. The results was alright but they could have been so much better. I added diced pineapple, red pepper, green pepper, oats and soy sauce to the meat and formed 2 patties. In hindsight I [...] -
I made this on a total whim yesterday having no idea if it would work. To my surprise it did AND the husband actually said he liked it... UNSOLICITED! Here's the story. I had only 4 tilapia fillets defrosted for dinner. I knew it wasn't going to be enough for us [...] -
This is a slight reboot of a recipe I posted last year simply called Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. Staying true to my use-what-I-have-on-hand roots I, well, used what I had on hand and made a similar dish with a spicy twist. Topping the result with avocado added a cool creaminess that [...] -
Did you hear? The Laughing Cow recently launched Smooth Sensations a line of 5 cream cheese spreads. There's Classic Cream, Classic Cream Light, Strawberries & Cream, Garden Vegetable and my favorite… Cinnamon. It's a sweet wedge of creamy goodness! Today I decided to use my new favorite flavor [...] -
Confession time, I recorded a 30 minute video making this with both kids (partally) 2 nights ago. I miss videos. I really do but they seem so much more difficult with 2 children. I'm also having technical difficulties with my video recording and audio syncing making it VERY time consuming to edit. [...] -
A couple of years ago I shared a modified version of Sloppy Joe's I made for a party. Everyone loved it but I've been wanting to try to make something similar for the family on a smaller scale and without the pre-made canned Manwich sauce. I don't particularly have any issues [...] -
Yesterday I was dreaming about a salad. Not just any salad, but a chickpea filled, cucumber, and red onion salad with a fun, tangy dressing. Unfortunately, I had no cucumber or red onion. Well, that's a lie. I had a half of cucumber but it was a mushy mess and [...] -
Dinner meals are getting harder and harder for me to share lately. I've gone back to just whipping things up without really measuring anything (this meal was going to be one of those until I realized I still had enough light to take some photos.) I've also instituted a few brainless meal nights [...] -
Three years ago I posted a video called "Makin' Hard Boiled Eggs" where I shared my system for, well... making hard boiled eggs. Genius name, I know. I'm smart like that. Anyway, since then I've gotten tons of feedback and comments thanking me but all the information is locked in a long winded 10 minute [...]
About Roni
Roni started this blog in '05 to journal her weight loss. 70lbs later, she's committed to living a conscious, healthy life and hopes to inspire others along the way. Read more on the about page.
Tummy tuck comparison. Interestingly, I just saw an episode of “Jon and Kate Plus 8″ a TLC show that is about a family with 8 children (6 of them sextuplets). They were showing an older episode, where the mother, Kate (who is a young woman but whose belly stretched out because of her massive tummy gain due to the 6 babies), had the same procedure you had Roni–where she had a tummy tuck, since reading your blog I thought it was very intersting to see her surgery and progress documented which was similar to yours.
Also interestingly they did a follow up episode talking about it where they revealed that Kate had also had the side liposuction done at the time of the surgery to prevent the little pooches that you are having removed. They showed what her tummy looks like one year later and the results of having both procedures. Don’t know if you caught it but I thought hearing about your own experiences and seeing this woman’s actually on screen was a good litmus test/comparison of what a difference it can make.
[...] weeks question comes from my recent post, The Choice for Plastic Surgery after Weight Loss. In the article I gave my reason for choosing to have plastic surgery after weight loss and I [...]
Congrats. You look awesome! I just had a tummy tuck too and have been reading many of these types of personal stories. I have one bit of unsolicited advice for all if I may. Partly speaking to myself of course, too.
There are two sides to PS. Yes, the devil and angel. I’ve decided that I will listen to both (foolish not to), make my decision (as I did) then… get on w/life.
For me (may not be for others), what that means is to put a limit on obsessing over results, comparisons and ongoing quests for perfection. That limit is as different for each of us as we are from each other. Only we can access our own. As they say, everything in moderation. Perfection is a foolish quest.
We all want to be happy, comfortable and confident. However, there are much greater things to serve than ourselves. I find that pursuing those make me as happy if not more happy than focusing on me. It just takes a little more effort to turn away from my own issues. Like a camera refocusing as you site various targets.
I think of some great people I know, love and admire. They are not perfect, just human. Many could stand major PS. But, their personalities have transcended their physical flaws. And, their imperfections make them who they are.
Bottom line, self-focus in moderation is the key, I believe, to our searching.
God bless all here.
This is SO late a response… :)
I recently lost 80 pounds and MAINTAINED it.
I got a breast lift and augmentation. I wanted just a lift, but my breasts were so sagged and empty they were like floppy flat bags of skin… I would have had no definition at all… which led me to add conservatively-sized implants to the procedure.
It took my years to decide, and more years than that to save the money. I am 2 weeks post-op and for the first time in my whole adult life, I have a woman’s chest. It was a huge decision for me. I spent many nights crying over the thought of having breast implants and being “one of those women”. After researching the procedure and speaking with the surgeon, my view on the process and having implants has taken a whole new light.
For me, it is not about showing them off or being perfect – it was about being normal. For the first time!
I am so proud of myself for overcoming my fears and reservations, and implant-prejudices, to obtain a new outlook on life and invest in myself. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to living with no breast discomfort. I am proud of you for taking your life and comfort into your own hands as well. Hurrah!
I’m coming in late to this discussion. I’ve been a person who felt like “Never, not me, no way…” but there’s a 50 lb diff between my highest and lowest weight and I have to say, my tummy looks exactly like her pre-op pics. It’s like looking in a mirror. And – sigh… I know I can’t really do anything about it.
Roni’s a 30something. I’m a 50plus. Does that mean anything? Does it mean nothing? I feel like if I were in my 30s I’d be more likely to do it because I’d have more years as a cute young person, and now, well, it’s all downhill isn’t it? LOL. But still.. I look at those afters and I think… hm…..
I have huge fibroids and there is a chance I will have to have a hysterectomy. I think if that occurs I will investigate the option of getting a two-fer. Anyway, I’m thinking. THINKING.