The Real Skinny on TLC - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

findingfawn · 03-13-2012, 03:59 PM

Anyone of you watch this last night?

It was about 2 people, a man and a woman (not related in any way), who had each had weight loss surgery and were now thin but had tons of extra skin. It went through the process of a circumfrential body lift to remove all the extra skin around the middle.

Anyway, I watched.. or should I say cried through.. it. In the beginning when they were showing them each in the shower with all this extra skin hanging everywhere I lost it! I couldn't even look at him, but I said to my hubby "That is what I will look like someday". I went through a boatload of emotion watching it, I almost got to the point of thinking why even lose the weight when I will still hate the way I feel about my body. I am doing this for health, not for the body image, but a physical/visual reward at the end would be a big bonus, ya know?

Today I looked up the prociedure and the only price point I could find was $13,000!!! Hubby said last night "How much does something like that cost?" I told him I didn't really know but probably about 8 grand. We live on less than $30,000 a year for a family of 6, so a big budget item is almost always out of the question if it's necessary.. if it's a more frivilous thing it's completely out of the question for us. If we had the money to pay for something like this, I would never in a million years spend that kind of money on myself.. it would be much better used for my kids college educations or repairs to our house that are much needed too (we really need a new roof, instead a package of shingles will just have to patch some missing ones this summer, and that is just the beginning

).

How do people afford such things.. I am sure these 2 were paid by the show, the dr got loads of publicity so I'm sure it was done free or super cheap for them, but how does the normal person pay for something like that?

dcapulet · 03-13-2012, 04:19 PM

Hi finding,

I watched this show for the first time last night. #1 - I super dislike the name. I think they could have chose much better.

My DH asked me the same thing about the money last night - how do they afford it? Some insurance companies cover the surgery if the skin is causing other problems (like the skin rashes/openings the women was experiencing). TLC may also pick up the bill - IDK. (maybe for travel). But at the end of the show, they were calling for participants who already had this type of surgery scheduled - so it makes me think they are not paying for the procedure itself.

$13,000? Maybe. Plus, their doctor was in Beverly Hills, so it may be even more than that.

I would watch the show again - I love medical surgery shows.

alitorry · 03-13-2012, 04:24 PM

I just happened to catch the end of that program. After their procedures were done. I'm not sure how much they each weighed before the surgery, but I would guess over 300, possibly 400. did they say? I don't think you will have to worry about that. It does depend on how long you have been at your highest weight and how long your skin has been stretched that far for that long, but where you are at 284, I think you can minimize it more. I know I'll have some skin sagging, but Neither you or I will have as much skin as they did

I think if we follow all the precautions we are supposed to follow, like lots of water and weight lifting, we can reduce the need for any surgery. Don't be sad and don't stop your healthy journey. You are much healthier for starting and you will live a lot longer

cherrypie · 03-13-2012, 04:29 PM

I'm sure these were extreme example. Just like the hoarding shows, or the 600 pound life one.

Still it was amazing what they were able to do.

TheBunneh · 03-13-2012, 04:32 PM

Keep in mind - just because the people on that show looked a certain way after their loss does not mean you will look the same way. Every person is different, every person's skin and body will react differently to weight loss.

Just do what you can and honor your body. Eat well, hydrate, get resistance training to preserve muscle mass and let the future happen in the future. Plus, don't forget that it can take years for skin to tighten up, so what your skin is like during loss and at goal isn't what it will be like for the rest of your life.

bargoo · 03-13-2012, 04:36 PM

The lady weighted over 400 pounds , I don't know about the man.

free1 · 03-13-2012, 04:41 PM

I watched. I kept thinking I would rather have loose skin than to have the skin filled and stuffed like before. The interesting thing is they both looked GREAT in clothes. I think I'd rather look great in clothes than go back to 280+

Vex · 03-13-2012, 04:52 PM

Yeah, I didn't see the show, but can only assume they were maybe in the 350+ range if that's how much skin they had left. My husband went from maybe 320 to 220 and has very little loose skin, just around his tummy.

Don't assume you'll look that like! I'd still take that much loose skin over being 280 any day.

For cost, I know it can cost anywhere from 5k up depending how much you have done. I've actually started saving for it in case I want it later. I'm pretty sure though when it's that time, I know I'll want the money to go to much better use than that.

.

bargoo · 03-13-2012, 06:02 PM

I watched the show, the lady said she had weighed over 400 pounds. I think the loose skin she had after losing so much weight is considerably more than one might have if they lost, say 100 pounds. You will still have it, I do , but I haven't had surgery and don't plan to. It is not noticeable when I am fully clothed.

findingfawn · 03-13-2012, 06:04 PM

They definately started way bigger than I am (or I started), and I believe both made comments that they were very large all their lives. I haven't been quite this big all that many years. I was about 180.. so overweight for my height, 8 years ago when I got pregnant with my daughter, then I got pregnant again immediately after, so I had 2 babies in a year and that really played heck on my body. I never fought to get off the weight from the 2 of them and then I had my last little guy. I swore if I hadn't lost it by the time he was 2 I was going for surgery, but he will be 3 and here I sit (decided surgery was not the way I wanted to go).

I'm drinking tons of water, and well buttering myself up with firming lotion daily surely can't hurt. We shall see how I look when I get there.

Underwater · 03-13-2012, 07:15 PM

I've read some of the stories of the people on http://reddit.com/r/loseit that have had this procedure or similar. Most seem to get at least a big portion of it covered by insurance. For example, the girl who writes the Runs For Cookies blog, had her tummy side covered (they covered about $5k) and she paid extra (around $5K) to do the back and get her belly button re positioned. I've heard the requirements are often like lose at least 100 lbs, keep it off for 6 months, and you have some health problem because of the extra skin, like a rash, although I'm sure all insurances are different.

Trazey34 · 03-13-2012, 11:19 PM

It's easy to say "don't worry about it" but don't worry about it! Every body is different, and a bit of loose flesh is way better than 100 pounds filling it out, believe me!

I lost the weight at 40ish, I've been fat since I was about 20 or so, and the results are NOT horrifying LOL I never had children, maybe that helped a bit not sure, but there's not gobs of flesh hanging off me for sure! Stay as fit and toned as you can, and you never know, you might get lucky too!

kateleestar · 03-14-2012, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBunneh

Keep in mind - just because the people on that show looked a certain way after their loss does not mean you will look the same way. Every person is different, every person's skin and body will react differently to weight loss.

Just do what you can and honor your body. Eat well, hydrate, get resistance training to preserve muscle mass and let the future happen in the future. Plus, don't forget that it can take years for skin to tighten up, so what your skin is like during loss and at goal isn't what it will be like for the rest of your life.

This!! Also? They had weight loss surgery, and if you didn't, you are losing at a MUCH slower pace. Your skin is healing right along with your insides, and it might not look like that when you are done.

I know I've lost over 80 and I have no skin issues yet.

Do what you can to take care of your skin along your journey, but don't worry about something that might not happen. It's not worth the pain!

InsideMe · 03-14-2012, 09:10 AM

I saw the show last night. The 2 people had gastric bypass no? I've read up that with malnutrition (cause that's what happens with that surgery) and rapid weight loss doesn't give your skin enough time to regain as much elasticity so you're left with the excess skin. I believe if your losing through proper diet and exercise and losing a safe amount every week, and your giving your body the right nutrients, sure there might be loose skin but I don't think to that extreme that was was on the show. The girl weighed 396 I believe and the guy was 425

runningfromfat · 03-14-2012, 10:28 AM

Mostly just wanted to "yeah that" to what everyone else said. My highest weight ever was 240lbs (but I was pregnant at the time). I've had a lot of changes in my body but yet now that I'm close to goal my loose skin really isn't that bad at all. I have some on my breasts and some on my lower abdomen. That's really it. The only issue that I have with it at the moment is that it's itchy but the ladies on here gave me some great suggestions that I'm testing out to help with that.

I can still wear bikinis and I look great in clothes (although, a very, very supportive bra is an absolute must because my breasts are very soft). DH hasn't complained either and anything he's really proud of how far I've come.

The amount of loose skin you have just depends on so many factors that it's hard to say how much you'll have at the end. Although, I have to say I'm so much happier now. I can finally physically do what I want to do. I have more energy, I've gotten past so many of my issues with food, it's such an amazing change. If a bit of loose skin is the price I have to pay, it's well worth it. Besides, who's to say that I wouldn't have had that anyways because of pregnancy? And any future pregnancies that I might have...