Body Image and Issues after Weight Loss Including discussions about excess skin and reconstructive surgery

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Old 04-25-2012, 04:23 AM   #1  
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Default My breasts are downright depressing lately

Seriously. I'm convinced the last few pounds have come entirely from my breasts, and they look AWFUL. My ribs are showing through, my sternum sticks out with a big bump and it hurts under my bra, and my boobs are just saggy bags of wrinkly skin with some breast tissue at the bottom.

Why can't the fat come off my legs instead?? They're still really big (my thighs measure 21.5 inches, and my calves measure 15 inches); there's plenty to lose there!!

I feel like I'm going to need some serious plastic surgery at some point. The sagging skin on my thighs and stomach were always my biggest worries, and I really thought I would be more ok with my saggy breasts, but they've gotten much worse these past 10 lbs. It's depressing. I may look better clothed now, but naked I feel like I looked better 20 lbs ago.
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Old 04-25-2012, 05:11 AM   #2  
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I feel exactly the same. I've gone down 2 Cup sizes!
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:02 AM   #3  
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Mine will probably shrink down to nothing. They have never been perky, so no surprises there. No brilliant advise, just wanted you to know you're not the only one.
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:20 AM   #4  
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I can sympathize with you. Mine are kinda empty looking too.

I noticed that they've gotten better than they were about two months ago, but they're still kinda...bleh.

The right bra helps and stuff, but the bra does have to come off! Haha.
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Old 04-25-2012, 10:01 AM   #5  
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Ah, chickadee32, it's hard. I so wish I could pick where my weight came off too (hello, my stomach has plenty right now!). I know we've talked about proper bra fitting before, do you think you need new bras maybe?

But I hear you on the deflated thing. I have a lot of wrinkled skin there and am hoping that they firm up a bit after weight loss. I've heard it can take up to 1-2 years for your skin to tighten up as much as it will after major weight loss.

I can't make the surgery decision for you, that's a really personal one but definitely research it well first. I haven't taken skin removal surgery off the table for myself either but I want to wait until we're definitely done having kids first because I don't want any chance of not being able to breastfeed again (and my stomach wouldn't have the chance of getting loose skin again from a subsequent pregnancy).

FWIW, I don't think 21" thighs are big at all!!! Mine are something like 23" (I think, i haven't measured that recently) and I can wear size 4 pants so... 21" doesn't sound big to me at all.
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Old 04-25-2012, 10:18 AM   #6  
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My breasts are exactly how you've described, and I've got 22" thighs, so I hear you! It would be great to be able to spot reduce!
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:35 PM   #7  
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Holy ghost lady, you've lost 150 lbs!! Of course your boobs are going to shrink too. Go to your nearest quality department store and get fitted by a pro for a good bra and invest in it. Yeah they are expensive but it's an investment. A good bra will do WONDERS for you and boost your self confidence and self esteem out of this world.

Who gets to see you without your bra on? Generally 3 people - you, your doctor and your significant other (assuming you have one). And they love you and care about you. So WHO GIVES A FLYING FIG what you look like without a bra on??

Can I put this any more clearly? You lost ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS. Who CARES what you look like without a bra?? You are AMAZING. Boobs are important for child rearing and otherwise merely decorative, fun or inconvenient depending on the circumstances. Just love them, be glad you have them, and get a good bra.

Fo sho.
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Old 04-26-2012, 08:59 PM   #8  
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My hormones must be nuts right now, because I'm all teary-eyed reading your replies. This place is just so great sometimes, and you ladies are amazing. I feel so much better after reading what you have to say - the support, and knowing that I'm not alone in feeling this way (I know that logically, but it doesn't always really sink in, you know??).

runningfromfat and DChound - lol, I made this post the other night after spending about 2 hours trying to shop for a new bra! I really like my current one (Wacoal), but I just bought it a month ago and now the cups are too big AGAIN. I tried going down a cup size in the same exact style, but I must be in between cup sizes or something because it didn't fit right. So then I tried on about 50 other bras (some other Wacoals, lots of different sizes, and then lots other brands in the wrong size that I shouldn't have even bothered with) and not a single one worked or looked good. It was so frustrating! My underbust is 31 inches and the 32 bands fit best in the Wacoal (in some styles the 32 bands even seem too tight), but I cannot find the right cup size, or style, or something. It made me really upset - I'm happy to spend the money on a good bra, but if I can't find something that works in the store (and there seem to be few options for my size) then I'm afraid of ordering a bunch online and still not finding one that works and wasting all the time and money sending them back.

I will certainly research surgery intensively if I ever decide to go that route, but I am definitely a few years away from making a decision on that too. We're still trying to have children and I wouldn't do it until after that for the same reasons you mentioned runningfromfat, and I do want to see where my body settles out after I've tried to maintain for a good while.

On the thighs - lol, I think if you include all the extra skin that is hanging down from them, they'd be larger in measurement! I can barely get my legs into size 4s - I bought one pair the other day (of really stretchy jeans), but they are still too tight in the thighs to wear just yet.

DCHound, thank you - you're right, that's the head space I need to be in. My husband doesn't care. I just used to have nice boobs, lol, and I'm mourning the loss of them. But I'll take these ones at this weight any day over how I used to feel, that's for sure.


And I did buy a really good sports bra tonight at a running store, and it fits well, so that was good. I suppose that at least it's nice now to be able to wear any sports bra without needing a second bra beneath it for the added support!


Edit: And btw DCHound, I'm in Gaithersburg too. Congratulations on your amazing weight loss!!!

Last edited by chickadee32; 04-26-2012 at 09:03 PM.
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:08 PM   #9  
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Hmm... I wonder if it's the type of bras that you're trying? It sounds like the 32 band is good, but what are the problems that you're running into exactly.

One thing that happens often after major weight loss is that your breast tissue is softer so you might need a high center gore and bras with narrower, deeper cups. Otherwise it could be an issue with the brand itself (each brand has its own quirks that you learn after awhile). Let me know what the fit issues are and maybe I can help.
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:47 PM   #10  
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runningfromfat, thank you!! I would love the help.

My current bra is a full-coverage, molded cup in 32DDD, and now the tops of the cups are empty. It does well at holding in the fat/tissue that can slip out to the sides, which is why I like it... but the top of the cups are hollow now. When I tried the 32DD in the same style, the fat/tissue was going out the sides and I had to keep tucking it back in. That also seemed to be the case with the other bras I tried - if the top of the cups fit, stuff was spilling out the sides.

I was tending to stick with the molded cups because they give me a little more confidence in the shape of my breasts, but I did try some ones without molded cups... and either I spilled out the top or sides of the cups, or didn't fill out the cups completely and there was puckering/wrinkling or too much space.

At one point I really wanted to find a bra again that would give me a little cleavage, or that I could wear with a lower v-neck top without the tops of my bra showing... but I think I've realized that's unrealistic and I'd just be happy with even a good-fitting full-coverage bra. And actually, I would LOVE one that doesn't come up so high in the center... that's the part that is irritating my sternum with the way it sticks out.


Edit: I thought I found the actual bra I have, but I looked at the straps and it's not the same one (I tried on that one too; I know those straps). The closest I found to the one I have is this: http://www.wacoal-america.com/shop/b...ownsOnly=false

Last edited by chickadee32; 04-26-2012 at 09:54 PM.
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Old 04-26-2012, 10:55 PM   #11  
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chickadee have you tried plunge bras? From what you're describing my breasts seem to be similar and I've found that plunge bras work better than the full coverage ones. I also spring for molded cups for the same reason you do.
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:23 AM   #12  
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sontaikle, I would LOVE to find a good plunge bra. That was the style I always wore before the weight loss. Is there a specific one you'd recommend?
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Old 04-27-2012, 06:51 AM   #13  
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chickadee

For good plunge bras:

I think you really might like the Freya Deco. It's a moulded cup plunge bra that gets amazing reviews. In the Deco I'd recommend sizing down because it runs large in the cups so go for a 32DD

Also, Ewa Michalak plunges are AMAZING. They're seamed instead of moulded but I think that might actually be a much better fit for you. What happens when you have moulded bras is that your breasts have to fit the exact shape of the mould whereas a seamed bra adapts more to your breast shape. That's why (in my case) it's pretty much impossible to find a moulded cup bra in larger cup sizes because there's just too much breast variation to take into account.

I know that Freya and Panache also carry other plunges in both sheer cups and seamed so they might be worth a try.

It sounds like to me that you might have full on bottom breasts (hence why you're struggling to fill out the top of the cups but sizing down makes the cups too small in general. In that case a balconette with a lowish center gore really could be a great option for you (and again Ewa Michalak has those in seamed, padded cups which would fit better to your breasts).

Another option, but they do have a higher center gore, is the Curvy Kate Show girl range like the Thrill Me or Tease Me. However, those do show up underneath shirts. I posted a review recently of the Thrill Me and ended up cutting off the ruffles, and was really happy with that.
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Old 04-27-2012, 07:08 AM   #14  
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Awwww chickadee I sympathise! I used to have great boobs but they seem to have imploded during the alst few lb when I still have plenty refusing to come off my stomach or thighs.

Have to agree with DCHound - you've done phenomenally well and that's really more important.
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Old 04-27-2012, 07:37 AM   #15  
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I am reading and learning so much from all these posts about boobs and bras. I am TRYING to hold off until almost to goal to get new bras, but may not make it that long, especially at the slow rate I am losing now
Anyways, I have a couple questions
What do you guys like about the plunge bra, what are the benefits and who should wear one? I don't think I have ever tried one of those on. Is it more for someone who has more tissue lower on the breast?
Also, what is a gore? I haven't heard that term yet. How do you know what kind of gore a bra has?
Just learning and dreaming of the day I am at goal in an awesome bra
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