Hi group,

I have a question about excess skin after weight loss. I have a total of 100 maybe more pounds that I want to lose. I have had this extra weight now for about 5 years. The majority is around my abdomen. My husband believes if I workout and gain muscle then it will fade. I understand the concept but I just don't see how it is possible to gain that much muscle in my stomach. Actually when I think about it, it doesn't make much sense since muscle adheres to the bone and creates more of a shape. Anyway, has anyone had to deal with this? Any suggestions? I really don't want surgery when I reach my goal but if I am going to be left with excess skin, then it may be my option.

By the way, I've lost 2 pounds since Sunday! It has been a very good week.

Jen

Andie,
I think the key is to weigh yourself in the morning, after the bathroom if you know what I mean, if you weigh in the evening, it's going to be different.
One time I weighed myself as a experiement, like 10 times in one day, and the numbers fluxcuated, all throughout the day.
So don't be hard on yourself! OK!
One day, one meal at a time...
Fab

Oh, honey...I don't know. I do know that skin is incredibly elastic. I think also that usually people who have lost hundreds of pounds need it. I'm personally thinking about a tummy tuck. That might be all you need. When you get close to goal, you can see where you are, then make an appointment with your friendly plastic surgeon! :)

What is a tummy tuck? I am also worried about the extra skin... I know i created that issue by overeating and having a baby... but... It kind of scares me... Anyone else have experience with that?

You're right! :thanks:

A tummy tuck is where they tuck in and sew up the skin around your tummy so that you can have a flat stomach. I have friends who have had lipo and tummy tucks. They seem to be happier with the tummy tuck and lipo than with lipo alone, though.

I'm really not worring about it for a while, though...I have to lose the weight and have another baby...or vice versa...;)

You are almost there Flo!!!! How exciting! :)

Thank You Brooke! I was really hoping to be around 198 by friday... But at this rate (today i am 200.8) i am just hoping to be in the Onederland. 199.8 will do... lol ;)

I'm just curious if they have to reposition your belly button when they do this. Does anybody know? I have wondered about excess skin as well!

Here's the info from WebMD http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/gui...res-tummy-tuck

I don't know about the navel, but I've watched a lot of those before/after shows on Discovery Health. I know that if they have to take excess skin (usually after enormous amounts of weight - I don't think any of us qualify) they can make you a new navel. My best friend's mother had the gastric bypass surgery and then had to have skin removed - but she lost nearly 200 pounds. They could have made her a new navel, but they didn't. She didn't care.

Personally, I've never had a flat stomach - even at my thinnest. It would be nice in a bathing suit, though...

Brooke- Has your package arrived??? Mine shipped today!! WOOOHOOO!!!!!

I finally broke down and told hubby that I'm going to be starting on MediFast. I was a little nervous about his reaction, but he was great and told me that he doesn't care how much I weigh.

Honestly, my biggest goal is to shop in REGULAR stores!! I want adorable, cute clothes. That doesn't sound too superficial does it??

TMI, sorry... but I'm also excited that my TOM started yesterday!!! Which means, that I'll be able to start my first few weeks without having to deal with that crap too!!!! TOM wasn't due until Saturday.... btw....I've never been happy about TOM before! LOL

Jen, Yay -- good bye forever two pounds!! I'm assuming I'll have to have an operation. If you blow up a balloon and then let the air out, it's stretched out. I'm evenly distributed though, so maybe I'll get lucky.

SweetP, I don't know anything about your troubles. You always seem happy. I know what you mean about TMI though. I have a tendency to let it all hang out in here, which I would NEVER do in my "real" life. I think it's nice to have that kind of a place though.

I'm having a skinny day today. I just FEEL skinny, which is funny cuz I weigh 250 pounds. LOL.

Keep shakin,

Samara,
We posted at the same time! The ONLY reason I want to lose weight right now is to shop for cute clothes!!! I'm a super healthy fat girl! We're about the same weight. How tall are you? What size?
I'm 5'6" and in a 20.

Good luck. And congrats on TOM (it feels weird to say that....)

Michelle - I'm 5'7". Right now I'm in a size 24. Some stuff is loose, some too tight....gosh when will they ever get the sizing correct??!?!?!?

LOL, thanks for the TOM congrats!!! LMAO!!

I also consider myself fairly healthy, with the exception of allergies....which I've had my WHOLE life even before being fat. I'm fairly active too, I always surprise the doctors with my flexibility and stamina.

My friend is doing Optifast and I'm thinking about doing medifast now. . .I admire her so much cause she's sticking to it! I'm just incredibly afraid of failing. I keep reading that people aren't hungry and it's so hard to imagine that. How are you guys controlling your cravings? I may order one week and see what happens.. .

Hey Michelle!

I did not realize that we were at the same height! I am 5'6 and presently a size 16... I can squeeze my butt in a few size 14 but definitely not jeans... lol
I also want to lose primarily to look good and be able to buy some sexy clothes in a regular store. The other reason is because i want to be more active for my child... and in case it don't work with my new boyfriend, i want it to be easy to meet someone ;)

Florence

allabouttheskinny: Even though it may seem hard to believe, your cravings will disappear. I have been on the program for almost 2 weeks now and i had absolutely NO cravings. The first time i tried the program for three days i kept on cheating... The second time (which is this time) it has been very easy...

My biggest secret i guess, is the cooking. I make banana bread, muffins, biscuits, ice cream sunday off the packages so that i am not bored... The food by itself is not disgusting or anything... It just gets monotonous if you don't cook IMO!

My boyfriend has been eating all of my favorite foods in front of me, and even though it smells good, my mouth is NOT watering and my body is not asking for it! The proof? My student brought me a Milky Way (my favorite candy bar) four days ago and it is still in my drawer at work!

Once you start losing, you will not want to mess up your hard work for a little cheat! It is not worth it!!! And once you are in ketosis, it is SO easy! A lot of energy, no hunger, no cravings... If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

Florence

Flo,
What do you teach? I'm a 6th grade teacher.

OK, I'm officially BUMMED!!!! I was so hoping that my shipment would arrive TOMORROW so that I'd have the first three days at home over the long weekend. I just tracked my shipment and it says that it's not scheduled to arrive until Jan 22. :(

Ohhh Samara... Sorry to hear that! But you can use these 3 days to prep you for the program by cutting down on your carbs and fat and increasing your protein... If you stick to 900 calories during these 3 days, you will be ready to go when your shipment arrive ;)

I am a High School teacher. I teach French... which is easy for me because I am French ;) lol I was supposed to go to law school, but i got pregnant and i figured... why not keep on teaching? I won't be in debt and i get to spend a lot of time with my child :D

Flo - You are doing great!!! :carrot:

Thank you Sweet P!

Hi! I'm new to the site, but I've been wandering around here for a few days, reading reviews of diets and what would be best for me. I've always been a big big girl but lately it's gotten out of control! I've been seeing a nutritionist and believe in an all organic vegan lifestyle, even a 100% raw one. However, I think losing weight will help me in the long run than eating healthy and not losing it quite as fast!

I'm really happy this forum is so active; it's nice having somewhere to go to and read about the success (and sometimes failures) of others. I've decided to start medifast with my mother (who thinks I can't do it on my own) and will be placing my order soon. I do have a question though. Is there anyone here from Canada who does it? What's the shipping cost to go over the boarder? Also, I'm eager to go to the gym, but apparently this leaves you with little energy and working out a lot is not recomended. Can anyone give me tips on what I can do to exersize?

Welcome Leelu!

I am gonna start walking for 2 weeks and do the HIP HOP ABS at home, then I will go to the gym. I think it is important to give your body two weeks to adjust to the diet before you add the gym. You won't be tired once you are in Ketosis... About sending to Canada, I am not sure... I think Maya is in Canada... but she is taking a break from posting right now so i am not sure... sorry!

Hi Leelu! :welcome:
I just walk on my treadmill. Sometimes, if the song is particularly upbeat I will break into a jog, but mostly I just walk. When the weather gets nicer I will start walking outdoors again. I've never been a member of a gym. The thought of walking into one scares the :o out of me! But I know a lot of people who go and love it.
I would just be really aware of how you're body is feeling and just do as much as you can without wearing yourself out. If I am feeling hungry at the end of the day, I ease up on the exercise the next day. Good luck--You're gonna do great!

Thanks you guys! I always wanted to run, everyone who runs regularly seems to love it. Problem is I've got a lot of scar tissue and nerve damage in my foot :( makes walking and running and a lot of cardio hard. That being said, it's not an excuse for me not to work out! Thanks for the advice for the two week introduction Flo, I'll use that as my guide. :) And, thanks for the words of support Andrea!

It's really nice here. *settles into the forum and never leaves*

I don't actually love doing anything that makes me perspire (plus I have a reconstructed knee from a roller skating accident). I have taken to walking my kids around the school a couple of times a day, though just to keep their blood from pooling in their bottoms. ;)

I teach fourth grade and today for lunch they had hamburgers and tater tots. I didn't cave, though. You're right, Flo, I just didn't want to screw up what I've done already.

I can tell a difference in my bras! I was having a really rough time finding bras that fit, since even Lane Bryant's highest cup size is an H. My cups runneth over, you know...

Happy Friday to everyone!

I think I mentioned that I operate a daycare in my home. We had a visit from our nutrition lady this week who promptly whipped out some plastic food....hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. and proceeded to tell me how much of each serving was FAT! I really try to limit those food items with my kids but those are the ones they'll eat. I just try to serve them occassionally and add in a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains. Did you know we can claim french fries as a veggie on our food program? (The government program for child care providers NOT MF! ;) ) Crazy! No wonder kids are overweight if we think french fries are a vegetable. :lol: Sometimes I find myself reaching for their lunch and then I think, :rollpin:
As far as cravings...so far I haven't really had too much trouble. The hardest night was last Fri. It was my daughter's 17th birthday and we had gotten this huge cake from Costco. I asked my husband to freeze what they didn't eat. Out of sight, out of mind works for me! (Especially if it's frozen!)

I'm feeling much more encouraged and upbeat than I did at the beginning of the week. I swear my clothes are feeling a little looser. :dance: Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since I started MF! I'm so glad I found this program and this forum.

Hi everyone!

try finding a 44B! Just because I am fat doesn't mean I have big boobettes lol

My order arrived!!!!!!!! :carrot:

We tried a chocolate shake and the choc caramel bar, both great. We are starting on Sunday.

i have been doing slim fast and cutting carbs so hope to ease into it.:^:

Andrea: I will see you for weigh in tomorrow ;) I hope you had a better week than me :) By this, I mean that I was on Plan 100% but i do not think i will have a big loss on tomorrow weigh-in... Maybe i will reach Onederland next friday (not tomorrow :()

No no no!! No complaining Flo! If you have more than zero, you're doing great!!! Tell that BF of yours to quit eating in front of you! :nono: I haven't made anything out of the shakes and soups yet (well...other than shakes and soups...). I have NO time to breathe. Throwing a shake together is so awesome.

Oh my gosh!! Kim and Brooke, You two have to get together and split the difference! An H?? Wow - that's pretty impressive.

Welcome Newbies! Yes, Maya, who is hanging out with her husband in a wonderful undisclosed place, lives in Canada. I think Meowee and Ruth live there too, but they've been MIA for a few days. I know they have to order by phone rather than the computer and they had to pay shipping (it used to be free for those of us in the States). They never mentioned the price.

Wow, we have a lot of teachers here now! (I teach 10th grade English). We had an inservice today. It was crazy boring. The trainer lady actually READ TO US FROM THE MANUAL. :tantrum: It last for THREE hours - Ugghhh!

I have days when I'm hungry. I have days when I want something other than a shake. But most of the time, I don't even think about it. I went grocery shopping yesterday and walked right down the chip aisle (that's where the bottled water is located) and didn't feel anything. I've been on this 3 weeks tomorrow. Even though I lost nothing last week, I think I'm looking at 10 pounds total, which is pretty sweet.

I'm so stupid for staying up this late!!!
See you all later,

You chickies are doing very well. As to shipping costs to Canada, I think they were minimal - I don't have my bill at the moment. I could not order online but did it through "Bruce" 866-451-9255. He could probably tell you shipping costs. He's not an independent but works for Medifast.

I am still partially on Medifast - shakes are great high protein snacks. The weight is staying the same which is sort of a relief after the shift. After the operation and convalescence, I'll be back fulltime.

Have a glorious Friday.

You are all doing great! Welcome newbies!! :hug:

Remember before MF everyone... my weight goes up and down and it doesn't always make sense. I was being careful it went down, then for no real reason it went up 3 lbs last week, I got discouraged, ate more and now it just went down again. So, it really just is crazy and we can't live and die by the scale. We have to look at long term, at least weekly but better monthly.

Now that I have said that I know that I will be on the scale everyday! I am a scale monster too. But, at least I'll know that it doesn't always make sense and if you keep at it, it will come off.

Flo, I have my fingers crossed for you!! You are sooo close.
There are a lot of teachers here. Michelle, one of my daughters was thinking teacher and english but all of the grading and papers you have to slug through changed her mind!

Have a good weekend everyone! I am going to a wedding show with my daughters, the wedding is one year away and we had a snowstorm and it's below zero. Brrrrrrr... I think we will need polar fleece gowns. :(

PS I am very close to Green Bay, WI and people are buying tickets for hundreds to go and sit outside and watch the game. It's nuts around here, Brett Favre could run for president and win in WI! :p

Did i reach the Onederlands???
 

So today is my official second week weigh in... I had to lose 2.2 pounds to be officially in the exctasy of Onederland.... Did i finally make it despite the stale of my weight loss???
The answer is: drumroll please:( NO!!! I weighed in at 200.2 pounds...

I was slightly disappointed BUT there is NO WAY i won't be in the Onederland next Friday!!! I keep my eyes on the prize... It seems like i have lost a lot of inches in my back and pouch... so YEAH!!!:carrot: I'll take that -1.8 pounds!

I have to remind myself that without the program i would probably be looking at an increase in weight and I would DEFINITELY NOT be looking to step on that scale!!!

So in 2 weeks i have lost 8.8 pounds:carrot::carrot::carrot:

Hope you have a great day!

Brooke - My sister-in-law has the same problem.

Michelle - Pretty impressive on my shoulders and back, actually...;) I hate inservice usually. We had one the first day back after Winter Break and my friends and I spent a lot of the time texting...You probably could do what my mother used to do during the inservice - sleep with her eyes open!

Tonight for dinner I had a McDonald's Grilled Chicken Caesar salad with my Walden Farms Creamy Italian dressing. It was pretty good and I didn't have to fix it myself. We're out of school Monday. I went to the grocery store and bought some spaghetti squash and Laura's Lean Ground Beef. I have some Walden Farms marinara so I'm going to try spaghetti and meatballs tomorrow night or Sunday night. I'll let y'all know how it turns out...

Hi girls,

Flo, I don't know if you have a French accent or not, but when I read your posts you do! You sound so cute. Congrats on the 1.8!!! Yay you! :bravo:

Brooke, Yeah, it's a lot of work, but I really love what I do. What did she end up doing?

Yup, I lost 3 pounds this week for a total of 10 pounds. Not too shabby! I had to drive to the east coast of Florida to pick up my oldest daughter - 5 hours! I've been drinking 100-125 ounces of water, which translates to potty time every 20 minutes or so. So I cut WAY back today and still had to stop three times. Does this peeing thing ever slow down??

After I picked up my girl, she begged to go to the golden arches. She was describing food in great detail. I gotta tell you, I LOVE food. I have the lowest resistance of anyone I know, so it was tempting, but I resisted! I'm going to duct tape her mouth for the ride home though. :D

MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!! (YES, I'M YELLING!!!) No way did that crazy lady read to you, NO freakin' way!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's NONSENSE!!!!! Sometime I wonder where on Earth they find these CRAZY trainers!!!! Next month I have to go to THREE different training sessions that last all day long, I will stand up and scream if they are like this!! LOL

I'm a big time scale ho'. I can't help it. I actually have fun with it but I only track my weight at the same time of day. I've been know to weigh myself before and after going to the bathroom, with and without clothes, shoes, wet vs dry, and every combination in between!!! My husband thinks it's hysterical, really it is!!!

Those of you that teach or work in large offices....have you told your coworkers what you're doing??? Most of my grade level is doing weigh watchers and I think they'll all flip out and go crazy on me if I tell them what I'm doing!!!

Michelle....TELL ME the PEEING thing stops, PLEASE!!!!!!!! How on Earth will I teach if I have to get someone to cover my class every 20 min!!! Yikes!!!!

Thank You Michelle! Congrats to you too on reaching the 240's!

The peeing thing don't stop... lol! I told my coworkers and a few of my high school students that i was on Medifast. They kept on asking me what were the white packets and could i share my food with them... so I had to explain! They were pretty supportive! A couple of my kids noticed that i had been losing weight. My boyfriend said that my face is skinnier now! I teach in a portable so we have no bathroom around. Itis like a 5 minutes round trip to the bathroom... I have to put my coat and go through the cold... which does not help... because i tend to wait until the last minute to go pee. The teacher on the other side of the portable is very sweet and he does not mind watching my class through our communicating door when i go pee...which is probably 4-5 times a day... We have a lot of fights so i can not really go during passing periods... In order to use the restroom i have to go through a class and the teacher is very amused by how often i have to go... He started making stats: telling me when i am late according to the schedule, or when i am not drinking enough water! It is kind of hard to do it incognito I guess!!! LOL
but all in all, i do not find it hard... If people don't understand or agree with my choice of diet, well, it does not really matter! I will just smile and keep doing what i am doing!

It is all about me Baby! lol

Flo: You are doing so good! I am still weighing myself everyday and find myself on a rollercoaster ride of emotions! Weight down :)...weight up :(
I still don't understand why it would go up. It looks like I will be down 2 pounds on Sunday when I way in at weight watchers. We'll see. :crossed:
I admit it...I'm a slave to my scale. I hate it but it's true!

Brooke: I lived in Appleton, WI when I was a little girl. My dad taught art at the University of WI.

I hope everbody has a great weekend. I'll post the results of my weigh in on Sunday. Thinking :goodscale: thoughts!

Do you realize how much money they pay those consultants? It's like thousands of dollars a day. Here's the way I do it...I figure if I get two or three golden nuggets a day, I've done well. It's kind of crazy, but it gets me through the day. We were working with two federal grants last year (only one this year) and it's still ludicrous. The worst is the Saturdays - we do about four a year.

I do exactly the same thing, Samara - with/without, with/without pajama pants, before/after showering, wet/dry hair...so I can pretty much tell you what difference a white v-neck tee-shirt will make in your weight (.4). ;)

My husband doesn't know about my scale obsession, though. He's out of town until next Saturday night. He's in Asia for two weeks on business. Let's see if he actually notices the weight loss. I haven't told him how much I weighed at the beginning. He only knows when I'm not ashamed of it. He's not a super skinny, though, thank goodness. He gains weight, too.

Happy Saturday :)

Can you believe I woke up at exactly the same I(&*&^(& time that I do during the week? :(