Ask a guy getting a panniculectomy (130lbs lost) on 12/28/12 anything. (pics)(story)

[tfpriest]

21 days to go as of this post..

A Panniculectomy is basically a tummy tuck without muscle tightening, for removing loose abdominal skin. Mostly only women need muscle tightening because they get abdominal separation called "diastasis" (although fat guys get it too) it was an extra $1000 and would take me out of gym for an extra 3 weeks, so I decided against it.

Used to be a former ~330 lb fatty from a small red neck ass town. Totally cultural, I was a fat child, obese by age 7. I was over 300 lbs at age 15. Dad was always in jail and Mom made 15k a year working at walmart, and lived in a trailer on a dirt road in a town of about 300 people.

HS Graduation in 2004:



First Year of College ~2005:



....

After garnering some life experience in school and breaking up with a whale high school sweetheart, I decided it was time to make some healthy changes and reinvent myself. It happened in steps...I cut my hair a bit. Lost 10-20 lbs. (See bodyspace progress pics for full timeline) I had to build some type of momentum for myself. When I first started losing weight I did it extremely unhealthy with no concept of macronutrients or proper dieting.

(270 lbs in 2006-2007 ish, about 60 lbs lost)



I spent hundreds of hours reading articles and forums on BB.com when I started lurking and eventually joined. My best friend got a personal trainer and really inspired me after seeing him lose about 50 lbs from 250 - 200. I decided I could do this.

I got down to 235 in Feb 2009 after an 8 week fitness challenge at a local gym. I lost about 25 lbs in 8 weeks.

I started to notice my skin on my abs was hanging pretty badly. After trying to find out more I read through a bunch of articles stating that "loose skin was a myth". I believed those articles, thinking I just had to lose more fat.

Though you cant see the skin directly in this below pic, you can see my attempt to get my body fat down as much as possible. This is the skinniest I ever was, about 188 in that picture. I didn't look very good, even though I was actively lifting at this point, I had been cutting for so long losing that 140 lbs. I decided to go on my first real bulk. ~188 - 208 is the difference between this from June, 2010.



You can see from the former fatty pics that I carried most of my weight in my belly. I actually consider myself pretty lucky. My ass, chest, face, and other features all came back quite nicely after losing the weight, but I couldn't shake the loose abdominal skin. This is what it looks like.



Let me tell you, it sucks trying to hide your stomach when it comes to smash time with teh womenz. I've grown a lot of parts pretty well this past 1.5 years and while I'm not at bodybuilder levels, I'm in pretty decent shape and all of my vitals and blood tests are radically different now when compared to 2005 (had high blood pressure, high triglycerides, terrible cholesterol, terrible blood glucose even at 18-19 years old).

Short collage from spring of 2011:



The new me:



Taken in September:



I'm almost happy with the way I look. I'd like to be a little leaner, but this freakin stomach skin (which still looks like the above pic) is killing me.

So I went and saw this plastic surgeon. His name is Dr. Steven Morris. He is doing the surgery to remove the skin on 12/28/12.

The total cost for me is $5900 out of pocket for the surgeons fee up front. My insurance should cover 90% of the hospital and anesthesia fees, which leaves me with about $500 to cover. Insurance may cover 30-60% of the surgeons fee as well but wont know until its been billed. I'm hoping my final cost when said and done is $4000-$4500.

Words of advice: Never get fat. Wish my parents would have guided me in a direction away from obesity. Took a lot of life experience to completely re-engineer my ethic and way of life. I usually hover between 205-215 now which is a weight I'm pretty happy with, although I may try to cut to 185-190 after the surgery. We'll see.

Any questions? Ask away. Will be posting pre-op and post-op pics in this thread when they are done.

[MarkS51]

...I cut my hair a bit. Lost 10-20 lbs.

Man, that's a LOT of hair!

Seriously though, good job. And you've learned all this and made the changes by age 26 which is a far more important thing. Very hard for a man to just decide to be different and then go and do it. You did, congrats.

Too bad you didn't book it another month out. You look like you're about 15-17%BF and could shed another 10-15lbs giving him more slack to get rid of. Then, like buying smaller clothes, you'll be more cognizant of any backsliding. But you're young and post-surgery your skin should tighten up if you lean down more.

I'm 6'0" and in June was at 196lbs/11%BF. By 11/17, my first show, I was down to 180/4-5% and am still at 178/7% today. You can check my gallery for progress pics and see that our body types look about the same. World of difference between even 11% and 7%, and 11 from 15 lemme tell you.

You done good, keep up the good work!

[jeffl1980]

You are an inspiration man. Great job, much respect for you! Reps for you....not that my 36 will do much for you

[tfpriest]

Man, that's a LOT of hair!

Seriously though, good job. And you've learned all this and made the changes by age 26 which is a far more important thing. Very hard for a man to just decide to be different and then go and do it. You did, congrats.

Too bad you didn't book it another month out. You look like you're about 15-17%BF and could shed another 10-15lbs giving him more slack to get rid of. Then, like buying smaller clothes, you'll be more cognizant of any backsliding. But you're young and post-surgery your skin should tighten up if you lean down more.

I'm 6'0" and in June was at 196lbs/11%BF. By 11/17, my first show, I was down to 180/4-5% and am still at 178/7% today. You can check my gallery for progress pics and see that our body types look about the same. World of difference between even 11% and 7%, and 11 from 15 lemme tell you.

You done good, keep up the good work!

Thanks man. It's definitely a lifestyle I'm committed too and I admit I could lose a few % BF more, but I've spent a lot of time in 2012 trying to build some extra muscle and been trying to eat around or a bit over maintenance. I figure If I go into surgery around 205-210, that like you said I could probably lean down to 180-185 without a significant problem which will probably be a goal of mine coming into 2013 post surgery.

PS - I actually donated that hair to locks of love back in 2006ish when I finally cut it

[tfpriest]

You are an inspiration man. Great job, much respect for you! Reps for you....not that my 36 will do much for you

Thanks bro Makes me happy to hear that I like inspiring people.

[Stephcoach]

Outstanding progress dude! Impressive and very insparitonal!

[MarkS51]

It's definitely a lifestyle I'm committed too...

What it really is is a change in thinking, attitude and outlook. To change the outer man as much as you have something of the inner man had to change first and as an act of sheer will, that is hard to do. Once that's accomplished changing the outside is not very hard at all. It's the inner change people admire most and for what the true congrats are due.

Keep it up, you'll never regret it.

[BIgOrange865]

All I can say is WOW. You have not only changed your physical appearance but it sounds like you've changed your outlook on life. Just goes to show you can go from a rough childhood situation and "change your path" with hard work and determination. I look forward to seeing your after pics and hope everything turns out the way you want it too. Mad respect!!

[tfpriest]

What it really is is a change in thinking, attitude and outlook. To change the outer man as much as you have something of the inner man had to change first and as an act of sheer will, that is hard to do. Once that's accomplished changing the outside is not very hard at all. It's the inner change people admire most and for what the true congrats are due.

Keep it up, you'll never regret it.

You're right. At first it was very hard. Giving up the eating habits I had seemed impossible at the time. Now, just the thought of over indulging or eating a plate of fried food seems hard on my body, and makes me feel like complete sh*t. No idea how I was able to eat the way I did in retrospect.

[tfpriest]

Here is another one of my recent pics. Taken a couple months ago, I felt like I'm actually starting to look decent when I see this pic.

[melaneybh]

Congrats on the weight loss! I am in a similar boat. Lost 120 lbs. Down to 115 lbs now, I am 5"2. So could still prob lose 5-10 more pounds but good god. The skin, so frustrating. I wish I never did that to myself. Now I have worked so hard to lose the weight, and honestly at times feel even worse then before because of extra skin. I have been told not to pursue surgery, as my doctor feels due to my age, my skin might rebound (i dont hold out hope) and he also feels it would not be good to have the skin removed if I plan on having children, which I do. The cost for me getting it all removed if it comes down to it will probably run me over 10k.

[tfpriest]

Tomorrow is the big day. 6:30am..gettin close

[Stevebaby]

good luck, hope you post the results down the road.

[jeffl1980]

Good luck!

[riffdex]

I enjoyed reading the story of your journey and it has proven to be another great motivation story for me to look to. While I was never obese I have been overweight since I was young and just now started working out and getting in shape and feeling better about myself. All I can say is good luck. It's hard to think that after tomorrow, your entire life will be changed for the better. You are nearing the end of your journey and those of us who have just begun ours can look to you for strength!

[lalaland79]

Awesome thread! just look at you go! :-)