I've been avoiding you all because I need to fess up and I've been having a hard time on how to word it to maybe give you my side of things before you make a judgement.
I'm STILL on my healthy journey but it's taking a new twist - one that will make me much happier in the end.
Quite a while ago I made a post something along the lines of "weight vs. shape" and this is what we are going to talk about. For the longest time I have been very unhappy with my body SHAPE .. what I weigh is irrelevant to me but I have ALWAYS assumed that "when I hit that magic number" I will be good to go ... as you can see from my pics my weight at 139 is NOT really that overweight (possibly 15 pounds according to the charts but seriously I am quite muscular so I'm NOT huge) .. my arms and my legs are normal looking but because I went into menopause at such an early age (25!!) all the weight I ever gain goes to my stomach area and not any where else so I end up looking like a marshmellow with twigs poking out of it .. when I lose weight it initally (the first bit - unually until I reach about 137 or so) comes off my stomach area and then it moves to arms/legs/face only AND I just become more disproportiate looking because I get super skinny everwhere else and the stomach area remains big and my face begins to age quite terribly because I become drawn looking and sunken soooo (my godness you guys still with me?) I have made the decision that I want lipo on my abs to correct it. My husband is completely on board and supportive and went with me to the appointment and I am a good candidate because I never physically had kids so my elasticity is good etc etc. Now some of you are probably shocked .. I am too but this is not about stopping exercise and it's not about not eating healthy it's about SHAPE and contour and I am sick to death of looking like the Michelin man.
I will still be here .. I will still continue a healthy lfestyle and eating YOU ON A DIET because it IS a lifestyle.. I will exercise .. this is not about weight reduction or being the skinny chick because even with some of it gone off my stomach I will not be a skinny chick . I will just look normal and average which is what I am looking for ... I don't want to look like I'm 23 or act like I'm 23 .. I just want to look like a good 43 (which I am). I've spent my whole life trying to cover up this stomach and I'm sick of it.
So there's the long and fat of it .... I know alot of you are not going to agree with my decision and it's all good .. please note ALL comments welcome .. good bad indifferent.
ps. I'm going to add some pics so you can see what I mean about body shape
Posted By: Punkalicious
Comments to this post:
03/30/2008 10:22
Hi
Well, who cares what anyone else thinks, right? Only you know what's best for you, and what will make you happy ...
My BF is starting a surgery fund for me LOL!! I told him I for sure want a boob job when I am done losing weight, we'll discuss lipo and tummy tuck when I get there too.
I still have 80 lbs to go before we need to get serious about it.
You are lucky your dh is on board for that - you go girl!!
Most men that are in their 40's and 50's also have big bellies (and belly fat) so does he need it as well? Cuz I think that if a woman has to sit around feeling like she needs surgery on her body then the guy should be doing it too. Unless he's a skinny mini, then I apologize for making that mistake. I just get sick of the men being able to relax about themselves and not worry about how they look while women are constantly stressing out about it. A lot of men have pot bellies.
Actually the post had really nothing to do with my husband regarding his belly .. the only reason he was mentioned was to say that he is very supportive of what I'm doing BUT he loves me just the way I am and couldn't give two shits about my belly .. .I've had it forever and we've been married almost 19 years .. it's not about how he feels it's about how I feel. Trust me he'd much rather save the cash and do something else with it but he knows it's important to me.
Well my comments certainly are NOT negative! First, I admire your willingness to put yourself (in your case your shape) before the numbers game on the scale. I think it's GREAT that you know yourself well enough to know when to look in other areas, other than just the scale number. I love that your dh is supportive. And I love that you are putting yourself first with this kind of decision. Health and wellness doesn't just take into account weight, it is a whole relm of things and it's different for each of us. You sound so positive in your decision, how can that be a bad thing?!! So go for it. Make yourself happy with a positive change. I also love that you are still going to keep eating healthy and exercising - those are all part of health and wellness too. You go girl!!!!
Why shouldn't you do it? It's been an issue I've seen you dance around from the beginning last year - the belly that is. If you were 250lbs and just wanted a quick fix it would be stupid, but a lot of Drs agree that in a case like yours, where you have tried and done what you can, have lost the weight and still have problem areas, surgery is a good solution. As you say, for various reasons, your main problem is that few pounds of belly fat - if you are ok everywhere else - SUCK IT OUT! I would only be worried about the risk factor of lipo, but if you get good advice and are healthy, you should be fine. I personally don't think I would ever be that unhappy to take those steps - but that's just me - right now I'd kill for your body - it's all relative!
Lots of people who lose loads of weight will be in same position - excess skin and all that - so if you have the desire and can afford it - it will be better in the long turm than a holiday somewhere - you will feel much happier within yourself - expecially if you don't have the expectation that life will magically be marvellous. Belly bugs you, belly goes, you drop a size and feel good - where's the harm? This would be a great opportunity to let others know how you are feeling thru the process, if you are able to get that personal - would be really useful to many who are considering it - the good, the bad and the ugly details. Good luck!
And to any out there being judgemental - you know the saying - "Walk a mile in her shoes..." - no one has the right to speak for anyone else's decisions - and Punky shouldn't care what anyone thinks - if herself and her family and are ok with it and they are well informed, that's all that matters.
