tummy tuck "before" pictures

Well, here they are, in all their glory. UGH. Can't believe I'm posting these, but I said I would.  This is what 30 years of yo-yo dieting and constant weight loss and gain does to a body. Ain't no amount of exercise going to help this!  There are several views here. I think the most dramatic is head-on, bent over (last picture).

See the bulge extending down from the bra line to my waist? That's from separated abdominal muscles. That's what happens when you're obese for a very long time.  

Tomorrow that frowning belly button won't be frowning anymore. :)

There it is. Let it all hang out! And no those aren't my boobs. 

That's my sagging skin below my boobs.

I took my measurements this morning:  waist, 40"; hips, 48".  The large hip measurement is largely due to my excess skin.  My weight is 209, which means I've lost nearly all of my weight regain (lowest weight was 203). I probably lost it all, but added muscle since I've been working out five times a weeks for almost a year and nearly all of that was strength training. My goal is to get under 200 pounds. Although I'd still be considered "overweight" by medical standards, it's more about how I feel.

I think I'm ready for tomorrow morning. Yes, I'm nervous. But I'm excited, too. I'm looking forward to eventually having a wider range of motion, not having to tuck my skin into my pants before I button them, and not having to arrange my belly when I sleep on my side. I'm also looking forward to no more rashes under the belly and getting rid of that One Spot that itches all the time (so annoying!).  I have to admit, too, that I'm pretty curious as to how many pounds of skin are taken off. Any bets?? I'm thinking six to eight pounds. It might not look like a ton of loose skin, but it sure feels like it when I'm going about my daily activities.

I have to be there at 8:40 am and surgery will be around 9:30 am. I got all my house cleaning and laundry done and my travel bag is packed. I'm bringing my compression garment, pajama pants, underwear, socks, my sports bra, and a pair of my workout pants (not sure if they'll be too tight around my waist). I'm hoping not to wear pajama pants home, but we'll see how the workout pants fit. I might have to. Since I'm coming home the same day, there's really nothing else I need.

Well, off to bed. Let's see how I sleep tonight. I may need to take a Valium; the surgeon prescribed some just in case I need it.