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MY ABS( Do I need surgery?)


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My Abs are awful. I've been this way since I lost all that weight. 80 pounds to be exact. Now all that's left is loose skin. I heard that to trim my abs in this condition to be lean and rock hard is slim to impossible and one option I have is plastic surgery. Although I would do it if I could afford it I can't afford it at the moment. Is there any other option or is plastic surgery my only option?

 

PICTURES BELOW SO YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF SORRY FOR CRAPPY QUALITY I ONLY HAVE A WEBCAM TO TAKE PICS.

 

 

 

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9559/myphoto08010701mf2.jpg

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/2241/myphoto08010702dv8.jpg

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3056/myphoto08010703ld3.jpg

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3091/myphoto08010704jv1.jpg

 

This is something I have been struggling with for a while. I really would like to know if there is any way to eventually look like this without the need for surgery.

 

 

http://www.runnersworld.com/images/cma/xtrain2_abs200.jpg

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How old are you? If you are young your skin will probably adapt. As for the possibility of abs.. Hard work + good diet will get you abs. Just set a realistic goal (for example summer 2009) and go for it! No need for surgery imho, but you might want to look into Vitamine E creme to help your skin. Good luck!

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Eat less calories than you take in.

 

It's not gonna happen fast.

 

Most of that is Skin Zack...Dr. Pink is now very skinny. I was almost on the same boat when I first lost all my weight. Your stomach will shrink a little over a couple of years but there will still be quite a bit of skin left. If you lift and gain muscle mass that will use up some of that extra space as well but they'll always be something there without surgery.

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Plastic surgery will not give you the abs shown in that picture. But it will remove some excess skin and fat.

 

If you want the best results, then train as if the abs in that picture are within your goal - THEN and only then consider plastic surgery. Even though you lost 80 pounds, you look to have a body fat percentage in the 20's (from your pictures). Adding a good 20 lbs or so of muscle and losing more fat will give you a better idea of your prospects.

 

I see this at work often with breast reductions, panniculectomies, abdominoplasties, etc. The patients spend thousands of dollars for okay results when they could have had fabulous results had they gotten into good enough shape that the surgeon could see exactly where the problem starts and overall bad shape ends.

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I agree with DV. I had the same problem as you, I lost weight and had a lot of extra skin. I weight trained for a long time, but nothing in my abdominal section came off. I was afraid of plastic surgery, but finally found a good surgeon, that was doing a new version of liposuction. And found a way to borrow the money. It is more expensive, but has far greater results. I might add that I was told from working out that my abs were rock hard, and they didn't need to touch the muscle. Usually they pull the muscles tight, but mine were already very tight. If anyone is thinking of plastic surgery, because nothing else has worked I'll tell you of a great plastic surgeon. It does help to be in good shape before the surgery, it aids in a faster recovery, and the results are better too.

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Eat less calories than you take in.

 

It's not gonna happen fast.

 

Cutting calories, reducing your energy intake, forces your body to consume stored energy, fat.

 

If Dr. Pink is right and that flab is skin dieting might not help.

 

It is also hard for me to tell the difference between loose and fat, but you can see the stretch marks on his abs.

Edited by beforewisdom
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I see this at work often with breast reductions, panniculectomies, abdominoplasties, etc. The patients spend thousands of dollars for okay results when they could have had fabulous results had they gotten into good enough shape that the surgeon could see exactly where the problem starts and overall bad shape ends.

 

Do you think it is worth it to consult with a plastic surgeon at the get-go to have her/him tell when you are ready or do you think money will always influence what they tell you ( you are not ready if you can't pay for it, you are ready if you can pay, etc. )?

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Get motivated and train your ass off.

 

Try to eat less calories. Cut off the high sodium in your foods. Start by Xing out the Soya Sauce !

 

Sorry for being so hard on ya Pinky. !!

 

But if you want those abs in that picture, you're going to have to train !

Consistency is the key to a healthier you

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i've read somewhere that low carb diets are good when you want to lose skin. however i have no idea if it's true.

 

FWIW I stumbled across a low carb blog one day with a man who had the same complaint as Dr. Pink.

 

FYI, fat is stored energy that is used up with a dietary deficit.......skin is not stored energy that can be dieted away.

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Personally, I think you've got some time to wait (and some work to do) before even considering surgery.

 

Skin is only a couple of millimeters thick, at the most. Your skin is definitely loose, but it's way too thick to be just skin.

 

The skin itself will tighten up with time, and you've got youth on your side. (Collagen production supposedly reduces with age, and it's what keeps the skin tight and smooth.) One of the things you can do to help it along is to exfoliate regularly with a loofah or body brush, to stimulate circulation.

 

What's under the skin - you can do the usual things that would help with body composition. Burn off fat and build muscle. If you previously ate lots of junk food, you may also be retaining fluids and some detox would help.

 

If you're looking for something with immediate results, I would recommend trying body wraps. Some of them actually do help tighten up post-weight-loss loose flesh.

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Plastic surgery will not give you the abs shown in that picture.

 

Actually, I had heard that there was an "ab sculptor" plastic surgeon in CA who made it his job to "carve" out the grooves around the abs for people who wanted the perfect 6-pack. T-Mag did a feature on it some time ago when their editor had the procedure done just to see how much improvement he could get. However, that was for people who were already with flat stomachs - in Pink's case, it's not a viable option.

 

Yeah, the skin issue is a tough one. Even when I went down to 192 lbs. and looked absolutely scrawny, I still carried a little paunch in the front because that's where I had stored so much of my fat during the heavy days, and it simply did not want to go away. I could have PROBABLY fought to get rid of more of it, but that would have required obsessively working to lower bodyfat with everything I had, and that gets old quick.

 

I think he can make a fair amount more progress to probably reduce what he has by another 30-50%, but beyond that, if there's way too much loose skin there won't be much more that can be done. You won't really know until you're pretty well down to a very low bodyfat percentage everywhere else - if you're ripped in all other areas but the stomach is still loose, then that's a problem that won't likely go away on its own. I've heard from people who lost massive amounts of weight that sometimes, that skin just never goes back to normal, but usually it won't be "squishy" but just very, very loose.

 

One of my wife's friends who'd had 4 children had a similar problem with skin - she had her weight fluctuate a lot over the years between pregnancies (up to around 230, down as low as 130), and in the end, after her last baby, she dieted down to around 140 and was getting lean but had a kangaroo-like pouch of fat from all the weight fluctuations. She opted for plastic surgery - and let me say, skin removal isn't all that fun from what she has relayed to us.

 

First of, expect that it may cost upward of $5000 for a reputable surgeon (hers was $7k, on the higher side), and she had tubes coming out of her to handle the drainage for over a month after the surgery was complete. She was on bed rest for around 2 weeks, and the 2 months was basically light duty work, no lifting over 15 lbs., and she was in a lot of pain for about a solid month before she began to feel normal again. Also, depending on how the skin removal goes and how much is taken off, in her case they actually had to do a bellybutton reconstruction, which was pretty freaky. Basically, when they pulled the skin to tighten it, her navel area was not correctly aligned, so they had to actually re-sculpt it for her. Having that done adds on to the cost, but hey, if you don't mind looking unusual, it'd be a conversation starter to whip up your shirt and make up some crazy stories about how you were a cloned human or were hatched from an egg

 

Anyway, I'd say that more can be done to reduce the stomach area, but as far as having flawless abs, that may not be so easy. Just keep working on building a little more muscle and trying to drop more fat and in time, it will at the least look and feel better than it does right now.

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Personally, I think you've got some time to wait (and some work to do) before even considering surgery.

 

Skin is only a couple of millimeters thick, at the most. Your skin is definitely loose, but it's way too thick to be just skin.

 

The skin itself will tighten up with time, and you've got youth on your side. (Collagen production supposedly reduces with age, and it's what keeps the skin tight and smooth.) One of the things you can do to help it along is to exfoliate regularly with a loofah or body brush, to stimulate circulation.

 

What's under the skin - you can do the usual things that would help with body composition. Burn off fat and build muscle. If you previously ate lots of junk food, you may also be retaining fluids and some detox would help.

 

If you're looking for something with immediate results, I would recommend trying body wraps. Some of them actually do help tighten up post-weight-loss loose flesh.

 

yeah you should ask Odidnetne about his cleanses

 

love the your quotes Michelle !!!

 

If you try the low carb thing you'll burn out when you're trying to train.

To shed fat you have to do cardio. I wish you'll be able to have magical fairies turn you into a mean mean muscle machine. But unfortunately we are not in magic land.

We have to work hard and keep our consistency

 

It also depends what kinds of foods you're storing in your body. Try substituting more fruit and green leafy vegetables instead of sugary processes foods.

 

sorry for the loads of information. I think I'm reminding myself in that department. To keep being consistent with my training.

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The procedure I did was a little different than traditional liposuction. It's a newer procedure.. They use smaller instruments,and smaller incisions,and recoverys a lot faster. I believe it's called vaser liposelection, and only a handful of plastic surgeons do it here in the US. The surgeon I went to was in Denver, olorado, and he learned the procedure in South America, I heard about him on the Today show and I'm glad I did. I was scared of the idea of having surgery but I was getting no results at the gym, even though I was working out a bunch I looked like the opposite. Anyway I suggest work out consistently and if this area does not improve in say a year then you'll pretty much know that it's all excess skin. Or you can go for a free cosultation with a plastic surgeon and they can tell you what they think. Contrary to what some people think they are not all out there just to make money, You just have to find one that's honest, and basically is a good person and not in the field for the money, but because they love their work. But hopefully with hard work you can fix the area and won't have to do surgery.

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Just keep working on building a little more muscle and trying to drop more fat and in time, it will at the least look and feel better than it does right now.

 

I've read many people say that it is very hard to lose weight without losing some muscle. I've read it is also hard to lose a significant amount of fat and build muscle at the same time.

 

Should someone in Dr. Pink's position do a moderate amount of cardio, stabilize his calorie intake and lift hoping that the energy required for muscle growth will have to come from his stored fat ?

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Just keep working on building a little more muscle and trying to drop more fat and in time, it will at the least look and feel better than it does right now.

 

 

 

Should someone in Dr. Pink's position do a moderate amount of cardio, stabilize his calorie intake and lift hoping that the energy required for muscle growth will have to come from his stored fat ?

 

The "energy" needed to build muscle won't come 100% from stored fat because amino acids and glucose are definitely needed to grow muscles. Building muscle exclusively and losing fat exclusively is very difficult to do because everyone's metabolism is different on different days. You really need to educate yourself about muscle gain and fat loss in order to do this effectively. Unfortunately, that is not something you can do on a forum. It takes more work and research than that.

 

I'm sorry to say this but it's doubtful that Pink will ever look the way he could if he had never been obese. Even young bodies only forgive so much.

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It really irritates me when I see people on this thread just say "eat fewer calories than you take in" or related comments. I bet that people that say things like that have never had the problem Pink is sharing. To those folks I just gotta say, it ain't that simple, and you are better off not saying something that just comes across as plain rude and condescending when it is pretty clear that Dr. Pink has worked damn hard to get where he is.

 

I was very overweight into my early teens and had (still have) the same problem.

 

I become an athlete into my teens, and lost a ton of weight. Eventually doing marathons, ironmans, etc....I had my bodyfat down to <7% (consistently) for many years time while I was racing....yet, in spite of all the years of 20+ mile runs, century rides, countless hours in the gym and being vegan with a decent diet, I still had (and still have) excess skin around my waist.

 

Nobody in their right mind could possibly say I could've trained harder. I got to the point where I was crazy thin and very fit (I had people come up to me worried about my health because my face/arms/legs were just bone/muscle!)....but I just had a bunch of lose skin around my waist.

 

The upside is....it does get MUCH less severe. You have to train hard, but it will shrink and as it does, the stretch marks start to become less noticeable.

 

I think the key is to get very strict with your diet. Get a food scale, measure everything. Cut out all processed foods. Go raw for a month to cleanse (if that suits you..). Find a cardiovascular exercise you love and go for it with all your energy. For me, I found the best results with running. Once I started consistently running 4-5 times a week (40+ miles total), I noticed a radical change in my body. This was probably the single biggest factor in helping to change my body. Set clear goals and go beyond what you see others doing.

 

You also need to establish a measuring stick for your progress in terms outside of just being able to see your abs, because that might take a very long time. Start setting some metrics you can track and make progress on regularly. Get a bodyfat scale and use it regularly. Track miles run per week. Track time in the gym, etc.

 

The point is, to make progress you will have to push yourself much MUCH harder than a person who has a naturally flat stomach. You need to hold yourself to a much higher standard. Doing a light 20 minutes of elliptical a couple times a week ain't gonna cut it. Never let the fact that you are working out twice as hard as other people (who yet have tighter bodies) get to you. Treat your situation like a gift, in that it motivates you to achieve more than you normally would.

 

Right now, I am to the point where I still have a little loose skin, but I am no longer anywhere near as self-conscious as I use to be. In actuality, most people can't even tell unless they look close when I have my shirt off. But it is still there...and I know. It's a big motivator for me to keep working out hard because for me, surgery isn't an option.

 

Thanks for posting this thread and sharing. It was comforting to me to see someone else who shared this struggle. Let us know how your progress goes!

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I look at my lose skin as a momento from my past(even though I was large on purpose). It doesn't bother me at all and showing it to people is a good way to prove I wasn't always the size I am now. The only reason why my skin bothers me is that its a few extra pounds on my bike. If it were fat I could use it as fuel but since its skin its a complete disadvantage unless I'm rolling down a hill.

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It really irritates me when I see people on this thread just say "eat fewer calories than you take in" or related comments. I bet that people that say things like that have never had the problem Pink is sharing. To those folks I just gotta say, it ain't that simple, and you are better off not saying something that just comes across as plain rude and condescending when it is pretty clear that Dr. Pink has worked damn hard to get where he is.

 

Hi Ravi. I'm not Dr. Pink, but those comments did not hit me as rude or condescending. Wrong, yes. Rude and condescending, no.

 

I am on this forum because I like conversing with other vegans and other people interested in fitness in a friendly online atmosphere. There aren't many online places where vegans can converse in a friendly manner for very long. This place seems to be blessed with people who are determined not to get into pissing contests.

 

I don't mean an insult to anyone, but the quality of information here can be not so great at times. Ideas that have little basis in fact are often repeated and I don't sense a willingness among the general population to question things.

 

Again, no insult to anyone, it is just what I see. In that respect I can also relate to your rant and I felt a "Hell Ya" when I read it. Again, no insult to anyone. Everyone here is fun to talk to and highly motivating to me personally.

 

Having said that I appreciate where you writing about where you are coming from in your post.

 

I was pushing 260 lbs at 5 11 back in 2000. I am 178 lbs nows working on those last two pounds which seem to be coming off achingly slow. I look good in my clothes and not bad at all for a guy my age, but even after all of that work it feels like I have a small pillow around my waste when I touch my abs.

 

Having been unable to exercise for several years as well as being very, very fat I am 85% content to just be where I am. Able to enjoy exercise again on a moderate basis, back to being at a decent weight, and feeling much less self conscious in social situations. A small part of me still wants perfection, but being older as well as being wiser from having it all taken away from me has made it possible for me to be mostly happy where I am.

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I don't know if you missed this or not but most of the people posting here on this thread have been overweight. I wouldn't say what they have to say isn't worth listening too. Most people here have experience worth looking into.

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I don't know if you missed this or not but most of the people posting here on this thread have been overweight. I wouldn't say what they have to say isn't worth listening too. Most people here have experience worth looking into.

 

Potter, if you are addressing me or if you are addressing Ravi's rant I believe it is a fact that you can not diet skin off of your body. If this is not a fact and you have access to information to prove it I would welcome the education.

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