Tuck It In: Trouble with tummy

by Jacki Donaldson (Subscribe to Jacki Donaldson's posts)
Mar 11th 2008 8:00AM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation

Join me as I search my soul for direction regarding my latest pursuit: A tummy tuck. Will I go through with it? Will I "Tuck It In?" Keep reading. Keep coming back. And you'll find out.

March 11, 2008

Exercise won't work. Diet won't work. I know because I've been perfecting the art of both for almost one year. I've been running, strengthening my core, pulling resistance bands, teetering on my BOSU, and lifting some weights. I've bid a fond farewell to sweets, soda and excess calories, fats, sugar, and carbohydrates. These feats have brought me great results -- a 15-pound weight loss, a strong heart, more energy -- but they've failed to address what troubles me the most: My tummy.

I've written about my tummy before. And in a December 15, 2007 post, I declared that I would not surgically alter this part of my body. The risks were just too great. A tummy tuck is an elective operation, after all. There's no medical reason for one. Hard work was all I needed. More hard work to whittle away at the wrinkling, hanging skin sagging from my mid-section.

Then I began talking to others about my struggle -- friends, family, doctors, fitness trainers -- and realized that this skin is not going anywhere. Ever. Because it's skin. Loose skin. Not fat. Not extra weight. It's skin. Skin left behind from the bigger-than-10-pound babies I carried in my stretching belly seven and four years ago. Skin that hangs more now that I've lost weight than ever before. Skin that I've become obsessed with. Skin I want removed.

The plastic surgeon I saw last week told me he can make my tummy better. It's not the worse case he's ever seen -- on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the best, he says my stomach is better than a five -- but he can certainly sculpt it into something pretty perfect. While working on it, he'd also reposition my belly button, repair a pregnancy-induced separated muscle, and fix an umbilical hernia. The whole procedure would take about two hours. I'd be home an hour after that. Seems simple. But it's not.

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is serious stuff. It requires an incision from hip to hip, removal of a football-shaped chunk of skin, muscle suturing, stitches, pain, swelling, a recovery that lasts for weeks, and a pretty big scar. Of course, there' s also a chance that something will go wrong.

My surgery -- my serious, potentially life-changing surgery -- is on the books. April 23 is the big day. On April 1, three weeks from today, I will report for a pre-op visit. It's my one last chance to talk to my surgeon about what's in store and to fork over my cash -- this is cosmetic so insurance won't kick in. I figure I have these three weeks to commit or back out. Right now, I don't know what I'll do. I want the final product but I fear the process, the chance I'll one day look back and think, "Why couldn't I have just lived with that skin?"

Journaling always helps me. I think it helps others too. That's why I'm sharing my story with you. Maybe you're in my same boat. Maybe you've already sailed these waters. Maybe you have a strong opinion about what I should do. Maybe you know something I don't. Whatever the case, please share. I'll do the same. Whenever something about this tummy journey strikes me, I'll write about it. Together, we'll prosper. And I'll come to a decision. What will it be? Only time will tell.

NOTE: Abdominoplasty is recommended for those whose skin and muscle cannot recover on their own as a result of significant weight loss, pregnancy, aging, heredity, or prior surgery. It is not a substitute for weight loss or an appropriate exercise program. For more information about this surgery, click here.

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Comments (10)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Joanne 3-11-2008 @ 9:42AM

I hate my tummy too. I am in the process of losing weight, i've lost 18 lbs so far and by the looks of my tummy I have another 10 or so to go.
I am using the body brushing technique (and the brush I bought from the website) that I learned from the T-Tapp workout series. I tried the whole thing-workout, alphalpha pills-body brushing, but the body brushing is the only thing I still do. I think that this will work, so I am keeping track. I have a ton of stretch marks and an ugly C-section scar that brushing will not get rid of, but hopefully the lose skin will go away.

Fit Happens 3-11-2008 @ 9:41AM

For me, it was never about excess fat but excess skin. I have a lean BMI of 11% (athlete) but still had the extra skin. I looked great except for the mid-section.

I went ahead and had the surgery and am so glad that I did. The surgeon told me it was the least amount he has ever removed, there was no fat, just loose skin and ruptured muscles from having 5 kids (which always made me look 4 months pregnant because it extended my stomach).

I'm a fitness trainer and now I have abs to die for. I always did, but you could not tell because of all the loose skin just hanging there.

It's true, and I tell my clients the same thing. You can tighten your abs and reduce you body fat, but loose skin is nothing you can get rid of short of surgery. I was terrified of going under the knife, but am so happy that I did. Good luck to you.

carlabirnberg 3-11-2008 @ 11:36AM

great comment and point Fit Happens.

C.

Jul 3-11-2008 @ 12:12PM

I read something about a procedure called Stomach Pull Surgery and is to be less dangerous and with less scarring. But I do not remember where I read it. It may be worth researching. Please let me know your findings. Thank you.

M.M. 3-11-2008 @ 12:24PM

Girl, I can relate. At the age of 40 my abs look 80. I gave birth to a 10 pound baby boy at the age of 18. Within weeks I was back down to 100 pounds, but my stomach never looked the same, and to this day I see it as my "flaw". I still weigh 100 lbs and I do have a muscular stomach, yet you can't see the muscles through the skin on top, esp around my belly button. At the age of 20 I had the money to get a tummy tuck, but just didn't do it. Now I couldn't do it, not just because of finances, but I have a ton of adhesions connecting my abs to my intestines. What we women go through!

Andrea 3-11-2008 @ 6:55PM

I say if you have the money, do it. If you do it, there's a very small chance something could go terribly wrong and you'll wish you hadn't. If you don't do it, there's a 100% chance that you'll wonder about what it would be like to have done it. Or at least I know I would, especially in the summer with swimming and all. Unless you can decide no and totally put it out of your mind, I'd just do it.
I have never had kids, so I don't know so much about the belly. I'm still young, so maybe I'll find out one day. I was, however, very much shafted in the breast department and have teetered back and forth on the breast augmentation for much of my life. I used to say I'd never do it, but as it seems to have become a daily annoyance for me now I'm considering it. I guess when I was a teenager I thought being flat chested was temporary, and now i'm seeing that it is permanent. If I can come up with the money, I think I'll do it. Why should I miss out on low cut tops and cute bikinis? Why should you miss out on short tops and cute bikinis?

Jacki 3-11-2008 @ 4:20PM

Gosh, thanks to all for the supportive comments. I really appreciate it!

Jacki

fitzness 3-12-2008 @ 3:19PM

I love that you're putting this out there Jacki. So many women can identify with this, and are looking for some guidance from someone who's actually going through it. You've done all you can do without surgery. Now for the final touches!

SDR 3-23-2008 @ 11:17AM

Hi, I'm 47 years old and have been struggling with my tummy for 3 years ever since my kidney transplant. Pror to my transplant, I was on Peritineal Dialysis that requires manual or machine exchanges of the fluids in your peritineal. The process takes bad peritineal fliuds out of your stomach through a cathether and the fluids are replaced with saline. It caused my stomach to expand to hold the saline. Now that I've had the transplant and is healthy, I have tried diets, exercise programs and personal trainer and I can't get rid of my stomach. After all I've been through, I just want to feel comfortable with myself. I am confused as to what my options are as a kidny transplant receipient. Does anyone have amy suggestions or the name of a specialist I can contact? My nephrology (who I think is one of the best in his field) is totally against further surgeries. He believes I can do it myself but I have been trying and it never effects my tummy. I am reaching out like many of you. Any advice or past experiences will help. Because of my tummy, my clothes don't fit well. I wear a size 16 for my tummy but I know that size 12 is more fitting everywhere else. Thanks for listening.

Jacki 3-23-2008 @ 11:21AM

If you are like me, then your skin will probably stay put despite your best diet and exercise efforts. But I can see that after your health issues, perhaps your doctors would hesitate to send you into more surgery. Maybe you could talk to a plastic surgeon for an opinion. Good ones won't do the surgery if it's too risky -- I have a friend who wanted a breast reduction and had previously had radiation therapy for breast cancer. The plastic surgeon said "NO" -- he would not operate on radiated breasts. Just too risky. So talk to a few doctors and see what they say . . .

Best wishes to you!

Jacki