Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog
Abdominoplasty... A Tough Decision For Sure
As many people who have been following my journey know, I have a lot of loose skin around my abdominal section. I try to ignore it and go about my business each day but it does bother me.
I work so hard to achieve a healthy looking body, trying hard to become a bodybuilder but the sagging skin serves as a constant reminder of my obese days.
I realize that the skin serves as a "scar", a way to show others how far I've come. It can almost be used a a way to describe "war stories", to discuss the battles I went through to lose the weight.
But there's a part of me that is working so hard to try to flatten my abs. Psychologically, it feels like my efforts are waisted because the muscle definition has to be hidden under saggy skin. I have a lot of dreams about possibly competing in bodybuilding someday, and how can I do that and have loose skin?
I haven't made any decision yet but I do have some consultations, simply to learn about the procedure and what's involved. I never rush into decisions and I always think of what's involved. The only time I was ever knocked out for surgery was when I was 5 and had my tonsils out. This is definitely a lot bigger than tonsils, so it does scare me.
For those following my blog, you know I've tried everything! The muscle building worked great on my arms, and I am so pleased with the results there. My chest is looking better too, with the added muscle. The abs still do not look anywhere near the way they should with the amount of exercise and clean eating I do.
I might run away from the consultations and not bother or might hear that it's not as bad as I thought. But I'm going with an open mind. I am definitely doing my homework too! Probably the worst thing someone can do is jump at the chance for surgery without researching everything about it first.
One side note... I have a slight inguinal hernia due to the weight loss. The doctor said I could consider repairing it sometime but I always ignored it as he said it wasn't that bad. The slight hernia might be a way to get the insurance to pay for part of the procedure if I elect to do it. But I don't know, so much to think about.
Here are some pictures of my abs. These are really tough to share but I want people to realize what loose skin is like and how it's such a tough battle to fight!
About the author
Richard Hubbard was once over 350 pounds. After a doctor's physical and finding out he was pre-hypertensive, he decided to make changes and avoid medication. Over the course of a year, Rich lost the first 120 pounds of his incredible 150 pound weight loss. He ate healthy foods based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live". He was mostly plant based, but switched to completely plant based in September of 2016. He also became a vegan in the process as his compassion for animals increased. He credits bodybuilder Robert Cheeke for influencing his decision of going vegan. Rich aspires to be a vegan bodybuilder and is planning his first half marathon this year.