Anyone have liposuction?

[propita]

I’m considering it. Not really seriously, but seriously enough to be asking my doctor if I could handle an operation.

Some of you may remember that I had some health issues the last few years--Dad dying, hypothyroid slowing me down so there were times I’d sleep 18+ hours a day, and cardio problems--and law school. Everything went wrong and I couldn’t think at all and blew the Bar the first time, but passed it the second time.

Well, the meds are balancing a lot of that now. Cholesterol, blood pressure, and thyroid under control with meds. But all that seems to have a lasting effect. My memory has some weirdness and I still get some rather discomforting chest pains when not exerting myself or feeling particularly stressed. And my cortisol levels won’t drop, so I can’t lose weight, which would help my bp. So while my doctors don’t like the idea of lipo to lose weight, they admit that diet modification and exercise (both of which I tried) won’t lose this weight, aside from outright starvation. And I hate the weight I gained from this--belly fat and upper arm. As in, I have to go a size or two up in tops and pants just for that, and it looks really uneven.

So, has anyone here had lipo and have good or bad stories? I’m not looking for opinions as to whether lipo is “good” or “bad,” just positives and negatives.

When you’re told that all the diet and exercise you do won’t affect your weight, you have to look at other possibilities.

 

[thestrangequark]

Personally, having seen what the procedure involves is enough to put me off ever doing it, though I'm sure there are people who have done it and are happy with the results. Something to bear in mind though: if fat cells are removed from some areas and you gain any weight afterward, the fat has to go somewhere, right? -- you might end up gaining weight even more unevenly around your body.
I read an article about a new, noninvasive, nonsurgical, procedure which basically freezes the fat off: they use a machine that pinches an area of fat and kills the fat cells by freezing them. Then, over the course of a few weeks, the body metabolizes the dead cells and the results are basically the same as liposuction, though seemingly much safer. It's called cryolypolysus.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I know the last thing in the world you probably want to hear is diet advice but have you tried the Schwarzbein Principle. Diana Schwarzbein is an endocrinologist whose work specifically addresses problem weight loss when you have damaged your adrenal glands severely.

 

[Mr Awe]

When you’re told that all the diet and exercise you do won’t affect your weight, you have to look at other possibilities.

Sorry, but I don't believe that's true. Weight loss is a simple scenario that involves energy inputs, energy output, and storage of surplus energy. If you use less energy than you take in, you have to lose weight.

It is true that people have a different baseline energy useage rate (baseline metabolism) that can make it easier or harder for an individual to lose weight.

But, that's very different than saying that descreasing your intake and increasing your energy use won't be effective. By the laws of physics, it must work, it might just be harder.

Having said that, as for liposuction, I have no opinion on that. I don't know about it's effectiveness. Every surgery has risk. I doubt liposuction will lower your cortisol levels, but something to check on.

Mr Awe

 

[Ood Sigma]

No experience with liposuction here, sorry. To me, it seems like if you do it and still continue to live the same lifestyle, the weight will just come back.

I'm going to plug something that worked for me. I was diagnosed with diabetes, and despite trying things like Weight Watchers, I could never consistently lose weight. I might lose 30 pounds but I would just put it right back on. Finally my doctor told me I had to lose weight and he recommended a plan called Somae Health, which he had also tried. The alternative was to go on insulin and probably suffer severe health problems within a few years. The program is a little expensive (about $900 for a 3 month plan) but here I am, a little less than 4 months later, and I have lost over 60 pounds. The plan really works. It IS tough and requires a lot of discipline, but if you do what they recommend, the pounds do come off. Right now I'm lighter than I have been in 15 years, and while I still have about 40 pounds to go to be at my ideal weight, I feel like I'm going to get there in a few more months. I'm off my diabetes meds completely, and my blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol are all back to normal levels... in just 3 months. If you're interested, check out http://www.somaehealth.com. I can't recommend it more highly, and I was extremely skeptical at first.

 

[Kirby]

The only experience I had with it was the guy who owned the video rental store that I went to in college died during the surgery due to some sort of complications with the anesthesia. He was a super nice guy, was looking forward to the surgery since he spent so much time on his feet at work he was having other weight related issues as a result. His wife ended up closing the shop about a year after it happened.

I'll never have any unnessary surgery ever.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I've been thinking of having the fat removed from my head.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I've been thinking of having the fat removed from my head.

So you're thinking of giving up being a moderator?

 

[Kestra]

Please reconsider it if you are doing it for purely cosmetic reasons. If you decide to go ahead with it, I wish you luck, safety, and good health.

 

[propita]

Not purely cosmetic, though that's a benefit. My cardiologist says I should lose weight but concedes that between my health issues and meds, doing so would be all but impossible through diet and exercise. My body chemistry is "set" to not lose weight. If I can get that reset, I can lose weight. But resetting that is not really possible--they think it's "stuck" on "on" after 5 years of constant stress and a few baby heart attacks.

So it's something to consider. My body will not loss the weight due to chemistry issues, and I need the weight off for health issues. Also, with the weight off, the doctors believe my body chemistry may be pushed to the right direction, my stress hormones would go down, and further weight could be lost through conventional means.

But the idea of surgery still scares me enough that my "slam-dunk" argument is countered to a great extent.

 

[Kestra]

Well what do your doctors suggest then? It sounded like they weren't crazy about the idea of lipo, but they think you should lose weight? Maybe ask them what is best for your health from here.

 

[Captain_Nick]

IT's not real surgery, they aren't going to dick with your heart or brain.

My understanding, based on watching current affairs shows and occasionally overhearing strangers talking about the subject, is that they will cut into your fat and somehow 'melt' the fat and then vaccuum it out, not sure if they use heat or chemistry or what it is. Quitefrankly it is revolting stuff and I'd hope you were knocked out before they started.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Make sure you're prepared to go with lifestyle changes that will keep you from making the surgery a waste. Aside from that, I don't have much advice. Liposuction is a tad less creepy than gastric bypass surgery in my mind (or maybe the other way around, they're in the same ballpark as each other). It's never an ideal situation, but if your doctors are OK with it, best of luck

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ I know somebody who had gastric bypass and it worked great for her.

I've been thinking of having the fat removed from my head.

So you're thinking of giving up being a moderator?

Exactly.

Please reconsider it if you are doing it for purely cosmetic reasons. If you decide to go ahead with it, I wish you luck, safety, and good health.

It's not purely cosmetic. I want to give up being a Moderator.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It works great for a lot of people, but it still creeps me out.

 

[Mr Awe]

Not purely cosmetic, though that's a benefit. My cardiologist says I should lose weight but concedes that between my health issues and meds, doing so would be all but impossible through diet and exercise. My body chemistry is "set" to not lose weight. If I can get that reset, I can lose weight. But resetting that is not really possible--they think it's "stuck" on "on" after 5 years of constant stress and a few baby heart attacks.

So it's something to consider. My body will not loss the weight due to chemistry issues, and I need the weight off for health issues. Also, with the weight off, the doctors believe my body chemistry may be pushed to the right direction, my stress hormones would go down, and further weight could be lost through conventional means.

But the idea of surgery still scares me enough that my "slam-dunk" argument is countered to a great extent.

Honestly, I would be shocked if your Doctor's recommended liposuction for medical reasons. Some of the stuff you write above did not ring true, so I looked up liposuction. You can do the same at WebMD.



Key points:

• It's a COSMETIC procedure. It won't help with your underlying medical issues at all.
• It's not for general weight loss, it's to remove small bulges. Concentrated pockets of fat.
• It actually removes a relatively small amount of weight in order to change your curves. In other words, it is not going to make you slim, just shaped differently.
• Consequently, it's recommended for average or only slightly above-average weight
• And, no, it will NOT change your body chemistry or stress hormones because it's strictly a cosmetic procedure.

It's clear that you really need to read up on what this surgery does and does not do.

Sorry to be so blunt but I don't want you to waste your money and risk your health on a procedure that won't help your underlying medical conditions. If you do this, it will be for cosmetic reasons. I don't have anything against that but just don't expect that it'll help with your underlying medical conditions, chemistry, or stress hormones.

Mr Awe

 

[Tora Ziyal]

IT's not real surgery, they aren't going to dick with your heart or brain.

My understanding, based on watching current affairs shows and occasionally overhearing strangers talking about the subject, is that they will cut into your fat and somehow 'melt' the fat and then vaccuum it out, not sure if they use heat or chemistry or what it is. Quitefrankly it is revolting stuff and I'd hope you were knocked out before they started.

I get the point that it isn't as invasive as some surgery. However... Anesthesia is one of the riskiest aspects of surgery, so as soon as you say, "I'd hope you were knocked out...", you're talking about "real" surgery.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It works great for a lot of people, but it still creeps me out.

Pretty much all surgery creeps me out.

 

[Captain_Nick]

I get the point that it isn't as invasive as some surgery. However... Anesthesia is one of the riskiest aspects of surgery, so as soon as you say, "I'd hope you were knocked out...", you're talking about "real" surgery.

There's a greater chance of them stuffing up the chemicals than there is them cutting the wrong nerve? I did not know that.

 

[Yestin]

Do not worry so much for your weight.It is better to go with liposuction and it does not have any ill effects. But make sure that you consult the right doctor , search in the internet and select the best doctor who also provides you some discounts