Margaret is a consultant with Cohen’s Weight Loss Clinic in Sydney. Her journey to get to that point is remarkable and inspiring for women everywhere. Margaret is a wonderful advocate for women looking to lose a large amount of weight and shows that with persistence and a positive attitude you can get to where you want to be. We were lucky enough to be able to ask Margaret some direct questions and she gave us some honest and insightful answers.
Q: Margaret, you have lost a large amount of weight. Exactly how much did you lose, and did this prompt the plastic surgery to complete your journey of transformation?
98kg. Yes of course. Big weight loss needs reconstruction. I also lost most of my weight loss with Cohen’s. No weight loss surgery.
Q: What plastic surgery procedures have you had? Did they all run smoothly, and was there any unexpected trials along the way?
I have had my arm lift. No (they didn’t all run smoothly). I’ve had a revision. I had a complication with my first arm lift surgery and a revision was done 7 months later. First surgery = haematoma; had to have an operation the same night as arm lift. Obviously this caused too much swelling causing my arms to sag after first surgery. Dr Kohout did my revision at no cost and he did a full brachioplasty on both arms. All beautiful now!
Q: Looking back at your journey, is there anything you would have done differently, or any advice that you have for anyone looking at surgery after weight loss?
I wouldn’t change a thing. My advice: Get to goal weight; stabilise your weight loss for at least 12 months. Do your research regarding your chosen surgeon. Get private health insurance. Document your journey, including your loose skin. Don’t rush surgery. It is not about buying a dress you can take back. Get your body balanced again. After surgery, continue to eat healthy. Personally, I would have a surgeon in Australia do my work.
To find a surgeon in Australia click on this link.
Q: What doctor did you have, and did you feel they did everything they should along the way?
Dr Mark Kohout. Mark is a gentleman and a fantastic surgeon. My scarring is beautiful and healing very nicely. He explained everything, every step of the way. Always had time to answer questions. Was on call after my surgery. Mark will be doing my complete reconstruction. Thigh lift, body lift, and breast lift. I am having my thigh lift done in June.
Q: How do you feel now in comparison to how you felt before your weight loss journey, and then after your weight loss but before your surgery?
Losing weight is tough. Your mind plays tricks on you. If you were morbidly obese all of your life and you lose more than half of yourself, there is going to be head games. When I first lost weight; I couldn’t see it. I still saw the big girl in the mirror for a very long time. That is now different.
What I do feel, is healthy. Each day I learn new healthy habits. I have fought a lot of my demons and I feel a sense of freedom. This takes work. Working on yourself can be tough for a lot of us; but it must be done to complete the transformation.
Q: How did your family and friends react to your weight loss and surgery, and what things can you do now that you couldn’t do before?
Losing weight showed me who my true friends and family were. It’s funny how people fall off. I lost weight for myself, not for anyone else. I lived through some terrible times being overweight and unfortunately the same when I slimmed down. You just have to shed a lot of things including people unfortunately. I can now buy clothes that fit. No more tents.
Further Reading About Brachioplasty
- WESTMEAD –Brachioplasty – Upper Arm Lift | My Klinik – Dr Jake Lim
- CHESTER – Arm Lift | Brachioplasty | Chester – Anca Breahna
- GOLD COAST- Brachioplasty with plastic surgeon Dr Mark Doyle
- SYDNEY – Arm Lift Surgery – Upper Arm Reduction – Brachioplasty Sydney by Dr Kernohan
- MELBOURNE – Arm Lift Surgery in Melbourne Victoria by Dr Carmen
- PERTH – Arm Lift – Brachioplasty – Dr. Guy Watts