What to do with the saggy bits?

One of the downsides of losing 32kg of weight is that I am left with areas of saggy skin that I cannot do anything with. My age certainly doesn't help, and after two kids and a number of years of breastfeeding, there are areas of my body that have gone so far south that they'd need a major tilting of the world's axis to ever come right again.

Is there such a thing as a perfect body?
I have been reflecting on this issue of weight loss and the after math, and to be honest, I am surprised at how naive I have been. I thought that by losing weight, I'd be left with a "perfect" body. But the reality is, years of being over-weight and over-stretched has left its toll on my skin. This is an issue that is not addressed by TV shows such as "The biggest loser" - we always see participants wearing fabulous clothes and being very happy, but we never see how they deal with how they are left looking. I must admit, for the first time ever, I have fleetingly thought about plastic surgery to get rid of the tummy roll and baggy underarms that will never go.

Does weight loss make us happy?
The reality of weight loss and the perfect body is also one that has been addressed by Julia Kozerski. Julia is a young woman who lost over half her body weight and like me, felt she'd have the perfect body once she had lost weight. The reality left her feeling very depressed. She has documented her weight loss by photographs, and her very brave approach has started discussion about how we are marketed the myth that weight loss will give us the perfect body, and by association...the perfect life.   

Is plastic surgery an option?
I am thrilled that I have lost so much weight, because I am much healthier, and when I have clothes on, I do look much better. However, I also think that we must encourage realistic expectations about weight loss, and build into diet programs such as Weight Watchers, advice about how to deal with the aftermath of weight loss, especially in the more extreme cases.

As for me, as much as I am tempted by the thought of plastic surgery, I would never pluck up the courage to have it. So, instead, I continue to exercise and if all else fails, recommend the use of a good girdle! 

Have you ever lost a large amount of weight? What have been the downsides? How have you coped with the aftermath? What do you recommend for getting rid of saggy areas after weight loss?

Image: 'The 1960s-1965 Match ad'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35541543@N08/8092977739
Found on flickrcc.net