Saggy skin or just fat? I need input please!!

tonyalynn26

I was doing planks just a few minutes ago in just my sports bra and shorts. I happened to glance down under me and noticed what I consider scary, I was actually in shock.

My mid-section has always been an issue for me since having kids and I am trying to at least flatten it out a bit. I have lost 30lbs and just want to have a flat tummy, I don't need visible abs, but after what I seen I am not sure if it's even possible for me to have a flat tummy. I know I still have fat to get rid of and I know that it's not all saggy skin, but now I wonder if a lot of it is.

Here is a front view, and a side view(not good quality) in plank poisiton and then front and side view of me standing.
What are your thoughts? Is it fixable? Is it mainly saggy skin or mainly fat?

JenAndSome

Maybe a little bit of both. I have the same thing, but I don't really worry about it because I know that having kids changed my body in many ways. That and pretty much the only people likely to see me doing planks in just a sports bra are my kids and I gave them life so they can deal with the "horror." As you continue to lose weight it will get smaller, but without surgery to removed the excess skin, it will probably never be perfectly flat.

I_Will_End_You

A combo of both, but I think it's more fat than skin.

tonyalynn26

JenAndSome wrote: »

Maybe a little bit of both. I have the same thing, but I don't really worry about it because I know that having kids changed my body in many ways. That and pretty much the only people likely to see me doing planks in just a sports bra are my kids and I gave them life so they can deal with the "horror." As you continue to lose weight it will get smaller, but without surgery to removed the excess skin, it will probably never be perfectly flat.

I am pretty close being done losing weight, now focusing on body fat loss, and surgery is not an option. Guess I will just keeping working on strengthening my core and hope that maybe it will go down a bit more.

jgnatca

I say it is mainly saggy skin. You can tuck it in or get surgery. You look like you are in magnificent shape by the way. I love this guy and the way he approaches life, also dealing with saggy skin. Note how buff he is under the skin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKDteQ3FIQ

tonyalynn26

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

A combo of both, but I think it's more fat than skin.

That is reassuring because I can work on that.

ald783

That looks more like excess skin to me. You could theoretically lose a little bit of fat but I would guess it would mostly require surgery to get rid of it.

maroonmango211

I agree, a little bit of both. I would know, mine looks/looked similar. Doing compound movements and lots of different plank work has definitely helped it "hang" less and slowly the fat has gone down while I believe the stronger my core gets the less the skin sags so much. It's a slow process and probably will never look completely flat without surgical intervention. Congratz on the 30 lbs so far and just keep up the hard work. You may never look like before you had kids but health and fitness is still worth it.

spoonyspork

It's probably mostly skin.

Someone here once said 'it takes about a year to lose the fat, and another for your skin to catch up depending on how much you lost and how fast'. Finding that to be the case myself. About 3 months ago (when I started maintaining) my stomach looked like that. I haven't continued to lose, but people kept saying I looked like I was still losing. The last few weeks I've noticed it's just my skin slowly shrinking back. Still jingly bits everywhere but it's definitely getting better! Kind of looks like my skin is being sucked into my bellybutton XD

freesiasun5

Looks like excess skin. My stomach does the same thing when I plank. I just don't look down...

MissJay75

I have a very flat stomach . . . when I am standing. Mine does the same thing when I do planks or push ups. I know it's loose skin left over from my pregnancies. Meh, no one is going to see it but me. Mine is smaller than that, so when you lose more weight it will get a little smaller, but not disappear completely. (until you stand up)

Need2Exerc1se

It looks like a combination of fat and skin to me. But probably more skin than fat. I don't know that I would agree that surgery is required to get rid of it. It should shrink up some on it's own over time.

tonyalynn26

maroonmango211 wrote: »

I agree, a little bit of both. I would know, mine looks/looked similar. Doing compound movements and lots of different plank work has definitely helped it "hang" less and slowly the fat has gone down while I believe the stronger my core gets the less the skin sags so much. It's a slow process and probably will never look completely flat without surgical intervention. Congratz on the 30 lbs so far and just keep up the hard work. You may never look like before you had kids but health and fitness is still worth it.

I know in the end that it is worth it. Sometimes it's just discouraging to know I have been working so hard and then to see that. I will just keeping doing my thing in hopes that it gets better!!

lorrpb

Mostly fat IMO. But you look good overall. Keep up the hard work.

Francl27

I have the same thing. I honestly don't know because I still have some fat on my hips too and, well, it definitely doesn't hang like that. But the belly... yikes. I guess it has slightly improved in the year I've been maintaining though (but man I also have a huge roll when I sit down).

Good luck trying to get rid of it though! I've mostly given up.

DeterminedFee201426

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

A combo of both, but I think it's more fat than skin.

Yes I had the same problem from 152 lbs to now 118 lbs as you lose weight it shall decrease not to perfection morr than likeley it loks like fat weighing the skin down mostly tho.. mines has reduced to 1 fat roll now I did have 2 now my only problem is my lower belly.. a fat pocket at the bottom... urs looks like fat mostly skin is thin so I doubt that being all skin. Skin is not that thick now. Not on humans anyway. .

SuggaD

Combo of both. I'm still working on mine and when I'm at lowest body fat, its very minimal and only noticeable when I plank. Will never look pre-pregnancy though without surgery, imo.

littlemissorange

Mine was the same but have been doing major work on my core, don't think it will ever go away, try squats,kettleball squats, planks, full sit ups, leg raises, mine has got a lot better recently - I had twins and a csection so feel your pain

DeterminedFee201426

For me the lower body fat or weight the more reduced that belly area is ofc I kno it wont be flat ever but accept that .. even still when I plank / push up I have still that everlasting roll but I know better to think better and improve ..

DeterminedFee201426

littlemissorange wrote: »

Mine was the same but have been doing major work on my core, don't think it will ever go away, try squats,kettleball squats, planks, full sit ups, leg raises, mine has got a lot better recently - I had twins and a csection so feel your pain

Btw i had 2 c-sections as well

usmcmp

Both. I get the sag like you have in the top picture when I lean over. See those loops of skin at the bottom of your belly in the face on picture? That is just skin. Sadly if you lose more fat they'll get worse. Then over a couple of years that skin should tighten. You should be able to tuck it into a swimming suit though.

I have loose skin too.