Excess Skin

elalivestrong

First I want to say congrats to everyone who has succeeded in their journey. Y'all are definitely a motivation to those of us who are starting our own journey.

I wanted to ask about excess skin. I know in certain situations it is inevitable and I also understand that having excess skin is better than staying fat and being unhealthy. However, I really wanted to know if any of Y'all have any advice or tips about how to prevent it. Like something you wish you would have one along the way. Diets, exercises or even moisturizing? ? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated

Serah87

Slow weight loss will definitely help.

usmcmp

Lifting. You can't fill all the loose skin with muscle, but having muscle under the skin helps. Most skin tightens a bit over time.

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

For me I loose fat slowly,(no more than 2lbs per week) lift, stay hydrated, eat nutrient rich food and the rest is genetic...

opalsqueak007

You can't prevent it. I have it and I have only lost 52lb. Moisturiser makes no difference, nor does anything else you do to the skin surface. The advice I got (from a doctor I know) was to lift weights and drink plenty of water. Good advice generally, but I have still have loose skin on my arms, legs and stomach. I lost the weight a bit too fast maybe, and also, I was over 50 years old and obese when I started losing. Good luck on your journey. The loose skin is worth living with to lose the weight.

VeronicaRooney

I looked this up because I have the same worry
1) lose no more than 1lb -2lbs a week ( being slow and having patience is key for your skin to readjust to its new size)
2) Lots of water (8 Glasses a day)
3) Resistance training (Different from weight training) http://www.emedicinehealth.com/strength_training/article_em.htm
4) Vitamin B!

Here is where I found the "facts" (Internet). Easy to read.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/116397-prevent-sagging-skin-during-weight/

I hope this helps you out a little

Iwannabesize8

Estrogen plays a role in skin shrinking. I had an emergency oophorectomy which means i have very little to no estrogen now. I have the same concerns. Thanks for starting this thread and thanks for everyone who offered tips.

usmcmp

VeronicaRooney wrote: »

I looked this up because I have the same worry
1) lose no more than 1lb -2lbs a week ( being slow and having patience is key for your skin to readjust to its new size)
2) Lots of water (8 Glasses a day)
3) Resistance training (Different from weight training) http://www.emedicinehealth.com/strength_training/article_em.htm
4) Vitamin B!

Here is where I found the "facts" (Internet). Easy to read.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/116397-prevent-sagging-skin-during-weight/

I hope this helps you out a little

Resistance training encompasses weight training, strength training and all forms of exercise that challenge your muscles to get stronger or bigger. The most common form of resistance training is lifting weights in one form or another.

leggup

When it comes down to it, the only way to not have excess skin after large weight loss is to not get big to begin with. I'm 5'11 and i've lost 72 lbs (so like.. an normal sized woman losing 40 lbs) and I can see lots of skin wrinkles when I move that didn't used to be there, especially at joints. Way less noticeable than the high body fat I was lugging around.

elalivestrong

Thank y'all so much for your replies. I know in my case being morbidly obese and trying to loose 200 plus pounds, excess skin is inevitable, but i figured I'd ask because if there's a chance I can lessen it ... even a little, there's no harm in trying.

I've heard a lot about how lifting weights help fat loss and i originally wanted to lift to get stronger as well. I am in the process of trying to learn(via YouTube and asking a couple members at my gym) proper form and stuff. So now knowing that it may help a little with excess skin gets me even more excited to start lifting. Nervous about lifting but excited all the same.

As far as trying to loose weight at a slow pace, I'm not sure how much control I have on that, because in the past, I've lost 10lbs in 2 consecutive weeks and another 5lbs the next week. That in just changing my diet and starting to walk more. I've heard that the bigger you are the faster you loose weight, (in the beginning) when you start being active and eating right. So, I'll definitely keep that in mind, but again idk how much control I have over it.

Water is my best friend since ditching soda and sugary drinks 2 months ago. So that I at least have a bit of a handle on lol

Again, thanks so much for all the wonderful advice, and everyone keep up the great work

marueb

Exercise is the key, make life style changes that you will be able to maintain. I have lost almost 80 pounds and have not excess skin at all, by making small changes in my life style and exercising.