After the Weight is Gone

ashleyandbenwedding17
ashleyandbenwedding17 Posts: 15 Member
edited 1:28AM in Motivation and Support
I've been really nervous about what will happen to my skin. I put on approximately 50 pounds fairly rapidly and I am worried the weight gain will have negatively effected my skin. I do not want the super baggy skin that some people get after gaining weight and losing it. I moisturize every day, but this fear is really holding me back.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Why not start saving for a tummy tuck just in case? If you start now and give your skin time to adjust (I believe they say up to 2 years into maintaining) then you will have a nice chunk of the needed money for the surgery or money for a vacation/new wardrobe or whatever.

    I have a little loose skin, but I've lost a lot more than 50 lbs. It is low enough on my stomach though that it can easily be hid underneath clothing. This is my abdomen after 130 lbs lost and 2 c-sections.

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    Age, genetics, how fast you lose, how long you've been overweight, etc all play a roll. I think you have a good chance that your skin will snap back. Why? You're young and I'm guessing you haven't been overweight long.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    I'm 48 years old, and have lost 50 lbs in the last 7 months.

    I gained those 50 lbs very gradually from about 2005, until I ended up in the overweight range in the last 2 years or so.

    But happily those 50 lbs are gone now ... and I don't really have any loose skin. I see it in a few places now and then. Just the other day I was looking at my arms, the area where they take blood ... not the elbow, but on the other side, where your arm bends ... and I've got a little bit of loose skin there, of all places!!

    I have heard it can take about 2 years for minor looseness to tighten up, so I'll be patient. I'm also planning to do more weightlifting as soon as the course I'm taking finishes and I've got some time ... 3 weeks to go! Hopefully that will tighten things up a bit.
  • kmblank
    kmblank Posts: 43 Member
    The longer you keep the weight on the harder it will be to tighten up those areas. I have some area's that I have loose skin, but to be honest, I look at that as a success. The extra 50 lbs is actually much harder on your joints, heart, kidneys, self esteem, etc...so keep going...you are young and I have a feeling your skin will not be an issue.
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 650 Member
    edited October 2015
    Motivation to start weight training? I have some loose skin too - probably will be with me for a long time, as I have spent probably 90% of the last 20 years overweight or obese.
  • ashleyandbenwedding17
    ashleyandbenwedding17 Posts: 15 Member
    I've only been overweight for about 6 or so months. I've never been overweight before. I'm also 20 years old.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    edited October 2015
    Well, it is something that I wonder about sometimes (probably will need cosmetic surgery, since I'm planning on losing almost 150 lb. and apart from one or two brief times, I've been obese for more than twenty years.

    But really, I'll do what I can (build muscle, etc.) but in the end - even if I knew with absolute certainty I'd end up with loose skin, it wouldn't change anything. I'm not going to remain obese just for that. I'll cross that bridge when I arrive at it.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,616 Member
    ashleyandbenwedding17 wrote: »
    I've only been overweight for about 6 or so months. I've never been overweight before. I'm also 20 years old.

    I wouldn't worry about it.

    You've only been overweight a very short time, and you're really young.

    Lose the weight and get active ... you should be just fine. :)

  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 650 Member
    Yeah, seriously. Overweight for only 6 months at 20 years of age? Your skin will bounce back like a trampoline.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    ashleyandbenwedding17 wrote: »
    I've only been overweight for about 6 or so months. I've never been overweight before. I'm also 20 years old.

    Then you shouldn't worry about your skin at all. You will be fine.

    Mine's the way it is because I've had 2 kids and was obese for a couple years (3 if my math is correct). I actually expected my stomach to look much worse than what it does. I still hope that after I maintain for awhile it will tighten up, but if not I have a savings account set up for that.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    OP, you'll be fine. You probably won't even have any loose skin.
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