Those who got really lean after losing a lot, how much did your skin tighten over time?

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Geocitiesuser
Geocitiesuser Posts: 1,429 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I know it has a lot to do with age and genetics, but I'm curious:

Those who lost 80+ lbs and found they had a little bit of loose skin (bottom of stomach, inner thighs, etc), where it was aesthetically unsightly but not medically an issue, how much did the skin tighten and over what length of time? I remember reading one person say that over the course of a few years it was almost entirely back to normal, has this been the case for you?
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Replies

  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Seeing the droop when doing planks can be really tough sometimes. I'm 42 and I'm still getting shrinking skin, though I'll probably still need to lose another 10 or so.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I've lost 70# and it's the worst on my arms and what I call my "Top stomach" above my belly button. I've been holding steady for about 9 months and think it's improving -- maybe...

    Edited to add, I'm not very lean. I'm about 20 over that. Just average.
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
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    I lost 40# last year - maintenance since September-ish. My husband and I agreed we would look into options if I didn't start seeing skin tightening by end of January. Happy to report I am seeing (slow) progress... enough that I have the wait and see mindset. Just drink lots of water and have patience! dikxwvcw1dyx.jpg
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    As a 39 year old who got pretty lean, skin took forever to tighten up and will probably never be how I want it around the midsection. It sucks, but it is what it is...
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
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    @Christine_72 - not sure what to say... i don't have any photos of me pulling the skin so you can see how much excess there was. Apparently I am not helpful, so just ignore it then.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
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    I'm a 56 year old male lost approximately 80 pounds over eight months and I've been maintaining for the last eight months my current weight is 208

    When I first started to go into maintenance I noticed I had a lot of loose skin on my arms chest stomach and thighs.

    I started lifting Last September when I entered maintenance and I increased my protein level to about .8 to one gram per pound of body weight. I've noticed my skin tighten up. my chest isn't as flabby my arms have gotten tighter same with the legs for me the last one is my stomach area. And I have a 35 inch waist.

    It's a long process just like it didn't take me to get fat over a year so I know I'm not going to be able to do a recomposition that fast. As one of the previous post there's also said where I am now and how I feel is so much difference then I was a year-and-a-half ago. Be patient and give it time. lifting is the key
  • PandaCustard
    PandaCustard Posts: 204 Member
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    I've lost a little over 100 lbs (I'm 28) and have a ton of loose skin on my stomach and upper thighs. I've been strength training regularly the past 8 weeks and I notice it's finally starting to tighten a little. It may not ever completely go away, but I don't mind so much as long as I can maintain for good.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    From my highest weight I lost over 100 pounds. It's been 4 years and I still have loose skin on my stomach. It's really noticeable (to me at least) when I do push ups or lean over.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,686 Member
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    At 60 I have little hope that any of my loose skin will tighten up. I didn't lose that much: 55 lbs. or so, including some yoyoing after I lost the initial weight 6 years ago. I have bat wings and wrinkly thighs that I assume are permanent. Still, it's worth it to not have the fat.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I'm 66. After 10 months of weight loss, my lower belly skin is finally starting to smooth out.

    It actually looks better when I don't tense my abs than when I do. Also have some loose skin in my butt/upper thighs, which is also more noticeable when I tense those muscles than when I don't.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
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    Hey, OP. I lost over 70 lbs and been in maintenance since December. So not that long yet. My upper body and my stomach are very lean, and currently I'm working on leaning out my legs. I have some skin issues, loose skin in my upper arms, my stomach only if bend over or do push ups or planks, you get the idea. And my upper things have some loose skin as well. It's not too bad, i was expecting much worse since I'm 45 and have been overweight most of my life to various degrees. My heaviest was 235, and I'm 5'7". I always thought that i just have large body frame, because the way i carried weight. Turns out, not so large after all, lol which is good, i guess to finally find out. My mom pointed out that my face and neck have folds too, which i found quite upsetting, because i really don't think so. Oh well, not much i can do about it. Most importantly, i feel great, i look good, and my stats improved in my sports. What i find most interesting, is that i sweat so much less, for instance i play hockey and used to be drenched after a game. I barely break a sweat now, feel guilty, don't want others to judge and think that I'm not working hard enough ( or my best) on ice, since I'm pretty dry and fresh afterwards in a locker room. On top of it, my cycling improved my legs so much, that's a factor too, my endurance is way higher than before. And I'm always cold, for the cherry on top. So overall, the benefits offset the loose skin by so much, i hope that i learned enough about it to hung on and not slip back (experienced that many times before ). Go for it, get rid of your extra padding, and let's hope for our skin to bounce back!
  • pmcco
    pmcco Posts: 56 Member
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    I lost 112 lbs and have a lot of loose skin: my doctor said only a scalpel will help it: but I have been in maintenance since November and exercise approx 5x a week doing weight training and jogging: I see no movement AT ALL in my gut... its still huge... I plan on having skin removal surgery in the next year... just want to have as much muscle and be in great shape otherwise first.
  • wsandy8512
    wsandy8512 Posts: 1,897 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I can only offer what I've read online from several different places, chances are that you still have fat and not solely loose skin. These sites pretty much said the same thing, don't have surgery unless you are 10% body fat for a male and 20% for a female. If you do not have those BMI's, even though you're within a healthy bmi range, it's more than likely subcutaneous fat. Both those percentages mean you are as low as you should go--unless you're a gymnast or professional body builder. If you have what appears to be loose skin after reaching those, then it probably is and only then should you consider going under the knife. Skin removal surgery can be very, very expensive; may be worth shedding more fat before making the decision. Just my opinion though. :-)

    I know loose skin is coming for me, I'm dreading it, but I hate being fat more than I'm worried about it at this time. I'll worry about getting to 20% bmi at a much later date, for now the focus is on weight loss. :-)
  • LexieCatSJ
    LexieCatSJ Posts: 7 Member
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    I lost 60 pounds over the course of a year when I was in my 40s, and the skin sag on my belly was VERY distressing to me. My clothes didn't fit right and I was extremely self-conscious. Not only did I have that weight loss, I had also gone through two pregnancies when I was already overweight.

    I did have a tummy-tuck, which didn't turn me into a runway model, but rather made me look/feel normal for my weight. I kept the weight off for a very long time, but over the past 10 years or so, I slowly crept back up to within 25 pounds of my heaviest. I got serious about weight loss again, and over the past year have lost almost 40 pounds (got maybe another 5-10 to go, to get to where I would like to be). The good news is, that despite my age, the loose skin is not a problem this time. Not to say there isn't any, but it doesn't sag or get in the way of my clothing.

    The surgery turned out to be a great thing for me. For one thing, during the surgery they tightened the abdominal muscles, which had separated in the center. So when I do tighten my abs now, they tighten. I was also told by my doctor (my primary physician, not the surgeon) many years later, that removing the skin over the abdomen reduces the health risks associated with belly fat.

    Surgery does have its risks, and it isn't appropriate/necessary/important for everyone. I can say all these years later that it was a very good decision for ME, and I continue to benefit from it. It's important to have realistic expectations. I continue to have loss of sensation in certain areas of my abdominal skin. It felt weird at first, but I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me. I think the placement of my navel (which they relocate because the skin is pulled down) could have been better, and pulling up the skin on my lower abdomen brings the line of my pubic hair higher than I would like (I shave, not a big problem). So it's not perfect, but those details bother me much less than the huge pouch of skin I had.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    edited April 2017
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    b7lllgv29bnf.jpg
    It's not pretty, but it's real. This is my thigh when bending over. It looks okay standing up. This is after losing 70# and maintaining for 6 months. I run and do weights 3x per week.

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