Excess skin?

itsthatchick1

I'm just starting on this journey - 5'5, 235 hoping to get down to 130. My biggest concern is having a ton of extra skin. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is there anything I can do to keep it from getting too terrible?

kazsjourney

Even if you end up with loose skin its still much better to have a lil bit of excess skin then fat causing health issues Ive lost close to 180 pounds and do have excess skin. To minimise the impact...eat well including good fats, get adequate sleep, strength train, stay hydrated, lose the weight at a moderate. It does come down to genetics, your age (yur pic looks young so you will have that on your side ) and how long you were overweight for. No matter what I am sure you will be happier - best of luck!

CoderGal

The best thing I can recommend for helping to keep skin firm and pull things up that isn't some gimmicky magic pill or food or rub on this and that etc is progressive strength training. For starters I'd recommend something along the lines of Stronglifts 5x5. There are some girls on this site that have lost a ton of weight and look fantastic. Most of them lift weights.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833601-everyone-loves-a-good-before-and-after-picture?page=3#posts_12525222
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/981064-100-pounds-lost-with-pics



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/831092-100-pounds-lost-progess

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1013634-ladies-who-lost-100-with-lifting-heavy?hl=100+pounds+lost+lifting&page=2#posts-15546274


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/886556-anyone-lose-100-pounds-without-surgery?hl=100+pounds+lost+lifting&page=14#posts-15291418

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/886556-anyone-lose-100-pounds-without-surgery?page=11#posts-14445380

etc etc
The search feature is great for this stuff.

mike_ny

I've got some loose skin that I'm trying to lose too. I'm taking gelatin, eating cleanly, and doing dry brushing and my skin does seem to be healthier and more hydrated, and I think that giving your body the nutrients it needs and exfoliation are important first steps. I am also working out, which has definitely helped some areas like arms and legs, but not much around the midsection where I accumulated the most fat.

One thought I've read is that your skin won't shrink in an area until you cross some threshold of losing enough subcutaneous fat. This makes sense to me since fat cells do send signals that affect your metabolism and levels of various other triggers in your endocrine system and as long as there is still ample fat, the skin really has no good reason to tighten. So, I'm hoping once that saggy skin loses enough fat to truly be just loose skin over a leaner area, and being well hydrated and healthy, it should shrink back over time. It didn't stretch and grow new skin and blood vessels overnight, so I expect that it will also take some time to tighten up.

mike_ny

CoderGal, your results are amazing and an inspiration. There are so many people who swear that there is no way to lose excess skin from an appreciable weight loss and that surgery is the only option. I guess most people just go from obese to overweight and stop there and wonder why they have saggy skin when they still have a good layer of fat under their skin.

You are proof positive that sticking with the plan (diet and exercise) until getting down to a normal weight range does work to tighten the excess skin after losing weight. I'm looking forward to getting to my normal weight range in the next month or two and hopefully will start seeing some tightening of excess skin over time after that.

sharonfoustmills

The best thing I can recommend for helping to keep skin firm and pull things up that isn't some gimmicky magic pill or food or rub on this and that etc is progressive strength training. For starters I'd recommend something along the lines of Stronglifts 5x5. There are some girls on this site that have lost a ton of weight and look fantastic. Most of them lift weights.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833601-everyone-loves-a-good-before-and-after-picture?page=3#posts_12525222
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/981064-100-pounds-lost-with-pics



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/831092-100-pounds-lost-progess

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1013634-ladies-who-lost-100-with-lifting-heavy?hl=100+pounds+lost+lifting&page=2#posts-15546274


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/886556-anyone-lose-100-pounds-without-surgery?hl=100+pounds+lost+lifting&page=14#posts-15291418

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/886556-anyone-lose-100-pounds-without-surgery?page=11#posts-14445380

etc etc
The search feature is great for this stuff.

very inspiring! you are just gorgeous

aquarabbit

Definitely do strength training. It helps a ton. I did a post a while ago with some skin care tips. It's just one part of the puzzle, but they're just little things that are easy to do and that can help. Won't work miracles, but it might give you a little bit more information on different ways to keep your skin tight.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/aquarabbit?month=201307

CoderGal

Just wanted to pop on and say those were pictures of all different people (follow the links and you'll see who they are) and none of those pics are me. I just thought it would be helpful to see how the people who once worried about the same thing, look fantastic. I didn't have much to lose, but those who I know who did, did strength training with great success.

I lost 30 lbs and have 0 excess skin. At first when I wasn't lifting I thought I had just gotten old because I was feeling flabbier and my butt looked droopy. Then I met people 20+ years older then me who went from saggier to nicer *kitten* then me so I knew I was doing something wrong. If anything it feels firmer now with the strength training then it did before when I was younger. These are pics of me, and lifting made me feel strong and beautiful, certainly not bulky like all the myths seem to indicate (don't have any before pics but from cardio to lifting):

btw these are all at about the same weight (not even a 10lb difference). Notice how the stomach and butt moved in and up in the world and how there is no more butt folding over skin. I do what is considered heavy lifting (85% your max lift for 1-5 reps).

xmeganxtarax

I agree with a PP - strength/weight training will firm you right up. I had a baby 15 months ago which was almost 11 lbs and I am very short so I had a ****load of loose skin. Now though its not that bad, I started lifting 2 weeks ago. I recommend starting small and working your way up, it takes time, dedication and hard work but it is 100000000% worth it. Add me if you like, good luck on your journey.

JosieFury

Adding another one to the strength training. I have chronic pain and fatigue issues and even strapping ankle and wrist weights on when I have my "blah" days has helped with the batwing arms and such. I'm about 75 below my high weight and my son was over 10 pounds at birth and I still do have some extra skin under my navel but nowhere near as bad as it could be.

tinacrane

Some of it does depend on your age and metabolic state as well. I had 5 kids before the age of 26, gaining 80 pounds twice, then 40 pounds twice. Lost all the weight, with no lose skin either, was maybe a size 5 jr at that point. At 55, I am in menopause and lost 45 pounds. Now the lose skin is here to stay. I look great in clothes, but the jiggly stomach skin is not going going to go away completely with strength training and proper eating. I am a size 8 now and workout 5 times a week, and am in good fitness health otherwise.

Sometimes we just have to count our blessings and be happy with what he have accomplished physically and remember all the other blessings in our life! Wanting what you don't have, keeps you from being content with what you do have

CoderGal

^That's definitely true to a point when it comes to getting older, but I recommend giving strength training a try. I'm honestly firmer then I was as a teenage dancer from lifting.

This girl is in her mid 40s, here's a link where she lost approximately 40lbs with pics:


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics

She looks better then most 20 year olds. Same goes for this girl who is in her late 30s:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/missym357

itsthatchick1

Thanks guys This is all super helpful and inspiring. Like I said, I'm JUST starting out, but I have incorporated at least one day a week dedicated to strength and weight training. I don't totally know what I'm doing yet, but hopefully it'll pay off.

Getawayfromthecake

I'm just starting on this journey - 5'5, 235 hoping to get down to 130. My biggest concern is having a ton of extra skin. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is there anything I can do to keep it from getting too terrible?

I started off at 231
I'm now 182 and I have no sign of loose skin. Even though I have another 20lb to lose, I am 100% confident loose skin will not be an issue

Getawayfromthecake

I'm just starting on this journey - 5'5, 235 hoping to get down to 130. My biggest concern is having a ton of extra skin. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is there anything I can do to keep it from getting too terrible?

I started off at 231
I'm now 182 and I have no sign of loose skin. Even though I have another 20lb to lose, I am 100% confident loose skin will not be an issue but it really depends on the rate of loss and the individual


No idea how I managed to quote myself...

CoderGal

Thanks guys This is all super helpful and inspiring. Like I said, I'm JUST starting out, but I have incorporated at least one day a week dedicated to strength and weight training. I don't totally know what I'm doing yet, but hopefully it'll pay off.

I went to the gym intimidated and started doing heavy lifting by myself and didn't know anyone around me who lifted weights. Didn't have a personal trainer, started completely clueless, my bf doesn't lift at all, etc. I picked up Stronglifts 5x5 (free online) and went with it. New Rules of Lifting is a very beginner book you can buy (has some info about what moves are called and how to do them etc). And there are lots of form videos online. Start like, yesterday. I'll just warn you that a lot of the books are very man oriented and are made for manly bulking body builder muscle gaining dudes. When you're on a calorie deficit for a while, you're going to lose fat and muscle, not gain, so ignore that stuff.

Heavy lifting girls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avn1o1X1rBY

sweetpea129

I'm 5'5. I started at 277 lbs. Now i'm 155. I do have some loose skin but its not much. I think genetics play a huge role in it. The only place I have any is on my inner upper thighs and a little on the outer back thighs. I got lucky. Either way, loose skin is better than the alternative

WhoButME28

Excess skin is something anyone has to deal with if they are serious about dropping the extra pounds. The best way to deal with it is through training with weights (dumbbells, barbells and weighted machines). Nothing is better for body toning then actual weights.

You can do cardio all day. Run laps around a track until you can't make one more turn. Neither activity on its own will help develop the muscle tone that a consistent gym regiment incorporated by weights can. The way to go about it is a mixture of weights and some sort of cardio routine to finish the workout off.

CoderGal

Just wanted to pop on and say those were pictures of all different people (follow the links and you'll see who they are) and none of those pics are me. I just thought it would be helpful to see how the people who once worried about the same thing, look fantastic. I didn't have much to lose, but those who I know who did, did strength training with great success.

I lost 30 lbs and have 0 excess skin. At first when I wasn't lifting I thought I had just gotten old because I was feeling flabbier and my butt looked droopy. Then I met people 20+ years older then me who went from saggier to nicer *kitten* then me so I knew I was doing something wrong. If anything it feels firmer now with the strength training then it did before when I was younger. These are pics of me, and lifting made me feel strong and beautiful, certainly not bulky like all the myths seem to indicate (don't have any before pics but from cardio to lifting):

btw these are all at about the same weight (not even a 10lb difference). Notice how the stomach and butt moved in and up in the world and how there is no more butt folding over skin. I do what is considered heavy lifting (85% your max lift for 1-5 reps).

Danilynn1975

all the lifting in the world will not shift my excess skin. It was there at my heaviest and will be there in spades at my lowest.

I have a nifty C-section scar to thank for that. Plus that scar was sewed back up overlapping in some spots, and making my belly button lopsided in other spots.

I think it's great that all these people look so fabulous.

I hope you get that sort of luck too. Best wishes.