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Will taking breaks from the dieting stop the excess skin in obese people?

deepwoodslady

My goal was to lose 90 pounds. I have been overweight for about 11 years. I have lost 47 so far (since January 2018) and am starting to see a bit of loose skin. I am 58 yr old female who is still very active. Would love opinions or articles that would support or refute claims regarding this. I am happy with my diet and doing well. I am just wondering if I should stop dieting for a specified period of time and let my skin "catch up" to the progress, ( or snap back) before I continue my weight loss journey. Thoughts?

Replies

rheddmobile

The skin will eventually snap back if it's going to, I don't know that stopping in the middle will do anything except slow the whole process down. I doubt there are any studies on the subject since large weight loss is comparatively rare. I'm down 125 lbs and have loose skin on my lower stomach and thighs... you're probably going to have some with a 90 lb weight loss at your age. But mine is tolerable in anything but short shorts or a bikini, maybe you will get lucky as well. It continues to shrink back for about two years.

deepwoodslady

my loose skin is starting in the same places as yours. You've given me a lot of insight and information I didn't know. Thanks for the help.

tirowow12385

It's probably just flabs and not loose skin, which is normal and you can get regardless if you lost 100 pounds or you gain 20 without ever being obese.

xfc1

Have you heard about Google Scholar? I'd suggest that you try there. There are probably studies which have the answer to your question. You'll probably read an abstract, but the actual journal article won't be free to read. You might know someone who can access the journal article via their university account, or try tweeting #icanhazpdf with the article name.

changeconsumeme

If anything you keep going. Have you tried lifting or resistance training? It may help the appearance of loose skin.

AnnPT77

There's a phase part way through weight loss where some of us look worse, not better. What happens is that fat can deplete anywhere in our fat mass: It doesn't always neatly melt off from the outside first, then progress inward, like a melting ice cube. Consequently, the fat mass can get (ugh) squishy or floppy part way through. It's like a water balloon partially filled with water (no air) - floppy - compared to one that's all full with water - more firm and rounded, kind of stands up by itself. The squishy fat conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched out.

But, as goal approaches, that situation can improve. That "part way" point can be misleadingly worse.

As more fat drops away, some of these areas will deplete enough that the skin can shrink better. When we get down to actual loose skin, it's thin wrinkles, like wrinkles in fabric. Those possibly can shrink. Thicker folds or rolls (like 1/2" plus) still have some fat keeping things stretched out.

In my experience, fat loss is potentially a much faster process than skin shrinkage. My true loose skin (thin wrinkles) kept shrinking well into my second year of maintenance, even at age 60+. The areas where I still have some remaining squishy fat (for me, abdomen, inner thighs) don't much shrink.

If you're roughly halfway to goal, it's going to be really hard right now to evaluate how things will end up. I know - boy, do I know

- that that in-between phase can be scary and annoying. Hang in there! As you get closer to goal, it will be increasingly obvious where you stand. Even then, areas of just loose skin may keep shrinking for quite a while.

Best wishes!

deepwoodslady

Thanks so much for the info AnnPT77. It is good to be reminded that I am a work in progress and not quite finished yet. I'm sure this lump of clay will turn into a piece of art sooner or later

All the given information by all of you supporters is appreciated very much!

ChelleTrell

Congratulations on hitting the half way point to your goal!

sgt1372

I believe that the slower your rate of weigh loss, the more time your skin has time to adjust to the loss and the less likely there will be excess loose skin. Of course, genetics and age probably have something to do w/this as well.

The "problem" is that when we decide to lose weight and take action to do so, we all want to lose it FAST, as in RIGHT NOW, like they do on the The Biggest Loser.

Apart for the difficulty of sustaining a weight loss achieved in that way, your skin doesn't have time to adjust to the loss and you're left w/a lot of excess skin that, in the extreme, has to be removed surgically.

For those of us who do not lose so much weight that skin surgery is required, only time and weight maintenance will allow the skin to contract.

In my case, I lost 36# in 6 months and had a lot of unslightly belly skin. Over the next 18 months, I lost an additional 7# while "in maintenance" (which was obviously still deficit diet, but a very minor one) during which time almost all of my loose belly skin "disappeared."

You do the math. It usually takes years to gain the weight and for your skin to expand. So, it makes sense that the opposite would also apply.

keelybird57

Massage the skin. Or dry brush. Increase the blood to your skin. It is the last organ to receive nutrients. Nutrients via circulation will keep it healthy and rejuvenated. I am 61 and do both massage and dry brushing daily.

deepwoodslady

Thanks for the shout out ChelleTrell. Thanks to all for yet more very very useful information. I love learning from all you nice folks on MFP !

nowine4me

All of this. I’m 53, down 90# and I have true wrinkly loose skin on my top stomach, arms (above elbow) and small pools above my knees. My thighs and bottom stomach both have fat in the skin dragging it down. I’ve been maintaining for about a year and have seem marginal improvement. I’m self-concious in a bikini, but you’d never know in clothes.

Assuming you are losing at a reasonable pace to start with, I’d strongly suggest you keep the momentum and hit your goal. It’s truly not worth fretting about it until you get there.

ServusChristi

My dermatologist says that rate of weight loss has nothing to do with the amount of loose skin you'll get.

mkculs

I have several family members who have lost significant amounts of weight. My 90 y.o. dad lost 145 lbs after being very ill in his 80s. He has the thin wrinkles Ann describes but they aren’t very noticeable and seem to have become less so over time. I thought his Irish skin would not shrink, but I was wrong. I wouldn’t take a diet break—it won’t be long enough to make a difference, IMHO, unless you give it a few years. Just keep going and know that time will make a difference. Congrats on your success too.

iamajunkaccount

Fat cells remain fat cells. They won’t go away even if you exercise. They can shrink pretty good. An athlete’s quad is pockmarked with tiny white dots of fat. If you were super fat for decades it’ll prolly take super long for it to bounce back. There’s no literature aside from surgery to hasten the process. Since no one has a better idea, I’m learning yoga and diaphragm breathing

deepwoodslady

More great information! I shall keep marching forward in my battle with weight. Thanks for all the info!