Excess skin

WildWayz

Hi guys,

Since February I've lost 4.5st from calorie counting (1400 a day) and going to the gym twice a week.
I'm now 18st 4lb. I'm noticing my skin isn't shrinking with my weight loss. Man boobs aren't as perky!
Is this normal? I'm not crash dieting, so gradual weight loss should have seen it become tighter inline with my weight loss and excercise.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

ceiswyn

Skin shrinks a lot slower than the speed at which you lose weight, even if yuo’re not crash dieting. It can take up to two years for your skin to reach its smallest/tightest, and even then you may have some loose skin; a lot depends on how long you’ve been overweight, how old you are, and whether you got lucky with genetics.

Loose skin is better than fat, though.

VUA21

Skin takes a lot longer to shrink than fat. Depending on the amount you lose, age, genetics and pure luck, sometimes it completely goes away, sometimes never.

I lost ~180lbs. I took a year off to let things catch up. I lost my turkey neck completely, 95% of my bat wings. A lot on my thighs, and very little on my stomach (so I just had my excess stomach skin removed).

Be patient and hopefully most of your excess skin will shrink as well. Besides, if I couldn't get my tummy-tuck, I would still be much happier with excess skin over excess fat!

WildWayz

Thanks for the replies. My arms and legs have shrunk, it's just my stomach, crotch and manboobs. Wasn't sure if there were excercises that can help etc

I'm 40 next month. Looking to hit around 15st as my goal weight.

SweatLikeDog

Not all skin shrinks flat. Like a slinky stretched beyond the limits, it sometimes sags a little bit (or alot) like the belly of a woman who had twins.

ruqayyahsmum

Hang on a minute. Your only eating 1400 calories?

Minimum for a man is 1500 and that's for a short, lighter guy

I'm female, 5ft 2, a few stone lighter and my calories before exercise is 1650

What are your stats and what did mfp give you daily and for how much lost per week

WildWayz

MFP used to tell me to lose 2lb a week, I should eat 3000 calories. Started off at 1800, then 1600, now 1400.
I was finding after eating, I'd have about 600 calories left so I'd reduce my calories down a bit rather than eat more.

336lbs was my starting weight...
Currently sitting at 255lbs - I've been doing it since Feb 2018

WholeFoods4Lyfe

How are you calculating that 1400 calories? That is below the minimum amount of 1500 recommended for men.

Also, how tall are you? Age? I threw an age of 30, 5'10" tall, and 255lbs in to a TDEE calculator using a Sedentary lifestyle and got a TDEE of 2547. So you if that is anywhere near accurate, you can add an extra 150 calories to your daily intake, more if you exercise beyond sedentary. Even at 336 your TDEE would only be 2988, so I'm not sure how MFP told you you could lose 2lbs per week eating 3000 calories.

Anyway, I think that your loose skin question has been covered. It takes time. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it either as what it really boils down to is genetics and how long the skin was stretched out. Think of it like a rubber band. If you stretch it out and then immediately release it, it will go back to it's original shape and size easily. But if you take that same rubber band and stretch it out and leave it stressed our for an extended period of time, it is a lot less likely to go back to it's original shape and size, though it will get close.

elsie6hickman

I think that at your age, your skin will shrink with time. You have done great!

WildWayz

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

How are you calculating that 1400 calories? That is below the minimum amount of 1500 recommended for men.

Also, how tall are you? Age? I threw an age of 30, 5'10" tall, and 255lbs in to a TDEE calculator using a Sedentary lifestyle and got a TDEE of 2547. So you if that is anywhere near accurate, you can add an extra 150 calories to your daily intake, more if you exercise beyond sedentary. Even at 336 your TDEE would only be 2988, so I'm not sure how MFP told you you could lose 2lbs per week eating 3000 calories.

Anyway, I think that your loose skin question has been covered. It takes time. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it either as what it really boils down to is genetics and how long the skin was stretched out. Think of it like a rubber band. If you stretch it out and then immediately release it, it will go back to it's original shape and size easily. But if you take that same rubber band and stretch it out and leave it stressed our for an extended period of time, it is a lot less likely to go back to it's original shape and size, though it will get close.

Thanks for the reply

I got the 1400 from just choosing it.

I'm 5'11, 39 years old.

Trouble with these figures is that they change; used to be 2000 for men... Now 2200 or so...

nowine4me

You go through a lot of stages with weight loss - some are fabulous, others not so much. Stick with it, you’ll come out the other side.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

WildWayz wrote: »

WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »

How are you calculating that 1400 calories? That is below the minimum amount of 1500 recommended for men.

Also, how tall are you? Age? I threw an age of 30, 5'10" tall, and 255lbs in to a TDEE calculator using a Sedentary lifestyle and got a TDEE of 2547. So you if that is anywhere near accurate, you can add an extra 150 calories to your daily intake, more if you exercise beyond sedentary. Even at 336 your TDEE would only be 2988, so I'm not sure how MFP told you you could lose 2lbs per week eating 3000 calories.

Anyway, I think that your loose skin question has been covered. It takes time. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about it either as what it really boils down to is genetics and how long the skin was stretched out. Think of it like a rubber band. If you stretch it out and then immediately release it, it will go back to it's original shape and size easily. But if you take that same rubber band and stretch it out and leave it stressed our for an extended period of time, it is a lot less likely to go back to it's original shape and size, though it will get close.

Thanks for the reply

I got the 1400 from just choosing it.

I'm 5'11, 39 years old.

Trouble with these figures is that they change; used to be 2000 for men... Now 2200 or so...

Okay, with this information, I get your TDEE as 2,512. And you are looking to lose what, another 45lbs? I'd say for the next 5lbs or so, you're probably fine at a 1,000 deficit eating back any exercise calories that exceed that. Once you hit the 40lbs to go mark you should probably switch to a 750 calorie deficit, and then once you hit 30lbs a 500 calorie deficit. And with 20lbs to go you should probably switch the deficit to between 350-500 calories. The last bit of weight is best lost at a slower, more sustainable rate. This will also give the skin time to keep up with the shrinking. Also keeping in mind that your TDEE will get lower the less you weight, like, when you get to 240 it'll be down to 2425, but that also means that a 500 calorie deficit which would allow you just over 1900 calories per day could be very sustainable. Think of it his way, the less you eat to loss, the less you'll have to eat once you get to your goal weight.

WildWayz

Thanks heaps for the info. Already seeing the calories burnt from exercise decreasing as I lose weight, and I totally get the upping the TDEE the closer I get to my goal - thanks