24 year old female with body confidence issues since weightloss

Notallmenmustdie
Notallmenmustdie Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi all,

I'm losing motivation fast. I'm 24 years old and have recently lost just over three stone. I have another stone to go. It's taken almost six months to get to where I am and I exercise daily, from thirty minute runs to cardio dance.

About a month and a half ago I was laying flat on my back. I looked down at my chest and my boobs were like flat, wrinkly pancakes. I jumped up and looked in the mirror. They have remained the same cup size (DD) but lost all volume and plumpness. Just excess skin.

The one thing I liked about my body when I was overweight was my boobs. Now they are gross and I still have too much ugly weight over my body - I feel like it was all for nothing.

I wear good sports bras. I use coconut oil. I dermaroll. I've finally booked for a surgical consultation. I'm so angry and hurt at having to do this. And I'm terrified. But I want my boobs back.

And now I'm left comfort eating and miserable at what I've done to myself. Regret ever starting this journey. And I hate that I feel this way. I know I've done well and I should be proud and fitness and health is so important compared to aesthetics. But it doesn't help. I'm just giving up. Please can anyone who has been through similar share how you moved forward?

Replies

  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    Hi girl,

    I haven’t lost enough to lose my boobs (yet), but I symphatize the fear. It will all be OK. You are young and your skin still has its elasticity (especially since you take such good care of it), so it will eventually firm up. It just takes time. You know how stretch marks happen when you gain or grow so fast your skin can’t keep up? Now you’re just going in the opposite direction. I know it doesn’t help you feel better or forget it, but in the meanwhile a good bra can do wonders.

    A concrete thing you can actually do instead of just trying to think positive is adding strength training. The workout routine you mention is all cardio, strength training and growing muscle will help with both the weight loss and fitness, and balance out your looks. Adding some firm chest muscle will, well, make the chest a little bit firmer. And now, just to be sure, hear me out: strength training will not make you look like a she-hulk, and it will not make your boobs smaller. The last part I have first-hand experience of, I have done strength training regularly since January 2016 and (if I remember correctly) my boobs have actually gone up a cup size (from H to I).
  • Notallmenmustdie
    Notallmenmustdie Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks urloved. I understand what you're saying completely but I don't have children and don't see children in my future. If I'd lost them over such a cause, I'd probably be a bit more at peace with it.
  • Notallmenmustdie
    Notallmenmustdie Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks, Hipari.
    I think my excess skin is too severe to bounce back (sorry to sound miserable about it) but I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I have heard about lifting but also heard that whilst it can help the muscle behind the breast, it can't tighten excess skin.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    How about you get to your goal and then re-evaluate? My boobs got squishy and weird during my journey (well, the first round, lol) and they ended up firming up and becoming about the same proportion to my body as they were before. And I WANTED to lose some boob, lol (I wear a 36g, they are not always fun). You might have better results too because you're younger.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    Notallmenmustdie wrote: »
    Thanks urloved. I understand what you're saying completely but I don't have children and don't see children in my future. If I'd lost them over such a cause, I'd probably be a bit more at peace with it.

    don't get me wrong..i grieved. but ultimately its boobs../fatty tissue on the front of my chest. so..i learned to let it go build up my body w weights and I don't think about it anymore.

  • Faebert
    Faebert Posts: 1,588 Member
    I lost my boobs and my bum. I now wear padded bras and show off my legs ;)

    The truth is that none of us is perfect, save for a few genetically blessed models who have all the tricks of good lighting and professional photographers.

    Being healthy will shine through in lots of ways you can’t necessarily measure. Being confident is always attractive. So take lots of pride in your hard work so far and keep at it. Make the best of what you’ve got and you may well find things improve over time. You have done a brilliant thing tackling this at such a young age - please don’t let this hold you back.

    Good luck x
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
    I wish I had some major words of encouragement, but the only thing I can offer is that I can relate. After losing over 65lbs, I have lost my boobs almost completely. I am 28 and do not have kids. Thankfully, my husband doesn't mind at all, but I am so embarassed. It's a hurdle getting over it, but I am enjoying buying comfy bralettes, as well as being so much more active and enjoying a kind of freedom from my previous larger body. I hope you can find a little solace in that, too. You're not alone. ❤
  • smolmaus
    smolmaus Posts: 442 Member
    Notallmenmustdie wrote: »
    Thanks, Hipari.
    I think my excess skin is too severe to bounce back (sorry to sound miserable about it) but I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I have heard about lifting but also heard that whilst it can help the muscle behind the breast, it can't tighten excess skin.

    No lifting won't do anything for excess skin. It's good for a lot of other things tho!

    How much your skin bounces back is completely individual but you can believe people when they say it takes time. For me it was 2 years after I finished losing weight (the first time, there has been a blip lol) when I noticed I didn't have the stretchy saggy arms I used to have anymore and my boobs were waaaay better, it happened so gradually I barely noticed but the overall difference was huge.

    I know you've said you've booked a surgical consultation, I hope any decent doctor would tell you to come back when you've lost the weight you want to lose AND maintained it for a while. I understand the panic, I felt that way too, but there is no need to go to the extreme solution yet, give your skin a chance to do what skin does first!
  • AyameShimitsu
    AyameShimitsu Posts: 25 Member
    Unfortunately, boobs are made of fat so you do tend to loose some of it when you workout and lose weight. Your skin should bounce back a little but I don’t know how excessive it is. Focus on building some muscle there instead and think of the positives of weight loss. It will get better and you may not notice weight loss all around your body but I assure you that you probably have. You should take body measurements and every two weeks retake them. It will assure you that you’re losing elsewhere too.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    it took about 2 years of being weight stable for the excess skin to fully shrink up on me, so if you are still losing and it's only been 6 months, then it will get better if you give it more time

    get to your goal weight, then wait 2 years, then there are surgical options if you are still unhappy
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Notallmenmustdie wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I'm losing motivation fast. I'm 24 years old and have recently lost just over three stone. I have another stone to go. It's taken almost six months to get to where I am and I exercise daily, from thirty minute runs to cardio dance.

    About a month and a half ago I was laying flat on my back. I looked down at my chest and my boobs were like flat, wrinkly pancakes. I jumped up and looked in the mirror. They have remained the same cup size (DD) but lost all volume and plumpness. Just excess skin.

    The one thing I liked about my body when I was overweight was my boobs. Now they are gross and I still have too much ugly weight over my body - I feel like it was all for nothing.

    I wear good sports bras. I use coconut oil. I dermaroll. I've finally booked for a surgical consultation. I'm so angry and hurt at having to do this. And I'm terrified. But I want my boobs back.

    And now I'm left comfort eating and miserable at what I've done to myself. Regret ever starting this journey. And I hate that I feel this way. I know I've done well and I should be proud and fitness and health is so important compared to aesthetics. But it doesn't help. I'm just giving up. Please can anyone who has been through similar share how you moved forward?

    You're angry and hurt that genetically your boobs are more fat than breast tissue?
  • radbikerchick
    radbikerchick Posts: 39 Member
    I am about 170 lbs less than at my height weight about 14 years ago (holy crap saying that makes me feel old!). I do have a lot of loose skin and stretch marks and my boobs are pretty deflated (though surprisingly perky in some aspects/positions. Sorry if tmi). I go through periods when it bothers me and periods when it doesn’t as much. Lately I’ve been losing again and it’s gotten a bit worse... have considered surgery sometimes but haven’t wanted to prioritize my money for that.

    Overall, if you don’t opt for surgery I think you just have to accept that you may feel crappy about it occasionally and that’s ok and normal but also doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of other very positive things about being healthier. For me I climb and bike long distances now, which I would not have gotten into if I hadn’t lost weight - and I love those activities and they also make me feel good about myself. I have been thinking about getting a tattoo of a little woman climbing up some of the stretch marks on the side of my stomach lately as a sort of self love thing. Would be cheaper than surgery, ha.

    Everyone’s body changes over the course of their lives. Maybe you can just try to think of this as your first metamorphosis with great things to come.
  • lizzy_satellite
    lizzy_satellite Posts: 112 Member
    Please be kind to yourself and give yourself plenty of time to get used to the changes in your body.
    When I first lost weight (65lbs, around 7 years ago) I discovered that my boobs all but vanish when I reach the top end of a healthy BMI. I was annoyed and frustrated about this for a LONG time, and it took me ages to fully appreciate and accept the differences in my body, but I did get there, and now I wouldn’t change back for the world. Plus, it’s amazing what you can do with the correct upholstery!
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    edited August 2018
    Suck it up girl! Why are you thinking about ruining all that work you've done for this! Why did you want to lose weight initially? Focus on the good things that have changed as opposed to the things you don't like. Besides, the wonderful thing about boobs is that you generally get to dress them up in pretty bras and noone would be non the wiser!
    Notallmenmustdie wrote: »
    Thanks, Hipari.
    I think my excess skin is too severe to bounce back (sorry to sound miserable about it) but I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I have heard about lifting but also heard that whilst it can help the muscle behind the breast, it can't tighten excess skin.

    Believe what people are telling you! People have lost over 100lbs and their skin has regressed back. It takes time (seriously like 1-2 years). It take patience. And it takes an acceptance of the way that your body now looks. Be kind to yourself. What do you now love about your body that you didn't even think about before? Personally I now love my arms, but I hated my arms when I was heavier. Find new favourite things to love about yourself, you're doing great. Don't through it away :heart:

    EDT: to make the post flow better because I was all over the place :astonished:

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