Looking for Insight on loose skin

Lora2380

Was wondering about people’s experiences with loose skin and how much ( if at all ) it tightened up over time after hitting maintenance.

I lost 40lbs in 5-6 months and have lost about 7lbs more over the past 6 months and have had my stomach tighten up quite a bit but still a ways to go. I know it will never be perfect as I have had two very large children and lots of stretch marks but was wondering if anyone else had skin still still tightening over time or if you think I’ve pretty much hit the end of the road.

I’ll never regret loosing the weight as I feel healthy and fantastic and cloths fit amazing now but am still working on the loving my imperfections part of this journey (or at least coming to terms with what my body is capable of).

RunsWithBees

My skin improved immensely after 2 years of maintaining my goal weight but I understand it’s not easy to be patient you just gotta give it more time.

Larkspur94

You can try intermediate fasting to fasting 2/3 days each week. If IF make sure you still get your maintenance calories for the day. If a couple days a week, add the missed days calories to your feeding days to even out.
You can look into it, but the basic premise is that after a certain number of hours in fast, approx. 14-16, your body begins eating weaker, less important cells. This includes fat cells and excess skin cells. It's more beneficial to stay in this state as long as you can (2/3 days), than in IF with just a few hours doing 18/6 or 20/4. I'd say doing the weekly one would be easier as well to get enough calories within the feed window.
Up to you if you want to try it. Results won't be instant of course, but it would be faster than not doing it at all.
There are plenty who fast on this site, if you want to ask for advice in the matter.

twdlove89

I went from nearly 16stone down to 9stone and after having a kid aswell I’ve got a lot of loose skin 🤣 I just keep doing my exercises (elliptical trainer and treadmill) and drink plenty of water, I’ve only been in maintenance since about August so I know it will take agessss to start tightening up but I think patience is the best thing.

psychod787

Lift hard and heavy...

smithbls163

I lost 110lbs in a little under a year and the loose skin is a real problem for me too. Definitely don't regret losing the weight, but I'm really looking forward to when things start tightening up.

seltzermint555

I think my skin really improved after about 2 years in my goal weight range. Right after hitting my "goal", my upper arms and belly felt a lot looser and fleshier than they do now. Still not perfect, but better. I also noticed that my face looked pretty gaunt and I definitely had a bit of veiny turkey neck happening in the first year or so and that's really improved with time. I think everyone has their problem areas. Mine are belly and arms. My thighs and knees look great with no loose skin. I have a friend who lost a similar amount to me and her arms look fabulous but she will never bare her legs because of loose skin. You can't really control it 100% even with targeted weight training in my opinion (she does that, I have not).

I am now almost 5 years at roughly the same smaller size and believe I've reached the point where I will remain and that's okay with me. I still have bingo wings and a spare tire but they're small and easily hidden by clothing. In form-fitting clothing, I don't feel as self-conscious with a spare, say, bicycle tire versus my previous semi truck tire around the belly! haha I am never going to run around in tank tops & very short skirts, but I never did before, either, so I don't care.

For reference, I am 42 but weighed around 250-270 lb for almost twenty years (with a couple of years at 300) before losing the weight I am now (169) at age 36. Not a lot of yo-yo dieting and no pregnancies etc. Just got very big and then lost the excess weight and this is how I've fared.

nowine4me

After losing 90# (a bit less now), I had very loose skin on my arms, UPPER stomach and thighs drooping. After 2 years in and around maintenance, my arms have tightened up and look decent, my stomach looks good (tiny ab outlines) when I’m at or below 20%bf, and my thighs still look pretty bad. Fingers crossed it’s working it’s way from top to bottom.

DamnImASexyBitch

I think without surgery, it really only tightens up a little bit. I lost 75lbs about 2 years ago, and have maintained that loss for about 2 years. I have some areas I’ve been able to build more muscle, so it’s less flabby, but other areas I’m still trying to decide if it’s worth it for plastic surgery.

simpsonsfantoo

DamnImASexyBitch wrote: »

I think without surgery, it really only tightens up a little bit. I lost 75lbs about 2 years ago, and have maintained that loss for about 2 years. I have some areas I’ve been able to build more muscle, so it’s less flabby, but other areas I’m still trying to decide if it’s worth it for plastic surgery.

Much depends on age, genetics, and amount of time a person was overweight.

TinaKay51

I am maintaining a 100 pound weight loss for 20 plus years and found that while time does improve things, I have had to help things along by hitting the weights. Building muscle is a good way to tighten up loose skin. Also, something to look forward to is as one gets older (I am 51) everyone has some loose skin. So, it all evens up in the end. :-)

CharlieBeansmomTracey

simpsonsfantoo wrote: »

DamnImASexyBitch wrote: »

I think without surgery, it really only tightens up a little bit. I lost 75lbs about 2 years ago, and have maintained that loss for about 2 years. I have some areas I’ve been able to build more muscle, so it’s less flabby, but other areas I’m still trying to decide if it’s worth it for plastic surgery.

Much depends on age, genetics, and amount of time a person was overweight.

it also depends on the elasticity in ones skin and how fast they lost the weight. and if they gained quickly or not as well. stretching out the skin quickly can end up with skin that wont bounce back.if after a few years it doesnt bounce back then I would say the chance if it happening are slim to none.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

Larkspur94 wrote: »

You can try intermediate fasting to fasting 2/3 days each week. If IF make sure you still get your maintenance calories for the day. If a couple days a week, add the missed days calories to your feeding days to even out.
You can look into it, but the basic premise is that after a certain number of hours in fast, approx. 14-16, your body begins eating weaker, less important cells. This includes fat cells and excess skin cells. It's more beneficial to stay in this state as long as you can (2/3 days), than in IF with just a few hours doing 18/6 or 20/4. I'd say doing the weekly one would be easier as well to get enough calories within the feed window.
Up to you if you want to try it. Results won't be instant of course, but it would be faster than not doing it at all.
There are plenty who fast on this site, if you want to ask for advice in the matter.

IF is NOT going to make any difference in saggy/loose skin. can I ask you where you got the above info? if you mean this link,then you misunderstood their concept and it has nothing to do with saggy/loose skin https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old-immune-system/

not to mention what I posted above is an article and not scientific proof

vixtris

I lost about 130 from my highest weight about 3 years ago. I still have loose skin in my upper arms, lower belly and thighs. I did have loose skin on my back and neck. My neck tightened up completely, my back has a tad, but its not really noticeable. I think the worst area for me is my lower stomach which no one will ever see because even a low rise waist band would hide it. My arms bother me a bit but if I just gained some arm muscle it probably wouldn't look that bad.

It does take time, can be years, to tighten, but it will never completely go away without surgery. I have thought about it - I mean, if money were no object, but still, and I don't think I'd want to endure that painful procedure...

Lora2380

Thank you for all the responses! It is really encouraging to here that there is still time. I’m a patient person as the road this far has been anything but quick, I’ve wanted to loose this weight for 13 yrs, waiting another year or two to see how it improves is fine by me. I’ve recently started weight training and am enjoying it emencly.

I’ve never expected to look “normal” but a little less droopy would be fantastic. I’ve embraced the stretch marks so perhaps with time I’ll also come to terms with the skin if it doesn’t tighten to where I want.

ninerbuff

Larkspur94 wrote: »

You can try intermediate fasting to fasting 2/3 days each week. If IF make sure you still get your maintenance calories for the day. If a couple days a week, add the missed days calories to your feeding days to even out.
You can look into it, but the basic premise is that after a certain number of hours in fast, approx. 14-16, your body begins eating weaker, less important cells. This includes fat cells and excess skin cells. It's more beneficial to stay in this state as long as you can (2/3 days), than in IF with just a few hours doing 18/6 or 20/4. I'd say doing the weekly one would be easier as well to get enough calories within the feed window.
Up to you if you want to try it. Results won't be instant of course, but it would be faster than not doing it at all.
There are plenty who fast on this site, if you want to ask for advice in the matter.

IF doesn't affect the dermis that way. The retraction of skin is more due to elasticity and genetics and NOT how you eat.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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AnnPT77

Mine kept shrinking well into year 2 of maintenance, after losing 50ish pounds at age 59-60.

One thing: True loose skin is thin wrinkles, like wrinkles in fabric. Things that are like 1/2"+ wrinkles or rolls still have some subcutaneous fat that conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched. It's the thin stuff, IME, that shrinks pretty well.

Recomposition (maintaining weight, gaining muscle) can help with that remaining subcutaneous fat, as can more weight loss (if that's healthy at one's current weight). Surgery is also an option, and I've seen several folks here who had surgery report that what was removed was some fat as well as just skin.

DomesticKat

There are lots of factors that contribute to how much loose skin you end up with, as has been mentioned. I didn't end up with as much loose skin as I thought I would but I was pretty anxious about it when I first started losing weight. I too am covered in stretch marks, so genetics really weren't on my side in that regard. I had five children in 10 years, a couple of huge ones, was 220 at my heaviest, and 126 in these photos. It's really anyone's guess, but I think strength training helped me a lot as well as a slow rate of loss.

ExistingFish

Most of my stretched skin is due to 3 pregnancies within 5 years. My total weight loss was only 35lbs, and I've only been in maintenance since September.

I told myself I'd wait 1-2 years, and the consensus on this thread seems to say 2 years. I can say in a few months it's already better, but I will probably still buy high waisted swimsuit bottoms for a while.

I can understand it may be more distressing if it's more of your body though. I think the secret is maintaining and genetics. I also lift heavy.

magnusthenerd

Larkspur94 wrote: »

You can try intermediate fasting to fasting 2/3 days each week. If IF make sure you still get your maintenance calories for the day. If a couple days a week, add the missed days calories to your feeding days to even out.
You can look into it, but the basic premise is that after a certain number of hours in fast, approx. 14-16, your body begins eating weaker, less important cells. This includes fat cells and excess skin cells. It's more beneficial to stay in this state as long as you can (2/3 days), than in IF with just a few hours doing 18/6 or 20/4. I'd say doing the weekly one would be easier as well to get enough calories within the feed window.
Up to you if you want to try it. Results won't be instant of course, but it would be faster than not doing it at all.
There are plenty who fast on this site, if you want to ask for advice in the matter.

Odd that the body would leave all those skin cell calories on the table while dropping 40 pounds, and then suddenly decide during a period of no 20 hours with no food "well, let's finally crack these calories open". Pretty sure people who have been literally starved still end up with loose skin.

imxnianne

I’ve been researching this for a few weeks. There are too many answers and they all vary. Too really know if you have loose skin or just squishy fats is to lower your body fat percentage. Loose skin is really just wrinkles. Loosing more than 2lbs a week, you’re for sure going to get it if the weight loss is rapid. People think that loose skin is saggy bellys, I thought this too, came to realize that it’s squishy fats. Stubborn squishy fats.. Lower the body fat percentage, eat more lean foods, healthy protein, etc. do lower abs workouts. Leg lifts, butterfly kicks.. it won’t be an over night we but we all can never pull an overnight we with fat.

That’s my opinion and I’m keeping to my word. I’m on that journey right now. Down 4 milestones and need to be more cut to even see the mommy belly vanish.

Hopefully what I said was understandable. Pretty tired from a long day.