Is this subcutaneous fat or possible loose skin?

Rural0

Hello, all.

Just a question, please.

I'm embarking on a weight loss program and hope to incorporate both cardio and resistance training. However, after reading some threads here on loose skin, I feel it may be best to do a lot more resistance training than cardio.

I ask because I have a belly, and which jiggles, and I hope to avoid loose skin if possible. I have many stretch marks - based on the photos attached, do you think I'll have loose skin? And what's the best course of action, please?

Some other details - 40yo, 5'10-and-a-half in height, male. Was 118kg for a few years, then dropped down to 97kg now with cardio only.

Thank you,
Rural

tiptoethruthetulips

Well done on your weight loss. There is possibly some excess skin but I would say there is excess fat under the skin.

ninerbuff

You get stretch marks from mass accumulating faster than your skin could stretch to accommodate it. It looks like a combination of both, but more fat than loose skin.

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SnifterPug

Well done on the weight loss. I agree with the others - that's mainly fat rather than loose skin. You may end up with some loose skin but if you aim to lose weight at a reasonably sensible rate rather than as fast as possible you will minimise your risk of loose skin. Keeping the skin as elastic as possible should help -use moisturising cream or oil.

Exercise-wise I'd not major on cardio, personally.

Good luck with your onward journey.

AnnPT77

Rough rule of thumb, IMO: True loose skin tends to be like wrinkles in a medium weight fabric, like maybe denim or corduroy. Any kind of rolls or bulges bigger than 1/2" or so likely still have some subcutaneous fat. I think your current photo has remaining subcutaneous fat, I'm sorry to say. Also, how much loose skin one will have in the long run is very individual, so I don't know how we'd predict, for you.

You might get some insight by looking at photos in the "Success Stories" part of the Community, looking for people of similar age who've lost about the amount of weight you want to lose.** I feel like most people, as they start losing weight, fear they'll have more loose skin in the long run, than the average person actually ends up having.

It's even hard to tell, during the weight loss process, what one's personal long-run results will be. I think that the way the process works (for most people) can generate extra fear of bad long-run results, in a misleading way.

Generally, we don't lose fat from the outside of our fat mass, then neatly lose moving inward as more loss occurs. It seems more like fat empties from cells here and there through the remaining fat area, so the area gets kind of droopy and squishy (like a water balloon half full of water, vs. one that's totally full so rounded and firm). With continuing fat loss, the fat depletes in whatever random order your body chooses, until - we hope - just thin-wrinkles loose skin is left.

Most of the fat from a given area needs to deplete before the skin can really get a good start on shrinking, because the remaining fat conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched. After most of the fat depletes, then the skin shrinkage takes time, too. Mine kept shrinking at least into year 2 of maintenance, and maybe longer (hard to tell because the shrinkage speed slows . . . . ). (I was already pretty old at the time, 59-60. Now (at 65, still at a healthy weight), I don't think I look *dramatically* different, even in a bathing suit, than other women my size who've been thin long-term. There are some small signs, if a person knows what to look for, that hint at past weight loss.)

The effect of that whole fat-depletion/skin-shrinkage process, is that a lot of us look worse, in terms of loose skin, i.e., kind of droopy/floppy, part way to goal weight than we will at goal weight; and worse at goal weight (true loose skin) than we'll look after a few months to a year or so in maintenance. That's not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it's honestly what I think is true, because it's what I experienced personally. That tends to scare people who're only part way through loss, because they think everything they have that squishy at that point will just get flappier, but that's not likely what will happen long term.

When thinking about what one may be able to do to limit loose skin in the long run, consider that healthy skin is likely to be more elastic (shrink-y!), that skin is an organ, and that it responds well to things that keep other organs healthy, specifically:

* avoiding fast weight loss (because it's a physical stress to lose fast),
* getting good well-rounded nutrition (macros and micros, especially but not exclusively protein),
* getting regular exercise (both cardiovascular and strength),
* managing all-source life stress,
* hydrating adequately (not crazy much, but enough),
* avoiding excessive alcohol,
* avoiding smoking/vaping,
* specific to skin, also avoiding tanning.

There are other things people recommend, but I've seen little evidence that they do much more than pass the time while the skin shrinks on its own: That's the various creams and potions, dry brushing, massage, and that sort of thing. Can't hurt, I guess, at worst.

** ETA: This is a good thread for seeing others' results -

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1167854/photo-only-success-stories#latest

Rural0

Thank you, @tiptoethruthetulips, @ninerbuff, @SnifterPug and @AnnPT77 for your responses, much appreciated.

Rural0

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Rough rule of thumb, IMO: True loose skin tends to be like wrinkles in a medium weight fabric, like maybe denim or corduroy. Any kind of rolls or bulges bigger than 1/2" or so likely still have some subcutaneous fat. I think your current photo has remaining subcutaneous fat, I'm sorry to say. Also, how much loose skin one will have in the long run is very individual, so I don't know how we'd predict, for you.

You might get some insight by looking at photos in the "Success Stories" part of the Community, looking for people of similar age who've lost about the amount of weight you want to lose.** I feel like most people, as they start losing weight, fear they'll have more loose skin in the long run, than the average person actually ends up having.

It's even hard to tell, during the weight loss process, what one's personal long-run results will be. I think that the way the process works (for most people) can generate extra fear of bad long-run results, in a misleading way.

Generally, we don't lose fat from the outside of our fat mass, then neatly lose moving inward as more loss occurs. It seems more like fat empties from cells here and there through the remaining fat area, so the area gets kind of droopy and squishy (like a water balloon half full of water, vs. one that's totally full so rounded and firm). With continuing fat loss, the fat depletes in whatever random order your body chooses, until - we hope - just thin-wrinkles loose skin is left.

Most of the fat from a given area needs to deplete before the skin can really get a good start on shrinking, because the remaining fat conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched. After most of the fat depletes, then the skin shrinkage takes time, too. Mine kept shrinking at least into year 2 of maintenance, and maybe longer (hard to tell because the shrinkage speed slows . . . . ). (I was already pretty old at the time, 59-60. Now (at 65, still at a healthy weight), I don't think I look *dramatically* different, even in a bathing suit, than other women my size who've been thin long-term. There are some small signs, if a person knows what to look for, that hint at past weight loss.)

The effect of that whole fat-depletion/skin-shrinkage process, is that a lot of us look worse, in terms of loose skin, i.e., kind of droopy/floppy, part way to goal weight than we will at goal weight; and worse at goal weight (true loose skin) than we'll look after a few months to a year or so in maintenance. That's not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it's honestly what I think is true, because it's what I experienced personally. That tends to scare people who're only part way through loss, because they think everything they have that squishy at that point will just get flappier, but that's not likely what will happen long term.

When thinking about what one may be able to do to limit loose skin in the long run, consider that healthy skin is likely to be more elastic (shrink-y!), that skin is an organ, and that it responds well to things that keep other organs healthy, specifically:

* avoiding fast weight loss (because it's a physical stress to lose fast),
* getting good well-rounded nutrition (macros and micros, especially but not exclusively protein),
* getting regular exercise (both cardiovascular and strength),
* managing all-source life stress,
* hydrating adequately (not crazy much, but enough),
* avoiding excessive alcohol,
* avoiding smoking/vaping,
* specific to skin, also avoiding tanning.

There are other things people recommend, but I've seen little evidence that they do much more than pass the time while the skin shrinks on its own: That's the various creams and potions, dry brushing, massage, and that sort of thing. Can't hurt, I guess, at worst.

** ETA: This is a good thread for seeing others' results -

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1167854/photo-only-success-stories#latest

This is very detailed and informative - thank you.