confusing belly fat with loose skin?

Mokey41

So going on the premise that women don't build a lot of muscle and this "bag of skin" we live in has a lot of extra play from a large weight loss then just how much muscle would we assume needs to be gained in order to take up the slack from a 100 lb plus weight loss? I still think the whole lift heavy to shrink loose skin is BS. It's just something to do to occupy your time while nature takes it coarse and redistributes skin cells. If it happens then it's attributed to the lifting, if it doesn't happen then what?

STrooper

I concur that it is probably loose skin. In my case, it isn't real evident when I'm standing up. But when in the prone position to do pushups it is very evident that it is loose skin. You are young, so a portion of that may tighten back up over time (and it will take time).

jayliospecky

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

You know what? I was hoping you'd say something like this. ^^

Hope springs eternal.

jayliospecky

So going on the premise that women don't build a lot of muscle and this "bag of skin" we live in has a lot of extra play from a large weight loss then just how much muscle would we assume needs to be gained in order to take up the slack from a 100 lb plus weight loss? I still think the whole lift heavy to shrink loose skin is BS. It's just something to do to occupy your time while nature takes it coarse and redistributes skin cells. If it happens then it's attributed to the lifting, if it doesn't happen then what?

If it doesn't happen, then you've only managed to increase lean body mass, decrease body fat, increase metabolic efficiency, increase tissue tensile strength, increase bone density, decrease physiological stress, among other things. Darn. All that for nothing.

jimmmer

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

Oh snap!

Mr_Knight

No, its not a myth. You have a bag around you which is your skin. Increasing muscle will increase whats in the bag, smoothing out some of the wrinkles in the bag, the more thats inside.

Sorry, that is completely inconsistent with Commandments #2 and #3, which read "Heavy lifting will not bulk thee up, especially if thou ist a woman" and "Lifting helps you loose inches".

You cannot fill out loose skin if you don't bulk up, and if lifting tightens your core up ("listen to your measurements, not the scale") then it will create *more* loose skin, not less.

Mr_Knight

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing.

I never said any such thing. Would've thought someone with degrees from "three top universities" would have better reading skills than that!

My advice is similar to the earlier posters - don't rely on scale weight to estimate body fat - get the body fat properly measured to figure out whether this actually is "loose skin". Then decisions can be made from a position of knowledge.

Iwishyouwell

My advice is similar to the earlier posters - don't rely on scale weight to estimate body fat - get the body fat properly measured to figure out whether this actually is "loose skin". Then decisions can be made from a position of knowledge.

This.

It just makes no sense to sit around guessing. Go get a comprehensive body composition test, and know for sure.

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

No, its not a myth. You have a bag around you which is your skin. Increasing muscle will increase whats in the bag, smoothing out some of the wrinkles in the bag, the more thats inside.

Sorry, that is completely inconsistent with Commandments #2 and #3, which read "Heavy lifting will not bulk thee up, especially if thou ist a woman" and "Lifting helps you loose inches".

You cannot fill out loose skin if you don't bulk up, and if lifting tightens your core up ("listen to your measurements, not the scale") then it will create *more* loose skin, not less.

Oh I'm sorry, I guess reality broke more commandments, I guess our bodies must be steeped in "sin" So OK, to make it easily understandable and prove it to yourself, how about a project? You'll need an old washboard, and a flexible cloth measuring tape or some cloth. Take the washboard, place the cloth/flexible cloth tape over just the washboard portion, not the flat edges, and push it down and smooth it over each ridge, relaxed, not stretched. Now mark the cloth or take a measurement, noting the points beginning and end of the washboard. Next, place the cloth along the flat board edge of the washboard (or the table next to it in a straight line), from the point of the start of washboard ripples to the end of them and measure that, or mark your cloth with a different color. You will see the same distance took up more cloth to cover the washboard ripples than it did the flat edge or the table next to the wash board. This is how you can require more surface area for muscles, thereby "taking up" more skin, and still be possible to have the same size, or even a reduction in size.

Also, take into consideration the "MFP gods" you follow are fallible in another way, and you actually do increase in size some places (shoulders, back) while reducing in others (waist) if you gain a lot of muscle and have less bodyfat.

Thirdly Mr. Evgeni and his "top universities" are also right with yet another (albeit vague, uncertain and poorly understood) reason to do something about it... you can stimulate the body through physiological changes sometimes to resorb more, but I dont think its well understood yet how, someone would be very rich and selling you a product.

MyChocolateDiet

Extreme Makeover weight loss edition shows lots of skin pinching by the doctor deciding whether to operate or not. He specifically feels for how much fat is still there. Might wanna peruse some old episodes. The single most NO FAT AT all case I recall was a grey haired gentleman with glasses who was I beleive Jewish if that helps you find it. I forgot his name but his before and after's might help you find him. IN his after he appeared to have like 12% body fat, like he was so cut except for some skin overhang on his belly. He was tall too, look for the tall guy. But yeah no fat having skin will be like an empty balloon. Like there will be little there when you pinch. I don't know too many ppl who have that going on with their belly outside of MFP but I do have one friend who is like that now, and I was like that after my first kid and it did not go away in fact I ended up gaining a little and it filled up somwhat but I was pretty light at the time like we're talking 117 lbs to like 123-125 on a good day so yeah.

Otterluv

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Yes. Like so:



This is when I'd lost about 65 or 70 lbs. You can still see loose skin (I was uber-fat for 20yrs, so it is what it is). However, there is also some definition, which really helps in the overall look. If I didn't have those muscles, you'd just notice the sag bag, because that would be all there is.

No, its not a myth. You have a bag around you which is your skin. Increasing muscle will increase whats in the bag, smoothing out some of the wrinkles in the bag, the more thats inside.

Sorry, that is completely inconsistent with Commandments #2 and #3, which read "Heavy lifting will not bulk thee up, especially if thou ist a woman" and "Lifting helps you loose inches".

You cannot fill out loose skin if you don't bulk up, and if lifting tightens your core up ("listen to your measurements, not the scale") then it will create *more* loose skin, not less.

Oh give me a break, this is a completely asinine statement. I have not heard anyone state that women can't gain muscle at all. But, there is a HUGE range between gaining muscle and getting to what many would consider bulky (a look I like, but realize is not everyone's goal).

Mother_Superior

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

Sometimes I wish I was single, and your brain was a lady with very low standards.

MyChocolateDiet

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

This reminds me of how when I start workign after not for a long time there is a tingling or firing sensation I feel just under the surface of my skin. I agree with the answer I'm quoting and just want to add in layman's terms. Is it so hard to imagine that blood flow to the area or in general would facilitate changes in one's skin and muscle structure that would get the cells and skin underlayers to "activate" and work together to form a tighter meshing?

I just know that post baby #1 I of course had a little loose belly but I did aerobics and lift free weights and swam and all in all it tightened up considerably if not all the way. I know some friends who currently do none of those things and their bellies are still there. I know other women who only do the cardio things and they seem the most frustrated as theirs are still there as well. Come to think of it I"m going to share my past experience with them. Until this thread I hadn't really noticed that my lifting was probably the single most different factor that they are not doing that might help them out. My lifting wasn't even all that heavy relatively speaking and it was effective. I say relatively speaking because I'm the type that if I do something I want to do as much or as hard of it as I can and so I probably lifted quite a bit but it's hard to say since I kept no track of it. I don't recall. Just give it a try, what do you have to lose? You'll be stronger anyways, and it'll be fun.

TigerBite

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, if it's not massive folds of loose skin, but just a bit of sagginess (like on the upper arms or on the thighs, even a small* pooch on the lower abdomen), then you can work to fill that space with muscle ... Between that and the skin snapping back on it's own (over time), one should end up with a pretty nice result ... Now if you have the aforementioned, massive folds, or your upper arms look like bat wings when outstretched, then surgery may be needed ...

lisabinco

i am 23 and lost most of the weight in a year and a half

You are still very young and that is in your favor, because youthful skin will tighten up over time, if you can maintain a healthy weight. Young skin is much more elastic than skin like mine (aka "old lady" skin). My doc said to give my skin a couple of years to shrink back; it takes skin a couple of years to do that. Maybe not quite so long in your case. Doc did say regular exercise will help but I didn't have to run out and do P90X or something; just a regular combination of aerobic and strength workouts would be good for me. The hard part is keeping the weight off long enough to give the skin a chance to shrink.
At any rate, give it time but continue what you're doing and add in some exercise on a regular basis. Decide on surgery only after you've given your skin a chance to shrink. You can do the surgery later if you still feel you need it. That's what I have decided for myself.

SuperSexyDork

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

Sometimes I wish I was single, and your brain was a lady with very low standards.

This is the best thing I've ever read on MFP!

Saffyra

For reference (which is not to say that everyone's situation is the same) my mother lost 100 pounds over the course of two years. She had 15lbs of loose skin removed from her mid section and arms.

The surgery was so painful for her that she decided never to have the loose skin on her lower body done.

As a side note, she always complains about her legs and says they are fat. They are not and I tell her so. It's just the extra skin. She still has a hard time mentally with her weight even though its been ten years and she's now underweight. I won't get in to how worried I am about her since it has nothing to do with the topic >.<

stackhsc

pinch the skin around your belly and then pinch skin on the back of your hand. is the skin on your hand the same thickness as the pinch on your belly? If it is then it's loose skin but if it's not (which it probably is) then you have more fat to burn and/or muscle to gain

hey thats a cool way to know. good idea.

EvgeniZyntx

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

Sometimes I wish I was single, and your brain was a lady with very low standards.

FR sent :laugh:

metaphoria

I'm not trying to be a smart *kitten* but what is resistance training going to do for loose skin?

Nothing. It's one of the standard MFP myths.

Well, while resistance training may not help the loose skin directly, if you build up the muscle underneath the skin it can greatly improve the appearance.

Primarily this ^ but actually it might. Cytoplasmic remodeling is activated by various signals that we do not fully understand but for soft tissue and bone, it appears that calcium signaling (think of it as electric microcurrents created by the effort) impacts actually tissue organization. The calcium channel model is the state of science for bone remodeling, there are probable peptide signaling is soft tissues such demonstrated in recent neural re stimulation and growth induction.

Tissue remodeling through effort is a thing. Plus, as you state, the underlying tissue is tightened making loose elements (fat and skin) appear tighter.

Or you can listen to Mr Knight and do nothing. Who knows - I only have degrees in biomedical engineering with biology research on tissue adherence (actin/myosin adhesion) from 3 top universities. Tissue responds to tension and effort - it's how we grow pockets of skin for surgery by placing balloons under the skin and placing them under tension by filling the balloon.

This gives me hope.