Loose skin?

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LunaKye
LunaKye Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So in about a month, I've lost 20 lbs. I'm pretty sure most of it was water weight. I'm not really sure. But, it's been in the back of my head- If I continue losing weight too quickly, will I get loose skin? How slow should I be trying to lose? I have it to where I should be losing about a pound a week. Is that too fast?
Additional info:
I was pretty thin in high school, but I've always had big thighs, big butt, and my arms weren't fat, but they needed toning badly. I put on all my weight when I was mid 19. I'll be 22 in February.
My weight is now 180 and my goal weight is 145.
I can't eat healthy atm (People I live with literally won't allow it- And I'm stuck here for at least another year and a half)
I do portion control, and watch my calories.
I do cardio almost every day, and take the weekends off.
I've just started light strength exercises, and plan to do them about 3-4 times a week.
I'm not sure if the info was needed, but just in case :)
So a pound a week. Should I slow down..?

Replies

  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    20 lbs in a month is very fast, and not recommended. You risk losing a lot of lean mass that way, which is not only not healthy, it's not a good way of achieving the kind of physiques that most people are after. If you felt like you needed toning before, that situation will likely be a lot worse if you continue losing at that rate. One pound a week is not too fast, probably ideal for the weight you are at the moment. If you continue losing as fast as you have been doing, then you'll need to increase your intake so that you are actually losing a pound a week. Are you eating back the exercise calories as recommended by MFP?

    Regarding loose skin, you may get some anyway. It depends to some extent on genetics, and age. You have your age on your side, so fingers crossed you'll be lucky. Slow down the weight loss though, and you'll give yourself a much better chance.

    Strength training is a great way to prevent losing too much lean mass as you lose weight, but "light" exercises won't do much. Lifting light weights is more for endurance, not strength.
  • GadgetGuy2
    GadgetGuy2 Posts: 291 Member
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    Loosing excess skin is a very, very slow process (years).

    Slowing down your weight loss will allow more of that skin loss to occur while still loosing weight (i.e. less saggy skin bags at weight loss goal). But that is not the reason to slow down.

    Slower weight loss is easier (less hunger to resist).
    Slower weight loss is usually more successful (i.e. less people put the weight back on).
    Slower weight loss might mean less chance of being under-nourished (if you are not watching your micro-nutrients).
    Slower weight loss allows your eating habits to slowly change (I guess this is part of slower is easier).

    I targeted 2 years to loose 40 pounds. It was easy. And I have been at or around target now for 2 years (anecdotal data)..

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