Belly fat or loose skin? (gross pics)

Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
in Motivation and Support
I can't believe I'm posting these but heck... I've pretty much made my peace with the fact that I'll never wear a bikini... but I just don't know if I'm wasting my time trying to lose more fat in my belly or not (I still have some I want to lose on my hips anyway, but still).

Anyone been there, done that, can tell me from the pictures if I'm wasting my time? The 'pocket' above my belly button pretty much hangs when I bend over and it's totally ugly, I've never seen fat behave that way so I just don't know anymore... Obviously I know some of it is skin (the pictures actually make it look 'better' than it is), but there are so many rolls when I sit... it's depressing. My body fat is 24-25% I think (I'm getting it measured today).

DSC_1578small_zps7d94fc8f.jpg
DSC_1580small_zps5f07daaa.jpg

Thoughts? And sorry for grossing you all out...
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Replies

  • zeeannwarner
    zeeannwarner Posts: 4 Member
    You look awesome to me, I can't wait to gross people out with my loose skin pics!!!! And I'm dead serious!! Just keep going you're doing great and you can always have surgery after hitting your goal !
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    It's probably a bit of both. My stomach hangs when I bend over too. I think it's just that the skin has lost elasticity after pregnancies. But you are doing awesome, and ditto previous poster that you can have the skin removed once you hit goal weight.
  • beth4dieting3
    beth4dieting3 Posts: 80 Member
    I agree that it's probably a mixture of both and I applaud your courage to be so honest here. Keep doing what you're doing. You've lost a lot of weight and your body is adjusting. Yes you could have the skin removed but if not, you may need to get to a point of acceptance. I tihnk you are doing GREAT. Don't get discouraged. :)
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    A bit of both, and NOT gross. Nice progress!!!
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    You look beautiful. It's just loose skin, not belly fat. I have it too. I would love a flat stomach without the extra skin but since I had a bunch of extra weight on me for ten years, no dice! :) Just be proud of the fact that it USED to have fat underneath it. You got rid of all that.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    Ok, if I am left with skin like that I will thank Jeebus!!! I am so worried about my skin and yours looks incredible. I just keep visualizing tons of skin. You're skin looks really good, and it will probably even tighten up even more!!!
  • mighty_aphrodite
    mighty_aphrodite Posts: 13 Member
    I can't wait until I have the loose skin to worry about! (Not really, but I can't wait to lose that much weight.) After 50lbs lost I can already tell I'm going to have the same issue. I figure I should start saving my pennies for the body lift I'll need.

    I don't know if you ever plan to, or even want to have the skin removed, but perhaps for now you can look at it as a marker of you accomplishment. Glass half full, you know?
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
    I had a woman play with her loose skin right after the birth of her daughter during field camp. It sure as hell didn't make me want a kid after that.
  • MissLCWolff
    MissLCWolff Posts: 69 Member
    Agree with everyone else--it's most likely some fat and some skin (it looks too round/full to be all or mostly skin). Pretty much everyone who's lost a significant amount of weight or has been pregnant has at least a little bit of loose skin, but it's really amazing how much fat your body can hold. I'm guessing that your stomach was your "problem area" and generally had disproportionately more fat on it than the rest of your body (I'm the same way), so it'll be the last area to shrink just because there was more there to lose.
  • roxanethree
    roxanethree Posts: 78 Member
    Mine is similar and I'm about the weight you are now. I hate that I can feel all the stomach muscles I've made but can only (barely) see the top ones. I have a lot of scar tissue from different surgeries (not weight-related) so I don't think surgery is an option for me, but I'm going to keep losing slowly to see what happens with my belly. Good luck & congrats on your weight loss! Looking at yourself is hard, but to others you look fantastic! Great job!
  • ezloshead
    ezloshead Posts: 167 Member
    Looks like it's mostly skin. There's still some fat there, but not a lot. Congratulations! Be proud of your skin! Think of it as a battle scar.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Thanks all. I got my body fat measured and it's 22%. It's just so weird when I see my belly to think that it's so low. Bleh!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    I don't think it's gross at all. I agree with others that it's probably a mixture of both, but unfortunately, losing more fat may not improve the appearance. I found that there was a point with mine where losing more fat made the loose skin look worse. On the other hand, I've heard quite a few people say that they see some improvement in loose skin over the first year or two of maintenance. Mine seems to have changed a bit over the last year, it seems a little bit better than it was. I think part of my problem was also posture, and working on my core has helped a bit with that. You may be more pleased with the results if you reduce BF a bit - with a reduction of size, and the skin may not get any worse. It's hard to tell without doing it.

    Oh, and everyone has rolls when they sit.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I had a woman play with her loose skin right after the birth of her daughter during field camp. It sure as hell didn't make me want a kid after that.

    Awesome.

    OP has had twins and lost 78lbs (which is remarkable). Her skin isn't the results of just having "a kid". But by all means, feel free not to.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Looks like it's mostly skin. There's still some fat there, but not a lot. Congratulations! Be proud of your skin! Think of it as a battle scar.

    this I like.
  • LoseFatNotCurves
    LoseFatNotCurves Posts: 12 Member
    Congrats & well done on your amazing progress!
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    Definitely loose skin.
  • Trundlegate
    Trundlegate Posts: 52 Member
    Congratulations on the weight loss. You have done amazingly well. What is a bit of loose skin between friends. I too am already suffering and will expect more by the time I finish. However if I look half as good as you I will be proud.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I had a woman play with her loose skin right after the birth of her daughter during field camp. It sure as hell didn't make me want a kid after that.

    Awesome.

    OP has had twins and lost 78lbs (which is remarkable). Her skin isn't the results of just having "a kid". But by all means, feel free not to.

    Actually no, I didn't have twins.. they are adopted. I'd love to use that excuse though, lol. The stretch marks are from my rapid weight gain after I did a crash diet when I was 21 :(
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
    PLEASE never call anything about yourself gross and don't think of your body in negative terms. It will never help you, only hurt you.

    Its probably a little of both.
  • mthr2
    mthr2 Posts: 158 Member
    I had a woman play with her loose skin right after the birth of her daughter during field camp. It sure as hell didn't make me want a kid after that.

    Awesome.

    OP has had twins and lost 78lbs (which is remarkable). Her skin isn't the results of just having "a kid". But by all means, feel free not to.

    Agree. Don't reproduce.

    WTG, OP. I'm weird about my baby/fat-abused belly and boobs too. Thanks so much for posting this.
  • calliegirl1973
    calliegirl1973 Posts: 23 Member
    use coconut oil on your belly. coconut oil does wonder for firming skin.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    A bit of both, and NOT gross. Nice progress!!!
    +1!
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    First of all, congrats on losing weight to make your body more healthy and keep you alive with your twins longer!

    It looks like both to me. At 24-25% body fat and a woman, you likely still have quite a bit of fat in your abdomen. The "crepe-paper" looking areas (I have tons) in the lower part are where you have less fat, but the skin around the center and your belly button still has some fat. That being said, 25% body fat for a woman is excellent. No reason to lose more unless you have other fitness or racing goals.

    You can have skin removed if you want to for cosmetic reasons, but also give time and drinking water and lotion a try for a time. Your skin might not ever be perfect, but it could be better with time.

    Not gross at all. Human.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I just got it tested, I'm 22% body fat supposedly... which I guess doesn't mean much as most of my fat is always in my midsection anyway. I'm still going to try to lose my last 6 lbs (sloooowly as I keep going over) and we'll see.

    Thanks again everyone.
  • msthang444
    msthang444 Posts: 491 Member
    I am pretty sure the majority of it is skin... fat doesn't quite droop like that (not on me at least). Btw.... Very brave of you to post.

    I know my LEAST favorite thing about me is my stomach. Between 4 babies and the weight that's left over...

    Let's just say "not hot".

    :)
  • Bounce4
    Bounce4 Posts: 288 Member
    You look great and I'm super impressed with 22% body fat.

    I have some extra skin too - but I know in my case there is plenty of fat left to lose so don't know what the final look will be.

    I had a woman play with her loose skin right after the birth of her daughter during field camp. It sure as hell didn't make me want a kid after that.

    Probably for the best :P
  • Jade0529
    Jade0529 Posts: 213 Member
    I am just going to applaud you for posting those pics. Very brave of you :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:
    and ps you look great.
  • stephcbms
    stephcbms Posts: 142 Member
    This is a great post :bigsmile: You look amazing! Great job :flowerforyou: And yeah it's probably a little of both. like other people have said, just keep working at it. And if not happy at the end have it taken off. But you look great !!
  • LuvonLuv
    LuvonLuv Posts: 68
    You won't believe how glad I am to see your pic...seriously. My belly area looks exactly the same and would hang over when I bend. It used to bother me but then I came to realize that it has to be lose skin due to preganancy because it does not disappear with weight loss or exercise. And I have to say that I can accept this about me alot better now that I've seen your pic...I swear that could be my stomach in that pic. Thanks for posting.

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