Huge weight loss goal... The fear of excess skin

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Replies

  • tremroy1
    tremroy1 Posts: 90 Member
    Forget the loose skin, you are going on a weight loss journey. That should be your primary goal. Attaining this goal is the prize. Wouldn't that be wonderful. Excess skin would be a small price to pay. Try to focus on being thinner and healthier. Good Luck, put your mind to it and you will be rewarded.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Forget the loose skin, you are going on a weight loss journey. That should be your primary goal. Attaining this goal is the prize. Wouldn't that be wonderful. Excess skin would be a small price to pay. Try to focus on being thinner and healthier. Good Luck, put your mind to it and you will be rewarded.
    This is such a great reply. The other rewards are indeed wonderful, like how my bones and joints no longer hurt from 44 pounds of excess weight. I can move better, breathe better, and I feel so much better.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    If you can, wear compression garments as much as possible during your journey and for the first year after. Supposedly the compression helps encourage the skin to retract
    I've never heard of this, but that's a good idea.
  • steelyjoe22
    steelyjoe22 Posts: 40 Member
    If you can, set a slower goal. I started losing weight at age 23, and lost the first 60 lbs or so within 6 months. I noticed a little excess skin, but as I maintained for a bit (3 months or so) and then gradually started losing more weight slowly (about 20lbs in a year), the skin does tighten up. Aside from a few faint stretch marks, you'd never be able to tell I used to be about 80 lbs heavier than I am now.

    Also, exercising and adding muscle can help. This way, you look more toned and "fit", and less like skinny a deflated balloon, which sadly does happen to some people.
  • epido
    epido Posts: 353 Member
    I am older than you, have been overweight for quite some time, and am just under 80 pounds lost so far. I have another 30-35 I would like to loose, but am at the point where I am more interested in lowering my body fat than worrying about my weight. I have lost 11.5% body fat so far, and would love to loose another 12-14%. I started this journey the week before Halloween of last year, and originally thought loosing the weight in about a year was going to be doable. As I have been building more muscle mass, the number dropping on the scale has slowed down quite a bit. I have also had a couple injuries that have created setbacks for me, including one I am currently dealing with. Taking all that into consideration, I am now hoping to be at my goal sometime next spring.

    I have already assumed I am going to have excess skin, and plan on having it removed after maintaining my goal for at least a year. I know it takes time for the skin to "catch up" with the rest of the weight loss process, but between my age, and all the stretch marks I have from both being overweight and pregnant in the past, I just don't foresee me not having any excess skin, and am already starting to notice it a little bit in some areas, although I still have plenty of extra padding that I need to get rid of before knowing what is truly there.

    For now, just stick to doing the work you need to do to reach your goal. In the end, the rest of it will all fall into place!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Water and moisturizers have nothing to so with it. This does:
    genetics, youth, how much you have to lose, how quickly you lose.

    Focus on the now. Take care of yourself as best as you can, hope for the best, and work on losing weight so that you can be your fabulous self.

    This and how long you were obese for.

    People always tell you to moisturize and lift weights to prevent it but the truth is, there's not always a magical solution. But in the end, you're better off with excess skin than excess fat.

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