Will I need surgury??

mrdalton

Been going at this diet and exercise thing for two months now and may be holding back because I am actually scared of what I will look like once I get to my goal weight.
Highest weight: 235
Current weight: 226
Goal Weight: 130
So on tv I see where people have lost extreme amounts of weight and now their skin is very saggy and loose and they have to have surgury to tighten everything up.
Has anyone here lost 100 pounds and did this happen to you??
Im scared I may have damaged my body beyond repair....

nyctraveler

Skin elasticity is dependent on genes and age. Do you have stretch marks now from your weight gain? I think 230 is not in the "danger zone" of loose skin. People I've seen with those issues are 300+ or higher 200's at a smaller height?

Honestly, it shouldn't be holding you back. The benefits to your organs and overall body/health far outweigh the cosmetic "flabby skin" issue which is not even a given

ratkins811

I lost 100 in 8 months when I was 29 with little exercise and wasnt toned but didnt look like those who need surgery. Age does play a big factor in it.

mawhite717

i think you will be ok IF you do strength training along with cardio and you lose it slow. the slower you lose the better it is for you and it will give your skin time to adjust.

savvystephy

Losing slow should help your skin adjust. Strength training should help also!

ChunTingO

slow and steady wins the race. My goal is also 130 and im around your starting weight.....im scared but i want it more than anything to change

rileamoyer

Lose slowly, exercise and keep your skin well hydrated. All should be fine.

ali258

On most of those shows, people have lost extreme amounts of weight in a very short time, and that makes it harder for your skin to keep up with the weight loss. I had lost 80 lbs and didn't have any major flabby skin problems. Just be sure to do some toning exercises in addition to your healthy eating.

poustotah

I started my weight loss at 260lbs and had 3 kids with stretch marks ALL OVER my belly. I lost 90 lbs over the course of a 9 - 10 months and went out the next summer in a bikini - my first time EVER!!! My stomach is fairly flat and toned and NO SURGERY!!! I was also 31 at the time.

fcrisswell

You won't know until you reach your goal. Depends on too many things.

I can tell you that for me it doesn't matter. I lost 200 plus pounds and would I like a nip and tuck....yes. But cannot afford it and probably never will.

But, I would never want to live in a nearly 400 pound body because of some loose skin.

My girdle is my best friend LOL. And no one but me and my MAN knows what I am hiding under here...and he doesn't care either! (Note: I met him after the weightloss so the loose skin was already there to begin with and he didn't care.)

jennpotts

i feel the same way.. i've lost 50 lbs in the since august.. i'm trying to lose it slow so i dont. I can tell its starting to tone up now. I started at 240 and now i'm 189. I heard that if you do lots of strength training and drink lots of water that can really help!! Good luck. Feel free to add me so we can motivate eachother!!

Missjulesdid

you can't "tone" skin it might naturally be elastic so it goes back to where it belongs, but you can't really tone it with exercise, but I have heard that you should wear a girdle during rapid weight loss in order to encourage your skin to stay close to your body and discourage sagging. I don't know if it will work, but that's what I've heard. Someone who has had their stomach stapled might be able to help you since they've likely been counseled about this problem.

darling_nickie

I am having the EXACT SAME fear! Now I know I am not alone lol! I started out on MFP at 233 in Feb of this year. I weighed in today at 200.6! Yay me! I've also had two kids and at my heaviest was in the 250s. I am 5 ft 5 and am seeing the overall damage its done to my body. I can see the muscles and the thinning out of my body but I am also noticing some "loose" areas. Its discouraging because I don't know if or how much they will tighten up. I am doing cardio and strength, mostly Jillian Michael's workouts and am hoping when I reach the end of the "losing" phase of this journey, all will look better than it does now. And I do have stretch marks...so I also have come to grips with the fact that I might have to modify my body if I find that it bothers me THAT much should everything not spring back. I hope thats not the case but...only time will tell. My husband's support has been wonderful...none of it bothers him and he said when I am all done if a tummy tuck is in order we will find a way plus he is taking me shopping for a new wardrobe lol! Best of luck to you...friend me if you need someone to vent your frustrations too or just someone to talk to!

rileysowner

First don't borrow tomorrows trouble today. None of us have any idea how much loose skin we will have at the end of our journey, or whether it will tighten up in the year or so after you get to our goal weight. I can tell you this, if you lose slowly 1-2 pounds a week average, you have less likelyhood of lots of loose skin. Eat healthy fats and foods that are needed for collagen production, do strength training (note at first if you build muscle you might thing you are bulking up but remember that muscle is pushing out the fat more and it is much more likely that you are more toned looking than bulky but the fat hides that) and see what happens. I can tell you this, even with some loose skin you will still look better than you do fat, and you will be healthier, feel better and have more energy.

MinnieInMaine

What Rileysowner said...especially that first sentence!

Plus, I read somewhere that it can take up to 2 years for your skin to recover from weight loss, so even when you get to goal, you may just need to be patient during the first year or so of maintenance, and keep up the exercise including strength training and eventually, you skin will recover to the best of it's pre-programmed ability (as someone else said, genetics play a factor too).

I'm a little worried about this myself but I'm not going to let it stop me from taking care of my health! I'd rather be at a healthy weight and more fit with loose skin than be obese (with skin that will still eventually become loose).

chrissyh

I was 239 when I started got as low as 147 - no surgery needed. Lost it slowly - skin is resiliant. Was my skin perfect nope but I am very happy with it all!

proverbs31chick

So I hear some people mention genetics, now most if not all people are my family are at a healthy weight, so how will I know if my skin would be loose or not?

poustotah

So I hear some people mention genetics, now most if not all people are my family are at a healthy weight, so how will I know if my skin would be loose or not?

You aren't going to know even with good genes. This is about more than loose skin, this is our lives. I've seen people that were morbidly obese lose a lot of weight and they look amazing. Their key is to combine cardio and strength training. They box, they circuit train, they tone and they lift. I've seen people lose 20 - 30 lbs using supplements and they look terrible. Do it slow, do it right and plan on a life long change, NOT a quick fix!!!

jdm_taco

Do not allow that to hold you back from getting more healthy. My weight came off in a year and it continues to get better and better. I do not think it will be much of a problem at all by the end of the year. I'm sure my age has helped. Other things that I do that are certain to help are drinking lots of water, exfoliating my skin often, using lots of lotion, and a lot of strength training.

Keep up the good work!!!

proverbs31chick

So I hear some people mention genetics, now most if not all people are my family are at a healthy weight, so how will I know if my skin would be loose or not?

You aren't going to know even with good genes. This is about more than loose skin, this is our lives. I've seen people that were morbidly obese lose a lot of weight and they look amazing. Their key is to combine cardio and strength training. They box, they circuit train, they tone and they lift. I've seen people lose 20 - 30 lbs using supplements and they look terrible. Do it slow, do it right and plan on a life long change, NOT a quick fix!!!

Thanks, I will say my weight loss has been slow and steady which is good for me, I don' t want to loose it quickly and have loose skin. However, I do need to add more strength training in, I actually love lifting weights, I just need to find a good routine, I do the 30 day shred, I completed it but Im doing level 2 a few days a week.

phinners

I almost jumped out of my skin at the advert that came up with this thread, it was the biggest pair of tits Ive ever seen. Mental note to self - dont read this fourm when your kids in the same room!

LaurieDaniels

Hi there. I was obese from childhood and had gastric bypass in 2003. The majority of my weight was carried in my middle so I did have a large tummy overhang that I did have surgery to remove. I still have saggy arms and inner thighes. I do believe it's part genetics and partly how much and for how long your skin has been stretched out. Keep in mind that no matter what, losing the weight is going to positively increase your quality of life and quantity. I have been able to physically do more in the last 8 years than I had been able to do for the entire prior 27 years. I have been struggling with a weight gain but am using this tool and a great bootcamp workout to reverse myself.

ColoradoRobin

Take a look at The New Rules of Lifting for Women if you like weight training. As for skin, slow and steady loss gives it time to adjust. The deflated looking people you see on TV usually lost weight with bariatric surgery or extreme diet and exercise programs.

phinners

Deflated in what way?