Extreme Makeover Weight loss edition has me alittle freaked

zoey4316

I am currently in the process of losing weight and I started at 306 pounds and am now down to 259...I am worried about loose skin. I saw that their solution to the girls loose skin was to have surgery. My question is if I lose at a much slower rate than her (and she also weighed more than me), will I still have that much loose skin? I really really want to slim up naturally and I am deathly afraid of surgery and needles. If anyone knows or has experience with losing alot of weight and knows how to prevent loose skin please let me know.

Thanks

MissAnjy

make sure you're incorporating strength training a long with cardio. It will help.

mawhite717

in order for you to not have excess skin you really need to include strength training in your workouts and lose it slow so your skin can adjust. if you do this, you should have very litte, if any, excess skin. :bigsmile:

jqg81180

bump...

kittytompsett

I think if you go fairly slowly you should be ok. You could also use a firming body cream, dunno if you're in uk or us but in uk Palmers do a great coco butter body cream for pregnancy and weight loss. I use it and it's lovely

lloydrt

zoey, I watched it to............just a copy of the Biggest Loser......

that girl , the cry baby, the 369 lb girl was a joke......She lives at home, she cant talk with out crying , and her mom needed help

That show was bland.........in regards to that skin removal, she really didnt work out as much as those guys on Biggest Loser, with trained professionals............they just let her move back to her pink gym in her moms house.....

I was disappointed to say the least

I ve lost 118 lbs and I work on my Abs and legs, to build up the excess skin, and Im having great results..........Dont get surgery, if you can at least try to work the muscle............I m doing it, and Im 56........Im not there yet ,but Ive only been working out 11 months, but the progress I have made is significant.......

I think Ill pass on this program...........Kind of a rip off of Big Loser..................Best wishes, .......Lloyd

cowpacino

well from what I hear, for some people it's bad, and for some people, it's not so bad. If you've been loosing at something like one or two pounds a week, it shouldn't be that bad according to most of what I've read. Most people think the skin is some kind of bag around your body that once it stretches out, it's stuck that way forever, but the skin is a living organ and will snap back in place pretty well if you're young and loose at a slow steady pace

McKayMachina

Harsh criticism of the show! lol

Well...I liked it.

So about the skin, you might have extra. You're still young so maybe your skin's elasticity will help. Don't worry about it now. A year after you hit goal, if it hasn't tightened up, then start considering whether or not surgery is right for you. Til then, focus on what you can.

Also, skin-firming lotions with CoQ10 help.

aflane

No excess skin here, yet. I drink a LOT of water, and as others have recommended, weight training along with the cardio.

cem2168

A good friend of mine went through a great weightloss...lost 120lbs! Afterwards, she was surprised that she did not have any sagging skin or any bunching or any skin "issues" and everyone was asking her how she did it!

Turns out, its just because of how much water she drank! She said shes always been an avid "water drinker" and had no trouble fitting in her 8 glasses.

It makes sense because drinking water helps to increase the skin's elasticity, which will help it "bounce back" when you start losing a lot.

I suggest chug that water and take some multi vitamins with folic acid, vitamin e etc... (vitamins great for the skin)

I hope that helps!

zoey4316

Thank you guys! I will begining more strength training tonight and will buy some cocoa butter lol. I just wanted to work on preventing it before it possibly became a problem. Also I have in no way considered surgery I just wanted to know if there was a way to do it naturally...and apparently there is.

Thanks again!

fsugirl26

You're really young still, so your skin is more elastic than it would be if you were 20+ years older. Keep your skin moisturized, drink plenty of water, and you should be fine!!

ItsLessOfMe

I do tons of strength training and I have loose skin. It really is genetics. I also have 2 kids. But my sister n law had 3 back to back and she doesnt have all the loose skin.

mallorybriann

I watched that last night.
1. She was over 350 lbs when she started
2. She lost is VERY quickly!! She was working out 4 to 5 HOURS a day!!
I started at 255 and have lost about half what I want (60 lbs) and I haven't had any issues with skin and I dont think I will after I lose another 60...

Just lose it slow and weight/strength train and you should be just fine
A lot of the people that have issues have lost it quickly, not giving their skin/body time to bounce back!

SueN113

Although I am young, have done weight training and have lost 103 lbs over 3 years, I do have stretched out skin on my stomach that will not go away without surgery. Every persons body reacts differently.

fatKisses

I'm so glad I came in here today... I watched the show last night too and was concerned about all the excess skin. I don't want any kind of surgery and by all the comments I guess I'm on the right track. WHEW! Thanks

callipygianchronicle

I watched the episode online this morning, and I was actually disappointed that they incorporated surgery as part of her "weight loss." She was not at goal weight and had just demonstrated that when left to manage her own eating and workout for three months, she completely fell apart at making good choices. Her final weight was 20 pounds above her weight loss goal. And she had the surgery when she was almost 50 pounds away from goal.

Do not be fooled by television. The picture they are painting is very deceptive (probably in an effort to promote the Marina Del Rey plastic surgery center that they went out of their way to show you the name of--twice).

Yes, loose skin is a concern, especially when you lose more than 100 pounds. But losing slowly helps. so does filling in that skin with muscle now that the fat is gone. Eating a diet rich in healthy fats and staying hydrated helps your skin to heal. But, with the exception of people who have lost so much weight that the excess skin actually inhibits movement (and that is generally people who have loss in excess of 200 pounds), it is not something that is usually done until you are at goal weight and have maintained for a while.

Septembergirl23

I have mixed emotions about the show. She did lose quite a bit of weight but I am not sure it was truly done correctly. I have a cousin who was a semi-finalist for the show but wasn't chosen. I think I am glad she wasn't.

In my opinion, if she had been better monitored she might not have had all of the loose skin. The weight loss seemed too dramatic to be completed without better monitoring. If you look at Hannah & Olivia from BL, they had very little extra skin. Irene on the other hand, had quite a bit under her arms so maybe it is more genetics. At any rate, I wouldn't even think about surgery unless you reach a point where tightening up just doesn't seem possible. You are young and resilient so I think you will do well without surgery.

lloydrt

hey, I just thought, none of the contestants on the Biggest Loser ever had skin removal surgery, did they?

On the last BL, that one guy from Hawaii or some Island and his dad were big.......matter of fact, the guy was originally 605, but started BL at 515 or so, and he finally got down to the mid 300s, but lots of them have hanging skin , esp under their arms......

hmm, sounds like a show that will only get good endorsements and promote advertising

speaking of weight loss shows , ABC cancelled All My Children and One Life to LIve, only to be replaced by a weight loss reality program, ie, Biggest Loser , and the other soap oprea is going to be replaced by some financial show...........

Weight loss programs are hot right now.........................Lloyd

birdlover97111

I agree. Losing slowly and steadily, incorporating cardio and weights and LOTS of WATER!!! I personally drink a gallon or more a day of filtered water. So important to flushing out toxins and keeping you hydrated. Good luck in your journey!!

betterlife2011

that is what im afraid of i am 276 and need to loose around 115 i was 297 my last docters apt before i started on here and im aftraid if i start to loose that weight i will have flabby skin i dont want surgery and my insurance will not cover it i started strength trainin last night with my fiancee it was fun cause he did it with me but anyway that show wasnt as good as bl because i felt like when she only lost three pds and said her reason was convince and really addiction to food they could have gone into that more instead of brushin it off like he did i feel like that is one of the main reason for most people being overwieght includin myself.

DropsOJupiter

I think each person is different regards age and previous health history and ultimately it will have to be a personal decision.

I, too, watched this program. I will be right upfront that yes I will be having the skin removal surgery. I started my journey at age 53 and despite drinking a LOT of water per day and including strength training, I have loose skin basically everywhere on my body. I will definitely have my tummy done and will also have my upper arms done. The rest I can deal with as I am not thrilled with any surgery and wanted to get healthy without use of surgery. I do know that a gal at the fitness center I go to has lost 165 pounds and is in the process of consulting with plastic surgeons. In the program last night, the doc stated that the excess skin can prohibit further weight loss and that has been echoed by the consultations she's had so far. However, the gal last night lost 3 pounds in the last 3 months, working out but not eating correctly. I thought that presented the message of "well, it's okay if you didn't meet your goal TWICE...surgery it is!"

annacataldo

I scared myself out of my last diet attempt after watching a show about fat people with extra skin... I was disgusted.. and thought id rather be fat then tons of extra skin... and never dieted again since. Now my frame of mind is different.

I know 2 people personally that have lost a ton of weight (over 100pounds; one about 150 and the other about 200+), and both have extra skin... However, both went through gastric bypass surgery to loose their weight... Which needless to say was losing weight very quickly.

My biggest weight ever was 325 (Started here at 313, now 279). Honestly, im scared to death of extra skin... but ive come to the realization that I need to worry about it when the time comes, and not worry about it until then, because it might not ever happen.

Weeks where I dont loose im happy with because Im not in a race to loose as quick as possible.. I want to give my body plenty of time to adjust.

I agree with what everyone is saying about extra strength training. I also agree with drinking tons of water to hlep your skins elasticity. Also with using firming lotions or lotions to help with elasticity (like cocoa butter).. anything u can do NOW to help your skin along with help your body in the end of your weight loss goal.

After losing a total of 46pounds so far, I havent noticed too much extra skin.. My love handles have gone down and my back is looking much nicer and toned (although i still have love handles, but they are smaller and i dont have extra skin hanging off). My neck has gone down and I can see my collar bone. My arms are smaller and i dont see as much sagging skin (heavier meant i had extra skin--more bingo arm)...my face has gotten thinner and i dont have extra skin hanging in my chin area or nothing.. my thighs have gone down a tad but still need alot of improvement.. my calves i can see calf muscle and look nice and toned. However, I feel like i do have some extra skin in my stomach area; but this should go down as i loose.. Im still over 100pounds from my goal so expecting my stomach to look good now is laughable. The front of my upper part of tummy i can pinch extra skin and its visable in a mirror to me (looks all rippely), but I expect its just cuz im still pretty overweihgt and still in the obese catergory.

I drink at minimum 15cups a day of water, with my goal being 20 a day. I use a organic face clensar on my face to help my skin (called yes to tomatoes), but otherwise i havent begun any lotion products on my body (im broke or else i would). I make sure to get plenty of vitamins.. vitamins a, b, c, e not only help with skin ellasticity, but also with immune system so I never get sick with colds, flu etc. Vitamin K is another one that helps skin, but im not as familiar with it, but know its in certain veggies like brocolli. Omega 3 and 6 will help as well (salmon, and i buy peanut butter, vegatable oil, butter, etc by smart balance brand that has omegas added to it). Do some research on these vitamins and what foods they are in and eat those foods more to help your body and skin. Some of these foods will have alot of these vitamins--like salmon that has omegas, vitamin a & b. spinach has vitamins a, b, c, e, k and omega--which is all for skin ellasticity so spinach would be a great food to eat alot of (I do--i hardly eat any other lettuces now and have a salad once a day usually, although sometimes i run out and can get to the sotre fast enough).

Im 26 years old, btw.

BruceTheHoon

I would like to say to lloydrt that the skin removal will be a REASONABLY regular part of that show. Other subjects on the show weigh significantly more and Rachel, I believe, was the lightest of the lot.

I have some pretty serious connections to the show and have met many of the subjects. I will tell you right now that one thing I learned about those people and reality TV in general is that while there are people out there who create drama, there are also people who live in the middle of it and it's hard to find balance. Rachel is a great gal and the tears you saw on her and more importantly the tears you saw on CHRIS were 100% real.

When you call someone a joke, it does a bit of damage to your argument. Yup - lives at home. She's in her early 20's and is a school teacher. If you think that's the joke, you'd probably better look at how much teachers make in GA. She crys a lot. Yup - self hatred and not being able to ignore it does that to a lot of people. She cries less now. The thing that's strangest to me is that you are talking about TBL as being ripped off. Did you notice that it's not only made by the same production company, about 20 feet away, but also shares names in the credits? There's rip off, then there's laziness, then there's just doing what you know. Pick whichever you like.

Next: Do you seriously think that Rachel worked out alone all the time? No trainer support? With trainers BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF THEM, TBL people fail all the time. Leaving a 350lb+ woman alone in a house with bad food and bad vibes is not going to create success. EACH subject had a personal trainer to work with constantly when Chris was flying someplace else to help someone else throughout the year. That didn't stop him from giving each subject his personal cell phone number, which I can assure you never stops ringing with calls for help and encouraging words. On that note - Chris is just about the best human being I've ever met. Proud to know him.

to callipygianchronic: Putting thousands of hours of camera footage into a year is CERTAIN to appear deceptive. Things magically happen because setting them up to where the audience would have any context takes time. I know that at least one producer REALLY wanted this to be a 2 hour program so that the backgrounds and causes of the obesity could be addressed as well as stepping into some of the therapy and other support networks that were created for these people.

Here's the sad bit. I don't like internet arguments. I REALLY don't want to come back and see who's called me a jerk which will then make me feel like I have to reply and then 4 hours later I wish I had just gone out for a walk. I just happened to know a lot about how this show was made and is still being made and I know how it's been edited for maximum spectacle. Try to look past it. My trick is to look at the facial expressions on the family members faces. Unless you're the Baldwins, you're not going to have enough actors in any family to fake the pain or pride you see there.

yvtt

/