Excess skin after 130 pounds lost....

stubbysticks

Is the loose skin more if you do tons of cardio first to loose weight and then try to tone compared to if you did strength training from the beginning along with the cardio? Does it make a difference as far as amount of loose skin after weightloss?

I don't know if there's any way to know for sure. All I know is that it makes a lot more sense to me to work on muscle definition while I'm working on getting rid of this excess fat even if it takes a little longer. Why would you try to lose faster then try to build muscle afterward when you could have been preserving & defining the muscle you already have all along?

There's also the issue of sagging skin becoming more pronounced because of exercise. I was concerned about this happening with my midsection & the best analogy I could think of is hand-tossed pizza dough. I know, kinda gross. But what happens to that dough when it's tossed around? It gets stretched out. The belly binder I wear when I run keeps my midsection flab from flopping around & it's working great.

I think at some point you have to decide if you care more about how fast the scale number goes down or how you look. Personally, since I'm trying to lose over 100 lbs I don't think it's vain to be concerned about how I'll look once I'm "done." I think it's just another factor to take into consideration as I go through this process. But the benefits of strength training I find most valuable are feeling strong & healthy, & improving my resting metabolism by increasing my muscle mass.

CorinthiaB

save

ShrinkinMel

I've heard great things about skin brushing. It helps exfoliate as well as keep the skin healthier so it can repair and tighten up. There is also certain supplements alfalfa and others that help too with the skin tightening. I learned of it on another board just for detox purposes but it covers some info on skin. But you may try goggling t-tapp CRT skin tightening.

Of course it doesn't replace cardio, strength and good whole and mostly clean eating habits.

suthernbelle

Bump for those arm exercises!!!

crobinson3

I lost 50Kg and had a lot of excess skin. Having tried exercise, sit ups etc to no avail I went to the docs. He advised the only solution would be to have an Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you do, if you've been overweight for a long time the only option is to have it surgically removed.

I had my tummy tuck on 26th August and now all the excess skin has gone, but the recovery process is slow.

Best of luck.

JustQue

I've heard great things about skin brushing. It helps exfoliate as well as keep the skin healthier so it can repair and tighten up. There is also certain supplements alfalfa and others that help too with the skin tightening. I learned of it on another board just for detox purposes but it covers some info on skin. But you may try goggling t-tapp CRT skin tightening.

Of course it doesn't replace cardio, strength and good whole and mostly clean eating habits.

I agree. The link I posted above was for the ttapp skin system. I highly recommend it, not just for loose skin but for everyone. It is really good. Q

megsie25

Has anyone found anything to help tone up the excess saggy skin after loosing a lot of weight ??? I have lost 130 pounds and there are some areas that gravity seems to be fighting pretty hard...Don't want to resort to surgery or anything, but this is one of the last hurdles standing in my way...any advice would be awesome !

Hey sweetie.. I myself have loss 148lbs and Here are a few toninig exercises I have been doing to tone up flab over the last 5mths on my arms, belly and inner thighs...

Are you looking to tone up those flabby arms a little. You know, that specific part on the back of your arm that jiggles and wiggles when you waive! Well, here is a triceps workouts below that I finf to help tighten, tone and sculpt mine so you can really show them off.. this workout is really for anyone So Let's Have fun!


Great advice!

Tricep Kickbacks...(( 2 Sets of 12))

1.Hold a medium weight in both hands and bend over until your torso is at a 45-degree angle or parallel to the floor (more advanced). Bend the knees if needed and keep the abs engaged to protect the lower back.
2.Begin the movement by bending the arms and pulling the elbows up to torso level.
3.Holding that position, straighten the arms out behind you, squeezing the triceps muscles.
4.Bend the arms back to starting position and repeat for 10-16 reps.

Skull Crushers...((2 sets of 15))

1.Lie on the floor or a bench and hold a light-medium barbell with the hands close together, about shoulder-width apart.
2.Extend the arms straight up over the chest, palms face out and thumbs wrapped around so that they're next to the fingers.
3.Bend the elbows and lower the the weight down to a few inches above the forehead or until the elbows at about 90-degree angles.
4.Squeeze the triceps to straight the arms without locking the joints.

Triangle Pushups....((2 sets of 15))

1.Begin the move by positioning the hands on the mat directly under the chest with the fingers spread and the thumbs and forefingers touching, making a triangle shape.
2.Straighten the legs into a plank position (harder) or keep the knees on the floor for an easier version.
3.Make sure the back is flat and the abs are engaged as you bend the elbows, lowering until your chin or chest touches the mat. If you can't go that low, go as low as you can and work to build enough strength to lower all the way down over time.
4.At the bottom of the movement, your elbows will naturally flare out to the side.


One Arm Triceps Pushups...

1.Lie on your right side with the knees bent and the hips stacked.
2.Wrap the bottom arm around the waist and place the left hand on the floor in front of you.
3.The fingers should point towards the right.
4.Contract the triceps to push the body up and off the floor, straightening the left arm as much as you can without locking the elbow.
5. Lower a few inches and continue pushing up and down for 8-12 reps before switching sides.


Tricep Extensions....((3 sets of 13))

1.Sit on a bench or ball (more challenging) and hold a medium weight at one end with both hands overlapping one another.
2.Take the weight straight up overhead with the arms next to the ears.
3.Lower the weight behind the head until elbows are at about 90 degree angles.
4.Squeeze the triceps to straighten the arms without locking the joints.

Here os Working on inner thighs,legs & stomach....

20x's
1.Sumo squat + (optional) jump:
Wide open legs, toes pointing out. Squat and push hips back, imagine you are sitting on a chair. Don’t squat pushing knees forward, knees must stay behind toes. Keep back straight, shoulders back, don’t arch your back.
You can bring your arms in front of the body and to add challenge to this exercises – tighten arms too (this is isometric tension for your arms and increases the effectiveness of this exercise).
Now if you really want to maximize the effect on your inner thigh instead of going up, jump. Jumping boosts heart rate and breathing up, more oxygen will come in your lungs and you will burn more fat. Oxygen takes part in the process of converting fat into energy and this is the reason so many people run to lose weight. But you can burn inner thigh fat more effectively by doing strength exercises for the inner thigh and jumping.

15x's
2. Legs open + (optional) crunch
Lie on your back; bring legs up, feet pointing to the ceiling, arms extended behind laying on the ground. Wide open legs, you must feel stretch in your inner thigh muscles or you do nothing. While opening legs lift your body (crunch) and bring arms between your legs. Gather legs, bring body and arms back. Beginner can do this exercise without crunch and put hands under buttocks for support.
"""This exercise targets your inner thighs and stomach muscles. Complex exercises, involving more than one muscle group, burn more energy so you pull more from your stored fat. Complex exercises are important for burning belly fat and cellulite."""

15x's (each leg)
3. Wide side kicks is excellent standing inner thigh exercise
Stand with your feet together. Tighten your core, bring shoulders back. Now kick but not forward, but side. Try to reach as side as possible and bring your knee up. You can hold hands on waist for support or keep them side lifted for the whole exercise.

25x's
4. Reptile + (optional) push up
This is total body exercise, very hard to but brings so many benefits because your total body is involved. Take position for push up. Now bring knee against the same shoulder, you can turn your head to point against the knee. Then bring foot back and do the same with other knee. If you can’t hold push up position, you can do this staying on hands and knees too.
Advanced: start with push up and then bring knees against shoulder. Alternate push ups and knees. This is really hard to do exercise but so rewarding

pattymartin2010

bump for arm exerises

noogie98

Has anyone found anything to help tone up the excess saggy skin after loosing a lot of weight ??? I have lost 130 pounds and there are some areas that gravity seems to be fighting pretty hard...Don't want to resort to surgery or anything, but this is one of the last hurdles standing in my way...any advice would be awesome !

Hey sweetie.. I myself have loss 148lbs and Here are a few toninig exercises I have been doing to tone up flab over the last 5mths on my arms, belly and inner thighs...

Are you looking to tone up those flabby arms a little. You know, that specific part on the back of your arm that jiggles and wiggles when you waive! Well, here is a triceps workouts below that I finf to help tighten, tone and sculpt mine so you can really show them off.. this workout is really for anyone So Let's Have fun!

Tricep Kickbacks...(( 2 Sets of 12))

1.Hold a medium weight in both hands and bend over until your torso is at a 45-degree angle or parallel to the floor (more advanced). Bend the knees if needed and keep the abs engaged to protect the lower back.
2.Begin the movement by bending the arms and pulling the elbows up to torso level.
3.Holding that position, straighten the arms out behind you, squeezing the triceps muscles.
4.Bend the arms back to starting position and repeat for 10-16 reps.

Skull Crushers...((2 sets of 15))

1.Lie on the floor or a bench and hold a light-medium barbell with the hands close together, about shoulder-width apart.
2.Extend the arms straight up over the chest, palms face out and thumbs wrapped around so that they're next to the fingers.
3.Bend the elbows and lower the the weight down to a few inches above the forehead or until the elbows at about 90-degree angles.
4.Squeeze the triceps to straight the arms without locking the joints.

Triangle Pushups....((2 sets of 15))

1.Begin the move by positioning the hands on the mat directly under the chest with the fingers spread and the thumbs and forefingers touching, making a triangle shape.
2.Straighten the legs into a plank position (harder) or keep the knees on the floor for an easier version.
3.Make sure the back is flat and the abs are engaged as you bend the elbows, lowering until your chin or chest touches the mat. If you can't go that low, go as low as you can and work to build enough strength to lower all the way down over time.
4.At the bottom of the movement, your elbows will naturally flare out to the side.


One Arm Triceps Pushups...

1.Lie on your right side with the knees bent and the hips stacked.
2.Wrap the bottom arm around the waist and place the left hand on the floor in front of you.
3.The fingers should point towards the right.
4.Contract the triceps to push the body up and off the floor, straightening the left arm as much as you can without locking the elbow.
5. Lower a few inches and continue pushing up and down for 8-12 reps before switching sides.


Tricep Extensions....((3 sets of 13))

1.Sit on a bench or ball (more challenging) and hold a medium weight at one end with both hands overlapping one another.
2.Take the weight straight up overhead with the arms next to the ears.
3.Lower the weight behind the head until elbows are at about 90 degree angles.
4.Squeeze the triceps to straighten the arms without locking the joints.

Here os Working on inner thighs,legs & stomach....

20x's
1.Sumo squat + (optional) jump:
Wide open legs, toes pointing out. Squat and push hips back, imagine you are sitting on a chair. Don’t squat pushing knees forward, knees must stay behind toes. Keep back straight, shoulders back, don’t arch your back.
You can bring your arms in front of the body and to add challenge to this exercises – tighten arms too (this is isometric tension for your arms and increases the effectiveness of this exercise).
Now if you really want to maximize the effect on your inner thigh instead of going up, jump. Jumping boosts heart rate and breathing up, more oxygen will come in your lungs and you will burn more fat. Oxygen takes part in the process of converting fat into energy and this is the reason so many people run to lose weight. But you can burn inner thigh fat more effectively by doing strength exercises for the inner thigh and jumping.

15x's
2. Legs open + (optional) crunch
Lie on your back; bring legs up, feet pointing to the ceiling, arms extended behind laying on the ground. Wide open legs, you must feel stretch in your inner thigh muscles or you do nothing. While opening legs lift your body (crunch) and bring arms between your legs. Gather legs, bring body and arms back. Beginner can do this exercise without crunch and put hands under buttocks for support.
"""This exercise targets your inner thighs and stomach muscles. Complex exercises, involving more than one muscle group, burn more energy so you pull more from your stored fat. Complex exercises are important for burning belly fat and cellulite."""

15x's (each leg)
3. Wide side kicks is excellent standing inner thigh exercise
Stand with your feet together. Tighten your core, bring shoulders back. Now kick but not forward, but side. Try to reach as side as possible and bring your knee up. You can hold hands on waist for support or keep them side lifted for the whole exercise.

25x's
4. Reptile + (optional) push up
This is total body exercise, very hard to but brings so many benefits because your total body is involved. Take position for push up. Now bring knee against the same shoulder, you can turn your head to point against the knee. Then bring foot back and do the same with other knee. If you can’t hold push up position, you can do this staying on hands and knees too.
Advanced: start with push up and then bring knees against shoulder. Alternate push ups and knees. This is really hard to do exercise but so rewarding

Wow ~ impressive losses, both of you!!! And thanks for the exercise suggestions!!

mjshanks23

Congrats on the weight loss! You look great!

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions... this has been something that I've been worried about. It's not a problem for me yet, but by the time I reach my goal it will be! Thanks!

csbindy2

MSM is the best thing for excess skin! MSM is Methylsulfonylmethane. There are too many things for me to either remember or mention about it, so I will just direct you to some of the information that I found. You have to take it with vitamin C, preferrable the powder kind. Mix it in with OJ or if you don't drink OJ just water. It tastes nasty but it works amazingly well. Buy quality or it will not work. I get mine from iamperfectlyhealthy.com but you can get it from anywhere, but again research and buy quality. Take a lot of it, not the recommended dosage as it will not do anything. If you have saggy skin, you prob have a very high tolerance for MSM. I have read a million times that it is as safe as water. Excess MSM washes out of your body every 12 hours so you should take it in the morning and then 12 hrs later. It might mess up your sleeping patterns. Sorry but it is worth it! It will also make your hair grow like crazy and it does thicken your skin so you may gain some weight but I also heard many people say that it makes them lose weight due to it's cleansing properties. I think it depends on the person. It shouldn't make you gain anymore than 15 lbs. If it literally makes you sick, that means you are taking too much and (a) you either don't need that much and need to lower dose or (b) your body is cleansing toxins and that is what is making you sick. I seriously doubt you don't need a lot b/c of the saggy skin so I would think it would be due to cleansing. If you try it for about a week or so and you're still getting upset stomach then maybe stop. I don't think you will have any ill effects but I don't know. They also sell cream!! Sorry don't mean to overload your brain but it works awesome for stretch marks too. That's how I found it! You have to take it for like 9 mths or a year before it works but you will see beginning results within a couple weeks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_psJfckeog&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni3wB4CGhoE

Just google skin and msm and you will come up with a million stories of how great it is! Weight lifters also use it to reduce or completely eliminate post lifting soreness.

Hope this helps!

csbindy2

Yes, I also followed Bill Phillips "Body for Life" program (although Bill Phillips doesn't own BFL anymore and isn't in any of their new books - not sure why??) I did it years ago when they used to have contests. This way of lifting gives way faster results than the normal method, esp if you lost a lot of weight and are discouraged about how your body looks! It's a 3 month program although a lot of people do round after round, but I did it for 3 months then quit. Then eventually gained all my weight back but that could be with any program so I don't blame this program... it was awesome.

QueenCat25

Start hitting the weights.

sistertransister

bump

kaciroberts1585

Bumping for those awesome exercises. Thanks carolinamomma

JanePerkins

I heard somewhere that grape seed extract helps with loose skin.. look where they sell the vitamins at the drug store.. hope that helps :-)

newbomb

I was just thinking about this also, thanks for the responses.

rachie590

I saw this amazing success story on bodybuilding.com once. The girl posted lots of before/during/after pics. She had lost around 80-90lbs if I remember correctly. She swore by putting vitamin E oil on before doing cardio ( i guess sweating opened up her pores and helped it absorb) also she used preparation h on her stomach. Anyway, you could tell her skin had tightened up greatly. She even entered a physique competition and posted pics. She had olive toned skin and I think that the darker your skin the better it snaps back. Who knows. Genetics must play a huge role.

nicoleh82

Ditto to all of those who recommended staying hydrated & lifting weights, especially the one who said lift HEAVY! Backfill that empty space with some muscle baby! I have some loose skin also & I too have heard that once you're done losing it takes 1-2 years for your skin to snap back to wherever it's gonna end up. I've been doing full-body lifting pretty much since I started, though for the first 50 lbs I didn't lift as heavy as I could have. At that point I hooked up with a trainer who educated me on progressive overload & lifting to muscular failure.

The last 20 lbs have come off much slower than the first 50 since I changed the way I strength train, but the change in my body is dramatic. I'm noticing great definition in all of the areas I want it, & the bingo wings aren't very noticeable unless I'm flapping my arms around, & who really does that often anyway? I found an article online once written by someone who'd had surgery on that upper arm skin & although she was happy with the results, I was put off by the long scars & would probably never do it myself.

Another thing you could do is make sure you're diligent about moisturizing. Best time is after your shower when your pores are nice & open. I think this has helped me some, though it's not like I have a control section on my body that I haven't moisturized that has turned to utter flab. Seems like a good idea though.

One more item: support gear. Not sure what you do for cardio but my midsection flab was interfering with my running progress so I talked to my dr about it. He recommended a belly binder such as the type used post-op. LOVE. IT. It seriously holds everything in place wonderfully.

In general I would much rather have flabby areas than the excess weight I was carrying around. Wear it proudly as evidence of your hard work.

May have to go for the belly binder myself....

anotheryearolder

bump