Post-Loss Loose Skin?

CricketWhiskers

Hello all! I was recently cruising some weight loss sites and I've noticed a lot of complaints about saggy skin. This concerns me because although I never plan on being a bikini model I also don't want to look like melt-man (props to you if you know who that is lol) I started out at 282 lbs and I'm down close to 230 lbs, I'm 22 years old and I've always been heavy.

I guess what I want to know Is if anyone thinks my starting weight was extreme enough to result in a ton of saggy skin? Even better has anyone started out around 280 lbs - 300 lbs and lost the weight? If so how extreme was your sagging?
Thanks!

Here's a picture of me at 232lbs just so you can see how I'm shaped etc...

Telugammayi87

I was 284lbs when I started losing, and now I'm 191. I've been heavy all of my life (even in 7th grade I was over 200lbs.....) I yo-yo dieted a lot... even lost 50lbs in 2005 (by exercising +++ and eating only once a day... NOT HEALTHY)... only to gain 85.... so my body has gone up and down a lot.

So, I'm 25 , and I've lost nearly 100lbs now (since June 2010... it's hard to get to the gym when school is in so I tend to stay the same weight during those times...) ... and I do have a loose skin problem. Mostly it is in my stomach as this is where I carry most of my weight. My belly button is always frowning... also my arms hve some, and my thighs a bit too... I still don't like wearing a bathing suit! This has been my biggest discouragement I think... Like you, I don't want to be in shape, but have my stomach look like a shrunken balloon!

I've started doing more abdominal exercises, and this IS slowly helping... I still have about 40lbs to lose and a LOT of it is in my stomach. BUT I would rather be fit and healthy with a loose belly, than obese, lazy, and sick like I was! Also, I've read a lot about the "loose skin" issue.... one big thing is to keep the skin moisturized to help maintain/gain elasticity. Sometimes we forget that our bellies need lotion too Also, try not to lose the weight too quickly... When I started, I lost almost 30lbs the first month...a mistake... losing the weight slowly allows the skin time to "readjust" to the weight loss. One more note, my doctor said that your skin, after being stretched for so long, will continue to repair and tighten itself for about 2 years after you lose your final pound. What you'e left with after that is what you're stuck with! I've also read this quite a bit on the internet. So don't feel too frustrated by the "bagginess"...

Oops, one more thing... building muscle UNDER the skin can reduce the baggy look... also this will end up raising your BMR .. on the downside.. if you still have fat covering the muscle, it can make you feel like your stomach has grown!

to reiterate:
1: Keep the skin hydrated (both inside AND out...)
2: Try to lose weight slowly instead of in giant leaps
3: Give your skin TIME
4. Build Muscle!