Ladies who've lost a lot of weight 80+ lbs....question....

CalPolyBronco

I know this is a repeated question but just thought I'd re-ask....I know the LAST thing I should be worried about with losing weight is excess skin but I just wanted to know how your bodies reacted to such a drastic weight change. I am scared that because I have a lot of weight to lose that I'll have extra skin post-weight loss. Any thoughts...or maybe anyone who can put my mind at ease...?

deniseg31

Hey, I'm shooting for a 70 lb loss...80 if possible and I have bad skin. But then again I have had this weight on for over 10 years or so and during that time I have had 3 children so the stretch marks and such are a done deal.

My sister in law's nutritionist told her that skin takes up to 2 years (more or less) to bounce back after a large amount of weight is lost. She also said that staying hydrated was key so staying hydrated is essential. My sister in law was then refered to a a lady that had lost 150 lbs about 3 years earlier and was still maintaining her weight. My sister in law was amazed at how good this lady looked. She said she was soft but not flabby or saggy. She didn't have a six-pack either but she looked very good for having lost all that weight.

I am certain that each of us is different and not all of us expect the same outcome BUT since my skin is REALLY bad I know will have a sag but I reamin hopefull that my skin will bounce back at least a little after 2 years. Either way I'd rather be saggy than obese. :happy:

vypeters

I'm 50 and down 175 lbs. It's pretty bad. But nowhere near as bad as that huge amount of fat was...and at least I look good in clothes and can do whatever I want to do.

There are a lot of myths on loose skin: lose more slowly, drink more water, blah, blah, blah. But the bottom line is that how much skin you have is defined by your skin's elasticity and ability to bounce back, which is controlled by:

Genetics
Age
How overweight you are
How long you've been overweight
How/where you carry your weight

Not much you can do to control it.

One thing that helps the APPEARANCE of loose skin is lifting to build muscle. It doesn't affect the skin at all, it just puts some muscle to fill out where the fat used to be, but it in terms of how the loose skin looks it's the only thing that genuinely makes a difference.

For me, nothing but plastics would allow me to wear no-sleeve shirts or any shorts except Bermuda-length. I even swim in board shorts.

Txnurse97

I've lost 97 pounds and I'm 38. So far, not a lot of excess skin. But it's taken me over 2 years and I've really been increasing my weight training over the last 9 months or so.

The worst places for me are my boobs and my upper arms (wings). But I can deal with it.

SonicaBE

My weight has been up and down ( drastic swings) due to 2 pregancies. I have learned ALOT along the way that has helped me somewhat.

drink lots of water, and do a combo of strength and cardio. Moisterize like no tomm with OLIVE OIL> yes the stuff on ur counter top and be patient. It wont be super tight- but where you can be OK with it,

concerto3

I have only lost 50lbs so far, and aim to lose about 100lbs overall, so far, I have no loose skin, anywhere, but I am young, 22, lost the weight gradually, not very quickly, and have not had children. I also strength train and have gained muscle while losing fat which makes a difference.

ItsCasey

I lost 100 lbs in about a year and a half and have kept it off for another year. I don't have loose skin, although I do still have some fat to lose. Age is also on my side, but I would say losing the weight slowly helped a lot, as did weight-training. It is easier for your skin to adapt to its new shape when it's got muscle to cling to.

lucythinmint

Lost 110lbs.

It was bad at first when all I did was cardio and control my diet.

I started lifting weights and I have seen huge improvements when I thought I was doomed.

Don't get me wrong, I ain't puttin on a bikini and struttin my stuff at the beach *but* where it used to be all over, it is pretty much isolated now to my stomach.

And it didn't happen fast either. I lost the initial bulk weight almost 2 years ago. It has taken almost a full year of building muscle to see real changes. Even my stomach is improving though, I do not think it will ever be perfect but I am happy with its progress so far. :drinker:

CalPolyBronco

Thank you everyone for your well thought out responses to my question. I appreciate your honesty. I will try my best to drink a lot of water, which I don't do very well anyway. I am 25 yrs old so still young....I've been overweight for ohhh I dunnoo....maybe 6 years or so. I have about 90 lbs to lose....depending on where I want to get my weight down to. Thanks again for the responses.

HakunaMatata519

I'm down 40lbs and am shooting for 20-30 more. So far my skin seems to be tightening as the weight comes off. I *think* if you don't have stretch marks, it ends up a lot better. I've had 2 kids and don't have a lot of elasticity left in my skin. I got stretch marks from my pubic bone to up above my belly button so I'm sure I'm going to have some saggyness when I reach 150.