Question for you all who've lost 100+

Dying2Live84

Do you all now have excess skin? This is something I worry about.

xx

countrygal2004

I haven't lot 100 but I'm half way there. I think the key is exercise. Think of the Biggest Loser program - they lose hundreds of pounds and most dont have excess skin. Not only exercise but strength training is the answer. Good luck on your journey!

nicolio8699

i know i have mentioned this about 100 times in the forums, lol, but, yes, my dear. my body is reminiscent of a flopping series of ball sacks. i could make 4 more little people out of my extra skin, girl. i look more a mess naked than ever. and it is absolutely and completely worth it! lol. <3n-

MelisRunning

I have done a lot of weight training on my journey and that has helped a lot! I have a teeny tiny "bloop" on my tummy and that is about it. I am determined to make that go away! It takes a while for the skin to "adjust" as it where and it will look kinda saggy and baggy, like clothes that are too big but as far as lots of extra, the weight training was the key.

micheleoates

I've lost 94 pounds in the last year. I'm youngish (33), don't smoke, eat pretty healthy, drink lots of water and exercise, both strength and cardio.

I have a lot of excess skin.

My arms are really bad as well as my stomach. I have significant armpit muffin top from my bra, even after being professionally fitted and trying on (seemingly) 100s of bras. I still have about 25-30 more pounds that I want to lose and I'm sure that my skin will only get worse.

Hopefully it will "bounce back" some but I'm not expecting any miracles. Excess skin is a fact of massive weight loss. I feel much better with the excessive skin as opposed to the excessive weight. Everybody is different though, so you might experience something else.

nicolio8699

and as far as the biggest loser, they can and sometimes do have skin removal surgery. losing loads of weight and being over a certain age will result in loose skin, no ifs ands or buts. regardless of exercise, unless you fill all of the loose skin with big, hulking muscles;)

http://boards.nbc.com/nbc/index.php?showtopic=834969

that's a link from the biggest loser forums discussing it:)

sicoe17

i know i have mentioned this about 100 times in the forums, lol, but, yes, my dear. my body is reminiscent of a flopping series of ball sacks. i could make 4 more little people out of my extra skin, girl. i look more a mess naked than ever. and it is absolutely and completely worth it! lol. <3n-

I'm curious about this too. How long has it been since you lost your weight? And how fast did you lose it? I've heard that it can take your skin 2 years to tighten back up as much as it will after weight loss.

MrsM1ggins

I haven't lot 100 but I'm half way there. I think the key is exercise. Think of the Biggest Loser program - they lose hundreds of pounds and most dont have excess skin. Not only exercise but strength training is the answer. Good luck on your journey!

I'm pretty sure they DO have excess skin and that's why they switch to t-shirts instead of skins for the boys/crop tops for the girls for the weigh-ins in the latter stages. Not that BL is an accurate indication of how most people will look - their weight loss is seriously accelerated compared with the norm.

I've lost 100lbs and my skin is ok. I've still got some belly flab to shift and I suspect some loose skin there to tighten up too, but it'll be easier to tell when I lose another 10lbs or so.

gabriellejayde

excess skin isn't repaired with exercise. that doesn't change the elasticity of your skin. it's mostly genetics, but also how long you've had the weight on and how fast you lose it.
Some women bounce back after child birth and some have loose skin.

Losing it slowly, drinking plenty of water, and possibly cocoa butter might help, but the truth is - it won't stop it if it's going to happen.

runnerchick69

Do not let the thought of excess skin keep you from your goals! I know it does worry people but that is something you can deal with after you've lost the weight and have toned up what you can. The truth is the longer you are over weight the more likely it is that you will have some loose skin. I saw someone said something about the BL contestants not having loose skin but they do and many times most of them deal with it through surgery. I lost over 100 pounds and never thought about loose skin but I had a lot of excess skin around my abdomen. I choose to deal with this through exercise as much as I could and when I knew what I had was just skin and not fat I went to see a surgeon. I opted to have a breast lift and the skin removed from my mid section. I had the breasts done because much like my abdomen, they had lost a substantial amount of fat and what I was left with was basically empty sacks I'm not telling you this to scare you and I certainly don't want to do anything that steers you farther away from getting fit and healthy but I want to be truthful. The biggest truth of all is though that if I knew back then what I knew after I had lost the weight I would still choose my health knowing what I was going to need to deal with. I'm 43 and I feel amazing and I wouldn't give that up for anything!

jordanreddick

I myself have lost 102 lbs and other than a little extra belly skin from having a baby and getting a few stretch marks, no. Extra skin comes from pushing your elasticity to the brink and it not being able to contract back to where it was. If you were significantly larger for a long period of time you will be more prone to excess skin. Especially if you lose the weight quickly, your skin will not have time to accomidate the new smaller you. Don't let it deter you from where you want to be, belive me, it is ALL WORTH IT!! Good luck!

AceDuddyMegaa

Yea but it tightens up way more than you'd expect as you maintain. Keep up the good work and try not to worry about it. Make sure to stay hydrated and take care of your skin on the way down

AceDuddyMegaa

Yea but it tightens up way more than you'd expect as you maintain. Keep up the good work and try not to worry about it. Make sure to stay hydrated and take care of your skin on the way down

PDLUCKY

I have been fat my entire life and now that I am a healthy weight I do have excess skin. I am almost at my ultimate goal of 175 and once there I plan on adding on around 5 lbs of muscle and holding at 180 so when I reach this stage I will let you know if anything changes. As for now I have started saving to get a skin reduction surgery.

pawoodhull

It really depends on your age and how much you lose total. I'm 56 and when I get it all off I will have lost 220 pounds. I already have hangng skin issues and will need reconstructive surgery when it's all said and done. But again, I am 56. My skin doesn't have the elasticity that it did when I was in my 20's or 30's. And it's not the same for everyone. My advise is don't worry about the skin. Do what you need to do to get to a healthy weight and deal with it if you need to later.

grannygethealthy1111

I have very little excess skin. I am 62, lost the majority of my weight in 7+ months, never used creams, was a previous smoker, etc. In other words I had everything going against me and should have ended up being a sagging mess. It all depends on YOUR genetics and YOUR skin elasticity.

Obesity will kill you but excess skin will not. It DOES improve up to 2 years after a large weight loss with maintenance, good hydration, and lifting weights. After that, no. Surgery is always an option.

Concentrate on good health, good hydration, and go for it.


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lncgurley

I lost 160, gained 60 back and have lost 15 again...I agree with one of the other posters that I think it is genetic, I don't have loose skin, but then, after I had my kiddos I didn't either. I didn't realize how important it is to use good moisturizing soap and lotions, so treat yourself and take care of your skin (doesn't have to be be expensive, google for reviews of beauty prodeucts based on cost). It is what it is, you will or you won't. But, your health will still be the better for it, as will be your character as you learn to conquer stress and work through cravings... you can and will persevere through all with God's help and the help of this board. Good luck!

Namaste1983

I LOST 200+ AND HAD MY UPPER BODY LIFT 6 MONTHS AGO. I WISH I HAD STARTED WEIGHT LIFTING AND DOING PILATES ETC FROM THE VERY START. IT WAS THE WEIGHTS THAT SHAPED ME THE MOST AND HELPED SHAPE MY BODY. DON'T LET THE FEAR OF EXCESS SKIN STOP YOU. IF YOU DROP 80-100 POUNDS AND DO IT SLOWLY, WITH LOTS OF EXERCISE AND STRENGTH TRAINING I THINK YOUR BODY WILL ADJUST AND BOUNCE BACK. I THINK DRASTIC AND SUDDEN WEIGHT LOSS COMBINED WITH GAINS AND YO YO DIETS MIGHT BE THE CAUSE. IT COULD BE A MATTER OF ELASTICITY LEFT IN THE SKIN COMBINED WITH AGE AND MOISTURE. I WAS THE QUEEN OF LOTION FOR A WHILE THERE BUT AFTER DROPPING 200 POUNDS I'M PRETTY DAMN SURE NOTHING WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. KEEP GOING, WORK HARD AND TRY NEW WORKOUTS TO SEE WHAT TIGHTENS AND TONES YOU BEST YOU CAN TOTALLY DO IT, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR GOAL IS

Ashley_Panda

Yup!

chellec23

I have just begun my journey to lose over 100lbs, but I have done some ready because this is a concern for me as well. I can't find the article right now, but the tips I read were: 1. weight training/toning, 2. exfoliate - slough off the dead skin so that new, tighter skin can grow, 3. MOISTURIZE (there are even lotions specially formulated to tighten skin), 4. stay hydrated, 5. eat antioxidant-rich foods

trud72

Afraid so honey but some are lucky,it depends on age,smaoker,genes and if you use weights to tone up alot....
:bigsmile:
but belive me if i had a choice to go back to where i was before or have the skin...NO CONTEST EVER! :drinker:

Robrowald

Yep, quite a bit of it; although nowhere near as much as I thought I would have. It is amazing how much of mine actually went back. I agree with trud72, no contest, give me the excess skin over the old me any day. I also agree with her on the statement of it depending on, lifestyle, age, the type of exercise and intensity of that exercise that will help determine the amount of excess you have.

Robrowald

on the subject of hydration: I try to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.

debbiekuhn123

I lost 100lbs 3yrs ago unfortunatly put it back on.. but yes my boobs were quite big & well cows udders ring a bell lol.. no matter how much bust exercises i did, but a good fitting bra helped

Debbe2

Yes. Every time I consider it > I will take any excess skin I have over the negatives of having the weight back on. Medication costs and effects of meds on my liver and body, three month medical visits, blood tests, feeling uncomfortable, insecure, unattractive, out of control, emotional, aches and pains, preoccupation with food and health issues, tired, worried about the future... I could go on and on. Being overweight and unhealthy on top of it was bad but excess skin is simply a nuisance. The scale is tipped towards weight off and better health IMO- no contest!!! Good luck! :flowerforyou:

lauren3101

This actually terrifies me. Even now, I'm only 30lb into my weight loss with 91lb to go, but if I suck my stomach in as much as I can the skin kind of wrinkles. Think I'm pretty much guaranteed saggy skin.

BeeElMarvin

You are all freakin' amazing.

briannadunn

I have just begun my journey to lose over 100lbs, but I have done some ready because this is a concern for me as well. I can't find the article right now, but the tips I read were: 1. weight training/toning, 2. exfoliate - slough off the dead skin so that new, tighter skin can grow, 3. MOISTURIZE (there are even lotions specially formulated to tighten skin), 4. stay hydrated, 5. eat antioxidant-rich foods

I second this, this will be my 4th time losing over 100 pounds, I have terrible genetics and my skin was tightening up the lower I got because of good skin care and doing pilates everyday, this time I will be lifting weights when I get under 200 pounds. I have had 2 csections, 3 vaginal births, a bunch of strech marks and taking care of the skin is the only way that the skin tightened up..I am currently done having kids and my youngest is 6 months and I am losing from 264 yet again, I am at 239 now.

KnottyJen

Yep...Lost about 135lbs since April of last year, the majority of it coming off in the first 10 months. Since then, I've pretty much just maintained. I've got all kinds of loose skin. I want to lose another 25ish lbs before I'll be completely satisfied. All that being said, the loose skin might not be the most attractive thing when I look in the mirror, but my soon to be husband doesn't mind. He tells me that when he looks at me naked, he sees beauty, strength, determination, curves, sexiness. Maybe one day I'll have the lift surgery, maybe not. But either way, if loose hangy skin is the price I pay for spending 20 years overweight, I'm okay with that.

bevskiwolf

Yes. Oh yes. I lost this much in my 20's and the answer was no. I love my Spanx and my under wire bras. If not I look like I melted. But the weight loss is so much worth the skin. At my age, I don't care, my hubby doesn't care. I don't think I am going to opt for surgery. We'll see. I still have *80* pounds to lose! eeek! 0.o oxoooxxo

MinnieInMaine

I've lost almost 90 pounds and have some loose skin but not nearly as bad as you'd think. The skin is a live organ and will contract some over time. Trust me, I've gone through so many periods where my belly was clapping when I'd do things like jumping jacks and then it would tighten up some more and not be bad - then loosen, then tighten, etc. My worst spots are my upper arms and belly but both have tightened some over time and I'm sure will continue to tighten with good nutrition, hydration and fitness over the next few years.

Heres's a good article on it by Tom Venuto:
http://www.burnthefat.com/loose_skin.html

As others have said, it's mostly a vanity thing. You may never be able to wear a bikini but you'll get so many other benefits for your health, fitness, confidence, etc.