Will your skin snap back after weight loss?

CLivingston722
CLivingston722 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 26, 5'4" and 190 pounds. I want to get down to around 135 (losing slow and steady/1 -2 pounds per week). Does anyone have any idea what my skin will do after this weight loss? Will I have flab where the fast use to be? Am I still young enough that it might snap back in to place? I'd hate to lose this weight and still have a flabby skin muffin top! EEK!

Anyone been in a similar boat that can tell me how your skin looked after a 50-60 pounds weight loss?

Replies

  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    You are still young enough, but it won't be immediate, and it will take longer if you lose faster. Make sure that you take care of your skin, eat healthy and drink plenty of water and you should be fine.
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    I'm 5'3" and at my HW I was 191 lbs. I'm now 123 lbs and do have extra skin. My lower belly is where it's most noticeable. I lost the weight slowly and I do strength train; I suppose it depends from person to person how much skin you will have "leftover."
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    I think it depends on a variety of factors. Age, health, genetics, and how fast you lose the weight. Some people have skin that will tighten up after a 200 lbs loss and some people have skin that doesn't snap back after a 30 lbs loss.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I'm older and I lost more weight. No loose skin. There are many factors.
  • calisunrise
    calisunrise Posts: 307
    bump
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    People will try to convince you of all kinds of myths on this subject, but it really depends on a lot of factors: age, how much weight you carried and where you carried it, your genetics when it comes to skin elasticity, and other factors beyond your control.

    There is no proof that anything will prevent loose skin after a big weight loss, although many people will try to convince you otherwise.

    I have lost more than 100 pounds and I do have loose skin -- mostly on my lower abdomen and inner thighs. It is not terrible, but I know that I'll never look the way that someone at my weight who has never been overweight looks either.

    I'll take my loose skin over the extra 100 pounds any day.
  • Built_Strong
    Built_Strong Posts: 114 Member
    If there's damage to the skin (ie. stretch marks) then it's unlikely it'll "snap back". Once it's damaged you can't knit it back together with any amount of exercise, toning or weights. If there's minimal damage, you have a fighting chance of getting it tighter to your body.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    People will try to convince you of all kinds of myths on this subject, but it really depends on a lot of factors: age, how much weight you carried and where you carried it, your genetics when it comes to skin elasticity, and other factors beyond your control.

    There is no proof that anything will prevent loose skin after a big weight loss, although many people will try to convince you otherwise.
    THIS. Genetics and age will hold the most here.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Rebirth08
    Rebirth08 Posts: 174 Member
    Results are individually based - some people have skin that can take a lot of stretching without stretching out permanently; others, just a little of bit of stretching will cause skin that won't do anything to snap back.

    Drinking a lot of water is something I have heard of too.

    My mom, she is 51 now, but about 6 years ago, she dropped 150 pounds or so, but was left with a lot of loose skin. She lost the weight in about a year and some change. I think she can do strength training for toning, but skin removal surgery will be the best option if she is going for cosmetics. But she doesn't want to do it, so....

    Me personally, I am 29, started at 238; as of 12/1/12, I was at 213; but I am doing what I can do avoid the loose skin - lots of water, some strength training, etc....
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    I'm 26, 5'4" and 190 pounds. I want to get down to around 135 (losing slow and steady/1 -2 pounds per week). Does anyone have any idea what my skin will do after this weight loss? Will I have flab where the fast use to be? Am I still young enough that it might snap back in to place? I'd hate to lose this weight and still have a flabby skin muffin top! EEK!

    Anyone been in a similar boat that can tell me how your skin looked after a 50-60 pounds weight loss?

    No one can assume to know what will happen, it's different for everyone even if they do have the same amount to lose.
  • Rebirth08
    Rebirth08 Posts: 174 Member
    People will try to convince you of all kinds of myths on this subject, but it really depends on a lot of factors: age, how much weight you carried and where you carried it, your genetics when it comes to skin elasticity, and other factors beyond your control.

    There is no proof that anything will prevent loose skin after a big weight loss, although many people will try to convince you otherwise.

    I have lost more than 100 pounds and I do have loose skin -- mostly on my lower abdomen and inner thighs. It is not terrible, but I know that I'll never look the way that someone at my weight who has never been overweight looks either.

    I'll take my loose skin over the extra 100 pounds any day.

    Well said...
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    I'm 26, 5'4" and 190 pounds. I want to get down to around 135 (losing slow and steady/1 -2 pounds per week). Does anyone have any idea what my skin will do after this weight loss? Will I have flab where the fast use to be? Am I still young enough that it might snap back in to place? I'd hate to lose this weight and still have a flabby skin muffin top! EEK!

    Anyone been in a similar boat that can tell me how your skin looked after a 50-60 pounds weight loss?

    I'll be 60 years old in May, and 15 months after losing 58 pounds there's still a little evidence of loose skin just above my no longer round belly button, but not a lot. Everywhere else it has snapped back, or rather, eased back. It wasn't an overnight thing.

    I lost the weight at a moderate rate on a balanced diet. I did regular strength training from the beginning. I moisturized my skin with coconut oil after every shower, which definitely made it look better even if it didn't help it to snap back. And I always wore a compression garment to keep my flab in place during high impact aerobics. That was to prevent excessive bouncing of fat laden skin, which could have mechanically damaged the connective tissue fibers in my skin and left me with more stretch marks and worse sagging than I already had.

    About that flabby skin muffin top: excessive fat under the skin does make any loose skin look worse than it really is. I was still soft and flabby at 135 pounds and wasn't sure I wouldn't need a tummy tuck. But everything looked and felt a lot tighter by the time I got to 125 pounds. While there was still room for improvement, I knew by then that I was nowhere near being a candidate for any sort of skin reduction surgery.

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