Will I have excess skin?

Inglebert

When I try to analyse what is stopping me from living healthily, one of the issues I have is that I need to lose about 1/3 of my bodyweight to get down to a healthy weight. I have unelastic skin at the best of times, lots of stretch marks (which in themselves are not a great worry), and I'm 43. So, will I have great flaps of skin if I lose this weight? Will this be improved if I do lots of excercise (my aim, been quite the athlete in the past)? Will it improve eventually if I do have excess skin? Over a matter of how many years?

mfoy94

As long as you exercise your skin will tighten up to your new found weight.

RunnerKate28

I worry about that, too! I believe the slower you lose (healthy, no crash diets etc) that will be your best bet. Your skin will shrink up some on it's own. It's not something I want to face, but I will if it means I am healthier! :-)

victoriavoodoo

As long as you exercise your skin will tighten up to your new found weight.

Not necessarily all the way. My mother recently lost 70 pounds and works out 3 days a week and her skin adjusted alot but the Dr told her it wouldn't go completely away without surgery. The surgery took off 8 pounds of hanging skin that her regular Dr(not affiliated with her plastic surgeon) agrees wouldn't have come off any other way.

My mother is 50 though, the younger you are the better your chances =]

mfoy94

As long as you exercise your skin will tighten up to your new found weight.

Not necessarily all the way. My mother recently lost 70 pounds and works out 3 days a week and her skin adjusted alot but the Dr told her it wouldn't go completely away without surgery. The surgery took off 8 pounds of hanging skin that her regular Dr(not affiliated with her plastic surgeon) agrees wouldn't have come off any other way.

My mother is 50 though, the younger you are the better your chances =]

Yes should have added that! You are 100% right.

roadtripper23

I am 53 and over the past year I have lost 60 lbs. I have skin hanging on my neck, under arms and some on my upper legs. I work out plenty, walking and pilates and yoga, I have noticed my arm skin doesn't hang as much as it used to since I've been doing my strength stuff instead of just walking. So I would say it is important you work your whole body, and take it off slowly.

wendybird5

I'm 40 and recently lost a third of my weight (84 pounds). I used to worry about loose skin as well, but haven't really had an issue with it. My trainer told me to follow a diet low in sodium and said that would help with reducing issues with excess skin. I have a little bit of a sag in my belly and my upper arms as well as my breasts that occured just as I lost the last twenty pounds, but nothing requiring major surgery.

As my weight loss is very recent, I'm giving my body a chance to adjust to my new size and I believe some of it will snap back. It probably also depends on how quickly you lose your weight. It took me a year and a half to lose the weight so my body was able to adjust to my gradual weight change. If you did a drastic weight loss (a la Biggest Loser), you'd probably have more of an issue with this or if you are several hundred pounds overweight.

Craigamears

They typically tell bariatric surgery patients to give themselves about 2 years post weight-loss to decide if surgery is needed. I think your nutritional status along with your genes will be the final determination. I would make sure you are getting enough protein and fats to keep the skin supple. Collagen, which is the matrix of skin is primarily composed of protein.

Yanicka1

Loose skin is nothing compared to having a healthy life. I have it on my belly because I do not have a very resilient skin. Worrying about that is pointless since it can take up to 2 years after getting to maintenance to know if you will have it or not. Also, loose skin is easy to hide under clothing........fat, not that much.

Onaughmae

Loose skin is often a matter of several factors. How long you have been overweight, how overweight you are, years of yo-yo dieting, age, genetics, etc. I have tons of loose skin now...and I imagine its going to get worse before it gets better. But, I am healthier and feel better than I did when that skin had 95 more pounds of fat packed into it! No worries...keep hydrated, keep up your protein intake and exercise. What goes back will go back...what doesnt can also be fixed if it is that big of a deal to you

nz_deevaa

You won't know until you do it will you? Why be scared of something that may or may not happen?

Onaughmae

As long as you exercise your skin will tighten up to your new found weight.

Not so much....you can exercise muscle that will help to fill out the sagging skin, but no exercise will tighten skin. Keep yourself hydrated, eat your protein, and what is going to snap back...will....what won't, will not. Saggy skin is better than fat any day of the week.

shorty35565

loose skin is purely genetic. I have seen ppl lose 100lbs and not have a bit and then I've seen ppl lose 40lbs & have it. I've lost 63lbs & have a little bit. I have heard it can take up to 2 years for it to go back if it's going to. But keeping hydrated and lifting weights is supposed to help it so I've heard. Everyone tells me mine should go back. If not, I'm looking into Elixis which is a non invasive treatment that tightens skin.

Jolene8992

I have lost 68 lbs over the last 10 months. I am 48. Skin is loose. I exercise 6 nights a week. Don't let the skin stop u. Its better for ur health to have the skin instead of the fat. I wear underarmor shirts under my scrubs and support underwear. Makes me feel and look so much better. Excess ski is not an excuse! I'm healthy and I'm moving!

CKJ118

I am having this same problem since losing over a third of my body weight.(starting 234 now 143) I am 34 and started losing weight in late Feb and lost about 60 lbs in 5 months with high amounts of cardio and strict calorie counting. I have gone on to lose another 31 in the 5 months following and joined a gym. I found the skin to be a huge problem with quick weight loss and have been going to the gym for the last 4 months incorporating a ton of weights and resistance work which has helped quite a bit. The inner thighs and the under side of arms are the biggest problems, but the abs are shaping up nicely with ab classes. Excess skin is a real problem if you lose weight too quickly and if you do not have some strength workouts mixed with the cardio, but do remember that having good genes can affect it somewhat as well. Good luck and remember that being healthy is always better than a little lose skin.

__RANDY__

I lost 96lbs then intentionally gained back 25, now i;m trying to lose that 25 plus a little more. I have stretch marks but absoutely no lose skin. I do the following. Sloooowly

Drink over a gallon of water every day
eat a lot
lift heavy weights (squat, deadlift, bench press, over head press)

I started at 320 got to 225, went back to 250. almost all of the weight was in my gut and love handles, I had an enormous belly.

You will have lose skin if you starve yourself and lose to fast.

Mstexas98

Having loose skin is nothing compared to an unhealthy life. As everyone has said, this depends on several factors and you will need to exercise. I have lost weight but have a lot of elasticity in my skin. It has gone back on it's own. Yes, I am not as firm as I used to be, but I am thinking my continued exercise will fix this. I too worried about it and addressed it with my doctor, but he saw no problems with me. If there had been, I would have proceeded to plastic surgery. Don't hold back by worrying about something that may or may not happen or can be fixed. Proceed on to a healthier lifestyle.

Elleinnz

Loose skin is nothing compared to having a healthy life. I have it on my belly because I do not have a very resilient skin. Worrying about that is pointless since it can take up to 2 years after getting to maintenance to know if you will have it or not. Also, loose skin is easy to hide under clothing........fat, not that much.

^^^^ This - being healthy and fit is a lot better than worrying about some loose skin - I have some - not by any stretch of the imagination as bad as it should have been after what I had done to my poor body (over 300 lbs) - but you know what - most of it is not noticeable when I am fully dressed...

So your choice - not lose the weight - and have no loose skin - or lose the weight - and maybe have a few dangly bits - I know what I would choose every time!!

And I am 52 and have lost just over a 100 lbs (50kgs) in a year

downsizinghoss

This is a defeatist mind set that we have when we look at something that seems insurmountable. We look for reasons and justifications why it might not be a good idea. It is giving ourselves an excuse.

Do you really think you would be in shape, and healthy and wishing you were fat again to "tighten up" your skin?

Trainypooh

lift weights to tighten the skin when it is loose. All females should lift weights and lift heavy too. NO you will not get bulky and look like a man.. It WILL tone your entire body and make you look athletic and awesome! .

chubbygirl253

The number one thing you can do to prevent excess skin is strength training. Dont wait till you are close to goal, do it now. Preventing a lot of excess skin is easier than trying to remedy once you have it. Once you have it the only things that help is surgery or lots of time as it eventually shrinks.

Other things that help prevent it:
-Exercise. Cardio isn't going to do what strength does but weight lost with exercise results in less skin that diet alone.
-Hydration. Drink your water.
-Keep moisturized. Lotions with collagen, cocoa butter, or CoQ10 are said to help but really any moisturizer would.
-Massage
-Dont lose too fast. Let your skin catch up.
-Keep some healthy fats in your diet. It's good for skin.
-Take fish oil and vitamin E supplements
-Be mindful of other factors that affect skin and wrinkles, etc. (like smoking, tanning, and keeping your protein levels up)

oohmercyme

I've lost 108lbs with 22 to go. My upper thighs look like shar pei puppies and my upper arms are flapping like sails :laugh: I've lost the weight in less than 8 months, so I'm hoping my skin will be kind and shrink over the rest of the winter. Still, I'll take the excess skin over the excess fat any day!

Good luck!

(I'm 40).

Inglebert

Hi Guys, lots of really useful information there. Stuff I can use. Thank you for that!
Strength training/weights/massage/slowlyslowly/protein. And genes of course. And people who've been where I am and got to where I want to be.

I'm 43. Not so young, and got to fix it now. Been overweight about 6 years. No yoyoing.

(It's not that I would conciously choose to remain fat rather than having loose skin, it's trying to get rid of mental barriers/have a positive image and I'm a realist, like to know how it is really than the illusion of perfection.)

Tacosofinjustice

You won't know until you do it will you? Why be scared of something that may or may not happen?

Agreed. Who cares about the saggy skin, you can get surgery later to take off the excess. I would be more focused on the fact that you are now at a healthier weight.

montana_girl

Loose skin is nothing compared to having a healthy life. I have it on my belly because I do not have a very resilient skin. Worrying about that is pointless since it can take up to 2 years after getting to maintenance to know if you will have it or not. Also, loose skin is easy to hide under clothing........fat, not that much.

Couldn't have said this better myself!

I've lost over a 100 pounds (but took 6 years doing it) and yes, I have some extra skin. But I'd rather have that than be obese...

I have noticed that since I started doing some arm exercises with weights, that the flabby skin on my arms (my bat wings) is not nearly as bad as it was two years ago. So I think it's possible to lose some of the extra skin through exercise and working out, but there will probably be some if you have lost a lot of weight.

Quiggs1982

It depends on your body. I have friends who have lost 100 or more pounds and they have very little excess skin. Others have tons.

I've lost 62 lbs. and have another 104 lbs to go, but I can already see some excess skin in my stomach and arms (Like it sags instead of going in, if that makes sense.) Will it ever tighten up as I lose more? I have no idea. I do know that I would rather have excess skin than fat. You can always get the skin surgically removed.

arcticfox04

Rather have Excess skin then all the health problems being obese gives you.

You can get stretch marks lasered off now of days and just get loose skin removed with surgery. With all the money you saved on food you can save the extra money and put it towards this. I went to the gym and picked up a decent chunk of muscle so far but its really about genetics and how fast your skin can heal itself.

TexasBridgett

http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

There's a nice little article that talks about loose skin. Definitely worth a read! I just found it and wanted to share it on a few "extra skin" related posts I've seen on here. Plus it's nice to read something that doesn't just rely on surgery. I for one would like to keep all my body parts (including my skin!)

thnksfrthmmrs

Im only on the very start of my journey and am already worrying about loose skin. And the costs of surgery to remove it when i get to that stage.

So the adivce in this thread has been helpful to me as well.