Call for help: Excess Skin?

LoudmouthLee

G'morning!

After losing over 115 pounds (from 310 to 195), I am left with a few daunting reminders of the way things used to be... excess skin.

I feel I look great in clothing. Seriously proud of myself there. I could even walk around without a shirt on, as long as I'm wearing belted shorts, and I have a place to keep the loose skin.

I'm considering a tummy tuck, or something to remove the loose skin. Does anybody have success stories about this? Even if you don't, and you wanna tell me everything will work itself out, I'd appreciate that, too.

I love me. I hate my excess skin

Enclosed are 2 pictures.

Picture #1: Me, without shirt, but hiding loose skin:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6up5j740megspq/photo-11.JPG
Picture #2: Loose skin, from the plank position - Should I consider surgery? https://www.dropbox.com/s/xxfxj1t6xiqocjq/LooseSkin.png

Thank you all for taking the time to read and reply. Nice to be a part of a community that understands.

Including extra information: I have lost this weight over a period of a year averaging a shade over 2.5 pounds a week. A touch faster than what was recommended, but by doctor didn't have an issue with it because I was eating 2000+ calories a day. I go to the gym 6x a week, and do core workouts 4x a week. I run a lot, and also do 2-3 days of weight training a week as well.

olores

Firstly, CONGRATS on your achievement!!! You are amazing and look great! How you feel is the important issue. You can most likely tighten up by focusing on a good core workout. Perhaps a trainer at the local gym can offer some good suggestions for no fee if you just ask for direction.. Did you loose the weight fast? Did you work out throughout your loss process? ANYWAY you look at it, you look amazing!!!

mamamia29

Just wanted to say congrats on the weight loss!
U should be proud on how far u have came

(Sorry not much help on the loose skin, hopefully somebody will come along with some advice for ya)

mandi272

Congrats on the weight loss!! I also fear ill have loose skin, but ill deal with it when I come to that point. I can't bring up ur pics but so proud!!

LoudmouthLee

I do work out. A lot. I'm at the gym 6 times a week.

I do core workouts 4 times a week, especially targeting the abs area. I almost have a 6-ish pack on the top, and blobs and blobs underneath

alliemarie77

Great job! I'm afraid I don't have any advice on the loose skin though. I feel I may end up in the same boat when I reach my goal. I wish you the best, and hope that whatever you decide that it only makes you feel like a greater success!

missymakayla

great job with the weight lose, you should be very proud.. I know that the skin issues aren't fun, try speaking to trainer, or doctor for options. Good luck, and remember you have done a wonderful job!!!!!!

Mguilmot

No 'natural' way to get those amounts of lose skin out. I know how you feel. I hate mine too.
It's positive to lose that amount of weight, but workouts and creams can only solve a certain amount of excess skin...

kateowp

This article might be interesting: http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss.aspx

bcorbin34

Great job on the weight loss

I would say do some research into and find out who the best doctors are. As it is cosmetic, insurance probably wont pay for it. But most places now have payment plans if the money is an issue. I would say shop around and see who does the best work, I know there are some great surgeons out there for this type of thing and in some cases even working out wont tighen your skin. Best of luck.

NJL13500

I lost 100 pounds from my heaviest weight and I have quite a bit of loose skin. I met with a plastic surgeon and I'm having a tummy tuck next month. I've worked so hard, but I've done all that I can do for myself. I'm older and been through 2 pregnancies and a huge weight loss. My skin is not going back. My surgeon said that I am an excellent candidate for the surgery as I;m at my ideal weight and don't have any extra fat on my body. He thinks that I will be thrilled with the results.

Most of my MFP friends are supportive. I lost a couple when I told my friend list, but that's fine with me. You have to do what is right for you. Good luck!

ShaunaMcMac

Great job on your weight loss first of all. I don't think there is much you can do in terms of loose skin. Many people tighten up over time (think of pregnancy bellies), but some people have a harder time. It's mostly genetics, age, etc... I think.

All I can say is what I would do if I was in your position (I haven't lost enough weight to be there yet). I would wait a while, a year or two even. Surgery can be hard on the body and have many complications, so I'd want to make sure it was something I definitely needed.

I also recommend you search out some post op plastic surgery forums, there will be people there who can tell you their stories with the procedure.

Good luck to you, you look great!

Verohh

Congratulations on all that weight lost !!! I'm nowhere near having lost that much (at my highest weight I was 310, now down to 287ish) but this loose skin thing is a concern of mine, so I've read a bit about it. This is what I've learned:

1) the condition of your skin is genetic; I knew a lady who had 8 kids and had NOT ONE stretch mark, and she slimmed back down as though she'd never had kids, totally amazing, yet when I reached the 7th month of my first pregnancy, everything "cracked" around my belly and thighs. I also have stretch marks in the back of my arms up by my arm pits :noway:

2) eating lots of vitamin-packed fruits and vegetable helps your skin

3) drinking lots of water helps your skin

4) taking CoQ10 helps your skin (because it helps regenerate cells)

5) I read somewhere that you almost have to go to an extremely low % of fat in your body to make sure that all the fat is actually gone because sometimes it's the fat that is left behind (i.e. that you still need to lose) that settles in "pockets" of that loose skin that makes it look so bad, but once you loose all the excess adipose (under the skin) fat your skin actually looks better and not as saggy

5) you have to maintain your weight loss about 2 years to give your skin a chance to "catch up" and shrink

6) having said that, once the elasticity in the skin is gone, it's pretty much like the elastic around old underwear, it's worn out and most of the elasticity will most likely never bounce back, also...

7) as you get older, your skin looses its elasticity (unless you've been unbelievably diligent at making sure to take care of your skin all your life, which.... if you're been overweight, you've pretty much messed that up already...

and

8) when I say "you" I mean you, me, everybody, the human body, so don't take it personally :bigsmile:

healthyKYgirl

First, great job with the weight loss! I am in a similar boat and scared about excess skin. Here's what I've learned from reading:

I've read it can take up to 2 years for skin to finish the healing process and tighten up after weight loss. How long have you stayed and maintained this weight?

Having a good nutrient/vitamin regime for skin can help - B3, Zinc, Biotin (another B vitamin), collagen, Vitamin A, etc. I've read some things indicating that Zinc deficiency plays a role in elasticity of skin and stretch marks, and there are numerous studies indicating that obese individuals are often vitamin deficient and malnourished irrespective of size.

Are you taking a multi-vitamin with zinc and b vitamins and beta-carotene? Before you take anything, check with your doctor of course.

Also, eating healthy fats in the diet helps. Have you been eating low fat? Are you drinking enough water to keep skin hydrated?

Have you talked to your doctor to see if there are any prescription lotions that can help? I know that shea butter, coco butter, coconut oil, etc. are all suppose to help with the general feel and texture and elasticity of skin and people recommend those for use in general.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: Read the post above mine, and I forgot about CoQ10, but yes that too. And what the person above me said about removing all fat deposits and going to a low body fat percentage is something I read too.

Verohh

Great job on the weight loss

I would say do some research into and find out who the best doctors are. As it is cosmetic, insurance probably wont pay for it. But most places now have payment plans if the money is an issue. I would say shop around and see who does the best work, I know there are some great surgeons out there for this type of thing and in some cases even working out wont tighen your skin. Best of luck.

A tummy tuck is cosmetic surgery but some insurances will pay for it if you've been to the doctor to get relief for chronic nasty skin rashes and infections that can develop due to sweating under those skin folds, in which case it becomes a medical issue and it is covered by insurance (but it has to be documented in your medical records by your doctor)..... check it out!

AJinBirmingham

Surgery is a big deal, but it's very lucrative for the physicians who do it, so they are less likely to tell about the compression garments they use to help tighten loose skin for patients post lypo, etc. If you do have a consult, ask them!

Of course the results won't be as dramatic and they take a while, but the younger you are, the more elastic your skin is. SInce you're only 32, it's worth looking into before you go under a knife.

LoudmouthLee

According to my scale, I am at around 19.5% body fat. My scale is awesome, but I have no clue how accurate those scales are in re: measurements. Ultimately, I'd love to be at around 15% body fat, but time will tell.

AmyMgetsfit

Congratulations on your awesome loss. You are still young yet. Your skin should tighten some more if you continue what you are doing. I would give it at least a year and see what happens. If after a year or maybe 2, there isn't significant improvement, I would consider surgery. For me, surgery would be a last resort. But I would do it, if that was as good as it was going to get.

llwall58

you nailed that girl...your on your way too.
I laugh at some who think surgery is bad. if you worked that hard to lose the weight and the skin won't come back on it's own...who is anyone else to say that surgery is wrong? The person is now fit and healthy and it was a long trip...and they deserve to be happy and if getting that skin gone helps. Go for it.

A friend of mine had it done...pretty rough couple of days after surgery, but she would do it again in a heart beat and I would be right there to help her keep her after surgery corset buckled and hobble to the bathroom with her/him and even take out the pain pump feed it i had to again. Thats what friends are for!!

JoelleAnn78

I went from 399 to 183 and also have a ton - and I mean a ton - of excess skin around my belly, arms, thighs, butt, etc..... Sometimes it is just not possible for that skin to tighten up on its own. After two years of sustained weight loss and a baby it's just more floppy than ever! Because I have no rashes or sores (and no money for self pay plastic surgery) it is something I have learned to tuck and squish into my clothes in "the most flattering way", whatever that really means. Great job on your weight loss! Hang in there, and remember, there are a whole lot of us out there who are on the same path and understand where you are at!

SanteMulberry

You could PM Ed Davenport here. He lost mega-weight and subsequently had 17 pounds of skin removed. He would be the best one to advise you on a skin reduction.

ETA: I read somewhere that it takes a full two-years for skin to shrink and re-establish connections between skin and muscle so you might want to wait a bit before you do surgery.

By the way---congratulations on your achievement!

LoudmouthLee

I think I'm going to wait at least until next summer. I hope it'll come back on its own. I'm petrified of surgery. I'd rather NOT go under the knife, but I really want to feel better when i'm not wearing clothing.

about_time_4_change

You should be very proud of yourself for your healthy new lifestyle! I too know what you are going through. I used to be almost 300 pounds. I still have about 40 pounds to lose and I have extra skin that will never go away unless I have surgery. For myself, I am self concious to an extent, but proud at the same time. I remind myself that there is someone out there who will love me for all of me and that at this point in my life, I am not willing to risk my life to have the skin removed. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you do a lot of research. Hold your head up high because you have conquered an amazing task and look awesome!

agggie550

Same boat man ... Went from 382 to 240 .... I have done alot of reading about dealing with loose skin and there are alot of mixed thoughts. Some say it will gradually come back to were it should, but the longer it was stretched the longer/ less likely that will happen. Other articles talked about this lotion or that lotion, dont waste your money non of them seemed to be any different. But since I lost the weight its been over a year now I have just continued to make sure I stay extra hydrated, and use Coco butter after I shower, and though its not gone, it is noticeably tighter, and hopefully If i keep it up, it will continue to get smaller. Good luck, and congrats man, that's really great work.

contingencyplan

Congratulations! I went through the same weight loss and did have to go through the surgery for the loose skin. It was covered by insurance however.

AshDHart

Bump

omma_to_3

According to my scale, I am at around 19.5% body fat. My scale is awesome, but I have no clue how accurate those scales are in re: measurements. Ultimately, I'd love to be at around 15% body fat, but time will tell.

I have a scale. It's pretty consistent in it's readings (which surprised me). For me, it reads anywhere from 4% to 5.5% ABOVE what my body fat is based on a recent Bod Pod test I had performed. Daily, it fluctuates by up to 1.5%, which I find an acceptable difference rate (and lower than I thought it would be).

As for the skin, in looking at your pictures, I doubt that skin will shrink much. It make shrink some, but you are likely looking at surgery to get rid of it. You would likely be very happy with surgical results. I plan to visit a surgeon to discuss options once I'm closer to my goal (maybe another 10 lbs or so). No amount of exercise or time will fix it (it may improve some, but likely not enough to make you comfortable with it). A tummy tuck would make a huge difference and costs are probably from $6K to $10K depending on the Dr and what area you live in.

You can see some before/after photos here: http://www.realself.com/tummy-tuck/before-and-after-photos#tags=8085

april1445

I think if you can afford it, go for it. You certainly deserve it. Check out realself.com for some people's experiences with the surgery. I don't think too many people regret that one. Great work by the way.

xstarxdustx

You've done a fantastic job. No insight on the skin, going through something similar. Hoping there is more weight I can lose though. Really hope it works for you. Best of luck.

Inshape13

Your weight loss is awesome and you should be proud of what you have done. The excess skin is a problem for me too and when I think of a tummy tuck the first thing that comes to mind is the "wait time" to exercise I would have to go through after a surgery and that is not so appealing to me. I hit a 90lb loss months ago and have been doing ab specific classes 3x a week for close to five months and got pretty good results, I still have sagging in plank position and it drives me nuts when people keep saying "stop losing weight you look great" yeah when I squish the belly under my belt I do. The skin is annoying, but it is improving with time so hang in there and it should get better for you. Best luck whatever you choose to do.

Fisherdh13

Congratulations! I haven't seen anyone talk about speaking with a skin doctor (dermatologist). If you talk to a surgeon, the answer is surgery . . . Keep working on it. I've only lost 60 pounds but have a similar problem.