For those who have lost a lot of weight -- skin question

Way to go on your progress! So im using MFP for my last 30 lbs... but have lost close to 100 over the last few years. I notice i do have a lot of loose skin especially in stomach area (pretty embarrassing) however mild strength training to help tighten up and loads and loads of water is what my doctor has suggested. so far so good i can start to see the difference. It gets better just takes a bit longer than we'd like good luck

VERY good question! Was wondering this as well. I'm older and I don't think building muscle is going to do it all. I caried the weight (60 lbs. over) for too long and my skin is also starting to sag naturally with age, so I have a double whammy. I will be interested to read what others have to say.

Drink tons of water

Strength train

Lose it slowly

Moisturize

About 90 of the 95 lbs ive lost has been from my belly, and my loose skin is very minor, I think even with more strength training it will go away completely.

I heard that moisturizing with Palmer's cocoa butter with vitamin e or pure shea butter helps with the elasticity.

I hat my skin on my belly.... ;(

I asked my doc about this at the beginning of my journey and she suggested drinking lots of water (to keep the skin supple) and to begin resistance training. I think it also depends on your age and genetics too. It took about 6 months for the loose skin to snap back but it eventually did. Good luck on your journey.

For the stomach area it is most likely the hardest to come back. Especially if us women have had children. It is more then just the skin coming back into place. I have only lost about 33 lbs over a year. I have that dreded apron affect now. I have roughly 50 lbs to go and only seeing it get thinner but worse on how it hangs. This is not something I see going away.

So In roughly a year ocne I hit 150. I will go and see what is required for that tummy tuck. What weight I need to get to and what is required to tone. I am expecting to spend about 7 to 8k to have it done. The skin is not the worst of the worst. Great weight loss causes other issues. The muscles are stretched and need to be brought together. Exercise helps but it does not help the hernias ect that are found after.

So for me surgury is the choice and something I am ever so much looking forward to.

What kind of strength training do you all suggest?

I carried way too much weight for over 45 years. I started to notice the loose skin after losing my first 50 - 60 lbs. and was very concerned with it because of my age. I didn't really believe that I was going to be able to do much about it. With time, strength training, lots of ab work, and continued cardio it is beginning to tighten up quite a bit. I still have some left to work on, but it is getting to the point that it doesn't bother me much now. Keeping a positive attitude about this as I continue to work on it! :drinker:

I checked with our insurance and they said that if I maintain my goal weight for one year (with periodic visits to my dr) that I would qualify to have excess skin removal, as long as I did not have the elective surgery (ie gastric, band, sleeve etc...)

Drink tons of water

Strength train

Lose it slowly

Moisturize

About 90 of the 95 lbs ive lost has been from my belly, and my loose skin is very minor, I think even with more strength training it will go away completely.

There is a difference betwene lose skin and lose fat. I currently still have some droopy fat hanging down from my arms, around my mid section and in my lower body. As I continue to lose fat, this will keep getting tighter and tighter.

I also hear that Omega 3 is good for skin as well, so I am using that was well as, healthy eating, lots of water, strength training, and moisturizing.

Hi I have very little issue with this. My arms--I can see a teensy bit of extra skin. My thighs--a little more but I don't think anyone else would notice. My stomach--Well if I bend forward, I do have some skin hang down. BUT it's not visible through any of my clothes, my tummy looks sort of flat. lol. I'm 28. I've been overweight/obese for about 10 years. I've had 2 pregnancies in those 10 years. I lost 85 lbs over 18 months. Good luck :flowerforyou:

ETA I rarely use lotion other than on my hands, but I do drink a lot of water. And I have no idea what skin brushing is!

Minimizing loose skin was/is a concern of mine as I was losing, mostly due to my age I knew my skin would not recover well.

1) Lose slowly
2) Moisturize like crazy
3) Strength training (use those weights girl)
4) SAVE MONEY for Surgery. I had the girls restored once I hit my goal, not as expensive as I thought it would be. A year later? I wish I could affort to fix my loose chin, arms and abs. And will do so if I ever it the chance, in that order too.

At your age, your skin will respond wonderfully, it takes time.

I just recently saved some links to my blog regarding this topic. I am recognizing many of the tips people are posting from the article I recently read. Here are highlights I save for myself followed by the link to read the full article:

How to Tighten Loose Skin After Weight Loss

As you lose fat and your loose skin begins to appear, the first rule is: don’t panic! Because it is a living organ, your skin will slowly return to a shape that fits your new body. But since that process can take up to two years, here are steps you can take to make your skin tighten more quickly:

Tip #1: Don’t Lose Weight Too Quickly

In addition to weight loss, age, poor nutrition, dehydration, excessive sun exposure, and smoking can all affect the elasticity of the skin.

Crash diets and excessive amounts of time spent exercising can rapidly shed both muscle and fat, resulting in a double-whammy on your skin--the supportive underlying muscular structure that holds skin against your body is lost, as is the fat that keeps the skin stretched out. Quick and dirty tip for not losing weight too quickly: Aim for 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week, and make sure your weight loss program includes weight lifting so that you do not lose lean muscle. Check out more weight lifting and strength training tips here.

Tip #2: Stay Hydrated

Attend to your hydration needs. Water is a crucial component of maintaining skin elasticity. From both food and drink, you should be taking in at least two liters of water each day. A wonderful resource for learning more about proper hydration is this article from Nutrition Diva: How Much Water Should I Drink?

Tip #3: Eat Properly

Two necessary ingredients that keep skin plump and elastic are collagen and elastin. Protein-rich foods such as cottage cheese, milk, legumes, tofu, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin forming components, as well as oils to help maintain healthy skin. Quick and dirty protein tip: For optimum absorption, squeeze 100-200 calories of these protein sources in immediately after your workout. For more on what to eat when working out, see my article on what to eat before and after exercising.

Tip #4: Take Care of Your Skin

Nourish and care for your skin. Daily exfoliation can help to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation. A hot bath with sea salts and minerals can improve skin tone. Skin tightening creams with herbal formulas and ingredients such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, soy protein, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A can help to hydrate and increase collagen and elastin formation in skin.

Stay away from harsh detergents, such a sulfates in soaps, shampoos and dishwashing liquids, limit your sun exposure and stay away from tanning booths, and limit your exposure to hot and chlorinated water—all of these things will decrease skin elasticity. Quick and dirty tip: If you swim for fitness, use soap and shampoos that are specially designed to remove chlorine.

http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss.aspx

Men, get down to around 10-12% body fat before you start considering surgery or anything drastic. Women, get down to 15-17% body fat before taking any surgical steps.

First and foremost, any weight loss regimen must be accompanied by resistance training. Yeah, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you have to be lifting heavy things in order for the best things to happen to your body composition. There are a few genetic outliers who can put on muscle as easily as breathing, but those folks probably won’t have the problem of loose skin anyway. For the rest of us, however, we need to lift weights in order to maintain and/or build lean mass during weight loss. If your loose skin is caused by a rapid diminishing of body mass, packing on a bit more mass in the form of muscle can mitigate the problem

One study found that dietary gelatin improved skin elasticity (PDF). Eating real bone broth, fatty gelatin-rich meats like oxtail, poultry feet, or short ribs, or even using gelatin powder as a supplement might be able to restore or preserve skin elasticity. You’re already getting dietary gelatin anyway, right?

Another study found that a proprietary blend of nutrients, including selenium (salmon, brazil nuts, seafood), zinc (oysters, red meat), vitamin C (vegetables, fruit, raw liver), and various carotenoids (fruits and vegetables, red palm oil), was effective at increasing skin elasticity.

Vitamin C is important for collagen formation, which is vital for skin elasticity. Make sure to get enough vitamin C.
If weight loss occurs and you’re at a low-enough body fat percentage to determine that you truly have excess skin, give it several months before you turn to the scalpel. My guess is that for Primal eaters who are eating a nutrient-dense diet (including plenty of the aforementioned nutrients), truly excess skin won’t be as big a problem as it might be for the general dieter."


Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-get-rid-of-excess-skin-after-major-weight-loss/#ixzz24ZiR7Hy0

"Subjects randomized to oral
supplementation with gelatin, and
combination borage seed oil/fish oil
demonstrated greater skin elasticity
at the end of the study than at
baseline as measured by cutometry.
Those subjects supplemented with
green tea had increased skin
conductance and decreased
perivascular inflammation. Those
subjects supplemented with gotu
kola, and hyaluronic acid for 8
weeks did not improve TEWL, skin
conductance or elasticity."

http://www.nuskin.com/global/library/pdf/products/tegreen_study_01.pdf

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Cheri_M/view/excess-skin-after-weight-loss-412462