Question for you all who've lost 100+

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2

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  • Robrowald
    Robrowald Posts: 64 Member
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    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
    Robrowald Posts: 64 Member
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    on the subject of hydration: I try to drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.
  • debbiekuhn123
    debbiekuhn123 Posts: 67 Member
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    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
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
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    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
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    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
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    You are all freakin' amazing.
  • briannadunn
    briannadunn Posts: 841 Member
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    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
    KnottyJen Posts: 1,070 Member
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    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
    bevskiwolf Posts: 296 Member
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    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
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    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.
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    I am almost 45, and thought my skin would never get better. It certainly isn't gone, but it has improved over the last year tremendously!
  • cyclingben
    cyclingben Posts: 346 Member
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    i have some excess but not that much i still have another 30-40 lbs to get off. Sometimes i wear a compression tshirt under my normal tshirts to make it better. But overall i cant be happier. I may not look great naked but i look alot better and healthier than when i was 420 lbs last year.
  • Shautzee
    Shautzee Posts: 22 Member
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    Yeah, my bikini days are probably over forever but it's most amazing to wear small clothes again, and look good in them.

    My arm skin bugs me the most, but surprisingly it gets better by the day! I can even raise them overhead and to the side and not flop now- NSV!
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
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    I actually had a trainer set up a program for me to tone up my arms and now I get compliments all the time about how great my arms look. Because I wasn't able to tone up my stomach I didn't have much hope for my arms but I didn't want to have more surgery so I talked to my trainer. He had me lift lighter weights with higher reps and targeted my trouble areas. Before I had saggy skin or bingo arms as I liked to call them LOL Now they are toned, muscular and I don't have any fear of showing them off in public :wink:
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
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    My excess started showing up noticeably 15 lbs ago, mostly around my upper arms, belly, and now starting to see bigger wrinkling in my upper thighs. I don't even want to talk about the girls :sad: I too have started wondering/worrying about what my goal weight body is going to look like. I am currently stumbling around blindly in the dark trying to figure out how to mitigate how much excess there's going to be, but its inevitable to have some in my case =\
  • crazyellybean
    crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
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    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!

    Actually many of the BL contestants after the show have to go through surgery to remove access skin. Have you ever noticed how at the beginning they make the men weigh shirtless and women in sports bras, then towards the end they are all wearing tshirts.
  • Melroxsox
    Melroxsox Posts: 1,040 Member
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    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!

    Actually many of the BL contestants after the show have to go through surgery to remove access skin. Have you ever noticed how at the beginning they make the men weigh shirtless and women in sports bras, then towards the end they are all wearing tshirts.
    i noticed that and always wondered why. hmmmm
  • lovemykids58
    lovemykids58 Posts: 195 Member
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    Havent lost 100lbs ( i have if you count the gaining back and losing it again)- Either way. Yes.. I need a SERIOUS tummy tuck and my arms are just sad for someone my age. I never wear anything that doesnt have sleves :ohwell:
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    Spend time in the success board on here. There has been quite a few people who have lost 100+ lbs who have minimal loose skin. The idea of loose skin TERRIFIES me because my main goal for losing weight is vanity not healthy. People might not like it, but that's the truth. If I can't look good in a bikini then damn it give me my M&M's and Pizza!

    From what I have seen / been told. It is genetics and TIME. My doctor told me not to consider surgery for at least 2 years after hitting goal because it can take that long for your skin to shrink back while maintaining. Strength training seems to be helpful too because the muscles help to lift the skin.

    Then there are the posters on MFP who have shown their before and afters, and yes they do have some loose skin, but it was way better than what I had in my head. When I imagine the loose skin it is like the "the flap" on the movie Click.

    Here is an example of someone on the success board who lost 100lbs, and she shows her belly. - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/528791-strength-training-gave-me-big-manly-muscles-or-not
  • dalissalee
    dalissalee Posts: 289 Member
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    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 :wink: 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!

    Personal question, if you don't mind answering, around how much did those two operations cost? I am pretty sure I'll need both of those things done if I don't want lose skin flapping everywhere because being only half way, it already is and I am the same age as you.

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