Anyone lost lots of weight NOT had excess skin????

I've only lost about 20lbs and still have about 25 to go, and I already have excess skin. I'm thinking its genetics maybe?

105 lbs since I started this, I am taking it slow and steady so I have no loose skin. I have had three kids really close together and I have stretchmarks, but not loose skin.

185.2 to 123.6 & i have a little bit on the bottom of my tummy. I still have a belly, so I really wonder how it's gonna look when I get it flat. It's about genetics though. I've seen ppl lose 100s of lbs & not have loose skin, but I've lost 62 and have a little. So it really depends on the person. They say if can take a couple years to catch up, so that is my little hope tht mine will tighten since I'm young and it's not but a little bit. *crosses fingers* Good luck~

I'm not there yet, but I have the same concern and kept this research under "my blog" tab:

Posted on 08/25/2012 by Cheri_M

A concern I have as I reach my ideal weight is excess skin.

I've cut and pasted highlights that caught my eye, then the link is attached if you would like 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

Several years back I was 232 lbs. I got myself down to 142 in the most unhealthiest of ways. I was lucky to have not had excess hangy skin, but then again the way I carry weight may also have a lot to do with it because I never looked like I weighed as much as I did. Four years ago I was 200. I'm now 149ish, and still no excess skin.

bump to follow

Hi Ed, I was just thinking about you this morning. Hope that your recovery is still going well. :flowerforyou:

Hi doing pretty good , got 2 of the 4 drains out this morning..... the other 2 hopefully out at the first of the week.. (Sorry OP don't want to thread steal)

I've been worried about loose skin also. I have a lot to lose and do expect to have some excess. I've had 2 vertical c-sections and I know my stomach will never be flat. But i'm praying for as little loose skin as possible by the time i'm finished. Surgery is definitely not an option for me.

I've had 2 c-sections also. I fully expect to have a flat stomach but with significant loose skin in that area. I might also have it in my arms. Time will tell. I still have a lot to lose in my arms. My legs are fine, but they have the most muscle and do the most work so it is pretty likely that is the reason. The only other place I am concerned about loose skin is on my butt.

Primarily, though, I expect to have firm, flat abs with a fold of extra skin over my scar tissue. I don't know yet if I will consider the skin removal option. I'm waiting to get to goal to see how bad it looks.

:drinker: McBully has done his Research!! Very Good, Accurate Information from what I have read here on MFP and on other Sites too.

The only thing I wanted to add was that I lost my weight with Weight Training from Day One. I drink probably a Gallon of water a day, including Tea, Coffee, and Milk. I have Never Smoked. I reached my Goal Weight October 2010, and although my skin will NEVER be tight, I think it is FINE. I do have "Angel Wings" and a bit of loose skin around my middle, but I don't have any issues or problems with it.

Down about 185 pounds so far...from 307 to 124. I won't say I'm bikini ready and that I don't have ANY floppy skin, but I don't have anything like what I would have expected. My mom's favorite saying is, "you don't have a big floppy belly." lol I start month 18 tommorrow, and I have done weights and cardio since day 1, which might have something to do with it. I see it mainly in my face - there is no exercise for my face. I see some on my upper legs, but again, nothing like what I expected.

The speed in which you lose weight determines how much excess skin you will have.

I have 120 pounds or so to lose all up and I'm at around 73 pounds down (in around 10 months), so far no loose skin *touch wood*

It doesn't look like it would had I never been overweight but it still looks fairly tight and totally fine.

Weight training has really worked wonders. I think drinking loads of water and moisturising helps too.

I have 120 pounds or so to lose all up and I'm at around 73 pounds down (in around 10 months), so far no loose skin *touch wood*

It doesn't look like it would had I never been overweight but it still looks fairly tight and totally fine.

Weight training has really worked wonders. I think drinking loads of water and moisturising helps too.

73 - snap! Well done x

It seems like some people (like me) will get excess skin no matter what. I'm losing fairly slowly (nearly 100 lbs in about a year and a half), I drink loads of water, and I'm doing weight training, which are the things I guess I'm supposed to do to prevent excess skin. I'm still fat, but I have quite a bit of excess skin already. I think a lot depends on genetics, really.