loose stomach skin

I have the exact same issue. 5'7", have lost 18#, and my kids are 8, 6 and 2. I have firm abs.....but a poochy layer of skin over them that hangs and under clothes gives the impression of a totally unruly fat roll! I am hoping to save up for minor surgery to remove it, but would LOVE to know of any non-surgical alternative as well.

Hiya, I am just after some advice. I am 40 years old and have recently reached my goal weight of 135lbs and I am 5th 9. I have only lost 14 lbs in the last few months but prior to that I had lost the 49lbs that I put on whilst pregnant. My 2 girls are now 3 and 5.

I was wondering is there anyway of getting rid of the loose skin on my stomach? Whilst standing I have pretty good abs and I am not embarrassed to wear a short top whilst at the gym, but as soon as I do a plank or a push up my stomach hangs down and looks terrible and I am very embarrassed about it. I miss my old Pre children stomach.

I should have posted this is the fitness section, but I do not know how to move it.

Some people have less collagen in their skin and less collagen means more sagging. Another thing that causes sagging is a weight loss that is too fast. Skin only adjusts gradually. Were you on a very low fat diet? If so, you may have a deficiency of essential fatty acids and that could be part of the problem. If it really bothers you, you could go to see someone about cool laser therapy. Cool lasers help to stimulate collagen formation in the skin as the laser wand is passed over it. It will tighten the skin as the skin responds over a matter of a few weeks. The treatments are pricey (but they seem to be coming down in price as more people get into the business). Check the yellow pages for "laser therapy." I have known a few women who detested the sagging skin they were left with after a big weight loss. They would try creams and salves to no avail. But one of the women got laser therapy and and got good results even though she would have gotten "perfect" results from a "tummy tuck". She said the laser therapy was for her, a much better alternative to "tummy tuck" surgery---safer, cheaper and pain-free. Good luck.

Your skin is constantly rejuvenating itself and over time it will begin to get tighter. Muscle toning and lotion should also help.

After having lost nearly 200 lbs myself, I recently wrote a book on this and interviewed several women about what worked and didn't work for them - one of them recommended planks over crunches for concentrating on loose skin on the abs. You can read an except from the book at www.firmlooseskin.com. It's a problem lots of us are struggling with and I hope my intensive research which led to the book can help. Congrats on your weight loss and best of luck with your skin.

I'm sorry, but doing planks or any other exercise is NOT going to firm skin. That is just ridiculous!

Depending on age, genetics and how much 'exertion' the skin has been through, restoring tightness will vary with everyone.

A large negative factor against the recovery of skin elastin is smoking and sun exposure but asides from this having a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables and lean protein help tighten up mild loose skin overtime as well as exercising and toning.

A lovely gentle massage of parabens free, body butter after showers and baths keeps your skin supple and happy during its healing process but the most useful and OVERLOOKED by many I've discovered is taking hydrolysed collagen supplement pills twice a day, you can find them at your local health food shop (For UK people you'll find it at Holland and Baretts). Collagen is not just for your skin but also helps with keeping healthy hair, nails and ligaments! It could also help towards keeping age-wrinkles away. Obviously all my suggestions aren't miracle cures! But the pills are just simply a nutritional supplement, like vitamin C is for colds

In some cases skin can come under far too much stretch for no amount of exercise and diet to restore, this can either be resolved with surgery or accepting and loving it.

Hope this helps and good luck!