Loose skin on stomach area

kingofcrunk
kingofcrunk Posts: 372 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've lost 5 and a half stone but I have some loose skin on my stomach area which isn't hugely noticeable but I notice it and I don't want it anymore.

Can anyone give me any advice or tips on how to get rid of it?

If the way to do it is through exercise then what are the specific exercises and how do you do them?

Thanks in advance. xx

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    My son has lost almost as much as you and his stomach has shrank with his loss, he has no loose skin hardly, that is mostly due to lots of exercise, he does push ups, sit ups and other training which has helped him but you'll find that anyone who posts you a reply will tell you as you keep losing the skin will shrink - I hope thats true and I hope you get some answers :)

    Ruth xo
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    Ab work! Add in sit-ups and weights that will help tighten your tummy area. Also, I think it will shrink as time goes on... I'm in the same boat as you are, but I can tell that it's shrinking (slowly). Congrats on your weight loss!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you're not doing so, start resistance training. All the cardio in the world isn't going to help firm you up...you have to incorporate resistance training as well. Also, skin is elastic so it's normal to have a bit of lose skin initially; as your body loses the fat, the skin will slowly shrink back., but it doesn't happen over night.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    You're 22 years old. Your skin has not lost it's elasticity. It will, in time "shrink".

    Maintain a low fat diet, stay the course of your healthier lifestyle and you will be "golden"

    "Abs are Made in the Kitchen" is not some FAD Phrase...it's a fact.
  • teddine
    teddine Posts: 16 Member
    You can add brush massages (with some nice oil, also baby oil will do), or hot/cold showers.... My skin feels firmer and more elastic afterwards, but I have quite good skin anyway... Hope that helps
  • myfitnesslife75
    myfitnesslife75 Posts: 163 Member
    I have a sister who insists that exercising will not shrink loose skin but rather a tummy tuck will. I get so frustrated when people say that because with diligent exercise combined with a healthy diet, you WILL shrink it!
  • kimtpa1417
    kimtpa1417 Posts: 461 Member
    Im in the same boat my stomach and thighs is last to go....hoping the crossfit im doing will help
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    Drink LOTS of water and be patient...your skin WILL tighten up
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    I have a sister who insists that exercising will not shrink loose skin but rather a tummy tuck will. I get so frustrated when people say that because with diligent exercise combined with a healthy diet, you WILL shrink it!

    No matter the amount of exercise you do in your abdominal region, you CANNOT spot reduce. It happens through DIET.
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member

    "Abs are Made in the Kitchen" is not some FAD Phrase...it's a fact.

    ^^^
    AMEN!
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Loose skin cannot be dealt with by exercise. Sorry. Some people will tell you that they don't have loose skin because they exercise (or drink lots of water, or use some special lotion), but the truth is, skin elasticity is largely determined by genetics, health, and age. You can help your overall health by eating a nutritious diet, but that will only go so far. You can try giving your skin some time to shrink back, that helps some people, but if it is still there after a few years, the only way you are going to get rid of it is surgery.
  • AnnofB
    AnnofB Posts: 3,589 Member
    If you are not into going to the gym, I suggest trying workout dvd's. Check out some on Amazon and Collage Video and youtube for that matter. Collage lets you preview the workout so you don't end up with a dud-if you hate the instructor's voice or the moves are not for you-they also rate them from beginner to advanced and tell you what to expect and how long the segments are. They give a little more detail that other websites. I don't work for them or know anyone who does... I'm just a happy customer.

    If you don't go the dvd route, check out Prevention Magazines website. There are workouts for free and they do help with correct form to for safety.

    Pilates is good for improving your abs if you find you don't like using weights or crunches aren't for you.

    Start slow but be consistant and you'll have abs to be proud of.

    Congratulations on your loss. Your pic is amazing!!
  • Dargealing
    Dargealing Posts: 58 Member
    people it is loose skin, NOT MUSCLE she is talKing about. toneing the muscle is NOT GOING TO GET RID of LOOSE SKIN. One is inside, the other is on the outside. I am in the same boat. I have lost 21 lbs and lots of inches. My tummy is still having some ugly jiggly loose looking skin. I hope in time to get it to shrink otherwise knife is only way, but will just tuck it in and hide it. hope you find something to help..
  • TallGlassOfQuirky
    TallGlassOfQuirky Posts: 282 Member
    My advice?
    Be grateful that skin is no longer filled with unhealthy fat.

    Exercise, hydrate, moisturize, and be patient.
    Oh, and hope and pray that age and genetics aren't working against you.
  • ratherbeskiing
    ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
    I am in the same boat! I have maintained this weight for a year and still have lots of skin. It just hangs. I HATE IT. :cry:
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    I have it too. Pretty much only cosmetic surgery will get rid of it. :cry:
  • jgood21
    jgood21 Posts: 109 Member
    There is this new place that just opened where I live that is called Inner You Body shaping. It is a non invasive, painfree "lipo" suction basically.I think the procedure is called Ultrashape...sorry I haven't done much research into it. I just rolled my eyes at it. I am a firm believer in hard work and it will all go away :) But I had some friends that went and had a few treatments, and my jaw just dropped when I saw them. The results were crazy. I mean, the loose flabby skin was gone, and it is fairly cheap. Like they were having a special for $100 a treatment. One of my friends only had one treatment and I really don't think she needs another. I haven't done much research into it, but it is pretty popular in my area right now. It has me intrigued. Maybe this is something that will work for you if the other advice doesn't work?!?!
  • trilla87
    trilla87 Posts: 2
    I'm 25 years old and after having my rather large son at the age of 20 (he was 9lbs 3 oz) I have weight and fat that refuses to come off. Before I had him, I never had an issue with my figure. I was too skinny to most people. I could eat and eat, wore a size 0 and an XS shirt. I am 5'5" - 5'6" and used to weight 100-105 lbs. During my pregnancy I gained around 60 lbs. Which they kept telling me was "healthy" even though I KNEW it wasn't. Anyhow, my issue now is I weight roughtly 135-140 lbs, I can't lose any more weight. I've never been on a diet, and this past august I began training for my first half marathon ever. I completed TWO half marathons within one week of eachother, running without stopping! But, my problem is, MY GUT. Good lord it is HUGE. I wear a 32 C bra, and I have very narrow hips, however my waist is 36-38" depending on when I measure it. Within the 6 months of running I truly only lost 3 lbs total. I don't know what to do to lose this fluffy, fat, unproportionate waist. I can't wear tight fitting clothes without looking or feeling pregnant. My legs are tiny, I still only wear a size 4 in jeans, but my stomach is so large my shirts don't fit right, and dresses? Forget about it. I've gone to plastic surgeons who tell me I need a tummy tuck and or liposuction because I have extra skin and fat, but not only am I too young, it will put me back 6+ thousand dollars. I'm at a loss....ad I have no clue what to do, any imput is welcome. I'm looking for diet tips considering I have never been on a diet, and exercise tips for my core!! Thanks!!!
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    I'm 25 years old and after having my rather large son at the age of 20 (he was 9lbs 3 oz) I have weight and fat that refuses to come off. Before I had him, I never had an issue with my figure. I was too skinny to most people. I could eat and eat, wore a size 0 and an XS shirt. I am 5'5" - 5'6" and used to weight 100-105 lbs. During my pregnancy I gained around 60 lbs. Which they kept telling me was "healthy" even though I KNEW it wasn't. Anyhow, my issue now is I weight roughtly 135-140 lbs, I can't lose any more weight. I've never been on a diet, and this past august I began training for my first half marathon ever. I completed TWO half marathons within one week of eachother, running without stopping! But, my problem is, MY GUT. Good lord it is HUGE. I wear a 32 C bra, and I have very narrow hips, however my waist is 36-38" depending on when I measure it. Within the 6 months of running I truly only lost 3 lbs total. I don't know what to do to lose this fluffy, fat, unproportionate waist. I can't wear tight fitting clothes without looking or feeling pregnant. My legs are tiny, I still only wear a size 4 in jeans, but my stomach is so large my shirts don't fit right, and dresses? Forget about it. I've gone to plastic surgeons who tell me I need a tummy tuck and or liposuction because I have extra skin and fat, but not only am I too young, it will put me back 6+ thousand dollars. I'm at a loss....ad I have no clue what to do, any imput is welcome. I'm looking for diet tips considering I have never been on a diet, and exercise tips for my core!! Thanks!!!

    1) Determine your BMR/TDEE (or whatever you want to call it) so that you know what amount of calories (on average) you should be eating to lose weight at a healthy pace. If you use the MFP tools, they'll compute this for you.
    2) Log everything. Don't eat it if you can't log it. Take a multivitamin everyday with food.
    3) Don't drink your calories. Try to get to a point where all you drink is water.
    4) Continue to run or start strength training.

    Forget the scale. Don't obsess about daily changes in weight.

    This is not a diet and you don't have to deny yourself anything you crave, you just have to eat in moderation and be accountable for what you put in your mouth. For example, if you go over on Monday by 300 calories, then go under on Tuesday and Wednesday by 150 calories each day. Be honest with your log. Be accurate. Be accountable.
  • karenboy29687
    karenboy29687 Posts: 61 Member
    I have the same problem! After losing 62lbs, my stomach seems to hang. Sad part is, the muscles underneath are nice and tight, but you can't see them!
  • kingofcrunk
    kingofcrunk Posts: 372 Member
    Thank you for all your advice. I definitely should incorporate some resistance training into my workouts as at the moment I only do cardio (this isn't intentional, I just enjoy it more). Hopefully that will have a positive impact on my problem area. If not, then no harm done.

    I already drink plenty of water and am obviously following a healthy diet. I use moisturiser daily to get nice skin! :)

    I guess only time will tell whether these things help or not. I'm going to try and look on the bright side of life - i'd much rather be worrying about this little problem than be 77 lbs heavier! :)
  • nellyb2011
    nellyb2011 Posts: 167 Member
    Keep your head up you look fantastic! I believe strength training will help alot.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    Thank you for all your advice. I definitely should incorporate some resistance training into my workouts as at the moment I only do cardio (this isn't intentional, I just enjoy it more). Hopefully that will have a positive impact on my problem area. If not, then no harm done.

    I already drink plenty of water and am obviously following a healthy diet. I use moisturiser daily to get nice skin! :)

    I guess only time will tell whether these things help or not. I'm going to try and look on the bright side of life - i'd much rather be worrying about this little problem than be 77 lbs heavier! :)

    I'm with you on the cardio point. I, too, enjoy it more. Standing upright it is difficult to notice the loose stomach skin. However, the other day I was doing my pushups without a shirt and looked down to see all this hanging "stuff." Granted, over the past couple of years, the skin on the back of my arms tightened up, but I'm not certain about the stomach area. Maybe that is the price I pay for becoming fat over a decade and then and then losing that weight (and being nearly 60 years old). I'm the only one that has to look at it, but I don't find it very healthy looking.

    I am incorporating more core resistance work into my routine. I guess I'll see how that works out.
  • beautsarah
    beautsarah Posts: 151 Member
    bump
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
    Cardio, Ab work, and drink lots of water. Also continue to eat healthy. If you're only 22 then you're skin will shrink, it just takes a while. Try not to get overly obsessed about it.
  • SeaRunner26
    SeaRunner26 Posts: 5,143 Member
    Glad to read a lot of these posts. I've just started noticing the same thing and was worried I was going to have "baggy" skin.
  • Lisa98000
    Lisa98000 Posts: 6
    Try blowing balloons I haven't started yet but its on my list of things to do!

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