Left with hanging skin?

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emilyasdf
emilyasdf Posts: 354 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am new to this whole weight loss journey thing. I'm sure this has been posted many other times before, so I apologize... Is there any special workout that you do to try to help prevent the leftover hanging skin after losing a significant amount of weight? Do you know of anything that you've done or some one you know has done that has prevented this from happening? Or is it pretty much inevitable? I know people that have lost much weight and they're left with these loos untoned pooches. Heck, I'm all for accepting/dealing with 'em if that's what I have to do, but if there's anything I could try to help prevent or lessen this, I'm open to suggestions... Thanks!

Replies

  • lornaloo3
    lornaloo3 Posts: 102
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    It's a lot of things that determine leftover skin. Genetics are important, age (younger you are the more bounce back to your skin), the length of time you were overweight/obese, the extremeness to which you were overweight/obese etc.

    The usual recommendations are strength training for muscle toning instead of straight up cardio for weight loss, making sure you get enough water so your skin has the resources to recover, using lotions after you shower, and giving yourself time post weight loss meaning you might finish losing weight and find excess skin vanishes over the next couple of months/years.

    A little extra skin is definitely worth the changes you're making.
  • lornaloo3
    lornaloo3 Posts: 102
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    It's a lot of things that determine leftover skin. Genetics are important, age (younger you are the more bounce back to your skin), the length of time you were overweight/obese, the extremeness to which you were overweight/obese etc.

    The usual recommendations are strength training for muscle toning instead of straight up cardio for weight loss, making sure you get enough water so your skin has the resources to recover, using lotions after you shower, and giving yourself time post weight loss meaning you might finish losing weight and find excess skin vanishes over the next couple of months/years.

    A little extra skin is definitely worth the changes you're making.
  • HeatherOberholtzer
    HeatherOberholtzer Posts: 41
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    I am wondering this as well, I am about halfway through my weight loss and I def have extra skin
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
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    There's nothing you can do about the skin. All sorts of fairy tales exist - eat certain foods, lose slower, etc and none really work. Your amount of skin will be determined by:

    - your age and how long you've been obese (these affect how elastic your skin is)
    - genetics

    Lifting does affect the APPEARANCE of the skin just because it fills it out - it's not changing the skin at all, just replacing some of the fat that filled it out with muscle. If you lose a lot of weight, it won't be nearly enough, as you won't get as much muscle under there as the fat you've lost.

    The only true way to get rid of the skin itself is plastic surgery.

    I look like a Shar-pei. My strategy is Bermuda shorts and 3/4 sleeves. Honestly, the skin is no uglier than the fat was, and at least I can hide it with clothes.
  • monjacq1964
    monjacq1964 Posts: 291 Member
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    I am new to this whole weight loss journey thing. I'm sure this has been posted many other times before, so I apologize... Is there any special workout that you do to try to help prevent the leftover hanging skin after losing a significant amount of weight? Do you know of anything that you've done or some one you know has done that has prevented this from happening? Or is it pretty much inevitable? I know people that have lost much weight and they're left with these loos untoned pooches. Heck, I'm all for accepting/dealing with 'em if that's what I have to do, but if there's anything I could try to help prevent or lessen this, I'm open to suggestions... Thanks!

    If you've got stretch marks, the tissue is damaged. It wil NOT shrink back. End of story. Sometimes healthy, undamaged skin will "shrink" a bit after a time, but I'm afraid that your only alternative is plastic surgery.
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
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    Agreed! Keep up your water, weight training along with the cardio, and moisturize! You may be one of the lucky ones that get rid of it all...I am hoping and praying but, if not, it is better to be healthy then to have it filled out with fat under it, right?!?! I am having an issue with POOCH skin, mainly from my pregnancy and "letting myself go" after it.

    Here is to tight skin and flat tummies!!!!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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    As mentioned above, determining factors of genetics, age, weight loss entailed and duration of loss will dictate how your body reacts.
    On average people with more than 80lbs to lose will more than likely have loose skin.

    Unfortunately there aren't ways to exercise loose skin off or make it more taut with the exception of muscle gain which will require a calorie surplus (or maintenance if you're very overweight/obese in some cases).


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • UncleRiotous
    UncleRiotous Posts: 69
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    Honestly, the skin is no uglier than the fat was, and at least I can hide it with clothes.

    Yeah I've got a lot of sagging skin left over but it definitely looks better than the fat did. I've got a compression top which helps out too.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    My skin issues are very minor. Not a big deal at all. I agree with those who say there's nothing you can do to make it better or worse and that it depends on your age, weight, genetics (luck lol)... but if you're curious, I exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, rarely use lotion, don't do skin brushing or wraps or cleanses or anything. Good luck!
  • AlichiaMJohnson73
    AlichiaMJohnson73 Posts: 186 Member
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    Bump
  • monastempletransformed
    monastempletransformed Posts: 74 Member
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    these things is not what I want to hear at 100lb to lose and 52 yrs old Im doomed :(
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
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    I worried about this a lot in the beginning. I found an article online by one of the big hospitals (don't have it anymore or I would post it) that pointed out just how thin your skin really is (pull up the skin on the back of your hand). It said that if you have pockets of hanging skin... It's still filled with fat and you should continue with weight loss even if you are at your goal weight. I am finding this to be true for me and am not at goal weight yet. The skin is thin and if you pull on it there is definitely extra, but it's not horribly noticeable unless you are manipulating it. The article also said that generally it takes a couple of years for your skin to "shrink" back (it is a living organ and takes time to change). I'm hoping that will also be true for me but only time will tell. I'm sure it is not the same for everyone though. Someone who loses 60% of their mass is going to have more of an issue than someone who loses 25%-30%. I am at 30% lost and am 40 years old.

    My doctor recommended using a "toning" cream. He said that the ingredients (caffeine is one) help increase blood flow to the skin which for some helps speed up the skins healing process (although he didn't make any guarantees). This is the same theory behind many other "treatments" such as massage so I figured it couldn't hurt. At this point I'm hopeful that my skin will recover, but if it doesn't I still look way better than I did 100+ lbs ago! :flowerforyou:
  • emilyasdf
    emilyasdf Posts: 354 Member
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    Thank all you guys for posting! Yes, I don't know about you guys, but hanging skin or not, I'm still sure I'd feel more confident at the beach than now!
  • suzzann666
    suzzann666 Posts: 334 Member
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    My secret to hiding my loose tummy skin is a push up bra and low cut tank!!
  • kandeelopez
    kandeelopez Posts: 61 Member
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    Loose skin is due to fat still being under the skin. Skin is very thin. All that stuff hanging that you can grab is fat. See this woman's experience after massive weight loss (not my blog): http://inthefrontofmymind.blogspot.com/2012/01/to-answer-question-of-do-you-have-loose.html
  • Tina2Cats
    Tina2Cats Posts: 493 Member
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    Loose skin is due to fat still being under the skin. Skin is very thin. All that stuff hanging that you can grab is fat. See this woman's experience after massive weight loss (not my blog): http://inthefrontofmymind.blogspot.com/2012/01/to-answer-question-of-do-you-have-loose.html

    Very interesting article. I will do my best to build muscle. I already drink lots of water. I liked her article. I found it very helpful. I will never be able to afford plastic surgery so I will have to do the next best things. Thanks for posting this!
  • emilyasdf
    emilyasdf Posts: 354 Member
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    Hah, this is the best kind of genius!
  • emilyasdf
    emilyasdf Posts: 354 Member
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    Whoops, I meant to quote suzzann666^^^
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    Bump.
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
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    Definitely - weight lifting will help!
    Last year I weighed 10 lbs less than I do now, but I didn't feel that good - now I've been strength training since August and there are next to no loose skin even on my tricep area! Still working on my tummy but even my stretch marks are looking better.

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