What do you look like after 100+ pound weight loss?

I have lost 95lbs to date. Best advice - lose slowly and HYDRATE your skin. It has taken me ten months to lose 95lbs. I still have 110 to go to meet my total goal so I will have skin at that time (obese my entire life) but to date my neck is great, no more three chins, my arms look good (little flab but strength and water will take care of that). My knees look AWESOME..no fat rolls on the knees. I really stressed about this in the beginning but so far so good. I will be posting pics soon but in my profile pic you can see where I started from.

bump as I think about being brave enough to post pictures...LOL

You won't if you take it nice and easy and make sure to drink lots of water and do some strength training. The people who have tons of loose skin hanging off their arms are usually those who lose a TON of weight in a short amount of time (think "Biggest Loser" and "Extreme Makeover"). You can also use lotions popular with pregnant women who are trying to keep their skin tight. I can't remember any brands/names right now, though.

You may still end up with some loose skin, but your doctor can always refer you to a plastic surgeon if it's rubbing, getting in your way, or just annoying in general. The plastic surgeon will determine if it's truly loose skin or if it still has a little bit of fat in it that you need to lose before they can remove it.

Some insurance plans will cover the surgery, depending on how much weight you've lost. If you get to that point, it's worth checking into.

Do I have extra skin, YES. Would I rather still weight in the 260s and have extra fat, NO.

honestly, i have a little loose skin on my belly and inner thighs, but under my arms isn't "loose"... nothing some toning exercises won't fix. i figured when i get down to a healthy weight, if i see after a while that my skin will not tighten up, i will consider surgery, but i honestly feel the rate i'm going it won't be necessary. like others said.... hydrate both your skin (lotions) and body (water, water, water!), and my doctor told me to make sure i was getting enough calcium and healthy fats in my diet as well.

While I haven't lose a "ton" of weight, I have lost 60 lbs and I have lots of excess skin!!! I did it one pound a week and took my time, but still have lots of skin from the damage I did to myself. I hate the sound it makes when I run...ughhh! I don't think there's anything we can do other than surgery to remove the skin. My insurance won't cover it unless it is causing illness like rash, sores, or cellulitos (sp).

Insurance can cover skin removal,
IF IF IF you present with the 'correct' complaint.

If one shows up at the doctors office with complaint, "I do not like the way the hanging skin looks"

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insurance will usually NOT cover surgery.

If you show up at the doctors office with any of these types of complaints,
there is very good chance your insurance can cover skin removal

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"The skin folds infect repeatedly and are often rashy" (i've known patients who actually did put food and other irritants into skin folds to CAUSE the rashes and infections needed to qualify for surgery) Usually, the doctor will have to treat the first infection or rash,
and then, you have to show back up with at least one more rash or infection, to qualify, but, this complaint is VERY effective.

"I can not find or wear clothing needed for my job, or my daily life, due to being misshapen by excessive skin folds. Clothing irritates the hanging skin, and restricts my movement." (i have seen this very complaint cover not only skin removal after weight loss, but a facelift for a pilot who said his facemask won't fit due to hanging skin on his jowls) slightly off toic, but eyelid lifts can be covered if person says the droopy eyelids reduce their visual field.

TO GET INSURANCE TO COVER PANNICULECTOMIES, (removal of abdominal skin)
or removal of excess skin on arms, legs, neck, back, anywhere,
one has to have a complaint which relates to that person's function, or is causing a health risk (like repeated infections in folds). But once a person knows that,
insurance covers such surgeries every day. But the complaints can not be "i don't like how the hanging skin looks" as that will often be seen as "cosmetic" surgery.

Wow you ALL look great - extra skin or not! DMK (OP) ummmm. . . HELLO YOU ARE STUNNING!!!!! Don't worry about loose skin my dear. You will be so happy being 100lbs lighter, you can decide at that point what if anything to do about it. Stay the course - you are doing SO well! almost 20lbs! 1/5th there already!!!!

Started at 350, right pic is around 240, currently at 233.



I don't have much loose skin right now, but I still have a lot of weight to lose. My tummy is starting to get that "deflated" look, though, so I'm guessing it won't be as tight and toned as I'd like when I'm done, but like another poster said, I'd rather have loose skin than extra fat.

I've lost 132 pounds, I still have 80 pounds to go, so please remember that when looking at these pics. LOL...

I've worked hard to get to where I am and I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point.

Before:



After: Front:



and back:



I'm pretty pleased with my back, it's firming up and for the most part where it's supposed to be.

I can see a little big of sag in my front and I think if I work at it a little bit, it may even disappear...

however I have no issues with having work done in the end to smooth things over and tighten things up. As it is, I'm looking at a boob lift...not more, not less...just a lift...make them a little perkier...

Thanks

Lauren

No pics of the skin, but my profile has before and during pictures. The skin question has so many variables that everyone is different.

Many things factor into the skin issue:

How long you were overweight
How overweight you were
Where you carried it
How old you are
How elastic your skin is
How stretched out your skin is
Your muscle tone/fitness
If you smoke(d)
If your skin is sun damaged
How fast you lost it
How much muscle you lost when you lost the weight
Your genetics
Your nutrition

Some is out of your control, some is within your control. People will have all sorts of suggestions for avoiding it, but if you're going to have it, you're going to have it and there isn't much you can do to stop it. Regardless, saggy skin is healthier than being fat. And saggy skin looks better in clothes than fat filled skin. Personally, I expect to need some surgery to look normal after this, but I can't waste energy worrying about something that is likely inevitable. It's a bummer, but not a reason not to do this.

You look amazing!

Only 78lb down in these shots rather than 100+ but it may give you some idea. I look better than I thought I would. When I started out though I wasn't thinking about exercising or anything (last time I lost weight I didn't exercise). But now I'm really into fitness so I think that's helped. I'm sure I will have *some* loose skin but not too much I don't think.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1251156-please-be-kind-bikini-shot-without-the-bikini-body-78lb

I am always amazed about the amount of "knowledge" about how to avoid excess skin. It is mostly age and genetics and probably a few other things, but I seriously doubt that lotion is one of them. I lost slowly and did all of the other suggestions, and I had loose skin in exactly the places that I knew I would. My arms were disproportionately big. People who were much bigger had smaller arms than me. So when I lost weight, the skin was there. I didn't do anything wrong. It is what it is. My heart health and my mobility are worth it. So did I like the skin? No. I cut it off.

I get the concern. I was concerned. It is ugly. It is annoying. It keeps you from being the size that you feel that you earned. Life isn't fair. I had loose skin, and I didn't nothing wrong. So, I cut it off. I had more loose skin on my arms than the guy on MFP (CyberEd?) who lost over 300 pounds. He was almost 200 pounds more than my highest weight! Take all of the advice to avoid the extra skin if you want. But don't let the fear of loose skin get in the way of improving your health. It is what it is. If it happens, you will deal with it.

Not sure how to get pics to post in here?
I've lost 142 lbs with 25 to go until goal. I do have some extra on my stomach. My advice (also a certified group trainer now) is lift weights - and when you can lift heavier. Tones you up...the only place I really have extra is stomach and I'm hoping that goes with the 25 lbs weight loss.