question for people who have lost a lot of weight

DanceForever904
DanceForever904 Posts: 611 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i started losing weight at 246 and today im 178. my question is did you have a bit of hanging skin on arms inner thighs and stomach and will it go away as you got smaller. i dont have any kids and im 23 do you think as i lose more it will tighten up?

Replies

  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    Actually no - the more weight you lose without exercising the more skin will get saggy :(

    the way I see it, 2 options:

    1. Fast weight loss (normally by calorie restricting > little exercise) - A. skin has no time to shrink B. skin has no "work" to do, no sweating and moving and stretching of those cells

    2. Slow weight loss (eating pretty normal, working out hard) - A. skin has time to shrink, weight loss is less rapid B. Sking gets lots of exercise and will have to adjust


    Looks like all the pros are for 2 - as always there is a con that 2 is mentally much harder to follow through because everyone who diets wants to see fast results and if they don't get it they feel like all the effort is for nothing.

    I am for 1 for a short period and then 2 with very much determination. Just my 2 cents.
  • DanceForever904
    DanceForever904 Posts: 611 Member
    i do exercise
  • Pinkigloopyxie
    Pinkigloopyxie Posts: 231
    You're forgetting

    3. Slow weight loss without increasing exercise much

    You don't HAVE to live at the gym for hours every week.

    It'll take time and sometimes fat is more predispositioned to gather on certain areas in different people, but skin will tighten up eventually.
  • SaraSweetheart
    SaraSweetheart Posts: 34 Member
    I had a friend who lost 100 lbs. She had to get some excess skin around her stomach removed. Maybe try lifting heavy weights?

    Also, you could talk to a nutritionist too. They might be able to recommend some foods that increase skin elasticity. In the mean time, cocoa butter might help.

    I don't really know, but you might have to consider surgery.
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
    It should get better, especially since you are 23. Some of it is genetic. Give it time. Lift weights. Drink plenty of water. I recall hearing somewhere that you should wait about 2 years after reaching your goal to give your skin time to fully rebound. I am resigned to the fact that I have trashed the elasticity in my tummy (3 kids, 3 c-sections). It has gotten better though, and that's important.
  • Mandathehillbilly
    Mandathehillbilly Posts: 19
    Mine shortened up a little but you can never undo all the damage. Keep in mind what a balloon does. We abused our bodies and over stretched them. One needs surgery to remove. I will never remove mine. It is a reminder to me, I am thankful that I am a stable secure married woman though so I don't feel the need for bikinis lol
  • Phyllis4701
    Phyllis4701 Posts: 20 Member
    Did you drink the water? I was told that you have to drink the water to hydrate your skin. That way while your losing weight the skin will stay with your body. Plus it flushes your liver.. Water in and Fat out. I'm sure there is alot more benefits too. Hope you find a solution.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    It's taken my 565 days to lose 92lbs. Quite slow but I still have lots of loose skin on my arms. I hate it. If it doesn't get better with time and exercise I have to get it surgically sorted. I want to be able to wear dresses and sleeveless tops after all this weight loss and right now there's no way I'd do that.

    Zara
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
    I've lost 47.5 kg (105 lbs) over 11 months. I honestly thought I was going to have a skin apron on my belly but I've somehow managed to really get away lucky - there's some skin on my belly, there's loose skin on my legs (which were the biggest part of my body)...but the one that irks me at the moment is the skin hanging on my upper arms.

    My doctor tells me that once I've got to goal, then I should give my body another full 12 months (possibly even more) to adjust itself and shrink before even starting to think about what to do with the excess skin. She's been right on everything else we've discussed (health nut herself and very experience working with women who are getting fit and healthy) so I'm going to trust her on this.

    Does it make me sad that I have skin? Yes. Especially when I look at my arms. But I'm lifting weights to strengthen my body and give my body a chance to maybe fill some of that skin with some muscle. It's making a difference, I think. I'm also choosing to remind myself that it took me more than 11 months to get my skin to stretch to the way it did so it's going to take longer than that for it to shrink any way it will. I am under no illusion that I will ever have tight skin and that's ok. I'm just going to be patient and wait to see what it does.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I am in my 40's and lost over 100 lb in 15 months. I have a little excess skin around my stomach, but it is shrinking and not enough to consider surgery. I have no excess skin on my legs and arms.

    I have been doing strength training for about a year, drink lots of water and moisterise regularly. Both of my parents have great skin, so I think I benefit from good genes. I reckon these points and time have helped my skin.

    You are very young, so your skin should recover.
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    You're forgetting

    3. Slow weight loss without increasing exercise much

    You don't HAVE to live at the gym for hours every week.

    It'll take time and sometimes fat is more predispositioned to gather on certain areas in different people, but skin will tighten up eventually.

    True - totally right. I hope OP takes this option into consideration.

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