Loose skin after weight loss question! Helpp!

LiveYourLifex163
LiveYourLifex163 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I'm new here and I am also new to actually pushing myself to go to the gym and eating healthy! I have asked a few people this question that I am concerned about but have got a few different answers. I"m hoping someone on here can clarify this for me--may even sound like a stupid question, but here it goes!

I would like to lose about 100 lbs. However, I'm worried that I will have loose skin afterwards. I'm 22, so I have been told that since I am young and losing weight the correct way, this will not happen to me. Any advice or answers?

Thanks in advance!
Victoria

Replies

  • Heliox
    Heliox Posts: 5 Member
    I would also appreciate an answer to this question. I would like to maybe have abs at some point.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Begin weight training from the very beginning. Moisturize and stay hydrated. You are young, so absent some crazy genetic issue, you should be fine.
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    I've heard different things here from "it will cause sagging skin no matter what", to "if you have sagging skin, that just means you still have fat to lose". Frankly, I don't care. I feel so much better physically without all that extra weight, I could care less if i end up with sagging skin at the end.
  • flitabout
    flitabout Posts: 200 Member
    Chances are you won't have any issues. I am 36 and the only place I have loose skin is on my stomach from having 4 kids.
  • SUPERhecticMOM
    SUPERhecticMOM Posts: 61 Member
    I just turned 30 and have lost 50lbs since Nov 2011 (my ticker is reset for the new year) and I haven't had trouble with loose skin.
    I have kept well hydrated and my workouts well rounded with lots of cardio, strength and yoga. I lose my weight/inches at a steady pace.
    Everyone is different but I wish you the same luck!
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    I have some sagging skin but then again i am 43, That being said, there is no way to tell if you will have it, but honestly do not worry about that. a little saggy skin beats the hell out of being fat. I feel 1000x better and look good in clothes. my skin is getting better all the time, Time and hydration are key, lose at a nice slow rate and with your age you have a much better chance to avoid it. Good luck to you.
  • Rosytakesoff
    Rosytakesoff Posts: 321
    You may have excess skin. When we gain weight, our bodies grow extra skin. No one can predict how much you will have. I've lost 139 pounds so far. I have lose skin. It doesn't bother me. Mine is the worst on my arms andstomach--two areas I keep covered. Being healthy trumps skin for me. Take heart. It may be minimal.
  • Sav_Sky
    Sav_Sky Posts: 82
    Probably not so much loose skin if you stay hydrated, get enough vitamins and protein, and not dramatically lose a lot of weight at one time.
  • LiveYourLifex163
    LiveYourLifex163 Posts: 19 Member
    Thank you guys! That makes me feel better. I'll keep that in mind to stay extra hydrated. I too have been mixing my workouts with weights ect. Hoping it will all work out!

    Thanks for the well wishes, same to you all!
  • melindanew
    melindanew Posts: 150 Member
    There's no good answer. Your age is in your favour. Slower weight loss will help, but how you carry your fat (so how much and where your skin is stretched in the first place), your genetics, your history of yo-yo dieting, your history of smoking, whether or not you've had a baby and other factors influence whether or not your skin sags permanently or not.

    But yes, your age will help you. But there are no guarantees, sorry. You might have a lot of sagging skin (which doesn't denote more weight needs to be lost usually, if it's genuinely skin and not just saggy fat).

    OTOH, don't worry about it. You have a bigger problem to solve if you're 100lbs overweight at 22 (like I was, to be fair). Once you solve THAT problem worry about the rest of it.

    Best of luck!
  • LiveYourLifex163
    LiveYourLifex163 Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks, I think?
    To be clear to everyone, I did not mean that this was an issue that would cause me to quit my diet or exercise. Simply a question.
  • ddky
    ddky Posts: 381 Member
    slow weight loss, exercise, weight training, and good moisturizers (cocoa butter is my fav), and you will do just fine. Good luck.
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
    loose skin occurs mostly when you've lost weight but that weight loss is from a combination of lost muscle & fat. so the loose skin is most fat that you didn't lose when you lost weight (if that makes sense!)

    think of it more as - I want to lose fat and stop caring so much about the scale. Lose fat through a moderate caloric deficit - For guidelines check out In Place of a Roadmap http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Also lift heavy weights to maintain your muscle mass while you lose fat. I'm not talking Jillian Michaels/ChaLean/Insanity/etc weights. I'm talking - go to the gym. Find the "mens" section and start doing some deadlifts. http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2012/12/03/7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights/#7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights-1

    Check out Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, New Rules of Lifting for Women. These are great starter programs. If you don't have access to a gym check out You are Your Own Gym (www.marklauren.com). There are iphone/android apps & videos you can purchase to get you through the program. YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY. Women don't get bulky (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/977538-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky ). Plus it feels awesome to lift heavy. :) GOOD LUCK!! :)
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    I lost 110 pounds at age 30 and I still do have some loose skin two years later. It is quite noticeable in my arms, aka batwings lol and my thighs are a bit saggy. My stomach is more wrinkly and spongy feeling rather than saggy. I wear spandex undershirts to help things feel more firm. I have also had two big babies and I have been overweight my whole life so I am sure that comes into play. I would still rather be saggy than fat and unhealthy any day :wink:
  • kazzsjourney
    kazzsjourney Posts: 674 Member
    Being young you will certainly have that on your side, it does come down to genetics, how overweight, how long you were overweight. I have lost 188 pounds but I am a lot older then you. I have excess skin but its not a major issue as I dress well and isnt overly obvious and doesnt give me any physical issues apart from aesthetics. Eat well, lose at a moderate pace (i lost my weight over 6.5 years so while some people say if you lose slow you wont end up with it...its not always the case), stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep. Some people recommend moisturising as well but that didnt help me much, and also keep up resistance work thruout the whole process. Best of luck :)
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    I've been dry brushing as a preventative measure, especially since I'm older and my skin isn't as elastic. I don't know if it'll work (so far so good, but I've only lost 20 lbs) but it sure feels nice and my skin's very soft and smooth now, so there are benefits even if it doesn't help with the loose skin.
  • CrazyC
    CrazyC Posts: 284 Member
    I've been dry brushing as a preventative measure, especially since I'm older and my skin isn't as elastic. I don't know if it'll work (so far so good, but I've only lost 20 lbs) but it sure feels nice and my skin's very soft and smooth now, so there are benefits even if it doesn't help with the loose skin.

    What is dry brushing?!
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    This is 100lbs down at 34. I don't think you have much to worry about. Don't stress just do it. It will look like loose skin is everywhere for a while but it corrects itself eventually.

    double_zpse23e3219.jpg
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
    This is 100lbs down at 34. I don't think you have much to worry about. Don't stress just do it. It will look like loose skin is everywhere for a while but it corrects itself eventually.

    double_zpse23e3219.jpg
    Damn you look fantastic!
  • LiveYourLifex163
    LiveYourLifex163 Posts: 19 Member
    Wow! You look absolutely amazing. Seriously! Such an inspiration, thank you for posting!
    This is 100lbs down at 34. I don't think you have much to worry about. Don't stress just do it. It will look like loose skin is everywhere for a while but it corrects itself eventually.

    double_zpse23e3219.jpg
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I've been dry brushing as a preventative measure, especially since I'm older and my skin isn't as elastic. I don't know if it'll work (so far so good, but I've only lost 20 lbs) but it sure feels nice and my skin's very soft and smooth now, so there are benefits even if it doesn't help with the loose skin.

    does that feel as good as it sounds? i've been tempted to try it but usually just go for scrubs/exfoliations
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Wow! You look absolutely amazing. Seriously! Such an inspiration, thank you for posting!
    This is 100lbs down at 34. I don't think you have much to worry about. Don't stress just do it. It will look like loose skin is everywhere for a while but it corrects itself eventually.

    double_zpse23e3219.jpg

    Oh yeah, she's amazing, seen her pic's before. And her pic's always remind me when i'm out and i see a "lucky b!tch" or "skinny b!tch" that I should not take anything away from anyone because for all i know they worked this hard and took themselves from this to this, and that deserves respect, not envy or jealousy.
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm new here and I am also new to actually pushing myself to go to the gym and eating healthy! I have asked a few people this question that I am concerned about but have got a few different answers. I"m hoping someone on here can clarify this for me--may even sound like a stupid question, but here it goes!

    I would like to lose about 100 lbs. However, I'm worried that I will have loose skin afterwards. I'm 22, so I have been told that since I am young and losing weight the correct way, this will not happen to me. Any advice or answers?

    Thanks in advance!
    Victoria

    If you lose it slowly you won't have any. Too fast and you might have some but it will adjust over-time, also has a lot to do with how evenly fat is distributed across your bod.
  • kms1320
    kms1320 Posts: 599 Member
    Drink lots of water
    Avoid over exposure to the sun
    Exfoliate often
    Moisturize
    Be patient

    I have a little bit under my belly button where I saw a couple marks, and it isn't as tight, but look through my pics and see what losing 100 can look like if you follow those rules. And I'm 37, and I lost it all in about 9 months.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    Part of it is genetics. Do strength training throughout your weight loss and lose the weight gradually - this is your best chance to minimize loose skin. Taking supplements or using oils that promote healthy skin wouldn't be a bad thing, either.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    I'm 22 - lost nearly 60 pounds in the last three years. I wouldn't say my skin is noticeably loose but I can feel on my stomach that it's not as tight as it should be. The biggest problem I've had unfortunately is my boobs but I've noticed that over the last couple of months when I've been moisturising every day there's been improvement. I'm hoping it works the same way for my stomach!

    Moisturise everyday, do weights as well as cardio and don't lose it too quickly - otherwise it's down to genetics I think.
  • thisisiamj
    thisisiamj Posts: 145 Member
    bump for later

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