thigh sag!

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smurlene
smurlene Posts: 72
in Health and Weight Loss
I have lost 23 lbs. The skin/fat/whatever between my thighs is starting to sag. I walk every day a lot! I cannot get to the gym to do any type of formal exercise until my two year old goes to school in a couple of years. I have no one to watch him while I work out, and I have no options for working out at home because I am a single mother M-Saturday. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Would wearing weights on my ankles help?

I am 39 and have been obese for most of my life. I currently weigh 274, down from my highest weight of 353.
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  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
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    I would try to stop making excuses and find a way. Plenty of single mothers on here have been quite successful.

    I don't think weights on your feet will help with any kind of sag, may be fat or loose skin
    Fat can be lost through diet

    Loose skin may or may not recover on its own over time.
  • smurlene
    smurlene Posts: 72
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    Thanks so much. I work 70 hours a week. I am not making excuses. But you can be that way if you wish.
  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
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    Thanks so much. I work 70 hours a week. I am not making excuses. But you can be that way if you wish.

    No reason to take it personally I'm giving you my opinion on what you need to do
  • smurlene
    smurlene Posts: 72
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    Only that I am not making excuses. If I am not working, I am taking care of my child. I sleep four hours a night. Until he goes to school, there will be no gym time. That is all. I was hoping for something I could do in between now and then.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    Loose skin is going to happen, it's going to be ugly and it's going to hang (pun intended) around for a while...time is the only thing that's going to make it any better and even then, it may not completely bounce back without surgery...just depends on hydration, age, etc.

    You have spent most of your life stretching your skin and it won't bounce back as soon as you would like.

    As far as the gym, I know several gyms include day care with membership, not sure if any around you do or not...but even if they don't you can always find cheap fitness equipment in the paper or yard sales or craigslist...it just depends on how much your willing to look for it. There is also plenty of body weight exercises you can do and you can search for them online.

    Resistance training, weight lifting, etc will help with body composition and will give you the look you are most likely going for, but it will take time and dedication. Also, lose weight slow, don't be in a big hurry, this will also give the skin time to adjust to the changes....however, in the end, you'll have sagging loose skin that will take time to firm up.
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    Wearing ankle weights is what I did in the beginning. Didn't help a ton probably, but it didn't hurt either. I also have a 2 year old; he likes it when I put him on my shoulders and do squats. He also thinks it's funny to try and sit on me for things like pushups, or hold my arms while I lift a weight (catches a free mini ride). He's not growing fast enough though, too light for a proper workout. :P

    I live within 2 miles of work so I bike it when the weather is good. Video workouts don't work for us because he throws things at me while I'm dancing and laughs when I duck. Wait....maybe they DO work for us...

    If your skin is sagging and it's uncomfortable, do you think some undergarment clothing like nylons or stretch capris might help hold it in place? I know how it is to get a rash from the rubbing skin.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Only that I am not making excuses. If I am not working, I am taking care of my child. I sleep four hours a night. Until he goes to school, there will be no gym time. That is all. I was hoping for something I could do in between now and then.

    In his defense, you didn't mention working 70 hours a week in your post. You only stated you couldn't workout until your kid goes to school in a couple of years.

    To answer your question, it appears you have internet, so google body weight exercises and HIIT. Plenty of videos for those who can't make it do the gym.
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 667 Member
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    I have thigh sag as well. Mine is loose skin. For awhile I had to stop waxing my legs because I didn't have enough hands to pull the skin tight & also pull the wax off :grumble: . It has gotten better with time though. I think for those of us who have been very obese, loose skin is just one thing we have to deal with. I've read about people who didn't have these kinds of issues & have read that skin can take up to 2 years to tighten up as much as it is going to. It has to do with your genetics, your age, & how long you were obese (from what I've read). I do think that building up as much muscle as possible to fill out the skin can only be an improvement. I have started doing body weight exercises at home. I got the book You Are Your Own Gym & so far I like it.
  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
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    Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water and using a good quality moisturizer.
  • Nishi2013
    Nishi2013 Posts: 210 Member
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    Squats will help with firming up the thighs. You will probably not lose all of the sag but it could reduced.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
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    You can always do body weight exercise they may not be like lifting heavy but you can do things at home. You can also get a weight bar and dumb bells at walmart for not that much. I just picked up a weight bar for my house for 30 bucks. I have a set of dumb bells that I can change the weight on too with other plates and you can do weights with those too - there are all kinds of leg work outs - squats, dumb bell dead lifts, clean and press etc. I am not at home so I can't get you the site I found but they are out there and if you don't know the exercise there is lots of videos on Youtube. Kettle bells are another option as well.

    You do not need a gym to do these exercises - even if you don't buy the equipment you can always google Body Weight Exercises and you will get TONS of pages - if you have a pinterest use that as well make a work out you can do in your living room, your bed room, your back yard, your office etc.
  • ZenInTexas
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
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    Do squats and lunges. I do them while I am walking around my house, preparing dinner, watching the kids in the bath, whenever. Only takes a minute or two at a time and it all adds up. You can even do them while surfing the net. :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    I have lost 23 lbs. The skin/fat/whatever between my thighs is starting to sag. I walk every day a lot! I cannot get to the gym to do any type of formal exercise until my two year old goes to school in a couple of years. I have no one to watch him while I work out, and I have no options for working out at home because I am a single mother M-Saturday. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Would wearing weights on my ankles help?

    I am 39 and have been obese for most of my life. I currently weigh 274, down from my highest weight of 353.
    Gyms have child care and start with many at 6 months old and up. IMO, it's also a great way to introduce your child into being social.
    Don't use ankle weights for walking. More harm than good.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • madhamey
    madhamey Posts: 70 Member
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    Mine started to but it has tightened up now, make sure you use looooooooooooooads of moisturiser. Well done on the loss so far
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I have lost 23 lbs. The skin/fat/whatever between my thighs is starting to sag. I walk every day a lot! I cannot get to the gym to do any type of formal exercise until my two year old goes to school in a couple of years. I have no one to watch him while I work out, and I have no options for working out at home because I am a single mother M-Saturday. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Would wearing weights on my ankles help?

    I am 39 and have been obese for most of my life. I currently weigh 274, down from my highest weight of 353.

    On Sundays you are married?
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    I am a single mom. I live in the Arctic. There are no gyms, nor could I afford if there were. You do NOT need a gym. Google "body weight exercises". I have the book "Body By You" (same guy who wrote "You are Your own Gym".).

    Loose skin? Yup, I got it. From years of going up and down in weight, being morbidly obese for some of those years and just plain ignoring my health and hating my body. No matter what I do I will have loose skin and thigh sag. So? I'm in my 40s, I feel better than ever and will be at my fittest by summer 2014. I set realistic long term goals and I stick to them. (My goals do not include "I will lose x pounds by x date".)

    Focus on the things in life that really matter; not thigh sag.

    Edit: If my ticker portrayed all the weight that I have lost it would say "108" pounds lost.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    There's nothing magical about going to a gym, except access to a variety of equipment. Most of what you can do at a gym, you can do at home. (And you can do it in your underwear or pajamas, between loads of laundry, which is a plus in my book!) Get a set of dumbbells (adjustable would be great, but any to start) and look on Youtube for 30 Day Shred or other videos. Want something more fun? THere's a youtube series on how to do the Thriller Dance. When you're ready for something more advanced, start looking for something more advanced.

    I quit the gym over a year ago and haven't looked back. Except for a few days last week when it was too beastly hot to work out with out A/C. :wink:
  • ygglove
    ygglove Posts: 102 Member
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    Hii, as a mother with a little one, I know how easy it can be NOT to work out (because your kids at home, in the way, the gym doesn't have 'day care' etc -- most gyms do, 2$ a session). I bought the Jillian Michaels 30ds and ripped in 30 and 2 5lb weights... (She recommends 3lb but they were too light for me).. I exercise with my little one running around me, TRYING to exercise with me (and she even tells me how much better shape she is in).. it can be frustrating, but it's also a GREAT motivational tool. I also bought a treadmill that folds up in the corner when I'm not using it- but I do the c25k app every day.

    I understand that you work a lot, and you're trying to start out small- and hey! It's YOUR body, you do what you need to do.. but I'm just here to say, that you CAN work out at home, and that your child can be apart of it.
  • smurlene
    smurlene Posts: 72
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    Thank you all so much for the helpful suggestions. I made a list of things to check out. I have thought that maybe during my lunch break at work I could fit in some body weight exercises and stretching. I walk a ton, about five miles a day, but I doubt it will do much good with the sag.

    My husband is a truck driver who is gone over the road from Sunday at noon until Friday at midnight, and none of the local gyms have daycare here. My only sitter is my MIL, but she has him all week while I work, so she will not watch him while I exercise, nor would I expect her, too.

    I didn't think I would worry about this issue. I am fighting binge eating disorder (60 days with no binges!!), and I thought that would be enough, but now I have this.... Maybe I need to just put on longer pants and get over it. LOL
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
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    fitnessblender.com

    Free bodyweight, and light weight workouts between 15-60 minutes each. Depending on what kind of time you have each day, pick a video, follow along.

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