Article: What no one tells you about losing lots weight

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  • favoritenut
    favoritenut Posts: 217 Member
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    bump
  • robinb07
    robinb07 Posts: 33 Member
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    tagging to read later
  • krazeedr
    krazeedr Posts: 35 Member
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    Tagging for later
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
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    Tagging so I remember to look at this at home...
  • 1yoyoKAT
    1yoyoKAT Posts: 206 Member
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    I've shed a lot of weight from my body. But I've also shed and worked through a lot of emotional issues. If I can't look in the mirror and be proud and accepting of myself, I'm not sure how I can ever fit well into the world or be happy. So, I have to work through ways to be able to forgive and like myself, that's part of the journey for me.

    I think there are many people who solely focus on losing pounds... and those pounds were a symptom of something else going on inside them. There has to be some emotional turmoil and stress inside that allow us to get to be morbidly obese on the outside. Losing the weight is not the total solution, it's just a relief from the exterior symptoms.

    Today, for the first time, I wore a sleeveless shirt to the gym. I have bat wings, but I also have muscles. I have been really self conscious of my upper arms and always have worn sleeves that cover them. But finally I just said to hell with it. I am OK with it. If someone else isn't, tough. My arms are my arms, they are part of me. I have to be OK with them.

    It's a start.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I'm noticing wrinkles and hanging/wobbly bits I didn't previously have when they were more filled out and rounded but when dressed I feel I can walk with strength and confidence now, and since I spend far more time dressed than naked/open to scrutiny I shall continue to lose until I reach a point where I'm unhappy with what I see. I love having the additional energy and ability to fully engage with life again and think how much worse it would be to become immobilised by weight.
  • beckywilliams1967
    beckywilliams1967 Posts: 58 Member
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    Bump to read later. Thank you OP!
  • Irenaekl
    Irenaekl Posts: 116 Member
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    The older you are, the less elastic your skin is and the less likely it is to fit your slimmer body. this might be seen as a problem for a younger person who wants to chieve a 'bikini body'.
    But for someone like me, who is no longer a youngster (except at heart!! :D ) the health benefits of losing weight are worth more than some saggy skin. Spandex is my friend and it's the way I look with clothes on that matters now.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    For me, this article was a little terrifying. I expect to have loose skin, but I guess I didn't expect it to be so extreme. I'm almost 24, but I started out at 343, and I've been overweight my whole life. Now I'm trying to lose it, and while I'm excited to see what I'll look like when the weight comes off, it's terrifying to think that I might be at a healthy weight for the first time ever but still feel incredibly self conscious with my partner.

    I know that the health benefits later on will be good, and knowing there will be loose skin wouldn't/won't make me stop, but it's a little disheartening. Hopefully losing slowly and strength training will help to combat loose skin to some degree.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    For me, this article was a little terrifying. I expect to have loose skin, but I guess I didn't expect it to be so extreme. I'm almost 24, but I started out at 343, and I've been overweight my whole life. Now I'm trying to lose it, and while I'm excited to see what I'll look like when the weight comes off, it's terrifying to think that I might be at a healthy weight for the first time ever but still feel incredibly self conscious with my partner.

    I know that the health benefits later on will be good, and knowing there will be loose skin wouldn't/won't make me stop, but it's a little disheartening. Hopefully losing slowly and strength training will help to combat loose skin to some degree.

    Just remember its not always the case, so dont let a article like this cause you to feel disheartened. I know that one poster mentioned exercise does not shrink skin, but I disagree. just eat the best you can, healthly foods that will provide the best fuel, and exercise as much as you can and a variety of different exercises. I don't know if theres any science or proof behind it, but I also will massage my stomach and I honestly think this helps too...again nothing to back it. I have never been in the 300's...my highest I've ever been was 230lbs fully pregnant and then stayed around 220 for quite awhile. I have been down to 175 only two years ago, and I had no hanging skin going from 220 to 175. It would loosen and hang for awhile but would tighten up. and this would repeat a few times over scaring me almost everytime it would do the hangy thing...so the loose skin was disappearing somehow, so something was burning it off....as in exercise and muscles! Anyways just keep on your journey and do what your doing cause strength training is important! :)
    Yep, I was 300lbs and I have a bit of loose skin, but nothing like the lady in the article and I am 45. Genetics are going to come heavily into play here. And I agree that exercising certainly won't hurt and weight training will definitely help.
  • Cathi888
    Cathi888 Posts: 37 Member
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    Saved to check out at home.
  • x_cinder_x
    x_cinder_x Posts: 118 Member
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    I thought she looked beautiful.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    In to read later.

    Also, I'm 70 pounds from my highest ever. The back and forth (yo yoing, mostly from having babies while working on losing) has taken it's toll. I have the extremely low lying belly. My tummy of loose skin hangs in certain positions. If I'm not wearing the right clothes, my saggy skin slaps my thighs. It's hard emotionally but I remind myself that I am counting calories and exercising for a healthier me.

    Thankfully my wonderful husband sees my beauty no matter what.
  • wowgirl30
    wowgirl30 Posts: 40 Member
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    IMO, the girl's body in the pictures isn't horrible. What is hard to look at is her pain and broken heart over her appearance. There was a time that I was hopeful for my body to look "good" in the traditionally beautiful sense after losing weight...but the years crept by and my weight went up...the additional 50 pounds that I have put on over the past 2 years (on top of already being very obese) has drastically changed the shape/condition of my body. I was always very big, but now I'm big and LUMPY - I have rolls and bulges and sags and cellulite where I never used to in all my life. I am coming to the realization that my skin is in very poor condition to start with and being overweight since childhood with lots of crash dieting has taken its toll. Now I am kind of expecting the worst and the possibility that I will look like a deflated balloon. I always get this overwhelmed feeling of "what have I done? I've completely ruined everything" when I look in the mirror.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    On one hand I really commend her for what she's trying to do here. To highlight how the human body CAN potentially look after losing a ton of weight. And kudos for NY Mag for attempting to shed light on the often not-so-pretty psychological affects of losing weight.

    But here is the thing. This is not the full story.

    The woman in the photos, while significantly smaller, isn't by any means lean (despite NY Mag wrongly declaring her as "very lean"). Even with the sagging, stretched skin she still has an incredibly high bodyfat percent. A lot of what she's presenting as her "after" or "goal" body is the perfect portrait of somebody who went a great distance, but didn't finish the race (at least to the extent of getting as lean as possible). If she, or anyone, chooses to not get truly lean, I respect that, but don't leave people with the impression that this after is the full story.

    It also impresses home the idea that many obese and very overweight people are totally warped about "goal weight". Yes it's an accomplishment to post a big number, like 100 lbs lost, or losing half your weight, but the truth is that your goal should be adjustable. You must get it into your mind that you just might need to do further fat loss, or serious muscle rebuilding, even after you've reached your scale goal. The woman in this piece is 166 lbs, and could have easily lost so much LMB that she could cut down dozens of pounds before her body is truly lean. This is one of the reasons why it would be far, far better for us all to start judging weight loss by bodyfat percentage loss and not just scale loss. You can lose a ton on the scale and still be left with a very high bodyfat to LBM ratio. And lots of seemingly "loose" skin is actually drooping and sagging because it's filled with a good deal of adipose tissue that has become more disconnected, which in turn drags down already stretched skin.

    Tell the story that people who were obese might not completely taut, tight, smooth bodies when they reach true leanness. But my God, also don't show after photos of people who are still carrying a significant amount of fat, and try and pass this off as a lean reality.
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
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    tagged for later reading
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
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    want to read this when I am home...so many comments.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I read the article, saw both sets of pics and felt bad for this woman who seemed to be in so much emotional pain.

    there needs to be more information provided tho...how long did the weight loss take? Too fast and that can happen.

    What did she do to prevent that? was she informed that could happen?

    But the 2nd time (I showed my husband) we both noticed something...her husband is with her. He loves her as she was and is.

    She needs to love herself...as does anyone faced with that or any weight loss.

    Bravo for her to show her real story but I do hope it doesn't prevent others from getting healthy.
  • Kasmira0004
    Kasmira0004 Posts: 79 Member
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    Seeing the photos of her crying was the worst part. I hope in time she learns to love herself.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I read the article, saw both sets of pics and felt bad for this woman who seemed to be in so much emotional pain.

    there needs to be more information provided tho...how long did the weight loss take? Too fast and that can happen.

    What did she do to prevent that? was she informed that could happen?

    But the 2nd time (I showed my husband) we both noticed something...her husband is with her. He loves her as she was and is.

    She needs to love herself...as does anyone faced with that or any weight loss.

    Bravo for her to show her real story but I do hope it doesn't prevent others from getting healthy.

    I get your point but I think it can still happen even if a person does everything right. There's a certain amount of it that's down to genetics. See some of Otterluv's posts above-- she eats at a pretty small deficit and lifts heavy, and she's still having some skin sagging issues. It's not fair to imply that she must have done something wrong.

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