Excess skin after weight loss - Prevention/worries!

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Xylosphere
Xylosphere Posts: 6
in Motivation and Support
Hey,

I have just joined today after plucking up the courage to start a diet, that is because I am worried about possibly having excess skin once I have lost the weight.

I am 20 years old, 5ft11, male and weigh 270lbs. I am looking to lose 70lbs (5stone). I am aware that would leave me at a weight deemed to be heavier than my ideal, but I am a broad build and I am unlikely to be able to sustain my ideal 170lbs, purely because of my build.

I have been putting off dieting since I was 17 because I was scared that I'd have excess skin afterwards, I am aware that because of my size the likelihood is that I'll have a little excess skin after my weight loss, on my arms, thighs, stomach or chest... But I don't think I could cope with having truly excessive amounts of spare skin at my age. I have a history of depression and social anxiety which I am well past now, I left that in my teens, however I am worried that if I lose this weight and I am left with a lot of loose skin, I'll revert to my old ways and be too embarrassed of myself to cope with it. Anyway, I am doing the following to try and limit the damage that could be done...

- Healthy nutritious diet (Lots of beans, nuts, berries, water, fish, skinless chicken or beef, salad, vegetables, fruit - Wild rice instead of white (?), Rye bread instead of white/brown, no butter or margarine on bread, Oats (muesli).
- Daily usage of weights (dumbells) and resistance bands as well as doing crunches and walking daily (long dog walks etc).
- Exfoliating my skin in the shower.
- Rubbing coconut oil into my skin every morning (would every other morning be better?).
- Glass of carrot juice with my breakfast to get that extra vitamin A.

Is there anything else I could do? And do you think that'll be okay or will I end up with a lot of excess skin?

My last worry is that I'll possibly lose the weight too quickly and my skin will not be able to keep up - I have seen my GP and he has advised me that, at my age, if the skin doesn't keep up it will most probably catch up in 6months-1year after I have reached and sustained my goal weight. Anybody think that sounds about right? I know I should trust my doctor, but I have got myself in a right state worrying about this at times haha.

Thanks for any replies

Replies

  • aegira
    aegira Posts: 204
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    Congratulations on making the decision and welcome =)

    Now just breath and relax =)

    I'm 51 and have been on my journey for a while and yes my skin is a bit saggy but it's okay. My doctor has told me that it will catch up with me to some extent but don't expect perfection - it doesn't exist ;) I trust my doctor, we've been on a heck of a ride together throughout the years lols. He tells it like it is (even when I don't want to hear it).

    You're doing all the right things, enjoy the journey, stop stressing because it can stop your weight loss.

    Take each day as it comes if you fall, just smile and say "I'm ok, tomorrow is another day".
    Please enjoy yourself, loosing weight is awesome but if you don't have fun on the trip it becomes a chore.

    Relax, breath....it's all good :flowerforyou:
  • Xylosphere
    Xylosphere Posts: 6
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    Hey,

    Thank you for you're reply, I know you're 100% right, that I just need to relax, enjoy my journey and see where it takes me, I just can't control myself sometimes haha. I am happy and confident in what I am doing and I certainly have no delusions about this process, I understand that my skin will most likely need time, plenty of time, I just want to avoid having excessive amounts of skin, because at my age, it really isn't a good look :P

    Thanks again for the advice :)
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
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    Hey,

    I'm 24 and have lost a bit over 70lbs and my skin still looks pretty good in most places. It's starting to get a bit puckered around my arm pits but I still have a lot more to go than you do. If you lose the weight slowly- you will be absolutely fine! I lost at a rate of 2lbs per week for about 6 months and then it slowed down to 1lb every other week. Since you don't have as much to lose as I did I don't think you'll have any problem at all!
  • Xylosphere
    Xylosphere Posts: 6
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    Hey,

    Thanks for the reply. That has been my primary concern, that I will lose weight too fast and my skin will get left behind so to speak. I think I am doing it the correct way, eating healthy nutritious foods in a healthy amount, my worry is as I stated, my body is so used to drastically over eating that I'll lose a ridiculous 7/8 pounds per week initially. I am hoping that doing the weights and resistance work will slow down the loss of overall weight by replacing the lost fat with muscle (not literally but you know what I mean). Fingers crossed and thanks for the advice.

    Congratulations on your great weight loss too - Keep it up :)
  • KathieSwenson
    KathieSwenson Posts: 179
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    I agree with Amy. I don't think you are going to have much of a problem. I was 220 when I started and my skin is fine. What happens is some people have gained so much that their skin actually looses the elasticity in it which is the cause of the excess skin. Your going to look great no matter what. Loose slowly. It's much healthier for you that way. You can make the gradual change rather than making a huge change. Also just because you loose 7/8 lbs a week doesn't mean you are going to have excess skin. It also doesn't mean you will keep loosing at that level. As we loose and our body adjust to the new foods and the new metabolism and exercises we have to change our routine so that we can keep loosing. Your body will adjust and you will start losing slower and slower. Don't look at the scale. Look at inches lost. For example. I weigh 188.7 today. Two
    Days ago I was 185.6. The difference? I started weight training and I'm very sore. That makes water retention to heal those muscles which causes weight gain. So don't focus on the scale it is only a guide to make sure you are staying on track. Inches is better. There is one problem with your theory on weights. Muscle burns calories so more muscle you have the more calories you will burn in a given day. I'm not saying to not do weight training. The fact of the matter is would you rather be fit and healthy or skinny and still have fat. You need to relax and enjoy the process. Like I said before. Excess skin or not you will look great and people will notice and compliment you. Have you ever seen extreme weight loss on TV.? Yes they have extra skin but rather they get the surgery or not they look amazing. There is also an elective procedure to have excess skin removed so if it's really bad and causes health issue sometimes your insurance will pay for it. So that may be an option as we'll but a last resort option. I hope this helps. Remember focus I'd being fit and healthy.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
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    Hey,

    Thanks for the reply. That has been my primary concern, that I will lose weight too fast and my skin will get left behind so to speak. I think I am doing it the correct way, eating healthy nutritious foods in a healthy amount, my worry is as I stated, my body is so used to drastically over eating that I'll lose a ridiculous 7/8 pounds per week initially. I am hoping that doing the weights and resistance work will slow down the loss of overall weight by replacing the lost fat with muscle (not literally but you know what I mean). Fingers crossed and thanks for the advice.

    Congratulations on your great weight loss too - Keep it up :)

    I should have started off by saying that In the very very beginning I lost like 10lbs in a week and a half. The initial drop is just water- don't worry about it!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,120 Member
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    In your favor you are 20. That means your skin is much more elastic than say a 40 year old. Lose the weight slowly. Do weight/strength training from the beginning. Also realize that even if your skin gets a little loose, realize that it will tighten up even after you stop losing weigh. In fact it can take up to 2 years for it to fully adjust to your new size. Just don't freak out and look to the much more important aspect of fat lose, namely your health. There are a whole host of chronic and acute diseases that are connected to excessive fat which getting rid of that fat will help you avoid. In comparison to them, a little loose skin is nothing.
  • Xylosphere
    Xylosphere Posts: 6
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    In your favor you are 20. That means your skin is much more elastic than say a 40 year old. Lose the weight slowly. Do weight/strength training from the beginning. Also realize that even if your skin gets a little loose, realize that it will tighten up even after you stop losing weigh. In fact it can take up to 2 years for it to fully adjust to your new size. Just don't freak out and look to the much more important aspect of fat lose, namely your health. There are a whole host of chronic and acute diseases that are connected to excessive fat which getting rid of that fat will help you avoid. In comparison to them, a little loose skin is nothing.

    Yeah, I know what you mean... pretty sobering thought thinking about all of the health problems overweight people like myself and others here are likely to have as we get older if we do not change our ways. Motivation! Also - Would you or anybody else know how often I should be doing weights, how heavy etc? Or is it just down to how my body feels?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,120 Member
    Options
    In your favor you are 20. That means your skin is much more elastic than say a 40 year old. Lose the weight slowly. Do weight/strength training from the beginning. Also realize that even if your skin gets a little loose, realize that it will tighten up even after you stop losing weigh. In fact it can take up to 2 years for it to fully adjust to your new size. Just don't freak out and look to the much more important aspect of fat lose, namely your health. There are a whole host of chronic and acute diseases that are connected to excessive fat which getting rid of that fat will help you avoid. In comparison to them, a little loose skin is nothing.

    Yeah, I know what you mean... pretty sobering thought thinking about all of the health problems overweight people like myself and others here are likely to have as we get older if we do not change our ways. Motivation! Also - Would you or anybody else know how often I should be doing weights, how heavy etc? Or is it just down to how my body feels?

    If you have access to a gym with free weights, I personally recommend Stronglifts 5x5. There is a group here for it http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/5542-stronglifts-5x5 . That would be a full body workout 3x per week which is pretty much what you want to start. Often people start out doing lots of exercises that isolate individual muscles, that sort of exercise has its place, but not for starting out. To start out you want to focus on exercises that use multiple joints or what is called compound exercises. Things like squats, bench presses, standing overhead presses, bent over rows and deadlifts (what stronglifts uses) are ideal for starting out as you only have to learn proper form in a small number of exercises and they will use pretty much all the muscles in your body.

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