Putting On My Big Girl Pants

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RosaliaBee
RosaliaBee Posts: 146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Or rather knickers, undergarments, or whatever you call them in your part of the world.

I've been significantly overweight for a couple of years now. It happened quite quickly after a combo of significant health challenges and some close family bereavements. Finally now, after not really giving much of a damn to be honest, I'm properly ready to lose weight. The only thing that concerns me though, is gaining a loose gut after losing the fat. I have started daily moisturising the important places like boobs and belly, to hopefully help the skin to maintain elasticity and thus contract as I lose weight.

But I also thought it might be worthwhile getting some 'firm support' underwear to keep my belly cinched in and encourage it to firm up.

Is this wishful thinking? Has anyone else tried doing the same thing? My thinking is the fewer hours in a day my flab is allowed to umm be unrestrained, the more likely it is for the fibres in the skin to contract and firm up.

I don't expect miracles, I'm just curious as to what other people think. I don't know much about the science behind how skin functions, feel free to inform me!

Replies

  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    I see the best results from the girls that lose at a steady/slow pace and lift heavy.
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    I haven't tried anything like this, personally, but I've read in the gossip magazines about Hollywood mothers using Spanks and corsets and other instruments of "torture" (ok, not the corset, corsets are lovely and NOT torturous in the least) to help them shape up after pregnancies. I have no clue if any of it works.

    Honestly, what I've seen on these boards repeated time after time is good ole strength training. Lift heavy things and your body will restructure itself and get more firm. I am trying it. Just added weights in two days ago, so I can't say anything on a personal level about results, but...this sayeth MFP, and I trust the majority of the community we have here. *shrug*

    Best of luck to you, and feel free to add me. :flowerforyou:
  • allisonrinkel
    allisonrinkel Posts: 224 Member
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    Congrats on deciding to make this lifestyle change for your health!!
    Frankly, you have to lose the weight very fast in order to have a significant amount of sagging skin.
    I lost about 50 lbs and still didn't really have any loose or sagging skin.
    I would only recommend firms support undergarments for aesthetic reasons, as this will do nothing to tighten your skin or prevent it from sagging.
    Keeping it well hydrated is a great idea though, as this will prevent stretch marks. It may also improve the collagen and elastin in the skin which helps keep the skin more taught.
    I wish you all the best with your weight loss! Keep a level head and try not to get overwhelmed with different kinds of advice. Just do what is right for you!
  • happysquats
    happysquats Posts: 18
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    i think it differs person to person, but a lot of it has to do with how quickly you lose weight. if you loose weight too quickly you will most likely have loose skin.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    I am 60 lbs down and its taken over a year. No sagging skin except where gravity has taken charge of my breasts. But they sagged when I was heavy so this is not a surprise. I still have some belly fat but overall no real sag going on. My arms are getting firm but no wings hanging down.

    I lost it all slow and steady (1lb a week) and kept myself hydrated with lots of water.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    I live in Latin America, where " support garments " are super popular because people are made to believe that they make the stomach and buttocks shrink, or better stand up again instead of sagging and that the skin shrink after weight loss. Recently a well known Mexico City newspaper mentioned that there are over 30 000 complaints with the equivalent of the Better Business Bureau since 2007 from people who have discovered that none of the claims work. Nuff said....:o).
    I think those garments are great for people who have excess skin and don't want or can't get skin reduction surgery, but I don't believe that such a garment will keep flabby skin from developing if that is what is in a person's weight loss future , greatly caused by amount of weight lost, lifestyle and genetics.
    I have lost 45 pounds in just under seven month and have absolutely no skin problems from losing , even though I am 66 minus three weeks....:o).
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
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    I put on my big girl pants every morning, basically shapewear control pants (not very nice to look at haha) but they really help me as they keep my tummy in place and stop bloating as the day goes on.

    Also, they feel so snug that if I ate too much in the past that I could definitely notice, so they helped me with food control as well.

    IMO if they are good enough for celebs to wear then they are good enough for me to wear.

    Not sure if they will help with `firming up` skin. The moisturiser and just the action of rubbing it into problem areas will probably be of some benefit.

    A lot of people swear by corsets to help shape the body, but I think shape wear is a bit kinder x
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
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    I've been significantly overweight for a couple of years now. It happened quite quickly after a combo of significant health challenges and some close family bereavements. Finally now, after not really giving much of a damn to be honest, I'm properly ready to lose weight. The only thing that concerns me though, is gaining a loose gut after losing the fat. I have started daily moisturising the important places like boobs and belly, to hopefully help the skin to maintain elasticity and thus contract as I lose weight.
    , the more likely it is for the fibres in the skin to contract and firm up.

    If you are "significantly overweight" then I would honestly focus on losing the body fat first. Don't worry about loose skin - I'm in my early 40s and my skin is keeping up with my lost inches. I've lost 48 pounds since June this year if you want to use that as a benchmark.

    Your skin is as thick as the back of your hand or your eyelid. A lot of people talk about loose skin when there is still residual fat around.

    I wouldn't use body shapers if I were you - you want people to see the natural you, and be impressed when they notice your new shape.

    Good luck!
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    wish you luck!

    I'm sure at some point I'll be buying the undergarments to keep everything in place, but know with as much weight as i have to lose i'm expecting to see the surgeon's knife sometime in my future.
  • CamillaHerold
    CamillaHerold Posts: 60 Member
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    Cinching in is probably more beneficial to the mind than the body, IMHO. If loose skin really becomes a problem, you could get surgery to remove it. But I think the health benefits of losing the extra body fat are so much more important than any appearance issue. It's a slippery slope, being overly concerned about this... you could end up talking yourself out of your desire to lose for fear of what you'll look like naked. Please don't give in to this line of thinking! It is just a distraction from the real issues, and you would not be here talking about this is if you were not serious about losing weight.
    Slow and steady weight loss is the key, as mentioned above. One or two pounds a week is reasonable and sustainable. I've lost 34 lbs over 7 months and even though I'm 56 my skin is not loose or saggy, at least from my point of view! :wink:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Nothing shrinks loose skin but time and good genetics. Lose at a reasonable rate, stay hydrated, keep your muscles and give it 2 years.
  • gallowglasslass
    gallowglasslass Posts: 19 Member
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    I've been significantly overweight for a couple of years now. It happened quite quickly

    From what I have heard, people who are overweight for a short(er) time have less excess skin after weight loss than people who were overweight their whole lives.

    I gained 115 lbs within 18 months on a medication. Have now lost 75 lbs, 60 of those since mid-June, and have no loose skin (yet - knock wood). Hopefully the same will be true for you.
  • rb16fitness
    rb16fitness Posts: 236 Member
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    See your logic but not convinced it will work, that said, give it a go you've nothing to lose by giving it a whirl.
    I'm a convert to doing planks 2 mins a day strengthens the transversus abdominis muscles, pretty much only exercise I perform, my abs are really flat.
    Best of luck.
  • RosaliaBee
    RosaliaBee Posts: 146 Member
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    Thanks for some really useful replies and encouragement!

    @ Twinketta, thanks for sharing your experience. Even though the consensus here seems to be that any positive effect will be primarily psychological, I think I will wear my big girl pants too - at least to keep me feeling more 'secure' anyway. I also found your comments about being reminded of fullness interesting. Being larger on top, I've always liked decent bras for boob upholstery and I think shape-wear for the middle body will be useful in the same way a decent bra for the upper body is, even if it doesn't grant me firmer skin tone!

    So far as the more general advice is concerned. Yes, I can definitely see that muscle work is going to be important. It's not going to be easy for me to get to a gym though. Distance, travel and cost all figure here. I'm very happy to workout at home, though weight lifting machinery won't be available I am looking at body weight exercise. Planking looks really interesting. Any further advice here would be most welcome!

    Just FYI I'm a UK 20 around the waist - and I have about 100lbs to lose, yes I know that's a lot..
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    If you have more than 100 pounds to lose and are over the age of 35, you will likely end up with extra skin. There is no magic treatment that will prevent it.

    I lifted heavy throughout my loss, and still have loose skin (that I'm having surgically removed in March).

    It is what it is, and I'd much rather have some loose skin than rolls of fat.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    It is what it is, and I'd much rather have some loose skin than rolls of fat.

    That's what I was thinking.

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