Avoiding loose skin after weight loss

A lot of times people confuse excess subcutaneous fat for loose skin.

I agree completely.

If your "loose skin" is thicker than a few millimeters, you have residual subcutaneous body fat. So long as adipose tissue remains, the skin will not return to its former (pre weight gain) size and elasticity.

Skin does naturally lose some elasticity with age. However for most young people the appearance of loose skin will resolve itself once they become lean enough.

Having said that, to minimize the amount of loose skin it is best to lose weight slowly while strength training. Doing so will help preserve as much muscle as possible during weight loss.

I assume you mean if I pinch it between my fingers?

A lot of times people confuse excess subcutaneous fat for loose skin.

I agree completely.

(If your "loose skin" is thicker than a few millimeters, you have residual subcutaneous body fat. So long as adipose tissue remains, the skin will not return to its former (pre weight gain) size and elasticity.)

Skin does naturally lose some elasticity with age. However for most young people the appearance of loose skin will resolve itself once they become lean enough.

Having said that, to minimize the amount of loose skin it is best to lose weight slowly while strength training. Doing so will help preserve as much muscle as possible during weight loss.

I would say you are one of the lucky ones.

I have heard that loosing 2lbs a week and working out will prevent loose skin. Has anyone lost a considerable amount of weight without surgery and not had problems with loose skin? Just want to hear your thoughts.

l lost 95 pounds in 7 months and have zero loose skin even though I'm over 120 pounds down now.

I ran a half marathon when I was about 100 down and and was talking to somebody at the starting line about "compression shorts". - I'd never heard of them (I don't get out much). The guy I was talking to told me that people wear them to stop things from chafing. Couldn't figure out what that was all about.

The only thingI did was eat less exercise more, eating about 800 to 1k calls, net, per day for that time.

What I have tried to do is learn about nutrition and, for the past couple of years, the physiology of running. The more I learn, the more I understand the conventional wisdom isn't and the more I see that even though we're all the same species, there can be wide range of reactions to things.

I lost 130 lbs in 7-8 months, but it did leave me with a lot of loose skin for the first month. Its the 10th month for me, most of my skin is contracted, still have a lil flabs left. It should be gone in the next two months or so, I guess its not too much of a prob.

I just have started my dieting (about a 5 weeks ago), I am currently down 4kg (8,8 pounds).
I would like to start and make a program along with the diet, that will help to avoid loose skin, as much as possible.
I am currently:
- swiming 3 times a week.
- yoga classes 2 times a week

I plan to start 2 times a week cardio and probably some small weight lifting (especially for the hands of course).
I wanted to ask - do you think I can visit sauna or steam baths - would this be ok for the skin and also massages (I think that massages should also help for the circulation - anticellulite and so on.)

Does this sound good?

this is really good info thanks.

I think age helps, after middle-age, some women complain of lose skin around elbows/face/neck, but that is partly because the elasticity is less and sometimes genetics. One friend of mine felt that putting on a few pounds helped her face look less gaunt but sometimes you can't help where the weight goes first. It's still healthier not to carry the weight though.

this is really good info thanks.

+1

I had this question, too, so I did some research. During my first pregnancy, I gained 75 lbs., which tipped over the 200-lb. mark. I actually weighed more than my husband. After giving birth, I was stuck at 150 lbs. for a while, at a size 12-14. I did manage to get down to 135 lbs. before getting pregnant again. I didn't gain as much during that pregnancy, mainly because I had gestational diabetes and couldn't just eat what I wanted all the time. After giving birth, I went down to 145 and was stuck there for a while. I've been working out since mid-November to lose weight and am down to 132 lbs. Still have a little ways to go, but I'm in smaller pants and feeling much better, more motivated. I'm starting to look great IN clothes again, but my stomach is--well--gross. It sags. And wiggles.

I wondered if it would ever be tight t-shirt worthy again. I'm in my middle 30s and don't expect to every have a bikini stomach again, but I was hoping I could at least get rid of the sag. Anyway, anytime I do research for myself, I write it out to share with others. Here's a quick article on my findings for "How to Tighten Loose Abdominal Skin": http://voices.yahoo.com/how-tighten-loose-abdominal-skin-12420716.html?cat=5

The first point was a tough one for me to swallow, for sure. To realize that what I'm looking at, for the most part, isn't loose skin at all. Good luck!

Just want to keep this thread going its really chalked full of info!