Excess skin after loss?

StacehLouxo
StacehLouxo Posts: 7
in Getting Started
Hello everyone my name is Stacey.

I am currently at my heaviest a5 244lbs at only 18 years old so as you can imagine I am a very big girl.
I would have lost the weight sooner but I gave birth to my angel baby boy on the 8th November 2013 at only 21+3 ( It was a twin pregnancy but I lost Kadens twin early on ) Well anyway.. my body never 'got over' the loss of the first twin so at 21 weeks when I gave birth to my son I was measuring at 27weeks so I was rather large and being a large lady myself even bigger!!

The moral of the story is..

I have 74lbs to lose and because I have been pregnant and I have so much weight to lose would I definately have excess skin once at my goal weight? I am quite worried about this because I feel as though I would feel more ashamed of my body if i had excess skin..

Is their anyway of preventing it even though I have to lose so much weight?

Please help!!

Also, Feel free to add me as i need motivation and support and i can also give the same to you!

Replies

  • DownsizingAaron
    DownsizingAaron Posts: 127 Member
    This topic comes up frequently and there is a lot of info on the subject already. I suggest using the search feature to scan these old posts. There is a lot of debate but the biggest answers are: 1. your physiology will have a big impact 2. are you patient enough to let your skin contract over 3, 6, 9, 12 months 3. Work on abs/stomach muscles to increase tone
  • Fatsotubs
    Fatsotubs Posts: 93 Member
    There's a post under Success Stories "Excess Skin??" One of my friends posted yesterday and there's some good tips on there. Good luck with your weight loss :)
  • djpfarmgirl
    djpfarmgirl Posts: 3 Member
    I would suggest you lose whatever you can. You are young enough, your skin might recover. It is so much harder to get rid of fat as you age.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    It is really hard to predict if someone will have loose skin or not as genetics plays a big part, as does the time you were overweight for, how overweight you were and your age. You are young and so you have a good chance of not having too much of an issue. It takes a while however to settle - up to about 2 years in some situations.

    At the end of the day however, and while loose skin can be worrying, being at a healthy weight far outweighs those concerns imo.
  • StacehLouxo
    StacehLouxo Posts: 7
    Thank you everyone :)

    I have been overweight since around 13/14 years old
  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
    Agree with other responders, you have so many positives in your favour.

    First of all your health....losing the excess weight is going to be so beneficial for your health and life in the long run, you are young, so your skin will have more elasticity than if you start later on.

    That said I started at 48 and at 51 with the loss of 167lbs I have very little excess skin problems......maybe a combo' of the factors previously mentioned of genetics, taking your time with losing weight.....fast weight loss always seems to result in loose skin issues.

    Strength training is always a good idea....just remember you can't chose where and when the weight will go from, it has an agenda and time frame of its, try and keep well hydrated and invest in a good moisturiser ..... the hydration is a must and I think I'm better off with moisturising than without, especially at my age. :drinker:

    Do check out any threads around this subject I'm sure you will feel inspired and it will ease your worries.
  • cizzawizza
    cizzawizza Posts: 69 Member
    Hi Stacey, welcome to the group

    I was worried about excess skin too, but by reading mfp success stories and seeing pictures of people who were in the same boat as me really helped.

    Don't let excess skin hold you back, all our bodies are different and react to weightloss and pregnancy in different ways. Once you start to loose weight and excerise you will start to feel better. It takes a while to put on weight so it's going take a little while to come off.

    Try to set small goals and celebrate each one. Read the success stories to spur you on and if you have a bad day, own it and start fresh the next day. One bad day will not ruin your goal but a defeatist attitude will (this is what I tell myself).

    Good luck

    You can add me as a friend is you wish.
  • 50_to_lose
    50_to_lose Posts: 28 Member
    If you make small adjustments to your diet such as cutting 500 calories a day and exercise 3 times a week with a balance of

    cardiovascular and weight lifting then your skin should contract as you change shape.

    Review your calorie intake every 6-8 weeks and reduce if weight stops coming down, losing 2 lbs a week will give you a 100 lbs

    weight loss in a year and exercising will change your body shape dramatically.

    Weight lifting will make your muscles lean and helps your skin contract.

    Make sure you take measurements of your body, no matter how scary the figures are now the buzz you get from seeing

    in numbers your body changing is a very good feeling.

    Good luck and feel free to add me.
  • jacquelineglen16
    jacquelineglen16 Posts: 3
    I have lost just under 60 lbs in 1 year by eating balance diet, exercising and have spent about 15 years obese. Now in the overweight with about 20lbs to lose. I did strength exercises along the way and haven't noticed excess skin.

    Have a lot more energy and feel to much better.

    I hope this helps, your little angel needs a healthy happy mummy
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
    Your skin elasticity is genetic but there is a pattern. A person with many extra pounds and a long retention will likely have excess skin.
    A person with only a few extra pounds and a short retention will probably snap back.

    Also, the excess skin will sometimes only be visible if you curve or bend in a way that pinches it.

    I was 30 - 50 pounds overweight since childhood and have excess skin around the stomach when I bend or crunch - but this is only visible at the low end of a healthy BMI. Weird things start to happen to skin when my body fat drops below 19% or so. I have to weigh the desire to be skinny with the desire to look my age, haha.
  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
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