Loose skin after weight loss!

nayvog
nayvog Posts: 1
in Getting Started
Hi! I am brand new here and have just started my weight loss journey! My goal is to lose 75 lbs. in total! BUT, I am absolutely terrified that I will have loose skin everywhere when I do lose the weight. Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to avoid that? I do have a couple stretch marks on my lower belly and my love handles. Im hoping there is someone who has lost this much weight without any loose skin. If so, your tips and tricks would be extremely helpful! Thank you so much and good luck on all of your weight loss goals! -Nay :smile:

Replies

  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    A lot of it will come down to age and genetics. Drink loads of water, get healthy fats and try not to lose weight super fast.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I've heard that strength training is good for loose skin...but I'm afraid I'm not sure why. Also, that is one reason why it's good to lose slowly, because it gives the skin time to heal as you go. I've lost over 50 lbs and only have slight hints of loose skin, but it has taken me about a year and half to lose it.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    There's not a huge amount you can do to prevent it, and not a huge amount of solid evidence for any prevention techniques. Anecdotally, you'll hear to try to lose it slowly, to keep hydrated, to eat a balanced, nutritious diet (including all your microvitamins, plenty of protein, plenty of fat...), to keep it moisturised and to strength train.

    I would accept that it's a very real possibility, but don't let it terrify you. It won't be "everywhere". I have some, mostly on my lower abdomen, a little on my upper arms, but it's not hideous. It's not something you can notice when I'm in clothes, and even in underwear, it's not really that noticeable. A lot of people find that it improves a bit after they've maintained for a while. It's not something I think about often. I still look way, way better than I did 90 lbs heavier.

    Genetics play a big part, and so does age. You are still very young, so you may get away with no obvious loose skin at all.

    Honestly, please don't get hung up on it though. It's good that you're thinking about it. I think some people go into significant weight loss assuming that they will end up looking like a cover girl, when in reality very few people look like that even if they've always been slim. Even the models themselves don't really look like that. Your body is going to have flaws, but it's still going to be beautiful, and it's still going to be so, so worth it to lose the weight.

    A pretty cool guy called CrusaderSam (who is older than you, and has lost 128 lbs) said "I have a lot of extra skin. I dont like it, but I can think of things much worse, that have happened to a lot better people then me", which I think is a great attitude. I honestly don't think you're going to have "a lot" of loose skin, and you may be lucky enough to avoid it altogether. Just take it slow and steady, and give your brain the time to "move in" to your body as it changes, and you're going to be fine. :flowerforyou:
  • IHateThinkingOfAUsername
    IHateThinkingOfAUsername Posts: 568 Member
    There's not a huge amount you can do to prevent it, and not a huge amount of solid evidence for any prevention techniques. Anecdotally, you'll hear to try to lose it slowly, to keep hydrated, to eat a balanced, nutritious diet (including all your microvitamins, plenty of protein, plenty of fat...), to keep it moisturised and to strength train.

    I would accept that it's a very real possibility, but don't let it terrify you. It won't be "everywhere". I have some, mostly on my lower abdomen, a little on my upper arms, but it's not hideous. It's not something you can notice when I'm in clothes, and even in underwear, it's not really that noticeable. A lot of people find that it improves a bit after they've maintained for a while. It's not something I think about often. I still look way, way better than I did 90 lbs heavier.

    Genetics play a big part, and so does age. You are still very young, so you may get away with no obvious loose skin at all.

    Honestly, please don't get hung up on it though. It's good that you're thinking about it. I think some people go into significant weight loss assuming that they will end up looking like a cover girl, when in reality very few people look like that even if they've always been slim. Even the models themselves don't really look like that. Your body is going to have flaws, but it's still going to be beautiful, and it's still going to be so, so worth it to lose the weight.

    A pretty cool guy called CrusaderSam (who is older than you, and has lost 128 lbs) said "I have a lot of extra skin. I dont like it, but I can think of things much worse, that have happened to a lot better people then me", which I think is a great attitude. I honestly don't think you're going to have "a lot" of loose skin, and you may be lucky enough to avoid it altogether. Just take it slow and steady, and give your brain the time to "move in" to your body as it changes, and you're going to be fine. :flowerforyou:

    +1

    Nice to read a realistic post on this topic.

    I was 30 when I lost over 3 stone (42lbs for the non-Brits). I lost it slowly over 8 months. I drank lots of water (well no added sugar weak squash). I exercised (cardio 30 mins daily plus body weight exercises such as Les Mills body balance, yoga and 30 day shred). I ate a relatively high amount of protein. But I still had loose skin, mainly on my tummy where I carried most of my weight and where I had stretch marks indicating I'd pushed my skins elasticity to the max. Some days I find the answers to this topic insulting. As though I did it wrong. I didn't. It was just one of those things.

    The only thing I did wrong was to stop and put nearly all of it back on :)
  • foxsylph
    foxsylph Posts: 54 Member
    My own experience: I lost 122 lbs when I was 22-23. Now, I have some loose skin, mostly in my upper arms and in my stomach area (as the poster above), it makes me sad as a perfectionist, but.. it's not too dramatic and I am happier with my appearance now than I was then. I don't think it's that noticeable to anyone else but me.

    Ultimately, I was losing a huge half of my body weight and I am proud of my little body for managing as well as it did. I put it through hell. I don't think the loose skin was avoidable entirely for me, but I didn't have one of those nightmare experiences of it and it hasn't destroyed my self-esteem.

    I did a lot of strength training, 3-4 times a week, as I lost the weight and I think it helped a lot - There was definitely a correlation between fast weightloss and the loose skin - so the commonly stated advice of slow and steady seems to have some mileage to it. I also experienced the loose skin developing more in the latter half of my weightloss process, the last 60 pounds, maybe. Before that, I didn't really see much in the way of difference to my skin. So maybe 75 pounds will not affect you badly depending on your genetics etc.

    Of note, I do think the effect has become less noticeable since the end of my weightloss. I don't know if that even makes sense but I have noticed it. Perhaps there is some potential for healing there.

    Goodluck.
  • IcanIwill1
    IcanIwill1 Posts: 137 Member
    There's not a huge amount you can do to prevent it, and not a huge amount of solid evidence for any prevention techniques. Anecdotally, you'll hear to try to lose it slowly, to keep hydrated, to eat a balanced, nutritious diet (including all your microvitamins, plenty of protein, plenty of fat...), to keep it moisturised and to strength train.

    I would accept that it's a very real possibility, but don't let it terrify you. It won't be "everywhere". I have some, mostly on my lower abdomen, a little on my upper arms, but it's not hideous. It's not something you can notice when I'm in clothes, and even in underwear, it's not really that noticeable. A lot of people find that it improves a bit after they've maintained for a while. It's not something I think about often. I still look way, way better than I did 90 lbs heavier.

    Genetics play a big part, and so does age. You are still very young, so you may get away with no obvious loose skin at all.

    Honestly, please don't get hung up on it though. It's good that you're thinking about it. I think some people go into significant weight loss assuming that they will end up looking like a cover girl, when in reality very few people look like that even if they've always been slim. Even the models themselves don't really look like that. Your body is going to have flaws, but it's still going to be beautiful, and it's still going to be so, so worth it to lose the weight.

    A pretty cool guy called CrusaderSam (who is older than you, and has lost 128 lbs) said "I have a lot of extra skin. I dont like it, but I can think of things much worse, that have happened to a lot better people then me", which I think is a great attitude. I honestly don't think you're going to have "a lot" of loose skin, and you may be lucky enough to avoid it altogether. Just take it slow and steady, and give your brain the time to "move in" to your body as it changes, and you're going to be fine. :flowerforyou:
    O what a beautiful post.
    Such a thoughtful, well reasoned, compassionate post.
    Thank you.
    All my adult life, all I ever had was my beautiful face, now thanks to losing almost 100lbs, at 52, looks like its not going to be "pretty face" going forward.
    I'm gutted, but realistic enough to accept, that at 52, the face would have gone sooner rather than later.
    Now, instead of looking 15yrs younger, thanks to a baby face, I now look my age or older.
    I had smugly, and glibly retorted to folks who were "looks centric", that I am not vain, thanks to a supreme confidence, in the belief, that I was not bad to look at, on the face.....I guess
    I have to walk that talk now, the comforting thing is that thanks to weight loss, I do it in sizes 4-6 clothes.
  • jimbmc
    jimbmc Posts: 83 Member
    I'm 45 now, lost around 5 stone (70lbs) in total over the last 2 years or so. Got loose skin around my tummy, and i know it'll never dissappear, but it doesn't bother too much if i'm honest.

    One thing I do religiously tho is use Bio Oil. Every morning, and every evening. Rub it into my tummy. :) I can't honestly say that it has had a transformation effect, but it cant hurt can it ? :P

    A good diet, plenty of water, some good Ab workouts in your routine, oh, and get a TAN!, you'll soon reach a point where you wont really notice. And if you don't, then chances are nobody else will either :)

    People are more likely to notice the confident, smiling, fit individual wandering down the beach, long before they spot a bit of loose skin :)
  • lavendah
    lavendah Posts: 126 Member
    I've heard that a high protein and low carb diet helps in that.Proteins are the ones that form and repair body cells,muscles and skin etc.,so a high protein diet minimizes muscle loss AND prevents lose skin.
    But then, I'm not entirely sure of that..I've not been able to try that yet cuz so far, I've not been able to lower my carbs and up my protein intake,unfortunately (it's my fault, haven't seriously tried).
    Apart from that, everyone says you shouldn't go too fast if you want to avoid it.
    After losing just 17 lbs, I have to admit that the skin around my upper arms has definitely gotten a BIT lose already and I'm also dreading that. :(
  • splitdog79
    splitdog79 Posts: 106 Member
    Hi there, welcome to MFP! I've lost about 175 or so. It's hard to know exactly since the highest scale I could find only went to 350 at the time so that's what I list but I believe I was closer to 400. I've got pretty severe loose skin at this point on my thighs, arms, stomach and, luckily, just a tiny bit on my chest.

    Yeah, it sucks, but without surgery there isn't a whole hell of a lot you can do about it. Luckily you are quite young so in all likelihood your elasticity isn't totally shot.

    I've just come to accept it as the price of doing business. It reminds me that I don't want to be "that dude" ever again.

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