How long for your body shape to stabilize?
PaulaKro
Posts: 5,789 Member
Can any long-time maintainers comment on how long it took your bodies to stabilize, like for the skin to tighten up and things like that, after you lost your weight? The doctor said maybe a year or so, but it would be nice to hear from people who have actually been there and done that.
I've lost 140 pounds and have lots of somewhat loose skin and am wondering if it will tighten up? And will my shape redistribute weight? I work out and lift weights which helps but doesn't solve everything.
So do our bodies "settle down" when we go into maintenance?
Thanks,
Paula
I've lost 140 pounds and have lots of somewhat loose skin and am wondering if it will tighten up? And will my shape redistribute weight? I work out and lift weights which helps but doesn't solve everything.
So do our bodies "settle down" when we go into maintenance?
Thanks,
Paula
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Replies
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I to am curious. While I have never lost that kind of weight I am curious as the answer. You see my sister is needing to lose alot of weight. And I am wanting to know for her.
Shelley0 -
losing 90 lbs i have the same concerns. i hope people answer this .0
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Count me in to, to see what the experience is. Thanks for posting it.0
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I can't really answer based on experience as I'm just getting close to maintenance but I think it really depends how much you have lost and to some degree how quickly you lost it.0
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I gained 50 pounds with my last pregnancy and it took a year to lose the actual weight, then another 6 months to lose 15 more pounds, then probably a good year more and a lot of heavy weight lifting for it to be back to 'normal', although I still have a little loose skin on my tummy that isn't ever going away. I have spent the last 8 years lifting weights and my body shape/muscle base continues to improve.0
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I have lost about 3 and 3/4 stone since January. Belly was very flabby a month ago but it is "shrinking". A friend of mine who had lost over 5 stone in the past told me it'd never tighten up properly and that it woukd take surgery to give me a flat tummy ! I was devastated ! But now I am not so sure ! It is tightening up and I hope I don't have to start saving for surgery ! It has surely got to take quite a while for your body to catch up with rapid weight loss ?0
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Yes, your body will slowly mold over the next year...Unfortunately not always will it all tighten, depending on your age and elasticity of your skin. Drink a lot of water and focus on skin health to restore elasticity so it goes back to the best of its ability :-)0
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Following...0
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Thanks to everyone for chipping in. It's very uplifting to hear there is hope.
I've been searching "excess skin" (even though that's only one element of body shape). But a lot of people say the skin does shrink, and that working out helps tone underneath the skin. So that's what I'm going to go for. I have about 25 pounds to maintenance, but then I'm giving myself a year of workouts to see what happens.
BTW, I'm 61 and started lifting in December which has already added muscle and gives my arms and shoulders good shape. Used to be just flab and bones, now it looks much better.0 -
I also want to know the best answers because I am also searching about how to tighten skin after lose weight ? Thanks for sharing.0
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I have done some research in to this and from what I have come to understand it has nothing to do with your skin but the stuff under it.
The hypodermis is beneath dermis which is beneath epidermis. It is used mainly for fat storage. It is often referred to as subcutaneous tissue though this is a less precise and anatomically inaccurate term.
The hypodermis is not part of the skin, and lies below the dermis. Its purpose is to attach the skin to underlying bone and muscle as well as supplying it with blood vessels and nerves. It consists of loose connective tissue and elastin. The main cell types are fibroblasts, macrophages and adipocytes (the hypodermis contains 50% of body fat).
Fibrous bands made of collagen and elastin anchor the skin to the deep fascia. How well your body can maintain them is not very well understood and has a lot of factors like age.
so it comes down to luck
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.
This is me after about 2 years of maintaining and weight lifting.
With a shirt on no one can ever tell I had a lot of lose skin
It will shrink up a little bit with time but if you have a lot, bottom line is you will need an operation to get rid of it.0 -
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.
gr8 attitude.:flowerforyou:0 -
Crusader Sam
Your post represents everything I love about this website.
Informative, real life experience, examples and photos of real life and real life bodies.
I really admire your progress and results. You've done an amazing job and whether you have a shirt on or not, we can all see that you are nothing but a buff, proud and strong athlete.
The loose skin just tells us even more about your character and won battles.
Hats off to you Sir!0 -
Crusader Sam
Your post represents everything I love about this website.
Informative, real life experience, examples and photos of real life and real life bodies.
I really admire your progress and results. You've done an amazing job and whether you have a shirt on or not, we can all see that you are nothing but a buff, proud and strong athlete.
The loose skin just tells us even more about your character and won battles.
Hats off to you Sir!
Well said!0 -
Love it.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.
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Crusader Sam
Your post represents everything I love about this website.
Informative, real life experience, examples and photos of real life and real life bodies.
I really admire your progress and results. You've done an amazing job and whether you have a shirt on or not, we can all see that you are nothing but a buff, proud and strong athlete.
The loose skin just tells us even more about your character and won battles.
Hats off to you Sir!
+10 -
Great work Sam!!!0
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To the OP who lost a mind boggling 149 lbs, congratulations! That is incredible.
To Sam, you are also an inspiration.0 -
Excess skin really depends on age, weight lost, whether you've been a yo-yo dieter who's lost and gained for years and years, etc. Everyone's different. My highest weight was 272. Today I was 119. I'm 61 years old, 5 feet tall and have lost and gained massive amts. of weight my entire life. I am currently on maintenance. After losing 150 pounds and re-gaining 75, I decided I was tired of the binge-diet lifestyle. (I'd lost and gained 100 pounds at least 3 times). I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery last August. It's a tool to stop the binge eating. For example.... I can no longer eat an entire large pizza in one sitting.... One slice and I'm full. Having the surgery was the best decision I've ever made. I look great in clothes, but naked, I look like a 100 year old woman.... or a Sharpei puppy. My skin isn't going to shrink. It's going to take multiple cosmetic surgeries to remove all my access skin. I'm most bothered by my "wings". I'm currently in the process of exploring my options for surgery. I had my sleeve surgery in Mexico with Dr. Guillermo Alvarez. I'm considering returning to Mexico for plastics, once I've done enough research to choose a Surgeon.0
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I'm bumping this because I am getting close to maintenace and so far so good but I want to hear experiences from others.0
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In for answers. I lost about 70 lbs over a year, have been maintaining for 8 months, and my body is still changing.0
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I started this weight loss journey 21 months ago and have lost 95 lbs. I weighed over 200 lbs for 30+ years, with some loss and gain along the way. Loose skin aside, my body shape continues to evolve. Even during the times when I wasn't losing weight in the last year, my body has continued to shrink. I'm hoping the re-shaping will continue this summer as I really work in the gym.0
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Sam you are AMAZING! Truly inspiring. Thank you.0
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Crusader Sam,
Thank you so much for the education and pictures. You look great and are truly inspirational! I hope the workout will help me achieve some of what you've done. Amazing!
Paula0 -
Amylynn, I feel the same way about the surgery. It is such a helpful tool! I'm also 61, but 5'9" and for some reason my skin still seems pretty elastic. If I can get results like Sam with working out, I may not need surgery. (fingers crossed)Having the surgery was the best decision I've ever made.
Paula0 -
Excess skin really depends on age, weight lost, whether you've been a yo-yo dieter who's lost and gained for years and years, etc. Everyone's different. My highest weight was 272. Today I was 119. I'm 61 years old, 5 feet tall and have lost and gained massive amts. of weight my entire life. I am currently on maintenance. After losing 150 pounds and re-gaining 75, I decided I was tired of the binge-diet lifestyle. (I'd lost and gained 100 pounds at least 3 times). I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery last August. It's a tool to stop the binge eating. For example.... I can no longer eat an entire large pizza in one sitting.... One slice and I'm full. Having the surgery was the best decision I've ever made. I look great in clothes, but naked, I look like a 100 year old woman.... or a Sharpei puppy. My skin isn't going to shrink. It's going to take multiple cosmetic surgeries to remove all my access skin. I'm most bothered by my "wings". I'm currently in the process of exploring my options for surgery. I had my sleeve surgery in Mexico with Dr. Guillermo Alvarez. I'm considering returning to Mexico for plastics, once I've done enough research to choose a Surgeon.
If you don't mind me asking...can you give me a range/estimate of what can be expected for the cost of a surgery like this? I remember that going out of the country often costs less than in the US. I'd be interested in both options. I'll give myself a year or 2 of weight training before I commit to surgery to remove the skin. But at minimum...I think my upper arms will need it.
Thanks in advance!0 -
I lost 30 lbs between April 2013 and October 2013, during this time i only went down 1 pants size and 1 shirt size. I have been maintaining (through logging calories alone due to health related issues) since October and have seen my body change considerably. I have since lost another pants size as well as another shirt size and I can tell my skin is tightening.0
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wow that is awesome weight loss! are you willing to share any information and diary to help me loss weight?
thank you,
dancerpurple0
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