Success and loose skin?! Worried!

Drea3210 · June 2014

I had originally started at 249 and and now down to 198!!! I never thought I'd see myself under two pounds again. It took me about 7
Months but I'm finally here. As I get closer and closer I reallly worry about excess skin!

at first I just wanted to reach a healthy weight but then I thought if I'm going to work this hard I midus well take it all the way. I have given myself the goal of 125ish. Now when I was younger I was very active. I hurt my knee and well started packing
On weight bad in middle school high school. And my mom made my life hell with my weight, I can't say she's the reason I have a terrible eating disorder but well...anyways. I have changed my diet and now excercise regularly. I've always had very muscular arms and legs but today when I went for my morning run I saw my legs and they just have so much fat on them. I mean you can still see my muscles but it got me thinking....what happens when I reach my weight loss goal?! Will I still be looking at these chubby legs. I'm blessed to have lost this weight thus far but I can't help but get worried about what my body will look like once I'm there?

I'm losing at 120 pounds to reach a healthy/fit weight. Anyone have experience with 120ish?
I know it's genetics and all that but I'm still young....or younger. Sorry hope I'm
Not offending anyone...but I'm 24. BUT I have been overweight for the last 7-8 years or so. Thanks! And good luck to everyone out there!

Polishprinsezz · June 2014

depends on your age and the health of your skin but i would much rather have some skin hangage then be obese again. i was about your starting weight too. my inner thighs are slightly jellowy and i will have a small stomach apron when i hit my goal weight of 135. i am 40 and i think i look pretty darn good.

sparklelioness · June 2014

I've been exactly where you are. I'm 5'2", I started at 262 lbs, and I'm now 154 (my ticker is a few lbs out of whack since I don't update til I go down - I hit 151 but I"ve been bouncing between 151-155 for a few months now. When I hit 150, I'll update again).

Anyway. I've lost more than 100 lbs, and I'm not a tall girl. I was very worried about loose skin for a long time, and for a long time my tummy was rather large, and I had visions of losing weight but still not looking how I wanted to look. Today, however, I was trying on some lingerie, and I realized that in the last few months, despite the fact that my weight hasn't really changed, my tummy has shrunk a LOT. I still have 30 lbs or so to lose, and judging from how I look right now, I think my tummy is going to be ok. There is a little loose skin, but it's not too bad. You can't see it at all with clothes on, and even in a bra and undies I look fine. Without undies there's a bit of loose skin and some tummy, but I thought it would be a LOT worse than it is.

I can tell you this - even WITH the loose skin, I am still a million times happier than I was when I was overweight. So don't let the loose skin thing bother you too much. Also, I am 42 years old and was overweight for at least ten years. You are young, you should bounce back even better than I did. Don't stress! Just keep on your fitness plan. I do recommend Jillian Michaels Six Week Six Pack - that dvd helped me a lot with getting a waist, getting some definition and tone, ect.

airangel59 · June 2014

Am older, was heavier, and carried it for about half my life. I expected worse sagginess than I am experiencing and everyone's situation is different. I'd rather have the sag than the pounds but again, I really think I lucked out, just need to firm & tone at this point.

AmandaNicole412 · June 2014

I've lost 190+ lbs in about 3 years time. I'm 30 years old... my skin has been extremely kind to me for losing so much and I attribute it to making sure I am consuming enough protein and keeping hydrated. It's not perfect but it's not bad at all...

ninerbuff · June 2014

People that usually have more than 80+lbs to lose may experience loose skin. To what degree will depend on genetics, age, rate of loss and total weight lost. The more weight one has to lose, the higher the chance.
Slower loss helps because the skin can retract back at a better rate. Whatever the outcome though, having a lower risk for health issues trumps having loose skin.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

dumparump · June 2014

The skin is one of the last to the party so to speak. If you lose weight quickly it will act as though it is in shock and take longer to bounce back. Some things to help your skin while losing weight is to TOUCH it. Aggressive massage, coffee scrub, body wraps and simple lotion application can help tone the appearance of skin while healing the organ's elasticity.

I'm a trained massage therapist and working with the body as a whole is a very important part of my practice. While I school I received massage every day. When I was, I had minimal cellulite and great skin tone--dont underestimate the power of touch for your health even if you do it yourself. Good luck.

MySlimGoals · June 2014

It's not going to happen at your age and the weight you currently are, but you definitely need to take it off (but slowly like you've been doing) before you get any older. If you're particularly worried do weights to tone different areas as you go. I shouldn't expect you to have any problems though unless you have a skin condition. Eat healthy as you lose weight to feed your skin.

CrusaderSam · June 2014

I will post some pics of myself because no one ever seems to read the text with no pics. The pics are only here to make sure you read the text, so you better do it!

This topic is so misunderstood. First its not even the skin that's loose, its the stuff under it where your fat is stored, that gets stretched out too. So anything that you put on for your skin wont help you, because once more its not the skin that's stretched out its the hypodermis (often just called your subq fat). So whatever magic horse jizz people will tell you to rub on your skin wont work because once more it is not even the skin it is where the body stored the fat under the skin that is loose.

The hypodermis has a complex matrix of cells, that let it be stretchy and keep your skin attached to your muscle. It is made up of fibroblast cells once they become set it doesn't matter how fast you lose the weight or you diet or water intake. The fat cells may shrink up to almost the size of nothing but they don't die and the fibroblast cells that hold them in to place wont shrink or go away. There is no right or wrong way, everything is already set in place before you drop your first pound. (a lot of it will depend on luck)

If you have a lot it wont get better with time. My skin has been like this for over 2 years it does not get better with time and I know people that have had loose skin for 10+ years. IT WILL NOT GET BETTER ON ITS OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok now I am done with that wall of text what do you do if you get loose skin. You have one of 2 options, get an operation of some kind to get it removed or live with it. People have gotten arms and legs blown and gotten burned and moved on with their lives so can you.

Last part of this is for everyone else. One of the things I hate most is people feeling sorry for me. I don't feel sorry for myself and I sure as hell don't want anyone's pity and I am sure most people feel this way. Stop telling people with loose skin all kinds of crazy stuff just to make them feel better they don't need that, they need the truth. Unless you know 100% sure that it works just keep it to yourself.( Just like when we lose weight none of us want to hear about that crazy *kitten* fad diet we also don't want to hear about the crazy *kitten* fad skin care product)

Oh yeah the pics
Me not trying to hide it

It is so thin but loose I can hide most of it by pulling at and some boxers(and some instagram filters lol)

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

IHateThinkingOfAUsername · June 2014

I will post some pics of myself because no one ever seems to read the text with no pics. The pics are only here to make sure you read the text, so you better do it!

This topic is so misunderstood. First its not even the skin that's loose, its the stuff under it where your fat is stored, that gets stretched out too. So anything that you put on for your skin wont help you, because once more its not the skin that's stretched out its the hypodermis (often just called your subq fat). So whatever magic horse jizz people will tell you to rub on your skin wont work because once more it is not even the skin it is where the body stored the fat under the skin that is loose.

The hypodermis has a complex matrix of cells, that let it be stretchy and keep your skin attached to your muscle. It is made up of fibroblast cells once they become set it doesn't matter how fast you lose the weight or you diet or water intake. The fat cells may shrink up to almost the size of nothing but they don't die and the fibroblast cells that hold them in to place wont shrink or go away. There is no right or wrong way, everything is already set in place before you drop your first pound. (a lot of it will depend on luck)

If you have a lot it wont get better with time. My skin has been like this for over 2 years it does not get better with time and I know people that have had loose skin for 10+ years. IT WILL NOT GET BETTER ON ITS OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok now I am done with that wall of text what do you do if you get loose skin. You have one of 2 options, get an operation of some kind to get it removed or live with it. People have gotten arms and legs blown and gotten burned and moved on with their lives so can you.

Last part of this is for everyone else. One of the things I hate most is people feeling sorry for me. I don't feel sorry for myself and I sure as hell don't want anyone's pity and I am sure most people feel this way. Stop telling people with loose skin all kinds of crazy stuff just to make them feel better they don't need that, they need the truth. Unless you know 100% sure that it works just keep it to yourself.( Just like when we lose weight none of us want to hear about that crazy *kitten* fad diet we also don't want to hear about the crazy *kitten* fad skin care product)

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

+1

Julesmichelle · June 2014

I will post some pics of myself because no one ever seems to read the text with no pics. The pics are only here to make sure you read the text, so you better do it!

This topic is so misunderstood. First its not even the skin that's loose, its the stuff under it where your fat is stored, that gets stretched out too. So anything that you put on for your skin wont help you, because once more its not the skin that's stretched out its the hypodermis (often just called your subq fat). So whatever magic horse jizz people will tell you to rub on your skin wont work because once more it is not even the skin it is where the body stored the fat under the skin that is loose.

The hypodermis has a complex matrix of cells, that let it be stretchy and keep your skin attached to your muscle. It is made up of fibroblast cells once they become set it doesn't matter how fast you lose the weight or you diet or water intake. The fat cells may shrink up to almost the size of nothing but they don't die and the fibroblast cells that hold them in to place wont shrink or go away. There is no right or wrong way, everything is already set in place before you drop your first pound. (a lot of it will depend on luck)

If you have a lot it wont get better with time. My skin has been like this for over 2 years it does not get better with time and I know people that have had loose skin for 10+ years. IT WILL NOT GET BETTER ON ITS OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok now I am done with that wall of text what do you do if you get loose skin. You have one of 2 options, get an operation of some kind to get it removed or live with it. People have gotten arms and legs blown and gotten burned and moved on with their lives so can you.

Last part of this is for everyone else. One of the things I hate most is people feeling sorry for me. I don't feel sorry for myself and I sure as hell don't want anyone's pity and I am sure most people feel this way. Stop telling people with loose skin all kinds of crazy stuff just to make them feel better they don't need that, they need the truth. Unless you know 100% sure that it works just keep it to yourself.( Just like when we lose weight none of us want to hear about that crazy *kitten* fad diet we also don't want to hear about the crazy *kitten* fad skin care product)

Thank you for sharing your explanation. I see you have lost in excess of 120 lbs... What timescale did it take you to lose that amount?

clairetomkinson84 · June 2014

Good on you for sharing your pictures. You should feel very proud of yourself! Losing all that weight is an amazing effort!

I am in the middle of my weight loss journey and in all honesty I would much rather have loose skin than have to carry around this ridiculous amount of weight. It might not be the most attractive thing to look at to a lot of people but when I look at loose skin I think of it as a battle against the fat that is being won. I was watching Fat Doctors and one of the surgeons said that stretch marks are damage to the skin so if you look at the part of the body you are worried about then you will probably be able to tell from that. I know I will have loose skin, I'm 29, been overweight for years and had my baby 11 months ago so I've put my body through a lot over the years. It's done me well and loose skin or not the body is something to be proud of :-).

yasmine334 · June 2014

I've lost 190+ lbs in about 3 years time.

You rock :flowerforyou:

BEVERLYSTEEN · June 2014

I agree with Crusadersam, it may be hard for some to accept his facts but it sounded from the heart to me.

candidcamster · June 2014

While I appreciate Crusadersam's opinion and first hand experience, his journey doesn't represent everyone's with over 100 lbs to lose, proof? Look at some of the OTHER before and after posters stories and their pictures. I do agree that whatever advice we give a stranger on the net about his or her potential for loose skin is anecdotal but sadly so is his. It probably couldn't hurt to strength train, do skin massages, dry brushing, use nourishing creams, etc. I wish you the best in your journey.

CrusaderSam · June 2014

Thank you for sharing your explanation. I see you have lost in excess of 120 lbs... What timescale did it take you to lose that amount?

Lost about 1% of my body weight a week some weeks I did better then others so in total it took a year and a few months, so it wasn't over night that is for sure.

While I appreciate Crusadersam's opinion and first hand experience, his journey doesn't represent everyone's with over 100 lbs to lose, proof? Look at some of the OTHER before and after posters stories and their pictures. I do agree that whatever advice we give a stranger on the net about his or her potential for loose skin is anecdotal but sadly so is his. It probably couldn't hurt to strength train, do skin massages, dry brushing, use nourishing creams, etc. I wish you the best in your journey.

First let me say that fat cells shrink but the fibroblast cells don't isn't anecdotal. That it is a fact you can look it up and see if it is true or false. If you believe it or not doesn't make it untrue, that's science.

In a way you are right, but lets put it this way, not everyone that gets into an auto accident will loose an arm or leg, and not everyone that has 100 or more to lose will get loose skin. Just if it does so happen, that's it. Now you could tell someone who has lost an arm or leg to strength train, massage and put creams on their stump, who knows it could grow back right, every one is different right...right. NOOOOOOOOOOOO you don't do that to people. It might make YOU feel better(giving them hope), but it makes the OTHER person feel worse when it doesn't come to pass. Like I said not everyone will get bad loose skin but when you got it, you got it.

Now lets go in to why people should stop saying stuff like this (and ignore people that do). It makes people feel like they might have done something "wrong" and they should feel "ashamed" of themselves. I just want to say to everyone, don't be silly you didn't do anything "wrong". It might not look the best (I know, I have it) but its not something to be ashamed of because "you did it the wrong way" that's just being silly. If it doesn't happen to you great, you are lucky, if it does, once more you didn't do anything wrong (its way more common then people think but they are ashamed of it and wont show it) and you are a big guy or gal, you will deal with it when the time comes.

I remember when I was a kid, I always kind of short(I wanted to be some 6ft 6 nba player or something). I would ask my dad all the time what I could do to get taller. So he would tell me the common stuff like get lots of sleep but in the end this was just bull. He was telling me so I wouldn't feel bad and it made him feel better, that he could tell me something that could help. Yeah the extra sleep didn't hurt but it sure didn't make me taller lol (or at least over 6ft). The problem is this is the kind of stuff you tell to kids, not other adults. The fact is I am 5'11" I didn't do anything wrong that stopped me from becoming 6'6" that's just the hand life dealt me, I am not going to play in the nba and I have to move on and in no way should I ever feel bad about that.

It is so damn hard to accept things sometimes. Us overweight (or former overweight) people have a harder time with that then most. A lot of times why we ended up overweight in the first place. So when things don't turn out the way we wanted bam right back in to old habits. Spitting out this nonsense like "rub this stuff on your skin flap your arms like a chicken and cluck" might make make you feel better, like you are helping but in the end you are not, and just making them feel foolish (trust me I have been there) and you are not helping.

Sorry for the wall of text.

candidcamster · June 2014

Just as you can share your facts, as can I, as someone who has been overweight nearly my entire life, I made it my business to investigate loose skin and how to prevent it. About your situation, I never made those suggestions of you which your comment here suggests " Now you could tell someone who has lost an arm or leg to strength train, massage and put creams on their stump, who knows it could grow back right, every one is different right...right. NOOOOOOOOOOOO you don't do that to people. It might make YOU feel better(giving them hope), but it makes the OTHER person feel worse when it doesn't come to pass." I was referring to someone who is still going through her weight loss journey as am I. I am currently 282.2 (my weight has been as high as 350) with a goal weight of 150 lbs. and I am sure I will probably have some loose skin, I just hope it isn't necessary to have surgery but if it is, it is. In the meantime I will be following the same advice I gave. If you and I end up in a similar scenario it doesn't negate the advice, not everyone will bounce back, but some people do, that is all. It's fine to offer a counter-argument, but I feel you're scaring people more than motivating with your dour outlook.

In conclusion (because we're obviously not going to change our opinions so I am done w/the debate) some women get stretch marks during pregnancy, and some don't. Many of these women feel keeping their skin lubricated w/oils (such as shea, cocoa butter, olive oil, etc.) prevents or minimizes stretch marks , and I've seen dermatologists recommend this as well, but some people still get stretch marks. It doesn't mean those that didn't are wrong and those that did are right, it happens. Not everything will work for everyone. As mentioned previously, it couldn't hurt to do those things, it isn't a guarantee it's just all you have at this time until the moment of truth happens.

IHateThinkingOfAUsername · June 2014

It makes people feel like they might have done something "wrong" and they should feel "ashamed" of themselves. I just want to say to everyone, don't be silly you didn't do anything "wrong". It might not look the best (I know, I have it) but its not something to be ashamed of because "you did it the wrong way" that's just being silly. If it doesn't happen to you great, you are lucky, if it does, once more you didn't do anything wrong (its way more common then people think but they are ashamed of it and wont show it) and you are a big guy or gal, you will deal with it when the time comes.

Well said. When I lost just over 3 stone (42lbs) I had loose skin on my tummy. I felt ashamed like I'd lost weight wrong. I didn't.
The only thing I did wrong was put the weight back on. (Hey it fixed my loose skin 'problem' lol)

JourneyingJessica · June 2014

I waited to post-- this because it seems to be a pretty opinionated topic. So here's my experience - as in life your milage may vary.

Over the past year ive lost 113lbs, going from 278.2 to 165 as of Friday. Im 5'5" & pear shaped & was obese the last 15 years.

Do i have loose skin? Not really i don't think. When i lose weight the fat kinda goes from feeling hard & firm -> softer ~> jiggly ~> gone. Im in a sorta jiggly stage on my arms, thighs and my very lower stomach. Theres fat there - Its not just skin. However, its not bad - i actually tried on a few bikinis not long ago.

I lost weight off my waist first i started at 43" and now im 31" - nothing loose just a little bit of weight left to lose from there. My butt and hips are fine too. Lost 11" going from 54" to 43".

I did (& continue to do) a lot of things "wrong" but in the end it works for me. I subscribe to the drink 1/2 your body weight in oz theory (eg if you weigh 200lbs you need to drink 100oz), i get veggies in every day & weigh myself every day. I lost 50lbs thru diet alone, and At 220 i started working out (yet something else i did 'wrong'). Now I work out a lot. last month i walked over 100 miles, attended a ton of classes.

I don't "clean" eat, have a sweet almost every day, don't always make 1200 calories/day (i look at a weekly number verses a daily one).

For me, the most important thing - minus the weight loss was my most recent NSV. I was able to walk down & up several flights of stairs without pain! :happy: for years i thought i messed my knees up & i was broken. But I'm seeing crazy improvement in moving & i think my knees are gonna be ok.

I guess my feeling is don't put the loose skin cart before the weight loss horse. Worst case if you're unhappy after you get surgery or heck gain the weight back. I personally feel so much better now than i did this time last year. Just my $0.02.

LovelyVegetarian · June 2014

My area of concern is the lower tummy, which is many a mom's issue. I had two kids 21 months apart and two C-sections. While I don't think I will ever have a magazine-worthy stomach, the more the weight drops, the smaller that area becomes. It's not loose skin per se as I know there is still fat under there. I know it will shrink a lot as it already has. I don't think the skin elasticity is as good now but I still think I will be able to wear a bikini confidently by the end of summer. When I was pregnant my belly was ENORMOUS - the human body is incredible!

I know someone who's lost a LOT of weight through aggressive weight training. She looks amazing. She was obese most of her life. Even with all the super hard work (also dietary), she has a 6 pack of defined abs now BUT there is some loose on top of that 6 pack. But as I said, she looks amazing. And she's probably extended her life span considerably now that she's so healthy.

In conclusion, I would say not to let the fear of loose skin stop you from being healthy. Everyone is different but as many have said, I would gladly take loose skin over obesity and health related issues.

impromark · June 2014

It's fun whenever this topic comes up, which is about once a month on average. Everyone weighs in, CrusaderSam posts his pics and text, the community and the original poster are satisfied, and we move on. Until the next time.

I think what this teaches is that everyone is different. While those who are losing larger amounts of weight will most likely have some loose skin here or there, it's generally manageable and if you're lucky and/or younger and/or have less to lose from your max weight, the better your chances are. I think we can ALL agree though that loose skin or not, it's WAY better than the way we were!

Speaking from my own experience, I'm 37 years old and about fifty pounds down from January 2013, and well over eighty pounds down from my all-time high of 230 pounds in 2008. My arms, legs and chest have snapped in nicely, but there is and will likely always be some looseness around the middle as that's where much of the excess was located; ditto for my lower back and bum, which my wife complains isn't as nice as it was when I was heavier. I'm just starting into a maintenance mode though, so as I continue to train (and there's the real message - when you get to a number that makes you happy, DON'T STOP your diet / workout routine - CHANGE things up and keep going to become even healthier!) I'm hoping to reduce what's left as I hopefully stabilize here. Maybe the looseness in the middle will ease down, maybe it won't, but don't let it discourage you - you're still doing the right thing!

So personally, I may never get the six-pack I've dreamed of... But the four guys sticking out down there are awesome, and I'm not gonna stop chasing the dream simply because the scale says I'm at a healthy weight!

Mark

Success and loose skin?! Worried!

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