Skinny fat or loose skin? Help!

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fatframe91
fatframe91 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a 5'7 male who is 146 lbs. In a period of about 6 months I dropped about 47 lbs off my frame in what I now realize was a unhealthy way by doing alot of cardio and eating below maintenance.

Its been almost a year since the weight loss and here is what I look like today at 146 lbs.

http://imgur.com/a/CzaVZ (the pictures are not very pretty but help describe the problem below)

My lower body is an absolute mess. Once you get to my flabby stomach it goes down hill. My butt is horribly saggy, I can grab a handful of fat and pull it off to the side. Outside my thighs when I sit there is a line of inches of fat. My calves have a handful of fat that i can pickup with easy and pull out to the side.

So I am confused at this point if I have loose skin or am just skinny fat?

Also how can I fix this mess I created? How long would it realistically take? What do I have to do? A gym is out of question so I am limited by home workouts.

Replies

  • skinny0000
    skinny0000 Posts: 90 Member
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    Hard to see from the pictures, but honestly, you don't look that bad at all. I have a double saggy keg belly now, with red stretch marks. I am sure there are plenty of doctors who will remove extra skin.
  • cantfail
    cantfail Posts: 169 Member
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    I agree, those pictures don't look that bad. Since you are very young, the skin will probably shrink a bit. I would recommend resistance training. Look into "You Are Your Own Gym". It is a program for body weight resistance training.
  • fatframe91
    fatframe91 Posts: 7
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    Hard to see from the pictures, but honestly, you don't look that bad at all. I have a double saggy keg belly now, with red stretch marks. I am sure there are plenty of doctors who will remove extra skin.

    If I had the money I still dont think I would do that but thanks maybe I do look at myself to harshly.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    That's just loose skin. It sounds like this rapid weight loss was recent. That loose skin is totally normal for the amount of weight lost in that time period. Good thing--you are young. Your skin is young. It WILL improve with time, the elasticity will improve. I suggest that you are now quite slender, and no more weight loss is necessary. Strength training, even at home, can build a little muscle for you and improve your body's overall tone.

    You must eat at maintenance level, or slightly above, eat enough protein (use IIFYM.com to find your macros), and lift heavy. If you do not have access to weights at home or gym, there are many body weight strength training programs out there. I like YAYOG (You are Your Own Gym)--there's a book, DVDs, and a phone/tablet app. I use just the app, and find it progressively challenging, and has three 10-week programs from novice through advanced strength levels.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    You're too hard on yourself! I don't think the loose skin looks that bad at all. I think it's skinny fat and some strength training will hopefully sort it out. Try that first then consider whether something more serious like surgery is needed.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    You're too hard on yourself! I don't think the loose skin looks that bad at all. I think it's skinny fat and some strength training will hopefully sort it out. Try that first then consider whether something more serious like surgery is needed.

    NO! No surgery is needed! Hell, 90% of women who give birth and lose all the "baby weight" are left with significantly bigger amounts of empty skin than that. We mommies are not ALL needing tummy tucks and whatnot. Good old strength training and patience will sort it all out. The body is an amazing, resilient thing!
  • fatframe91
    fatframe91 Posts: 7
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    Thanks everyone im going to try out the be your own gym app and see how those workouts go for me. Im also going to try to be a little bit more active and get all the proper nutrients my body needs, hopefully that will workout.
  • blastbeat78
    blastbeat78 Posts: 31 Member
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    I lost 50lbs quite rapidly and was left with a lot of lose skin around my stomach. I train hard and eat clean but nothing improves it but I can see muscle definition in my abs when my weight really drops. I've been to see 2 surgeons and both advised that liposuction would not be an option as there's not much fat there and that I need a mini tummy tuck!! :(

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