Will my stomach skin ever NOT be saggy?

numinousnymph
numinousnymph Posts: 249 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i'm 23 years old. i've been overweight since around the age of 7, my highest weight was when i was 15 years old at 192 lbs (and i'm 5' 4"ish (prob between 5' 4" and 5' 5"). starting at 15 i then began to lose weight, over about 1.5 years i got down to 135. then went back up to 167 over the next 5 - 6 years. september 2013 i was at 167 when i started to get really serious about losing weight again, and i'm now down to 128, and my goal is between 115 - 120. i am determined to keep the weight off this time as i've done a big lifestyle change as far as my eating habits go.

my lower abdominal area is the main problem. of course this is one of the last places on my body where most of my fat is, but it also has shrunk a lot (i've lost 7 inches from my waist since september). i still have fat there, but there is evidence of excess/saggy skin by the presence of wrinkles and "frowning" bellybutton when i sit, and if i bend over a lot of my stomach just hangs down and looks really wrinkly. i know part of the hang is still fat, but it's also excess skin. i hear everyone saying the younger you are the less chance for you to have saggy skin or for it to be permanent, as your skin will "snap back". granted, i was not morbidly obese, but since i was overweight and obese for probably around 8 - 9 years total, do you think my stomach skin has lost all hope of not looking wrinkly one day (after i've gotten to my goal weight)? i know core excercises will help tone and tighten a little bit, but i don't think it will stop the skin from looking wrinkly or saggy. like the people you see that have lost 100+ lbs and their abdomens look great and flat in their "after" pictures. is that REALLY possible? my stomach is the part of my body i really dislike the most -- even now that i'm at a healthy weight there is still enough fat/skin there that it's larger than a pooch and "hangs"! it's awful to think that even if i lose 10, 15 more lbs my stomach will still look like this. :(

Replies

  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    It's really impossible to say, but you know what? IT DOESN'T MATTER.

    What's important is that you get and keep yourself living a healthy lifestyle. Every single person (especially women) will nit pick every little thing about herself -- things that other people would actually ENVY.

    Best thing you can do for yourself is be proud of your accomplishment and enjoy life and appreciate your health.
  • hermann341
    hermann341 Posts: 443 Member
    As a younger person, your skin is still pretty elastic. I've read that it can take up to two years to shrink to fit.
  • cholepapi
    cholepapi Posts: 79
    Everyone is different, some have it and some skins will go back to normal. My nephew weighed about 200 by the age of 10 and he didn't loose weight till 18. He now has extra skin and confused it with fat so now he's anorexic. Please don't confuse this skin with fat if it doesn't go back.
  • rayo429
    rayo429 Posts: 9
    Hi,
    well done on your determination :-)
    Two years ago I had VERY wrinkly arms and the most awful saggy, wrinkly stomach. It was really disheartening and I felt hideous to put it bluntly. Now I have a stomach / arms that I'm not ashamed of and this is what worked for me..... all the ab exercises and arm weight exercises on 30 day shred (I alternated them 5 days a week and spent 10 mins a day doing them), drank plenty of water and massaged body lotion in after every shower to keep skin hydrated. I ate well and slowed down my weight loss, so much so that 2 years in I still have 7lbs to go. Slower progress is kinder to body & mind x

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