Over 100 pound loss loose skin ?

We started at almost the same weight. I've lost almost 80 and the places I notice my skin really "sagging" are my arms and upper thighs. Truthfully, I am working my *kitten* off in the gym to try to tighten these areas, but I still have a long way to go...so. Interested in seeing other people's feedback.

I started at 360. I've lost 81# and I've definitely noticed saggy, loose skin. I don't think it will always be like that. You have to give yourself a couple years after hitting your goal weight for your skin to catch up. I have a 5 year goal, 3 years to hit my goal weight and another 2 years to tone and tighten. Once I get there I will reassess my skin and decide whether or not to have surgery.

I have been obese for 20 years so I am aware that some areas may not tighten up as well. I've seen other people who've lost 100+ pounds and continue to strength train and who've tightened up a lot. Young or old you can tighten your skin a lot if you strength train.

I previously lost 100# in under 12 months. Ridiculous, I know. But I had serious motivation and I did it. That being said, I did not face any saggy skin as I did it with consistent exercising of all muscle groups. I was very lucky. I did encounter the female "bat wings" under my upper arms, but that is something I just could not ditch... When I was walking, either on the track or the treadmill, I always had hand weights in my hands to move additional and did other arm motions with the weights. To me, that was key in getting toned they way I did.

Great job on the weight loss! I'm hoping I can get my butt back in gear and lose it again!

Other than my arms the worst place where I have saggy skin is where I carried my children. I continually workout and do strength training. Skin removal surgery is way too expensive and a risky surgery that I would rather do without.

Wanted to share that all the fit women in my step aerobics class complain of flabby arms. I am hoping that with continued workouts that I will see improvement.

I had the same concerns when I started here, and had used it as an excuse not to do anything about my weight for a very long time, but I promise you the pluses of being slimmer/fitter/looking nicer in clothes will far outweigh the negativity you may feel about looser skin. Nobody can predict how your body will end up but don't let it worry you, we sag as we age anyway so none of us will make it out of life wrinkle-free!

It really depends on your age, how overweight you are, and how long you were overweight. Skin can only take so much abuse and after it has been stretched over for a long period of time, there will most likely be some consequences with the loss. I am 47 and have lost over 70 but have very little, as I was not overweight for that long, and probably wouldn't have any if I were younger. With that said, when you lose the weight, you will feel healthier and happier and any skin concerns will take a big backseat (if you have a healthy attitude about it). The benefits of the weight loss FAR outweigh any little saggy skin problems, and loose skin will not cause poor health, as being overweight does. Just focus on one thing at a time and don't worry about that for now. Good luck !

Yeah, I'm going to have a little saggy skin... I was over twice a healthy body weight for my stature and frame. Like everyone else has said, it gets better with time... some things that I have actively noticed improve the issue for me:

1. Strength and weight training, specifically hypertrophy training, will help immensely. Filling in those areas in with muscle with help firm and tone saggy skin.

2. Good ole "Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Firming Lotion" $5-$7 USD a bottle. Especially a problem for guys cause we tend not to care about it, but the truth is dry skin is not happy or healthy skin.

3. Drinking more water. Kind of falls in line with no. 2, but why was my skin dry in the first place? Hydration. Your body needs it.

I'm gonna be brutally honest, when you drop an extreme amount of weight, it is an unfortunate fact that you're going to have skin. When you stretch it out that far, it just doesn't go back. Exercising does help! Toning up muscle is great, and it does tighten up some of the skin, but unfortunately, when you go from a large body mass, to a much smaller, that skin unfortunately doesn't shrink. I've got a lot of skin hanging off of my arms, my stomach looks really bad, and the tops of my thighs. My breasts have suffered as well, but that's from being middle aged and giving birth. When I get off the last 40/50lbs, I'm going to have a body lift, and get rid of all of this skin, and have everything lifted and put back where it's supposed to go. My husband has been extremely supportive, and told me that any time I'm ready, we'll start looking for surgeons. **Edit, it cut my husband out of the second picture! He's lost over 170lbs as well!**

If you right click on the image and open in a new tab you can see the full picture. Way to go! You both look amazing. My hubby and I have lost 185# combined. It's a great feeling to lose it with your SO. :-)

I've lost 120 and my skin is sooooo wrinkly and saggy already. I knew it would be.. Even when I was heavier, it was saggy. I had a friend who lost 130ish pounds with gastric bypass.. her skin looked like she had never been fat.- so everyone is different.

Your skin may retract some as time goes by.

The less time you've been fat, the more likely your skin will retract.- I've been morbidly obese my entire life. Sucks for me
The younger you are the more likely your skin will retract.. I'm over 40. Sucks for me
The more genetically blessed you are with elasticity in your skin, the more likely your skin will retract.- my normal weight mother is VERY saggy and my optimal weight athlete baby sister is in her 20s and has batwings.. sucks for them.. AND for me because this is my genetic lot in life.

Some say if you dutifully wear compression garments throughout the process of losing weight that it will help the skin to retract.
Doing strength training can help fill out the area that was once fat with muscle but honestly, you're not going to gain THAT much muscle to fully fill out the volume of skin that will be empty once the fat is all gone. EXERCISE DOES NOT TIGHTEN SKIN. PERIOD.

Personally I'm saving for cosmetics.

Not personally, but my friend has lost and kept off more than 100lbs for over a year. She is getting a consult for a tummy tuck. She has had 2 c-sections, her apendix removed, and an entire ab muscle removed due to a tumour so there is no chance of muscles bouncing things back for her. She describes it as having a skirt of skin around her mid section. In the summer she has to worry about irritation and rashes in the skin folds. The folds really show when she wears things like dresses and light-weight fabrics.
From my perspective, her arms look saggy too and still havent bounced back so I think there is a good chance that you will encounter some saggy loose skin by the end.

She looks terrific because she is at a healthy size, but it is evident that she has lost a lot of weight and it wasnt kind to her.

Edited to say: We are both in our early 30's. Being younger doesnt guaruntee your skin will bounce back.

I've lost 96lbs in 13 months and im a 32yr old mother of 4. (Which includes a huge twins and 3c-sections) I started at 275lbs. I have a little loose skin on my arms and thighs, my belly still has a good solid 40lbs of fat on it. As someone else said, dont use that fear against yourself. I feel a million times better, loose skin and all! Good luck to you

Congratulations to all of you for being so honest with your journeys and incredible weight losses.

I've lost over 100lbs and had a baby along the way too. Strength training has by far had the biggest impact on my loose skin. I don't really have any on my arms, a little on the tops of my thighs and I have a small w shaped crease at the bottom of my tummy - but that is even going with time and lifting. I'm not sure it will ever go completely, but I can hide it in my underwear and no one can see it! For me, focusing on reducing my body fat % and lifting heavy has been the way to go