What to do with flabby skin?

Ok, I lost the weight I want using MFP. Now I've been maintaining for 2 months (without counting calories, YAY!). Another problem now crops up - flabby skin.......what to do about that? Asking for help here.
I've tried and still am trying, going to the local gym and doing workouts 2x a week and exercising at home when I can. It just doesn't go away. All I get is a decrease in cm of thigh, butt and waist where I want them, but its covered over with hideous fatty skin. How do I go about tightening that. I need help and advice here.
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Replies

  • fluffyasacat
    fluffyasacat Posts: 242 Member
    Is it flab (extra fat you'd like to lose) or loose skin (which no amount of working out will erase)? Describing it as "flabby skin" is somewhat confusing.
  • jade2112
    jade2112 Posts: 272 Member
    I'm sorry to say the only way to get rid of it is surgery. Think of a balloon after the air is let out and it's all flabby looking. That's skin after the fat is gone.

    Exercising will firm the muscle behind it and make it look a little better. Unfortunately, exercising won't make it go away.

    I've lost over 115 pounds and have a lot of extra skin. I'm not willing to go under the knife, so I live with it. I hate it, but I live with it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Same boat here. Nothing but surgery can get rid of it.
  • ianthy
    ianthy Posts: 404 Member
    Yep - agree with others. If it is genuine flabby skin then there is not a lot you can do. I have toned up a lot but my thighs have a lot. Given the choice between having all that extra weight and the flabby thighs after weight loss = I will take the flabby thighs after weight loss. Certainly not interested in going under the knife. For the beach, shorts etc If you moisturise well it can look ok.
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  • Just a thought...I wonder if any of the facial skin tightening creams that are on the market would help at all? Could be an interesting experiment. Could be expensive, if there are large areas to cover, but not as expensive as surgery! ;)
  • fluffyasacat
    fluffyasacat Posts: 242 Member
    Just a thought...I wonder if any of the facial skin tightening creams that are on the market would help at all? Could be an interesting experiment. Could be expensive, if there are large areas to cover, but not as expensive as surgery! ;)

    No.

    Facial tightening creams make your face look and feel tighter by being made from a substance which contracts as it dries. It lasts until it's washed off. It doesn't do squat for the underlying tissue.
  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    Tuck it in my pants.
  • tremroy1
    tremroy1 Posts: 90 Member
    Congrratulations.......please dont stop counting......one of the keys for lasting success......as for the skin.....we are stuck with it.....good luck
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
    Some of it may tighten up after a while. I have maintained the same weight for over a year now and my loose skin has tightened up. It's not gone but it has lessened. I drink lots of water and use lotion every day. Best of luck to you and congratulations on meeting your goals!
  • Ok, I lost the weight I want using MFP. Now I've been maintaining for 2 months (without counting calories, YAY!). Another problem now crops up - flabby skin.......what to do about that? Asking for help here.
    I've tried and still am trying, going to the local gym and doing workouts 2x a week and exercising at home when I can. It just doesn't go away. All I get is a decrease in cm of thigh, butt and waist where I want them, but its covered over with hideous fatty skin. How do I go about tightening that. I need help and advice here.


    From what I know, surgery is the way.
    However, because I am new to this exercise/weight loss stuff... is there a way to avoid the loose skin that often develops?
  • peonip
    peonip Posts: 1 Member
    Wearing spanxs or tights under your clothing can help to hold everything in place, but I think only skin removal surgery can truly make a difference. Good luck.
  • beautifuldisasta
    beautifuldisasta Posts: 89 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss and maintaining :) Just going off how much you weighed and what you are now on your ticker, surely it cant be loose skin, as you weren't big to start with, I think you'll be fine just keep up with the exercise, eating well, drinking lots of water and I'm sure you will see results :)
  • TattooedCinderella
    TattooedCinderella Posts: 10 Member
    Most insurance companies will cover that surgery IF the skin covers your pubic bone. It's called a panectomy. They cover it bc once it covers the pubic bone it can lead to certain types of yeast infections bc of the dark, moist area. But the skin must cover the pubic bone. I did some research and spoke to my PCP about it. I still have a lot of weight to lose but I have the excess skin. Mine doesn't cover my pubic bone yet. She told me if I pull my skin eventually it'll cover the bone and I can get it! Can you imagine?! I thought she was kidding but she was serious! I can't picture myself walking the treadmill and yanking my excess skin so it'll cover my girly parts so I can get my panectomy covered!
  • Permanent results can only be done with surgery
  • plwp
    plwp Posts: 2 Member
    if it's fat, you lose more weight, if it's sagging skin, you can opt for surgery. You can also look into Thermage which is a laser treatment that can accomplish some tightening on the body.
  • kathyflannery129
    kathyflannery129 Posts: 151 Member
    depending on your age, some of it you are stuck with...unless you elect for surgery. I have it but have found it is something i will just learn to live with...think of it as kind of a badge of honor(hard i know)....along with my c section scar this is all mine...wouldn't go back for anything......
  • JodieSmith15
    JodieSmith15 Posts: 40 Member
    I know a lot of people who wear compression because of loose skin. Honestly it's just kind of part of the weight loss process. It's something I deal with and although I've seen good progress with the skin on my arms from weight lifting, my midsection not so much. But rather than focus on that I try to just live a healthy life, eat healthy foods and stay active. Maybe some day down the line after being in maintenance mode for a while I'll look at other options but it's not something I'm too worried about. I agree with kathy though, it shows where you've been and how hard you've worked, the stretch marks too. It may not seem that way but I try to look at it that way at least. Congratulations on reaching your goal and maintaining the loss, well done!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    It can retract some in a years time, but loose skin can't be tightened unless it's "filled" again (either with muscle or fat). You either accept it at that point, or get surgery to remove it.
    Don't fall for topicals, wraps, corsets, massages, etc. They may visually help temporarily, but that just it......it's temporary. And a lot of money to boot.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    depends how serious your coniditon is. If it is mild, i'd go to a dermatologist or laser skin clinic and see if there is something they can do to improve it… they have all the latest and greatest stuff..and will tell you the truth if it can be fixed without surgery.
  • kendalslimmer
    kendalslimmer Posts: 579 Member
    I'm not at this stage yet... but I hope to be.

    The idea of surgery is a little scary. It sounds like a very personal decision to make. Whatever you decide, good luck!
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    From what I know, surgery is the way.
    However, because I am new to this exercise/weight loss stuff... is there a way to avoid the loose skin that often develops?

    Two parts to my response, first to this specific question - stay hydrated, lose slowly. Your skin is elastic and will bounce back, but it needs help. Staying hydrated will help it with some of the bounce back. But as one other poster stated, think of it as an over-filled balloon that you let the air out of. It retracts, but there's some parts that are over-stretched and won't return to their original state. Keeping hydrated will help your skin retain some elasticity, but it won't fix all of it.

    On to part two. I *had* the surgery. I lost 170-ish pounds, maintained for over a year, which was my goal for allowing myself the surgery. I had an abdomnioplasty (tummy tuck) to fix the damage that I had done to my abs when I was seriously over-weight - when you completely separate the center septum of your abs from being so fat, no amount of situps will fix that - and had my mini-apron removed (like I said, hydrate and lose slowly, it will make a difference). At the same time, I had a "lateral chest tightening," which is what the surgeon called removing the skin from where my moobs had once been. Because I had the tummy tuck, I was out of work for 4 weeks (depending on your recovery) and not allowed to exercise for 8 weeks (again, depends on your recovery) and even then, it was easing back into things. The surgery wasn't cheap. Insurance doesn't pay for any of it (Even the severe cases where the skin rubs and you get sores and infections, it's considered cosmetic and elective. Sorry). I don't regret it for one second.

    If you go the route of surgery, there's preparatory vitamins and a good regiment of recovery supplements that your doctor should have information on. Everyone I know who's taken that kind of regiment, regardless of the surgery type, has had a much faster recovery. Just sayin'...
  • Oh wow, I had no idea! I need to contact my insurance company and see if mine covers this. If so, my skin definitely covers my pubic bone and its funny you mention yeast infections (sorry I know TMI LOL) but I have complained to my gyno for over a year about reoccurring yeast infections. Thanks a bunch!

    ETA: I wanted to quote. Sorry
  • Most insurance companies will cover that surgery IF the skin covers your pubic bone. It's called a panectomy. They cover it bc once it covers the pubic bone it can lead to certain types of yeast infections bc of the dark, moist area. But the skin must cover the pubic bone. I did some research and spoke to my PCP about it. I still have a lot of weight to lose but I have the excess skin. Mine doesn't cover my pubic bone yet. She told me if I pull my skin eventually it'll cover the bone and I can get it! Can you imagine?! I thought she was kidding but she was serious! I can't picture myself walking the treadmill and yanking my excess skin so it'll cover my girly parts so I can get my panectomy covered!

    Oh wow, I had no idea! I need to contact my insurance company and see if mine covers this. If so, my skin definitely covers my pubic bone and its funny you mention yeast infections (sorry I know TMI LOL) but I have complained to my gyno for over a year about reoccurring yeast infections. Thanks a bunch!
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
    Fill it with muscle!
  • kit_liu
    kit_liu Posts: 22 Member
    After much inspection, the flab is really fatty skin around the abdominal area. So it's more dieting and trying to fill it with muscles. Oh, the work we have to do to get a nice body. Trouble is, I don't want to loose any more weight. Maybe I can loose the weight and then fill it with water, which I have to have.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    Tuck it in my pants.

    And that is the right answer:laugh: Or surgery. But I'm in the broke boat, so tucking (or Spanx) it is.:grumble:
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Ok, I lost the weight I want using MFP. Now I've been maintaining for 2 months (without counting calories, YAY!). Another problem now crops up - flabby skin.......what to do about that? Asking for help here.
    I've tried and still am trying, going to the local gym and doing workouts 2x a week and exercising at home when I can. It just doesn't go away. All I get is a decrease in cm of thigh, butt and waist where I want them, but its covered over with hideous fatty skin. How do I go about tightening that. I need help and advice here.

    I would recommend you read through Crusadersam (Age 33) and ridesforsanity (age 40) for some possible insight comps:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.de/topics/show/1320856-success-and-loose-skin-worried?page=1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1164025-loose-skin-the-real-deal?page=1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1444061-loose-skin-my-experience?hl=loose+skin&page=1
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    After much inspection, the flab is really fatty skin around the abdominal area. So it's more dieting and trying to fill it with muscles. Oh, the work we have to do to get a nice body. Trouble is, I don't want to loose any more weight. Maybe I can loose the weight and then fill it with water, which I have to have.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress < Eat, Train, Progress < Join the Group. *Highly recommended*
  • fabnine
    fabnine Posts: 379 Member
    Tuck it in my pants.

    And that is the right answer:laugh: Or surgery. But I'm in the broke boat, so tucking (or Spanx) it is.:grumble:

    ^Yes! Then tan it, dress it cute & rock what you got.