Excess skin or fat?

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BflSaberfan
BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
in Health and Weight Loss
My thighs, butt and belly all feel like jelly. I did lose 50lbs. How do I know if its skin or fat?

I have had 2 pregnancies and 2 csections so I know besides the extra fat I carried I will have some excess skin, but this seems like an awful lot so maybe it really is fat?

ETA I am doing insanity now and am hoping this helps tighten everything up. I look fine when I'm standing, but when I sit it feels like the excess skin and/or fat smushes out making me appear to be very wide. I lost all this weight and am not even looking forward to wearing shorts this summer. Ugh.
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Replies

  • tharp0224
    tharp0224 Posts: 1 Member
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    I have lost 30 pounds so far and have the same problem! I have a 7 month old baby and I know that my stomach isa lot of extra skin. The inner thighs I am also battling with. I am interested to see what others say as well!
  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
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    Did you lose the weight really fast? I've heard that if you lose it quickly, it can cause excess skin. By losing it slowly, your skin tightens as you lose, so it is less likely you will have excess skin. I don't know if it's true; it's just what I've heard. Best of luck!
  • irishgal44
    irishgal44 Posts: 1,181 Member
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    Capri pants are my friend. Hoping this summer I will be able to wear shorts in public. It would seriously be a dream. Keep on doing the insanity and you will see results though. I run and when I haven't run in a few days things start to jiggle around (my calfs when I walk and thighs)...as soon as I start my routine again, after 3-4 days I don't feel that anymore. You will be great by summer!
  • kehowe83
    kehowe83 Posts: 79 Member
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    One way that I could tell was by how "filled in" it is. you can do this by grabbing a chunck of skin with your finger tips (like your are just pinching the skin) and twising it around. The more you can twist it around without any pain, the more skin it is... you will see it get really wrinkly. The harder it is to grab just a finger tip full of skin, the more fat is in the skin. For example, you have a decent amount of skin on the top of your hand, try that out and see what that looks like. If you can do something similar to other parts of your body, you have excess skin there. I do it to my upper arms and can twirl for days. do it to my legs and I can't, too much fat to let me get a good grip of just skin.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    I lost the weight at a fairly reasonable rate, about 2lbs a week.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    One way that I could tell was by how "filled in" it is. you can do this by grabbing a chunck of skin with your finger tips (like your are just pinching the skin) and twising it around. The more you can twist it around without any pain, the more skin it is... you will see it get really wrinkly. The harder it is to grab just a finger tip full of skin, the more fat is in the skin. For example, you have a decent amount of skin on the top of your hand, try that out and see what that looks like. If you can do something similar to other parts of your body, you have excess skin there. I do it to my upper arms and can twirl for days. do it to my legs and I can't, too much fat to let me get a good grip of just skin.

    I cant tell on my thighs its definitely skin, my stomach is harder to tell though.
  • stephierae25
    stephierae25 Posts: 60
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    *Bump* To read later. I have this problem too from being pregnant. :(
  • bolton05
    bolton05 Posts: 22 Member
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    Switch your workout to circuit style full body, full monty workouts. For example, I do a cardio/resistance blend (P90X and P90X plus). Because women have stubborn fat, almost everything has to have resistance and cardio mix. This is the way many figure models train to get super lean. So change up your workout, manipulate your carbs (no carbs after 2nd meal unless your are working out in the evening, then make sure your give yourself at post workout), and see if your body responds. I had the same problem. After two pregnancies my stomach looked like Kate from Kate plus 8. I was 120lbs but my tummy sagged a lot. It is only through identifying the best workout for woman fat burn that I have seen an 80% improvement.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    Switch your workout to circuit style full body, full monty workouts. For example, I do a cardio/resistance blend (P90X and P90X plus). Because women have stubborn fat, almost everything has to have resistance and cardio mix. This is the way many figure models train to get super lean. So change up your workout, manipulate your carbs (no carbs after 2nd meal unless your are working out in the evening, then make sure your give yourself at post workout), and see if your body responds. I had the same problem. After two pregnancies my stomach looked like Kate from Kate plus 8. I was 120lbs but my tummy sagged a lot. It is only through identifying the best workout for woman fat burn that I have seen an 80% improvement.

    I am doing Insanity, on week 2 so I am getting the circuit style interval training...maybe I just need to give it more time? I hope you are right, cant wait to see my results in 2 months.
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
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    Capri pants are my friend. Hoping this summer I will be able to wear shorts in public. It would seriously be a dream. Keep on doing the insanity and you will see results though. I run and when I haven't run in a few days things start to jiggle around (my calfs when I walk and thighs)...as soon as I start my routine again, after 3-4 days I don't feel that anymore. You will be great by summer!

    This has been my experience too -- no exercise and/or water retention = jiggles.
  • Barbelizah
    Barbelizah Posts: 18 Member
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    Bump!! I too have that MOMMY TUMMY! Since i have been on this weightloss I feel and it looks like my stomach is just hanging it feels like there is less fat but it has just been hanging!!!!
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    I have both! But I do find that the more resistance training or weight lifting that I do the better my shape is.

    D
  • cupajoe
    cupajoe Posts: 155
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    I have the same problem. I still have plenty of fat to loose, but instead of it being compacted on my body-it has all kinds of "wiggle room" due to my loose skin. I have had 4 kids and breast fed so everything is good and stretched out anyway. My husband gets a little annoyed with me because I used to be so self conscious due to being fat and now I am due to feeling like a wad of jello.
  • shalynna89
    shalynna89 Posts: 324 Member
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    With the C-section one thing that has been a big thing in my family is scare tissue. Which will make the mommy pouch not go away, because scare tissue doesn't shrink. Not everyone gets alot of it, but could be a possibility. My mom had 4 kids c-section and later had to have a histerectomy and the doctor told her it took him an extra hour for that surgery because she had so much scare tissue from her c-sections and that it would probably worse after that surgery. She also lost 150lbs. and had extra skin in her belly, thighs, and arms but was told it can take upto 2 years after you start to maintain before your skin will tighten all the way up, and sometimes its still lose. She's been maintaining for about a year and her lose skin areas have tightened up quite a bit.
  • RyonsLions2
    RyonsLions2 Posts: 350 Member
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    Add some weight training as well... that is your resistance training.
  • gailosborne
    gailosborne Posts: 435
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    I have both! But I do find that the more resistance training or weight lifting that I do the better my shape is.

    D

    Same and lots and lots of water!!!
  • nlhawthorne
    nlhawthorne Posts: 34
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    I've read on these forums that cardio is the best way to burn off those stubborn flabby bits, as you can't unfortunately target your weight-loss. However I've also been told that after you lose weight, it can take about a year for your skin to readjust but that eventually it will tighten. Here's hoping :-/
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
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    Its most likely a bit of both.
    While resistance training will tighten up and build up muscle mass, the only way to trim the excess fat is through ur diet, eat lean, whole foods, no processed foods or sugar...lots of water and no alcohol...limit breads, pasta and dairy and u will burn away the fat...I have the same thing, and I am getting rid of it thru my diet.
    Although cardio is good, it mainly just shrinks ur existing shape, it doesn't target burn fat in any area...
  • Bviera
    Bviera Posts: 106 Member
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    I have a fair amount of fat in my thighs (that's actually where I store most of it, along with my hips), but I've found toning has made them less jiggly. I'm actually starting to feel more comfortable with showing my thighs in public, although I still have a way to go. I started running about a month and a half ago and can already see some definition in my outer thigh. Inner thighs are a bit harder, but there's a weight machine in my gym that has been helping a bit (when I remember to do it!). Whether it's fat or skin, I think toning is the best way to take care of it.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    I have the problem too, but I know I still have a lot of fat under the skin. I have some not so pretty lumps and bumps going on in different places. I have been using a light support pant liner (waist to knee) to kind of contain the jiggle and wiggle when I go out. :ohwell:

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