For those that have lost 80+ pounds.....

SandyCoils · January 2015

For those that have lost 80+ pounds in your journey, how have you dealt with extra/sagging skin? Or did your skin maintain its elasticity and you didn't have that to worry about that? I'm hoping to lose at least 80 pounds, and I love the beach, so of course that means bathing suits. I know that everyone is not the same, but maybe if I know what to look for, or how to treat my body during the process, it could help reduce the extra or sagging skin.

Thanks in advance for sharing, and congrats to all on their weight loss.

palwithme · January 2015

I am attempting to lose 88 pounds and have lost 35 so far. I am working out a lot with weights to try to avoid sagging skin and I think it is helping. I have a friend who lost 80 pounds with bypass surgery and didn't exercise at all. The "skin situation" is not good for her. I am a little worried about it but will just have to see how it goes.

mizzzc · January 2015

I have lost 50 pounds with another 50 to go. I have saggy skin in my belly due to pregnancy. It has gotten alot better in the last year and a half. This is due to:
Drinking plenty of water
Exercising regularly
Losing weight slowly (1-2 pounds per week)

The last two are the most important. I lost the first 25 pounds through diet alone and didn't start to notice a difference in my sagging belly until I started working out.

Boardergurl · January 2015

I lost 83 pounds before I had my son! I have put 25 back on after having my baby.
Even at my lowest and losing that much weight I had the little pouch. I could hide it in most clothes but could def still not wear a bikini.. I had upper abs but the rest wouldn't go.
I lost my weigh off a spread out period of time with lots of water, exercise and healthy eating. I honestly think it depends on the person
Now that I have had my son (via C-section) I don't suspect it will ever fully go away!
But just drink lots of water and work on your full body

SandyCoils · January 2015

I think I read or heard that water plays a key role. My first child (24 years ago) was a c-section, so even when I was smaller I had to watch my lower belly. That always seemed to be one of my 1st problem areas. I know that most likely I will forever have a "mom pouch", and that's ok. I can always wear boy shorts at the beach, but I would like to show some midriff once or twice, or my back without lots of rolls and "back fat". I'm not trying to do anything crazy like 2+ pounds per week. I want to eat better, start an exercise plan that wont leave me resentful and burnt out, and that I can keep up with. I'f I'm eating 1500+ calories a day and still losing 2+ per week, then fine, but I want gradual progress since that is less likely to come back if I continue the same plan.

Planning this tattoo or something similar on my back when I meet my goal.

Bellodesiderare · January 2015

Hi Sandy! I lost 78 lbs and I have a small amount of extra skin, but it isn't that bad. I ate *mostly* healthy, and did a balance of HIIT, bootcamp style workouts, running, and weight lifting. I cannot stress how important the weight lifting is to maintain your lean muscle mass. I strongly believe this is why I don't have lots of excess skin. Check out my before/afters and feel free to send a friend request:

susansmoaks · January 2015

i have a little bit in my stomach and arms, but it's totally worth it. sagging skin is far better than the fat. i don't have to wear a 2 piece. i wear a once peice bathing suit and look fantastic.

Always_Smiling_D · January 2015

A mix of healthy eating/ cardio/ strength training... and healthy weight loss - I am a huge believer in TDEE - figure it out, set your weight loss to be 1-2 lbs max of weight loss.

SandyCoils · January 2015

WOW Bell, you look "fantastical"!!!! The transformation is stunning. They look like the pics on those awful diet pill commercials. When did you start incorporating weights?

SandyCoils · January 2015

Susan, I don't mind a little sagging or extra, but I have seen some people that have had tremendous amounts of extra skin and some people that have lost hundreds of pounds that barely have any sagging skin. I was just wondering if those that have minimal did something extra or different. When I lost 80 pounds before I didn't have extra or badly sagging skin, but the weight did come off in about 18 months, and it was due to stress. Was just trying to get some tips early on since I'm just beginning this journey.

mela501922 · January 2015

SandyCoils wrote: »

For those that have lost 80+ pounds in your journey, how have you dealt with extra/sagging skin? Or did your skin maintain its elasticity and you didn't have that to worry about that? I'm hoping to lose at least 80 pounds, and I love the beach, so of course that means bathing suits. I know that everyone is not the same, but maybe if I know what to look for, or how to treat my body during the process, it could help reduce the extra or sagging skin.
Thanks in advance for sharing, and congrats to all on their weight loss.

Hi , my name is Pam and I am on the journey again , I lost 100 pounds about 2 in a half years ago and my skin did start to sag , so what I did was weight training and jog, three days a week it helps a lot, god bless you on your journey you can do it, never give up !!!!

Bellodesiderare · January 2015

SandyCoils wrote: »

WOW Bell, you look "fantastical"!!!! The transformation is stunning. They look like the pics on those awful diet pill commercials. When did you start incorporating weights?

I started weight lifting after I lost the first 25 lbs. I wish I had started Day 1. There are so many good programs out there to get you started. I was completely clueless on what to do in the gym. Bodybuilding.com has an awesome (and free) guide (complete with videos) for beginning lifters. They also have a breakdown of the 5 x 5 strength program on their site. YouTube and Pinterest also have tons of workouts.

Boardergurl · January 2015

That tattoo is amazing! Just keep your eye on the prize!

Ftw37 · January 2015

I've lost 264 pounds and have tons of loose skin. I personally don't care about it. I'd rather have loose skin and weigh 155 pounds than have full skin and weigh 419.

You can see some before/after pics in my profile.

csmullins78 · January 2015

Maybe I'm wrong, but I have heard that genetics plays a big factor in whether you'll have extra skin (just like how some women never get stretch marks when they get pregnant). I also think that 2 other factors are the amount of weight loss and how quickly it comes off. This could be why people who have WLS and lose more than 100 pounds very quickly often have issues with the extra skin.

Richiecook2012 · January 2015

Sagging skin depends on your skin type. Nothing to do with anything else. Stay hydrated,
it keeps your skin healthy, but nothing you do will change whether your skin will sag or not. Think of it like blowing up a balloon and letting out the air. It look baggier afterward. Letting out the air faster or slower makes no difference and putting in a little something ,(muscle), doesn't make it go back to it's normal size. Some balloons are just made of better rubber, so won't look as stretched out after.

SandyCoils · January 2015

Thanks Mela & Bell. I guess I will try to incorporate the weights sooner rather than later. It's not like I'm going to cry if I have lots of sagging skin, I just want to minimize it if I can. My brother has lost about 80 pounds this year from just changing his diet and stepping up his exercise. He's looking great and no sagging skin yet. I think he's going to start lifting soon. Wish we lived in the same city so we could do it together.

NikiChicken · January 2015

I've lost almost 90 and have 30 left to go and it's taken me 3 years to get to this point so far (so losing quickly is not a factor). However, I have a ton of extra skin and may consider surgery at some point in the future when I finally get to my goal.

Loose skin totally depends on your age, genetics and skin type and no matter how much water you drink and moisturizer you use or however slowly you lose will overcome those three things. I've got the trifecta against me, unfortunately.

susansmoaks · January 2015

i believe you need to workout and that will make you look better than if you just diet to lose weight. i do pilates, yoga, barre, strength training and lots of walking.

susansmoaks · January 2015

age also plays a factor. i believe that my skin on my belly would be almost gone if i lost the last 10 pounds. it's got some fat under it. i know that i can get it almost all gone.

acquilla30 · January 2015

It also depends on your body type. People with a round stomach tend to have less loose skin than people with stomach rolls.

rahnia · January 2015

Hey, I've lost around 130 pounds & my skin has been good to me. I have minimal loose skin which is getting better with more strength training I combine into my workout. I used to drive myself insane looking up answers to this question, so here's what I know. Genetics is the main factor, losing weight in combination with exercise helps. Drink heaps of water. Some people use cocunut oil, dry brushing & the like, but I've never tried, nor will I. And losing weight steadily (1-2 p/w) is recommended. Wish you all the best.

For those that have lost 80+ pounds.....

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