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Scared of the extra skin!

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  • debrakhan
    debrakhan Posts: 28 Member
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    Hi I have lost 106 lbs and am 53, that was 2yrs ago and am now maintaining, but I have extra skin on my stomach, arms, legs and most especial my neck, I am so disheartened as I was so looking forward to being able to wear a swimming costume again, but where as I wouldn't when I was fat, I can't now because of the skin issue, I have a really bad complex especial about my neck which I hate with a passion. I exercise everyday and use creams, but there has been no improvement. I read in one of the replies that I could still need to lose more body fat, how to you work out your body fat? I am 5ft 2" and weigh 118 lbs and as I have said am 53. I am working on eating 1400 calories a day, and 225 calories from my exercises.
  • EvelineUK
    EvelineUK Posts: 97
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    I had never heard of dry brushing, but looking into it. Thank you so much!
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    edited November 2014
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    skin will cling to the layer of fat and water that lies under it. To stop "loose" skin and skin sag you have to eliminate the fat layer underneath.

    Resistance training to tone,
    continued fat loss program,
    and / or liposuction are the only options.

    Anything to bring circulation to your body parts is a good thing, but body fat is lost all over the body at the same time, so if you have pockets of fat where skin sags and is jiggly then localized lipo is an option once you get tire of the intense diet and weight training lifestyle necessary to eliminate all fat deposits.

    I have had clients who think a diet and exercise program will miraculously cure them of their flabby/saggy stretch marked skin on arms or tummies, but the rest of their body is amazing. I actually tell them that a micro tummy tuck or skin reduction in any area with stretch marks is better for them. Stretch marked skin will never tighten, no matter how lean you become. It is too scar ridden. Such skin requires many treatments of prickling or fraxel lasering to damage and rebuild collagen so that it can shrink.
  • SvennsDream
    SvennsDream Posts: 33 Member
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    I've lost 95 pounds (yay me!) and have 50 to go. I'm 51, so this skin issue may be an uphill battle. Here's what I'm doing, although I cannot say how effective any of it is or will be:
    (1) I eat avocado, coconut oil, and other healthy fats daily. (2) I massage into my skin after every shower or swim an oil blend from the health food store marketed to pregnant women. (3) I massage coconut oil into my skin at least daily, sometimes twice. (4) I stay hydrated. (5) I wear a soft bra to bed. (6) I avoid GMOs, factory farmed meat, processed food, etc. I choose whole, organic foods. (Regular good eating stuff.) (7) I walk several miles nearly every day, and take a kickboxing class 3x a week. Hmmm... yeah. I guess I'm super concerned about the skin issues. Actually, I'm terrified.

    The body fat concept occurred to me and I am thrilled to have an expert talk about it. (Maybe I have more than 50 pounds left to lose, eh?)

    Dry brushing is intriguing and I will definitely check into that.

    Have any of you heard of or tried "cupping." I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it sounds interesting.
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
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    cupping is a Chinese method of damaging the skin collagen and bringing blood to the surface. Hot ceramic cups are placed on the body. As they cool they vacuum up blood and lymph to the surface. When the cup is removed, a huge blood blister like bruise is left behind and takes a week or two to disappear.

    Some people love it, but if you want to look like a lobster for a week or two and have bruises all over....

    I think rubbing the body with a round stick or body brushing is safer imo.
  • craftscout
    craftscout Posts: 290 Member
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    crazyanny wrote: »
    My question: How does one find out about the percentage of fat in the body? Would appreciate a simple and straightforward answer.

    When my husband started losing a lot of weight a few years ago, he invested in a home scale that will measure your body fat percentage. It has two pads that you must stand on in bare feet, and then a minute electrical current is sent through your body, which is then recorded and calculated into a pretty accurate body fat percentage (along with other readings).

    Much cheaper than getting a doctor or nutritionist to measure you once a week. :)
  • Kissimmee_Disney
    Kissimmee_Disney Posts: 24 Member
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    This has been something I not only am seeing , but has actually made me question my choice to lose weight.I guess I am a vain person because I would rather have tight fat skin than to look like the saggy baggy elephant.I wanted so badly to lose the weight, now, all I can see is the skin wrinkles.I walk and swim.I have bands for resistance training,but I am seriously considering going to a manly bodybuilders gym to turn this saggy mess into buff beauty.I have home water delivery and I eat vegetarian,so I am nourished and hydrated.Maybe it's just genetics.Some skin just is not elastic,maybe that's me :disappointed:
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    For a man I can see getting the body fat really low, but women are meant to have a layer of subcutanous fat. To go under 18% is very unhealthy for us and usually women are between 20 to 25% for optimum health. I don't see uber low body fat as a feasible solution for most women.
  • MSonica25
    MSonica25 Posts: 6 Member
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    Lots of water and weight training a must. Don't be afraid to lift on heavier side.

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