Loose Skin

grinsngaffs
grinsngaffs Posts: 1 Member
edited November 18 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
adopting an active lifestyle helps more than just to maintain weight- it changes our body composition. Lift weights, ramp up your cardio and add in yoga a couple of times a week and then just be patient. After losing 100# in my late 50s, I contented myself that the increased energy and mobility outweighed any sag or jiggle, but also I read somewhere that skin change happens over years. As I look back over photos I see how that has certainly been true for me. So keep moving. Set new fitness goals and try new things. Get distracted from the mirror for awhile and let your body respond to your clean eating and active life.

Replies

  • sunnyeuphoria
    sunnyeuphoria Posts: 85 Member
    how wonderful for you to lose so much and change your lifestyle.... congratulations! I am curious to see how my body is gonna snap back (Or not) as my weight goes down. I did not have a problem with sag years ago when I lost weight, but, as you said, things change with time. Kind of like that quote from Steel Magnolias... " Time passes whether we want it to or not, and it is marching right across my face!" Keep up the great work!!
  • OkieDreamer
    OkieDreamer Posts: 5 Member
    Congratulations on the weight loss and thanks so much for posting. Although miserable at my weight, I do dread the sagging skin and was afraid I would have to dig up the money to have it removed. I'm so glad to hear that over time and with proper exercise it can actually get better on its own. I really appreciate you sharing that. It helps working toward and focusing more on the weight loss a lot easier. You look awesome! I so look forward to the day I feel good about how I look and feel.
  • louispacelli144
    louispacelli144 Posts: 2 Member
    I just lost about 36 lbs. and that's my concern the giggle is starting and will it shrink?
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
    Perhaps some of the best advice I've seen yet!
  • artlover47
    artlover47 Posts: 76 Member
    Great information! I have lost 92lbs since my heaviest and have around 20 more to go and am seeing some loose skin already on my belly and inner thighs, but it is not that bad yet. I'm not sure how much excess skin I will have when all is lost, but I won't be having any surgery to fix it, so good to know it can tighten some over the years. i had read that it takes at least 2 years for your body to adjust, but it was nice to see a post from someone with actual experience in this area.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    I've heard, but haven't found any research, that getting down lower in fat than normal will also force the skin to tighten as it has to pull in all the little pockets of fat that are continuing to pull on the skin.
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    senecarr wrote: »
    I've heard, but haven't found any research, that getting down lower in fat than normal will also force the skin to tighten as it has to pull in all the little pockets of fat that are continuing to pull on the skin.

    On the contrary, low fat in your diet leads to dry skin, which is not good for suppleness.
  • SonicKrunch
    SonicKrunch Posts: 192 Member
    That's not what senecarr said. It's true what he said. You need to get to a really low body fat for the skin to tighten. You have to force off those nagging fat cells stuck to your skin to have a real effect. I'd say grinsngaffs efforts included getting down to a very low bf% which caused her loose skin to tighten. low fat in your diet is certainly not a good thing, you need it.
  • triciab79
    triciab79 Posts: 1,713 Member
    louispacelli144 wrote: »
    I just lost about 36 lbs. and that's my concern the giggle is starting and will it shrink?
    Mine gets better year. I lost 100lbs and had a good bit of loose skin and poofy little fat pockets. Overtime the body just balances these things out if you stay at the same weight.
  • JenniferIsLosingIt
    JenniferIsLosingIt Posts: 595 Member
    grinsngaffs wrote: »
    adopting an active lifestyle helps more than just to maintain weight- it changes our body composition. Lift weights, ramp up your cardio and add in yoga a couple of times a week and then just be patient. After losing 100# in my late 50s, I contented myself that the increased energy and mobility outweighed any sag or jiggle, but also I read somewhere that skin change happens over years. As I look back over photos I see how that has certainly been true for me. So keep moving. Set new fitness goals and try new things. Get distracted from the mirror for awhile and let your body respond to your clean eating and active life.

    Thank you so very much for this!My friend Sarah has lost over 270 pounds, she does crossfit and runs, shehas loose skin but being 50 pounds from goal she said she doesnt care!
  • anjol35
    anjol35 Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks for this-I asked a similar question and ended up just as discouraged as when I wrote the question but this gives me hope.
  • scooternsc
    scooternsc Posts: 2 Member
    I lost 125 lbs over the period of about a year and I've been maintaining for about a year. My BMI is 21.3 and I'm in the middle of the healthy weight range for my height. I eat healthy and I exercise daily including sit-ups.

    I still have loose skin on my stomach. Like grinsngaffs, I've read that it just takes time for your skin to bounce back. I don't worry about it much because I feel so much better and healthier now, but I would like tighten up that area. Are there other things I should do to help the process along? And how long does it take for nature to do its thing? I know every person is different, but I'd like to know a ballpark... 2 years? 10 years?

    I don't mind waiting, I'm patient - after all it took me 15 years to put on that extra weight, so I guess it would be only reasonable for my body to take 15 years to bounce back.

    Good luck to all of you on your journey to better health!
  • scooternsc
    scooternsc Posts: 2 Member
    To artlover47 and louispacelli144, based on my experience and what I've read, I think that losing the weight slowly and exercising while you're doing it will minimize the jiggle on the arms and legs. The skin needs time to adjust.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    GreenIceFloes wrote: »
    senecarr wrote: »
    I've heard, but haven't found any research, that getting down lower in fat than normal will also force the skin to tighten as it has to pull in all the little pockets of fat that are continuing to pull on the skin.

    On the contrary, low fat in your diet leads to dry skin, which is not good for suppleness.
    Lower in body fat, not lower in fat in the diet.
  • GreenIceFloes
    GreenIceFloes Posts: 1,491 Member
    senecarr wrote: »
    GreenIceFloes wrote: »
    senecarr wrote: »
    I've heard, but haven't found any research, that getting down lower in fat than normal will also force the skin to tighten as it has to pull in all the little pockets of fat that are continuing to pull on the skin.

    On the contrary, low fat in your diet leads to dry skin, which is not good for suppleness.
    Lower in body fat, not lower in fat in the diet.

    Oh, okay, my bad. I haven't heard of this theory, though.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    Amen! I kept on keeping on and my "skin jiggle" has vastly improved with time and patience!!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Thanks, OP. I've been wondering/fearful about this and your experience encourages me a lot. I'm going about my weight loss relatively slowly and am incorporating toning, but being in my late 40s, I was wondering how much I could really expect of my skin. I know everyone is different, but at least now I know I don't have to expect the worst. :)
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