Questions for ladies who lost 50+lbs

mandarkio · October 2015

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I wanted to ask some questions of the successful ladies here.

I want to lose 80lbs, I've lost 11 so far. My body has started to change a little, and I've noticed some things that never used to bother me, because I never thought I would have the kind of body I wanted anyway.

1) stretch marks. I have them all down my belly, breasts, thighs and inside my upper arms from gaining a lot of weight rapidly a few years back. They are already silver and some are quite deep. Are they likely to look any better as I lose fat and tone up? Or am I stuck with them forever now?

2) excess hair. TMI alert: I'm like a gorilla from the waist down. I know excess hair production can be caused by obesity, but its it likely to stop as I get healthier?

3) not something I can see, but a few years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS. Again, I know this can be caused by obesity. Have any ladies with PCOS had their diagnosis revised after getting to a healthy bmi?

Thanks!

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt · October 2015

Well, I can really only comment on #1. I have stretch marks still, they are thinner, I guess you could say, in that some of them aren't as spread and thick as before. If that makes sense... As far as I understand, we are stuck with them unless surgery of some kind is an option... hope that helps. Great job on your loss btw!

lx3tx · October 2015

I've never officially been diagnosed with PCOS, but I had all of the symptoms. I have never had a regular period and now that I've lost a good amount of weight, my period is regular. Plus I developed cystic acne which I suspect had to do with PCOS and that has disappeared. As far as stretch marks, yeah... weight loss has not helped them.

zyxst · October 2015

I can't comment for sure on the PCOS, but excess hair is a symptom of that, not so much of obesity. I've been lightly haired and weighed over 300#. Stretch marks are scars. Their color may change, but you're stuck with them unless you decide to have surgery (which will add more scars).

intelligirl · October 2015

1. My stretch marks have gotten lighter, but not are still there. I don't think that they ever go away.

2. I still have gorilla-like hair, BUT it's easier to deal with now because there is less surface area to shave. And lady bits are easier to reach.

3. Can't comment on PCOS, but check out this super inspirational success story: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10115139/1000-days-logged-in-a-row-over-90-pounds-lost-pics/p1

starling01 · October 2015

Over 2 years I lost 75 pounds. I'm 63 years old, mentioned because age might be a factor.

My stretch marks were pretty bad but they're completely gone. Actually I'd forgotten about them and had to check. My stretch marks from pregnancy faded rapidly, too, so the way skin reacts probably varies. On the other hand, my stomach's jelly like appearance from loose skin is very sad indeed.

I think the hair is related to PCOS. I've never been diagnosed with PCOS but my daughter has it and excess hair comes with it.

mareacuda · October 2015

Hi there! I am down over 90 lbs from my high weight.

1) stretch marks- They are what they are. No they most likely won't go away completely. I am literally covered on my entire torso in stretch marks I have had since I was in elementary school. I have the weird double belly (like my belly folds in at my belly button) and so I had a small section of 3" that didn't have stretch marks. I got pregnant a few years ago and despite being 100 lbs down and only gaining 18 lbs during pregnancy, I got stretch marks in that one area that didn't have them before. Some are from being/getting extremely tall quickly when I was younger (I am 6'1") but mostly they are from me being obese for so long. The majority of it is genetics... my sister doesn't have a single stretch mark on her even after multiple pregnancies... she just won that lottery. LOL I think I would rather be normal weight with stretch marks than obese with stretch marks.

2) excess hair- Again, I think it's genetic for the most part. PCOS can have a side effect of excess hair growth, so if you get that under control, it could ease up but again I am thinking genetics is at play. I agree with the above, as your body gets smaller there is less surface area. If it bothers you SO much, make an effort for regular waxing appointments or look into laser hair removal.

3) I just recently was diagnosed with PCOS, but have had it my whole life. Also obese my whole life. I did have weight loss surgery in 2011 (vertical sleeve gastrectomy). About 10 months after surgery, I started to get a regular cycle again after bringing my weight down about 75 lbs. It allowed me to get pregnant naturally in 2012 after 6 months of a "normal" cycle (which I had never before had). I would say that losing weight alleviated the large majority of the side effects I was dealing with, including no cycle/ovulation, infertility, etc. I actually gained some weight after my daughter was born and symptoms came back again. Now that I am down those 30 lbs I gained plus an extra 10 lbs, my cycle started to regulate again in July. It's like, I have to be below a certain weight for the connections in my brain to talk to my ovaries. It has also come to my attention (through reading some medical studies) that the BMR for a woman with PCOS and insulin resistance is often lower than a woman without. I just had to adjust my calories a bit, but I am losing great still. Do not let it be a discouragement or an excuse. Do not start reading about "why it's harder to lose weight with PCOS" and make excuses for yourself. In addition, my doctor said exercise is a huge contributing factor to combating insulin resistance with PCOS. I work out 4-5 times per week now doing something I love and have stuck to my routine for over 4 months now, which is a HUGE victory for me, I never have stuck with anything like this.

By the way, CONGRATULATIONS by the way on losing 11 lbs! That is awesome!

SuggaD · October 2015

#1 - you are stuck with them. They are my war scars. :-) Continue on your path, lose weight, and don't worry about them.

iandanamelia · October 2015

2 is from PCOS as others have said.

I am a positive example for your 3rd point. Tried to get pregnant for 3 years. Diagnosed with PCOS. Lost weight with mfp, pregnant once I was at just above healthy bmi (but still considered overweight). Back on mfp now to lose the baby weight.

Congratulations on the loss so far ☆

Stretchmarks will fade over time. Mine were also v deep.

hcs00 · October 2015

I don't want to sound weird, but I don't even care about stretch marks. I just assume everyone has them somewhere! I am 33 and never had a child either, but did get them from rapid weight gain. My thighs and belly have the white marks. My inner, upper arms do in parts. I don't even care, because if I can drop the weight I'll still be happy.

My husband has them on the fronts of his shoulders, and he's not overweight so his are a total mystery.

I'm hairy, too. Less area to shave the more weight you lose, but the same amount of follicles.

NZblue · October 2015

I have them - always have. Even when not overweight - and I'm 5'2. My sister had twins who were 7lb at birth, and she didn't get a single stretch mark!

My husband is petite, slim, and toned, and he has some really light ones on his hips.

My stretch marks are epic proportions. Hoping to see those puppies fade.

Pregnant, I didn't even look pregnant, and I still got more stretch marks. Haha.

Questions for ladies who lost 50+lbs

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