Excess Skin - Is this a common problem?

The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to see excess skin. But things can be done to lessen it, but there is no fool-proof way to prevent it.

Lose weight slowly. If you lose it quickly, you are more likely to have the skin excess.
Drink plenty of fluids
Exercise and build/tone muscle.

It can take years for the skin to go back to normal and it may never return to normal. At that point, you either accept it or have surgery to remove it.

You have to realize that body image shouldn't matter as much as a healthy body. I am looking to lose 200 pounds so you can guarantee that I will have excess skin. But I would rather have that problem than heart problems, breathing problems, sleeping problems, etc.

Most of the people on those shows lost 100-200 or more pounds. You may notice a bit of sagging here and there, but it won't be that noticeable to others - if you have any at all.

I've lost 77 lbs over the last 15 months. About 1lb a week. I haven't had any problems with excess skin yet.

Razzyirt wrote: »

I am curious about people's experiences with excess skin after weight loss?

I am only at the beginning of my weight loss journey. I have lost 5 lbs so far in my current foray, and have about 30 lbs more to go. The highest weight I have ever been at was 175 lbs, and I am now at 159 lbs. My goal is to be 130 lbs.

But...I was wondering, with this amount of weight gain, and then loss...do I have some very interesting "side effects" to look forward to? I've watched some of those extreme weight loss shows...and listen to the stories about how people hate their bodies even more after the weight loss than before!

So, I admit, I'm having a bit of trepidation for this weight loss journey. So...other people on this track, are you happy with your results? Have you had unexpected things happen?

Thanks!

69lbs down and no loose skin just yet, only about 15lbs to go to goal slow and steady loss will help skin bounce back a bit.

I COMPLETELY understand your worry.

I am 5'9" and have had a gut since I was about 5. Literally, it looked like I had a beer gut by the time I was about 6.. But since I was about 12 or so, my stomach has hung down... literally, like a fold. I don't know if this is just because I have about 40 lbs of fat to lose or if it's because my stomach is too stretched out and it's too late. I've also always worn my pants to my waist, which is where most sit naturally, so I'm sure squishing it in there didn't help LOL!

In all seriousness, I can't even describe how upsetting it is to look at myself without clothes covering that area. At 12 years old I hit 200... I lost about 30 then... I have yo-yo'd since. My highest ever was 220 in 2009. I lost about 61 lbs (lowest adult weight ever) and I did start to see some wrinkling at the lowest point of my tummy. It still hung down, but it was smaller. The amount I could grab that I could tell was just skin was a small amount, just a pinch. I sometimes wonder if my stomach will always hang down in this fold no matter how much I lose.

I am now at 186 and looking to get to around 150, but I also want to strengthen and tone so my goal weight may change once I get closer. I try to not think about it too much, but it greatly bothers me. To think that even if I work that hard, I may never be able to wear a two-piece or even feel comfortable with my own body knowing that it's going to show... All I can do is bust my butt and keep going and hope for the best. I realllllly don't want to have surgery. The thought terrifies me.

Just found this article... interesting. And I've heard talk about this type of fat before:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-get-rid-of-excess-skin-after-major-weight-loss/#axzz36wwSuvPN