Loose skin

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xWondertje
xWondertje Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello people,

so: one of my biggest fears is to get loose skin after having lost the weight I wish to shed off. There's a monster in my head that keeps telling me that I'd rather be fat than have loose skin. And I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's literally keeping me from doing healthy things since I'm so scared of it.

I would love to hear from people who lost approx. 100 pounds (what I'm aiming for), who didn't get loose skin - and if you did anything in particular to make it without loose skin or if it was just natural for you.

People keep telling me that I shouldn't worry, because I'm young (25) and 100 pounds isn't that much to lose, but it still doesn't curb my fear of getting loose skin.

Please tell me about your experiences, and try to help me beat this monster in my head!

Thanks ^_^

Replies

  • _m0lly
    _m0lly Posts: 900 Member
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    Hello!

    I haven't lost 100lbs, but nearly 40lbs and many inches off various body parts. However, I can just re-assure you that if you're lose weight safely and at a relative pace, incorporating weights and strength training, it won't all be as bad as it seems. Losing weight slowly in comparison to speedily should definitely aid in helping to prevent this.

    Tighten up with exercise, keep drinking water. I really wish you all the best, feel free to add me.
  • xWondertje
    xWondertje Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks for your replies! My plan is to incorporate strength training, in hopes of building a lot of muscle and thus tightening the skin on my body as I lose weight. It's really hard though as I suffer from bipolar disorder, which makes me fall into deep depressions or high manias where I don't take as much care of my body as I should. I've never been a yo-yo dieter or gone up and down in weight a lot over the years. It's mostly steadily gone upwards, I hope that will help with keeping the skin tighter too. I do realise that all I can do is try my best, I won't be able to help it if it happens, and I'm trying to convince myself it's worth it regardless. But it's such a hard monster to beat, and together with my BED (Binge Eating Disorder) it's probably part of my disordered brain. All I can do is fight it with all I've got and hope that I can curb it eventually.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    _m0lly wrote: »
    Hello!

    I haven't lost 100lbs, but nearly 40lbs and many inches off various body parts. However, I can just re-assure you that if you're lose weight safely and at a relative pace, incorporating weights and strength training, it won't all be as bad as it seems. Losing weight slowly in comparison to speedily should definitely aid in helping to prevent this.

    Tighten up with exercise, keep drinking water. I really wish you all the best, feel free to add me.

    Not true at all. Sorry.
  • TheCrawlingChaos
    TheCrawlingChaos Posts: 462 Member
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    It would definitely be better to be healthy and maybe have loose skin than to be unhealthy and overweight. I've lost about 60 lbs so far, and would like to lose around another 50 or 60. I understand your anxieties about loose skin because I had, and still do, have them, but when I think logically about it, I definitely would rather have the loose skin.

    If youve not seen this, there's a youtube channEl called Obese To Beast hosted by a guy who lost around 170 lbs. He has loose skin and he frequently discusses it in his videos. You can see in him that he truly is happit with his life now than when he was overweight. His high spirits about it are a bit of why I have a much more positive outlook for my future weight loss. You should check out his channel.

    https://youtu.be/E0OgPNsXYtU
  • memickee
    memickee Posts: 250 Member
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    It's all about genetics and age. I lost 50, am old, had a C-section and was overweight for the majority of my life. I have loose skin. (bat wings & bum) But when it comes to self care and your health, you will be so much better off.
  • __leis__
    __leis__ Posts: 100 Member
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    Maybe to appease the monster in your head you could tell yourself that if you do end up with lose skin after you lose the weight you will allow yourself to gain some of it back. I'm almost positive that once you start losing all of the pros will outweigh the one little con of having lose skin!
  • HunkneeBunchesFl
    HunkneeBunchesFl Posts: 7 Member
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    I was 220... im now 151. I WILL need surgery to remove loose skin. The weight loss and excess skin is a better benefit than being obese with medical issues... :)
  • btodd304
    btodd304 Posts: 105 Member
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    I too am worried about that, but my goal was to lose about 10lbs a month to tone and tighten as I go down. Im now down 24lbs and I can say so far that strategy has worked. I workout with a trainer and do various strength training and cardio. Im 2.5 months in and I don't feel like my skin is as flabby as It was especially under my arms. My goal is 125lbs total, I also slowly gained that weight over the last 10 years so there was no rapid gains for me. But I wouldn't let that get you down, there are plenty of people who get surgery if It really bothers them or effects their living. Idk if you have ever watched the biggest loser but it goes to show everybody's bodies are different some of them have excessive loose skin and some seem to tighten up pretty good, now I know they are losing weight extremely fast but just a comparison.
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
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    Same boat as you. Not bipolar but prone to depression and negative thoughts. Also on a 100+ journey. I always say I'm afraid of looking like a deflated ballon. Especially my arms. I've always had larger than average arms and don't want bat wings more than anything. I'm planning on starting a real strength program (been doing body weight and light weights so far to work my way up) in the next month as soon as I move to really help preserve muscle to keep shape under the skin. And then hope and pray I can qualify or save for surgery when the time comes. I'd much rather have scars quite frankly. I kinda have the same mentality as someone mentioned above- if I really can't stand the skin at goal weight, then I could gain a little back and just be chubby. But it's impossible to know what's gonna happen until you get there.

    I can say slow healthy weight loss does help at least a little. As well as still being young.

    My mom lost about 70lbs last year from cancer and because she was bedridden and malnourished during the time she lost all her muscle mass as well and it was NOT good. She definitely had a lot of loose skin. Now that she's healthier and putting healthy weight back on, her skin already looks a lot better.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
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    I've never had to lose 100+ lbs but I've had 2 babies. I'm short and I carried all out in front and will always have loose tummy skin unless I get surgery. But I'd rather have my girls here and loose skin than no babies and a flat tummy.
  • xWondertje
    xWondertje Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies guys! Really appreciate the support :smile:
  • sunshinerose52
    sunshinerose52 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have lost 57 pounds so far for the year and I started swimming about a month ago and it's really helping in toning me up and tightening my skin on my arms especially, legs, chest not sure about the tummy yet. I swim about three or four times a week (for me it's in the sea) and do exercises using a noodle - it's refreshing and working well for me.
  • Zipp237
    Zipp237 Posts: 255 Member
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    100 pounds is a lot to lose. Whoever said it wasn't was daft.

    Being young, your skin should snap back. No way to know until you lose the weight, though. You'll be healthier if you lose the weight, if that's any consolation. At 25, most people don't care about their health, I know. You will later, though. So do yourself a favor and get healthier now.

    Loose skin looks better than fat, anyway.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
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    I'd like you give you this advice - try to live in the moment. You have a lot to work on in the beginning to get used to weighing, logging, increasing your activity, etc. As the pounds come off, you'll be happy & proud of yourself and that can help you feel better overall! I know it's sometimes hard to stay in the moment. The months will go by and you'll be amazed at all of the positive changes in your body like endurance, strength and mobility that will more than make up for loose skin! Being in your 20's should also help - good job on starting now!!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    TheCrawlingChaos wrote: »
    It would definitely be better to be healthy and maybe have loose skin than to be unhealthy and overweight. I've lost about 60 lbs so far, and would like to lose around another 50 or 60. I understand your anxieties about loose skin because I had, and still do, have them, but when I think logically about it, I definitely would rather have the loose skin.

    If youve not seen this, there's a youtube channEl called Obese To Beast hosted by a guy who lost around 170 lbs. He has loose skin and he frequently discusses it in his videos. You can see in him that he truly is happit with his life now than when he was overweight. His high spirits about it are a bit of why I have a much more positive outlook for my future weight loss. You should check out his channel.

    https://youtu.be/E0OgPNsXYtU

    This boy is simply adorable, and has an awesome attitude!!
  • _m0lly
    _m0lly Posts: 900 Member
    Options
    Francl27 wrote: »
    _m0lly wrote: »
    Hello!

    I haven't lost 100lbs, but nearly 40lbs and many inches off various body parts. However, I can just re-assure you that if you're lose weight safely and at a relative pace, incorporating weights and strength training, it won't all be as bad as it seems. Losing weight slowly in comparison to speedily should definitely aid in helping to prevent this.

    Tighten up with exercise, keep drinking water. I really wish you all the best, feel free to add me.

    Not true at all. Sorry.

    Alright, forget I said anything :blush:

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