Loose skin from weight loss

TNeha
TNeha Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello...I am 24 year old female. My target is to loose 99lbs .My ankle ligament was torn in an injury last year .I cannot do any cardio except brisk walking .Will my weight loss will cause loose skin , if I don't do any strength training ? I cannot join a gym till December .What kind of strength training exercises can I do at home , considering I cannot put pressure on my right ankle.

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    In your favour - your age will mean your skin is still very elastic.
    Against you - you are very overweight (sorry!).

    You can't exercise skin, strength training in a deficit is one of the triumvirate of things to help ensure the best proportion possible of your weight loss is from fat and not from muscle (strength/resistance training, good amount of protein, appropriate not excessive rate of weight loss).

    The big thing you have no control over is your genetics as regards loose skin. So unless you have a sibling that has also lost 99lbs it's guesswork what your skin will look like. It can take up to 2 years to fully recover.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Lose weight, do the strength training you can, and don't worry about the skin. Maybe you'll have a problem and maybe you won't, but the weight needs to come off (I assume that's what you think). There are lots of threads on this Fitness forum about strength training. If there are a few exercises you can't do because of your ankle, then don't do them. Have you had physical therapy? They could give you appropriate exercises for your injury.
  • TNeha
    TNeha Posts: 12 Member
    No, I didn't have physical therapy. Thanks for the suggestions:)
  • amandasquist
    amandasquist Posts: 26 Member
    I have lost 87 pounds so far. I have a bit of loose skin, but it's only noticeable when running. (I wear compression capris instead of shorts when I run). During regular activities, I am fine to wear shorts. I am doing a mix of cardio (triathlons) and strength training. Building muscles will help. Eventually, your skin will adjust to your new shape, but as the previous poster said, it can take up to 2 years. So what! It's worth being a healthier you.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
    Hi there :) I have lost a bit over 100lbs, and I have no loose skin problems except my breasts. That being said, I still have twenty or so left to lose, but with the weight I have left and how I look right now, I'm not too concerned. It's genetics and age. Your age is in your favor, maybe your genetics are too.

    And what extra skin you have at the end, you can refill with muscle ;) You'll be beautiful; keep going.
  • gatamadriz
    gatamadriz Posts: 68 Member
    Pilates floor exercises are great for strength and for forming muscle, which will boost your metabolism. Avoid the ones where you would put pressure on your right ankle (duh). Also, invest in strength bands which are cheap and you can fold them up when you aren't using them. They can be used for upper and lower body, sitting and standing and really give you a good workout. All of these exercises will help you get into shape before you are able to do cardio. If you have access to a pool, pool aerobics and exercises are great and will give you some cardio without stress to your ankle. Don't skip physical therapy! It may be painful but in the end you will heal correctly. (I was in a horrific accident and faithfully did my therapy, unlike a friend of mine. I am now more or less able to do everything I want and he is having great problems 10 years later)
    If you lose weight slowly enough while working out you may not have the excess skin problems that come from super fast weight loss. Also, you have youth on your side so your skin still has elasticity. Great good luck!
  • N1keS0cc8rRunne7
    N1keS0cc8rRunne7 Posts: 43 Member
    edited September 2016
    sijomial wrote: »
    In your favour - your age will mean your skin is still very elastic.
    Against you - you are very overweight (sorry!).

    You can't exercise skin, strength training in a deficit is one of the triumvirate of things to help ensure the best proportion possible of your weight loss is from fat and not from muscle (strength/resistance training, good amount of protein, appropriate not excessive rate of weight loss).

    The big thing you have no control over is your genetics as regards loose skin. So unless you have a sibling that has also lost 99lbs it's guesswork what your skin will look like. It can take up to 2 years to fully recover.

    I totally agree! Lost 70lbs (to reach a healthy bmi range for my height) and virtually no loose skin whatsoever (a bit of stretchiness underneath the belly button when pulled especially but nothing i'd look at twice)....I lost it in my mid-20's and quite fast too (which i don't recommend but I guess self-hatred can be quite powerful when harbored over a lengthy time)--my doc had me on Adderall XR (and that really aided me out of the 200's because it completely changed my relationship with food)...

    i definitely think genetics and age are key (and collagen supplements, creams, scrubbing in the shower, eating protein-rich/drinking a lot of water can somewhat help)...i also noticed that at my heaviest, my fat was evenly distributed (like there wasn't an area that had a lot more fat piled up than others)/have a wider-frame (perks of being a guy) and I'm not short...that may of helped too...

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