Skin Recoil and Fear of What Comes After

cass0314 · September 2016

Hey friends!

I'm still very early in my weight loss venture- 13lbs lost and still planning to lose somewhere around 100.

I've been plagued today by thoughts of loose skin and post-weight loss surgery options. I'm nearly 28 and as I said, planning to lose about 100lbs- I'm not entirely sure how much to lose because it's been about 10 years since I was within a normal BMI. I carry most of my extra weight in the lower belly area and the tummy, though in the last couple of years the extra weight has really distributed around my arms, chest, neck, back, legs, ... basically everywhere.

Google and YouTube only served to scare the hell out of me, so I'm looking for real accounts from you guys- have you lost a significant amount of weight? Are you close to my age? How did your body react? Have you opted for skin removal or tummy tucks/panniculectomies? I just want to start a conversation and hear honest answers from real people.

My fear of all of this isn't going to stop me from doing this work and losing this weight. I just have had dreams of this fit, tight body a year or two from now (by the time I'm 30) and the more I read, the more I fear it may not be in the cards for me even after doing all this hard work.

Thanks in advance for your input!

neohdiver · September 2016

I'm not your age - I just turned 60. I've lost 74 lbs in the past year. My tummy is a little wrinkled, I have mild excess skin in the underside of my upper arms (nothing that prevents me from wearing sleeveless tops), and a bit worse in my thigh area (I do avoid some of my shorter pairs of shorts). Since I've just completed my loss, I'll wait a while for it to settle out.

The skin around my neck has tightened up nicely (it is less loose than my sister-in-law whose weight has remained a pretty constant low 100s).

Some people get loose skin, some don't. I didn't when I was your age - and I'm surprised at how elastic it still is at my current age. I expected a lot worse. I'm not likely to try to tone up, but I expect the loose skin would be barely noticeable if I did.

cass0314 · September 2016

neohdiver wrote: »

I'm not your age - I just turned 60. I've lost 74 lbs in the past year. My tummy is a little wrinkled, I have mild excess skin in the underside of my upper arms (nothing that prevents me from wearing sleeveless tops), and a bit worse in my thigh area (I do avoid some of my shorter pairs of shorts). Since I've just completed my loss, I'll wait a while for it to settle out.

The skin around my neck has tightened up nicely (it is less loose than my sister-in-law whose weight has remained a pretty constant low 100s).

Some people get loose skin, some don't. I didn't when I was your age - and I'm surprised at how elastic it still is at my current age. I expected a lot worse. I'm not likely to try to tone up, but I expect the loose skin would be barely noticeable if I did.

Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment! Thanks also for your input! I am hoping I, like you, will be pleasantly surprised with the way my skin reacts throughout this process. From what I've read, it helps your skin to stay hydrated, moisturize properly, and avoid excessive sun exposure. I will eventually be joining a gym and lifting weights in addition to my cardio because I know it does wonderful things for body composition- I will do whatever it takes.

mysteps2beauty · September 2016

Yes, I'm concerned about this as you are....I have 100...correction 94 lbs to lose....so I'm hoping like you are that I will not have skin issues...and no it will not stop me...but I'm thinking I need to plan for the worse. What do you think?

MarriedToTheBob · September 2016

Shea balm and Coco oil is good for the elasticity of skin.

Madwife2009 · September 2016

I've lost 135lbs out of my intended goal of 168lbs. I have loose skin, it was pretty well inevitable and I accepted that. It's over my upper legs, upper arms, boobs and stomach.

I would far rather have loose skin than go back to the person I was last year. I am fitter, slimmer, healthier and overall happier than I was as a hugely obese person. I look pretty good in clothes (naked is another issue but only my husband sees me naked and he's not bothered).

It's totally worth it and the only thing I would change if I could go back in time would be to start shifting the fat decades ago (I'm in my forties and have been overweight/obese all of my life).

Once I hit goal, and I've continued the strength training/exercise I'm going to give it a couple of years and see how the land lies then. If I'm not happy then I'll have surgery to get the excess skin removed; I am already planning how to pay for the procedures

RNChristie33 · September 2016

I'm 28 also. Lost about 60 pounds back in 2013, and have been battling with the same 10 pounds ever since, between 160 & 170. last summer, I actually lost about 20 pounds, got down to 143, was the thinnest I have ever been, and was determined to keep going. that's when things got very real for me. I always knew I would have loose skin but the more weight I lost the more clear it became that I was not going to be happy with how I looked naked. Being 28 and single, but with plans for children (someday??), it was definitely a real problem. I wanted to look and feel attractive, but I also don't necessarily care for how some stomachs look after a tummy tuck/panniculectomy and if I'm going to have kids, what is the point? I'm just going to ruin it and get all stretched back out again. I became honestly a little bit obsessed with the different kinds of plastic surgery, and what I could possibly do to avoid a tummy tuck but yet improve my appearance. The worst was the deplorable state of my boobs. I was just a mess, and honestly my self esteem was really suffering. Since, I have unintentionally gained back that 20 pounds, regained my boobs, and am trying to figure out at what weight I will be happy, that will make me feel like I have met my goals but yet doesn't leave me in the same position I was in last year. I'm currently sitting at 163, with my clothes feeling a little tight and my face a little full. I'm heading for 150. I feel like that is a weight I can maintain. I'll still lose some in my chest but not to the point that they were before. I am working on accepting the idea that I will be attractive to the right person at any weight, and to be confident in that. I will never have a totally flat stomach or abs or perfectly tight and toned skin. Maybe after kids I will revisit that dream, but for now, I have decided to make my mental health the priority.

So I'm not sure if that answers your question, just wanted to share a little bit of my journey on that particular topic. I definitely am in a much better place than I was 3 years ago weighing 60 pounds more, and I wish you all the luck in finding your happy weight

fbcarlson · September 2016

I am also not your age but when I was in my 20's I lost 95 pounds (obviously I did not keep them off...) in about 9 months. With the exception of a small amount of loose skin on my stomach I did not have any loose skin. It all just snapped back. I don't know if that is "normal" or not, but it is what happened for me. Hopefully you will have the same experience.

Now that I am in my late 40's I fully expect to have a ton of loose skin when I reach my goal weight. But as Madwife said, it is much better to have loose skin than to go back to being overweight.

Good luck on your journey!

robininfl · September 2016

Well, I have not been fat but have been pregnant several times. Three times the belly got huge and returned completely, it could not manage more, #4 left some extra skin.

It depends on a few factors.
Age is on your side, that's good.
Number of times it has to bounce (see above) this is just once for you, hopefully, so that's on your side.
Genetics - this you do not have control over. Some people just have delicate skin with bad elasticity.
Care - to some extent, you can do things that help or harm. A good diet and hydration can help your skin, and exfoliation and moisture while it's shrinking can help bring circulation and keep it supple.

Remember that the horror stories you see on the web are worst cases, not average.
Remember also that it can take several months or even a couple years to finish its return to normal.

Skin Recoil and Fear of What Comes After

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