Loose saggy skin...tips?

Looking forward to reading a reply from someone who has been throguh this....I'm fairly confident I am on track for loose skin myself in the coming months...

The best advice that I can give is to moisturize religiously. Aside from that, skin elasticity varies from person to person and is generally determined by genetics.

I would not let this prevent you from losing the weight though, even with a bit of saggy skin, a person will almost always look better after shedding the excess fat. Your skin will naturally tighten a bit over a year or so period after hitting goal weight, but any excess skin will need to be removed surgically.

I've lost 105+ from Christmas to mid September, and I've been in maintenance since.. I have a bit of loose skin, most notably at the waist ... but it's a bit less saggy now than it was a month ago, when I hit my target weight.

I'm healthier than I've been in 10-15 years, and compared to the massive gut I was carrying around before, I look tons better. It's all a matter of perspective.

My recommendations: Eat well, exercise (cardio & weights) and hydrate.

I'm going to start taking grape seed extract. Apparently it helps with collagen production.

I speak from experience. I am 5ft tall and I was always thin and ran into medical problems and got up to 321lbs. I lost 217 lbs and now weigh 217 lbs. I did have a tummy tuck which without it I probably couldn't have gotten the flat stomach and muscles I now have after exercise and a lot of stomach crunches.

I have a huge amount of flab under my back side of my arms. (chicken wings). I have muscles on the bicep which looks great. My legs have loose skin but the calves are solid muscle. I have been told some of this loose skin can be toned through regular weight lifting and toning. Right now I jog every day and eat right. I've kept the weight off for over 17 years and maintaining.

I do not believe taking the weight off slow or fast makes a difference. I took my weight off slow. I believe it has to do with your body makeup. If you are morbidly obese like I was, the skin stretches and loses all of it's elasticity. It just doesn't bounce back after my 5 years of being that heavy. I know some people that go through this and do not experience loose skin.

There are three things that are solutions and they are; 1. have plastic surgery, 2. lift weights/toning, 3. accept who you are and feel blessed you are thin. I opted for a little of number 1. because my insurance paid for it and now I realize that lifting weights will help so I am adding that to my exercise routine, and 3rd I am accepting of me naked and all. I haven't looked this good in years. I embrace who I am inside and out. I do not complain for who I am inside or out. I complained and cried and was miserable before.

I've learned to appreciate what I have achieved. Anything I can do for self-improvement I do. If it isn't realistic whether it is for financial reasons or health reasons, etc, I accept it and remember where I was by looking at my fat pictures.

I hope this helps some of you. No matter what it is a win win situation for all of you. Doesn't it feel great going into a clothing store and being able to pick out just about anything that's cute and have it fit? I just love that!

Think of the positives and always remember it is your mindset and maintaining a positive attitude that will keep your journey a happy one and not get stuck!

Good luck and Happy Thinking All!

Barbara

Google the 3 day nutritional face lift (Dr Perricone). It's designed for your face but it helps all of your skin.

My tip is: accept it!

Yes it can be hard to do so. But love your ( new) self and body the way it is and becomes while you are losing weight.
Embrace the little victories with a smile on your face. The showing collar bones, the suddenly shape of your newly waist etc etc

The excess skin needs time to "shrink" and it can take even 2 years to do so. But still this has to do with your genetics, how long overweight, age etc.

But just hold on to the benefits....healthier and slimmer. There is no magic for losing weight nor excess skin. Except a surgery. But for a lot of people that is at their end of their weight loss journey
For now focus on your "new" me and smile and feel happier and damm proud of every pound you leave behind.

Rachelwin65 wrote: »

I wonder if there is any connection between eating low fat and loose skin? I used to teach childbirth classes and we always emphasized the need to eat adequate fats to help maintain elasticity in the mom's skin. Have folks found any correlation between the amount of fat in their diet and the tendancy towards loose skin?

No. I'm a crazy carboholic. 3 kids, no stretchmarks in the belly. When it's flat, there's very slight different texture on the skin about the size of a fingernail just above my belly button. That's it. No loose skin. Did get silver boob stretch marks, but that's because I hit 34J with my first kid. My husband hasn't noticed them. I guess because they're still boobs...lol. Even then, I look naked like most women who haven't had kids who are my age in the boobs.

I think a lot of my stretched skin comes from my belly button turning inside out, though. LOL. When it does back again, there's not a huge amount of skin left.

I think if you lose slower, the skin tightens with the fat loss, and faster, it tightens more after.

Kalikel wrote: »

The creams are scams. So are those skin brushes. People suggest weight lifting and building muscle would take up space, making the skin less loose.

Losing slowly is supposed to help.

I have the loose skin and I hate it so much. I was fat my entire adult life and I don't know how much of this is natural loss of elasticity and how much is from losing, but it's gross.

No help, but you aren't alone.

I kind of half heartedly disagree with you. I agree that " special " creams are usually a scam, but moisturizing the skin really helps. I use almonds or sesame oil ( not the asian strong smelling cooking oil ) and apply it to the skin when it is still a bit moist after a shower. I also use a brush and brush all my problem areas with a dry brush before bathing or taking a shower. This is important, because it aids in circulation, gets rid of old skin cells and makes me feel better. The brush I used is a brush for washing dishes, I bought at a chinese shop for the equivalent of a dollar. It has natural brissles ( sp?) and I don't know if that makes difference.
I am going on 70 and so far have lost 65 pounds ( .5 pounds a week more or less ) and right now weigh 84 kilos ( around 180 pounds I think ) have no sagging skin in my face, around my neck and arms. I do however have lately a bit of extra skin around my thighs which I have inherited from a Clydesdale I think. I have two very large abdominal scars and they seem to pucker a bit now and are more pronounced , but nothing more.
My doctor told me that the fact that I am a life long non-smoker and a very moderate drinker helped in the condition of my skin and that supposedly there is little hope for those who have been smokers for a long time. Again, I have no proof for that.
I can only say that I swear by moisturizing and dry brushing, hydration inside and out and a balanced diet.
I have decided that if my thighs turn from fat into flabby skin that I will live with it. I will buy a few pairs of light Spanx type garments to wear when it's necessary. I figure by the time I will have lost the weight I want to lose ( another 45 pounds ) I will be 70 and not go under the knife unless it's a life saving procedure.
For honesty's sake I need to say that weight loss is more important for me than estetics, because at under five feet and with two heart attacks within a few days in April there is no other choice.

I've been up and down the scale so many times, in '88 I dropped from 250 to 160, gained most of it back and then down again to 185, had 2 children, gained until I hit 293 in 2011, left my daughter's dad, moved 2 provinces away and dropped down to 192, I gained alittle and then in October 2014 I gained 30 when I quit smoking... I started KETO on December 4, 2016 at 249, as of today I've lost 16 lbs, I am planning on having brachioplasty (arm surgery) when i hit my goal weight, I have always had bigger arms and I hate them. I also had a tummy tuck in 2012, so far my weight gain back hasn't affected my tummy, just my arms and upper legs and backfat... ughhh I hate backfat, back to the gym...