Tips on avoiding loose skin?
Lovelylivie
Posts: 18 Member
Hi, I am looking for tips on how to avoid getting loose and saggy skin during my weight loss journey. I am around 5ft 9in and currently 190lbs. Doctor said a healthy weight for me would be 140-150lbs and majority of my extra fat is in my belly.
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
0
Replies
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Get in a time machine, go back in time before you gained weight, and then don't gain the weight. That is the only way to ensure that you will have no loose skin. Loose skin is caused by skin damage that happens during the process of gaining weight. You just need to focus on losing the weight and not worrying about whether or not you'll have excess skin. At your stats, you might have some skin that is permanently stretched a bit but it is not going to be the huge swaths of skin that people tend to worry about. It's likely going to be something like your skin hangs a bit when you are doing naked planks or pushups, and the solution for that is just not look.7
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Tips? Don't get fat, don't get old, possibly change your parents.
Your skin will recover but to what degree and but where you end up two years from now probably won't be much different whether you lose fast or lose slowly.4 -
The supplement 'Gotu Kola' taken over time has great results. You won't notice anything for a long time (maybe 6 months) but then you'll really notice your skin tightening up.6
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Lose weight slow (1-2 per month)
Dry brushing helps some people
Lots of water
Hydrate your skin with oils too
Strength Training
And hope for the best!
I´ve known people who have lost 50-60 with no loose skin problems3 -
Some people invest in plastic surgery. No way to avoid it. I remember when I was pregnant I was sold bio oil which is meant to help... just makes you all oily and smell funny. I was 100kg at my heaviest, I'm now 69kg, I have some loose skin on tummy but it only shows when I plank. You skin is marvelous stuff and can cope with a lot.3
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dazwalsh1622 wrote: »The supplement 'Gotu Kola' taken over time has great results. You won't notice anything for a long time (maybe 6 months) but then you'll really notice your skin tightening up.Lose weight slow (1-2 per month)
Dry brushing helps some people
Lots of water
Hydrate your skin with oils too
Strength Training
And hope for the best!
None of this will prevent loose skin if your skin is damaged to the point where it's going to be loose. Your genetics, how big you were, how long you were big, and your age will determine whether or not you have loose skin. You can do everything "right" and still end up with loose skin. That means you can lift from Day 1, moisturize, lose weight at a slow rate, etc. and still have loose skin. But, bottom line, it's not something to spend a lot of time worrying about right now. You're not going to know until a couple of years after you hit your goal weight what your skin is going to look like.4 -
There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.8 -
Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.
You are confusing realistic with mean. You can't change your past or predict your future.
No-one mentioned giving up.
But I do agree with happy and healthy - I'm both of those things and also have some loose skin. So what?
At 57 I didn't have a career option of being a fitness model even if my skin snapped back.3 -
Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.
No. It is not being mean to tell people not to waste their money on supplements that will not tighten up their skin. It is not mean to tell people that they can do everything "right" (per the standard suggestions on how to avoid loose skin) and still have loose skin. Nobody is saying not to lose the weight or not to exercise. We are simply being realistic.2 -
Lol, sorry, but there's no supplement that reduces an organ like skin. Don't believe the broscience.dazwalsh1622 wrote: »The supplement 'Gotu Kola' taken over time has great results. You won't notice anything for a long time (maybe 6 months) but then you'll really notice your skin tightening up.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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The reality is that NO ONE can tell for sure. You just have to lose the weight an see. Whether you lose it fast or slow, it's not really going to matter much. Lifting weights will be be great for muscle retention which will help "a little".
There are NO PRODUCTS out there that can help reduce loose skin permanently. It's an organ and mass just doesn't reduce from weight loss. You cannot do any exercise to reduce it.
Age, genetics and time will dictate if you get it or not.
The good news is that you have under 80lbs to lose and the majority of my clients that had less than that to lose had little to no loose skin versus those that had over 80lbs to lose.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 4 -
No one said give up. They just deterred OP from spending money on useless products and time on them.Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Lovelylivie wrote: »Hi, I am looking for tips on how to avoid getting loose and saggy skin during my weight loss journey. I am around 5ft 9in and currently 190lbs. Doctor said a healthy weight for me would be 140-150lbs and majority of my extra fat is in my belly.
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
Depending on how young you are - like under 40s - and since you don't have a massive amount of weight to lose, you may not have a big problem with hanging skin. Just lose the weight, maybe do some weight lifting and enjoy your healthy new body.1 -
I cant add any more advice to the thread. But i just wanted to say kudos to you for using the words lose and loose correctly
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Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.
You are confusing realistic with mean. You can't change your past or predict your future.
No-one mentioned giving up.
But I do agree with happy and healthy - I'm both of those things and also have some loose skin. So what?
At 57 I didn't have a career option of being a fitness model even if my skin snapped back.
Sometimes life happens and you gain weight. I have PCOS and unfortunately due to the hormone imbalance contributed to a large amount of my weight gain. I was active and didn't have an awful diet. So the "Just don't get fat tip" is useless.3 -
Lovelylivie wrote: »Hi, I am looking for tips on how to avoid getting loose and saggy skin during my weight loss journey. I am around 5ft 9in and currently 190lbs. Doctor said a healthy weight for me would be 140-150lbs and majority of my extra fat is in my belly.
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
Depending on how young you are - like under 40s - and since you don't have a massive amount of weight to lose, you may not have a big problem with hanging skin. Just lose the weight, maybe do some weight lifting and enjoy your healthy new body.
I'm 22 and I personally don't think I look overweight but my scale says otherwise haha0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I cant add any more advice to the thread. But i just wanted to say kudos to you for using the words lose and loose correctly
Thank you for the appreciation. Haha1 -
Lovelylivie wrote: »Lovelylivie wrote: »Hi, I am looking for tips on how to avoid getting loose and saggy skin during my weight loss journey. I am around 5ft 9in and currently 190lbs. Doctor said a healthy weight for me would be 140-150lbs and majority of my extra fat is in my belly.
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
Depending on how young you are - like under 40s - and since you don't have a massive amount of weight to lose, you may not have a big problem with hanging skin. Just lose the weight, maybe do some weight lifting and enjoy your healthy new body.
I'm 22 and I personally don't think I look overweight but my scale says otherwise haha
The upside is that at your age you have a much better chance of recovering tight, smooth skin than us old folks. Me, I'm in my mid-50s, started out a little over a year ago with only about 35 lbs to lose, down to about 10% body fat and my middle is still loose enough to jiggle. And when I plank... ugh. Not a thing I can do about it either.
But your skin is over 30 years younger, so you may avoid that problem almost entirely. Or, if you have it, it won't last so long.3 -
Lovelylivie wrote: »Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »There are some pretty mean answers above, as though you should give up right now. I say: don't listen for one minute!
Go ahead and lose some weight and I think you will be really happy with the results. Add in a bit of exercise, and you will look and feel downright fantastic! Most important is to be happy and healthy.
You are confusing realistic with mean. You can't change your past or predict your future.
No-one mentioned giving up.
But I do agree with happy and healthy - I'm both of those things and also have some loose skin. So what?
At 57 I didn't have a career option of being a fitness model even if my skin snapped back.
Sometimes life happens and you gain weight. I have PCOS and unfortunately due to the hormone imbalance contributed to a large amount of my weight gain. I was active and didn't have an awful diet. So the "Just don't get fat tip" is useless.
I was pointing out that you can't change what has already happened.
Just like your age and genetics you can't change the past.
I was also very active and had a great diet before (and after) I got fat when "life happened to me" through no fault of my own.
How your skin ends up after weight loss is beyond your control. My stomach didn't look good after my weight loss but after a couple of years it was OK, not great but OK.1 -
When I was younger I lost 30 lbs. and never had any issues with lose skin. 40-50 lbs. is a bit more but you are also tall. Why don't you just start with a goal of losing 10-20 lbs. and see how the skin looks? And then just take it by 5 lbs. increments? At 22, I don't think you have anything to worry about. In the 20s the body is still very young and resilient.1
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Lovelylivie wrote: »Lovelylivie wrote: »Hi, I am looking for tips on how to avoid getting loose and saggy skin during my weight loss journey. I am around 5ft 9in and currently 190lbs. Doctor said a healthy weight for me would be 140-150lbs and majority of my extra fat is in my belly.
I know if I lose weight at a slower pace that will help, but I am searching for other tips also!
I want to get healthy but I know if I had lota of extra skin hanging around, my confidence would be lower than it is now being 192lbs.
Thanks!
Depending on how young you are - like under 40s - and since you don't have a massive amount of weight to lose, you may not have a big problem with hanging skin. Just lose the weight, maybe do some weight lifting and enjoy your healthy new body.
I'm 22 and I personally don't think I look overweight but my scale says otherwise haha
I doubt you'll have loose skin problems then. You'll look terrific.0 -
lucerorojo wrote: »When I was younger I lost 30 lbs. and never had any issues with lose skin. 40-50 lbs. is a bit more but you are also tall. Why don't you just start with a goal of losing 10-20 lbs. and see how the skin looks? And then just take it by 5 lbs. increments? At 22, I don't think you have anything to worry about. In the 20s the body is still very young and resilient.
This kind of strategy can mislead, for some: Fat depletes anywhere within the fat mass, and varies by individual, so moderate fat loss can leave some squishy subcutaneous fat that conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched out, but more loss will deplete the area enough for skin to shrink.
OP, be aware that true loose skin is thin folds like you could pinch on a non-fatty part like back of hand or kneecap. Thicker folds, like half an inch or thicker, almost certainly have some subcutaneous fat in there.
The true loose skin can continue to shrink well after weight loss. Mine continued to shrink for at least a year into maintenance, and I'm 60 freakin' years old!
For areas with remaining subcutaneous fat, you can't necessarily keep losing pounds until all fat is gone (not remotely healthy), but once you're at goal weight you can consider recomposition (or bulk/cut cycles) to further reduce fat at that weight.
So, see how you look when you get to goal, but give it some time after that to continue shrinking. At your age, with moderate amounts of weight to lose (vs. 100 lbs plus), your odds of a good outcome are excellent.4 -
lucerorojo wrote: »When I was younger I lost 30 lbs. and never had any issues with lose skin. 40-50 lbs. is a bit more but you are also tall. Why don't you just start with a goal of losing 10-20 lbs. and see how the skin looks? And then just take it by 5 lbs. increments? At 22, I don't think you have anything to worry about. In the 20s the body is still very young and resilient.
This kind of strategy can mislead, for some: Fat depletes anywhere within the fat mass, and varies by individual, so moderate fat loss can leave some squishy subcutaneous fat that conspires with gravity to keep the skin stretched out, but more loss will deplete the area enough for skin to shrink.
OP, be aware that true loose skin is thin folds like you could pinch on a non-fatty part like back of hand or kneecap. Thicker folds, like half an inch or thicker, almost certainly have some subcutaneous fat in there.
The true loose skin can continue to shrink well after weight loss. Mine continued to shrink for at least a year into maintenance, and I'm 60 freakin' years old!
For areas with remaining subcutaneous fat, you can't necessarily keep losing pounds until all fat is gone (not remotely healthy), but once you're at goal weight you can consider recomposition (or bulk/cut cycles) to further reduce fat at that weight.
So, see how you look when you get to goal, but give it some time after that to continue shrinking. At your age, with moderate amounts of weight to lose (vs. 100 lbs plus), your odds of a good outcome are excellent.
All of these tips are very helpful. Thank you
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When I was in my late 30's, I lost about 25 pounds and didn't have any loose skin issues. Ah, youth! I'm in my mid-50's now and recently lost 22 pounds. I have loose skin in the old tricep area, kind of flabby hanging lack-of-muscle-tone skin this time around. I'm doing some exercises to see if that helps. At the age of 22, my guess is that you will have very minimal issues with loose skin. So really, the key is losing the weight now while you're younger instead of later!0
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The key is not putting the weight on to begin with! But hindsight is 20/20!0
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