Saggy skin

sirch454 · November 2018

Hi All

I'm new here, this is my first post. Does anyone have any tips on avoiding saggy skin? I was 280lbs on the 3rd November 2018 I'm now 238lbs. With another 42lbs to go to reach my ideal weight. I guess most of my weight loss is because I split up with my girlfriend of 7 years and as well as being totally broken I've had no appetite whatsoever altho I'm now eating again but mostly protein and veg. Ive been in the gym most nights and do 45 minutes cardio then 30 minutes resistance. I'm concerned that with a total loss of 84lbs I'll end up with saggy skin.

Thanks for your advice
Chris

corysmithsmail · November 2018

I started at 264lbs back in April 2017. I'm currently 169lbs. Fat is leaving everywhere except my stomach it seems. But I started going to the gym after losing about 30lbs and incorporated a lot of weightlifting. I feel like that is helping with any potential saggy skin.

tcunbeliever · November 2018

Give it 2 years...for me that's about how long it took for everything skin to tighten up...your skin does not change shape as fast as the rest of your body...if you still have issues after 2 years, then skin removal surgery is probably the only fix, but since it's been such a short time so far, your skin is still in recovery and it should improve over time.

Tacklewasher · November 2018

Am I reading this right? You say you've gone from 280 on Nov 3rd to 238 now? 42 pounds in 3 weeks? If so, go see a doctor as that rate of loss is not healthy.

Sunna_W · November 2018

Sagginess also depends on your genetics and your age. The best advice I can give you is to lose weight steadily and slowly. Like a pound at a time. Also incorporate a lot of collegan forming foods into your diet - bones boiled to make soup, eat the skin and the animal fat in chicken thighs. Check out https://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrition/ for more ideas on how to eat healthy and lose weight and support yourself physically during this trying time in your life.

sytchequeen · November 2018

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Am I reading this right? You say you've gone from 280 on Nov 3rd to 238 now? 42 pounds in 3 weeks? If so, go see a doctor as that rate of loss is not healthy.

crikey! I didn't spot that timeframe in the OP!

What I was going to say remains unchanged though... a sure way to get saggy skin is very fast weightloss. You are less likely to suffer if you take your time and lose the weight slowly and steadily. This will give your skin a better chance of adapting to your new size. At the rate of loss you describe you are a bit in danger of ending out like a deflated balloon.

Sunshine_And_Sand · November 2018

Genetics and age probably pay a bigger part in the amount of loose skin you end up with than how quickly you lose the weight.
Gaining the weight is what caused the skin to stretch, so by the time you start losing weight, whatever "damage" there is going to be is already done, and you won't know until you get there how much saggy skin you may or may not have.
Slow weight loss is definitely preferable and safer but probably won't change the amount of loose skin you ultimately end up with. It may look a little better during weight loss with a slow loss just because you are giving the skin more time to adjust and may skip some of what looks the worst but your end result (after 2 years of maintenance) would likely be the same.
It also seems to me that how fast you gained the weight could have an impact. I'm thinking of stretch marks after the fast weight gain of pregnancy.
Either way, don't let the fear of loose skin stop you from losing weight and being healthier. You may not even get the loose skin, so just do your best and worry about that if or when it happens. If you do get loose skin it's still healthier than all the extra weight was.

sirch454 · November 2018

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Am I reading this right? You say you've gone from 280 on Nov 3rd to 238 now? 42 pounds in 3 weeks? If so, go see a doctor as that rate of loss is not healthy.

Thanks for all the replies. Yes you did read that right.

I split up from my girlfriend (one of her reasons for dumping me was I was too fat) and as a consequence I didn't eat ( I had no appetite) for about a week and a half I just took vitamins and hit the gym real hard. My weight loss has slowed down a lot now about 5lbs a week. I have approx. 900 calories a day now mostly protein and green veg. I'm still at the gym every night altho not for as long. I still take the vitamins and Psyllium Husks 500 mg in vegetable capsules. I'm 51 and 5ft 9 or 175cm Btw

LivingtheLeanDream · November 2018

1500 is the minimum intake for a guy, you are losing at an unhealthy rate. Quick weight loss is the biggest reason for saggy skin, losing slowly helps. It takes time for the skin to firm up (genetics and age do factor in).

Tacklewasher · November 2018

sirch454 wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Am I reading this right? You say you've gone from 280 on Nov 3rd to 238 now? 42 pounds in 3 weeks? If so, go see a doctor as that rate of loss is not healthy.

Thanks for all the replies. Yes you did read that right. I split up from my girlfriend (one of her reasons for dumping me was I was too fat) and as a consequence I didn't eat ( I had no appetite) for about a week and a half I just took vitamins and hit the gym real hard. My weight loss has slowed down a lot now about 5lbs a week. I have approx. 900 calories a day now mostly protein and green veg. I'm still at the gym every night altho not for as long. I still take the vitamins and Psyllium Husks 500 mg in vegetable capsules. I'm 51 and 5ft 9 or 175cm Btw

This is not a healthy rate of loss and is too few calories for a guy. You need to eat more before you seriously screw something up. Min 1500 and I doubt that is a big enough number for you.

I'd be more worried about gallstones then loose skin.

Read https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gallstones/dieting

collectingblues · November 2018

sirch454 wrote: »

Tacklewasher wrote: »

Am I reading this right? You say you've gone from 280 on Nov 3rd to 238 now? 42 pounds in 3 weeks? If so, go see a doctor as that rate of loss is not healthy.

Thanks for all the replies. Yes you did read that right. I split up from my girlfriend (one of her reasons for dumping me was I was too fat) and as a consequence I didn't eat ( I had no appetite) for about a week and a half I just took vitamins and hit the gym real hard. My weight loss has slowed down a lot now about 5lbs a week. I have approx. 900 calories a day now mostly protein and green veg. I'm still at the gym every night altho not for as long. I still take the vitamins and Psyllium Husks 500 mg in vegetable capsules. I'm 51 and 5ft 9 or 175cm Btw

That's not adequate nutrition. 5 pounds is too much each week if you don't weigh 500 pounds.

By your stats and rate of loss, you need to add back in another 1500 a day to slow to a *healthy* two pound a week loss.

sirch454 · December 2018

That is a worry I'd not considered. The calorie counter thing on this site says I should be eating 2090 per day. My problem is I just cant eat that amount. Its not that I'm thinking to myself I'd best not eat - I want to lose weight. I just cant physically eat.

smolmaus · December 2018

If you stop taking the psyllium husk you may be able to eat more, it's advertised as making you feel fuller for longer. Unless you have digestive issues and are taking it for another reason.

I don't mean to be overly harsh here but you are a grown man, you know that's not enough food for a grown man. You are knowingly hurting yourself through not eating and over-exercising because of a relationship breakup and you must know that is a very silly and very pointless thing to do. You CAN eat, you don't have to enjoy it but you can and must start eating properly before you cause yourself more problems than loose skin.

I would recommend leaving the diet and exercise alone until you get your head sorted.

AnnPT77 · December 2018

sirch454 wrote: »

That is a worry I'd not considered. The calorie counter thing on this site says I should be eating 2090 per day. My problem is I just cant eat that amount. Its not that I'm thinking to myself I'd best not eat - I want to lose weight. I just cant physically eat.

Add some low-volume calorie-dense foods to get more calories, if your macronutrient/micronutrient needs are already covered. It can be "healthy" foods, if you prefer: Nuts, nut butters, fattier meats/fish, full-fat dairy instead of reduced, avocados, richer salad dressings, more olive oil or other good oils in cooking, etc. This is not a bad thing: You need fats in your intake for best health, too. Underfueling is a bad idea.

Even treat foods (lower nutrient density, higher calorie density) are OK, once you have basic nutrition in place, to get to your healthiest calorie level.

kshama2001 · December 2018

Another vote for drastically slowing your weight loss. Agreeing that less psyllium husk might make it easier to eat. Fats are calorie dense.

You are seriously undereating. That's going to set you up for failure or saggy skin / malnutrition / hair loss / muscle loss.

What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?

Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:

Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:

Headaches
Irritability
Fatigue
Dizziness
Constipation
Menstrual irregularities
Hair loss
Muscle loss

Saggy skin

Replies

Categories