Flabby skin

I've only just started out, but am worried that when i have got my weight down i will have lots of loose skin hanging off me. Is there anything i should be doing now to make this less of a problem? Or should i just worry about one thing at a time and get the weight off?

Well fast weight loss will encourage it and slow weight loss may give it more time to retract. But everyone is different so really you can't tell until your reach your goal.

I wish I knew the answer to this too. I think the secret is to lose weight at a natural pace and not try and dump it all in one go.

Of course, age is a defining factor and the younger you are the more elastic your skin is. And keeping your skin hydrated is very important too. I've always kind of looked after my skin and have now taken to moisturising the belly and the moobs with cocoa-butter (actually developed to reduce the appearance of stretch marks in pregnancy, but figure if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.)

I'd love to hear what other MFP members say... especially those who have lost significant amounts of weight and who are maybe in the 40s or older?

There are some exercises you can do for this, but when you get to a certain age, I think (at least on your upper arms) your skin may not be as elastic as it used to be and may take more time to tighten up. I have excess skin on bottom of upper arms and plan on trying some weights . I would just take one day at a time and do some strength training with weights for it. Good Luck!

Well speaking from experience and from professional consultations, it depends on your age and how much you are losing. As we age, our skin loses its elasticity and nothing will bring it back. When younger, lotions and some weight training helps a lot but for me, that ship has sailed! I have a lot of excess skin, but it won't be here for long...having it surgically removed.