Where does the flab go??

zippitydo
zippitydo Posts: 62
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a saggy belly! I am worried that as I loose weight, it will sag even more. Where does the excess skin from arms and belly go? I don't want to work hard to lose the weight, just to have excess skin that hangs even lower in the front. I know that I can always wear Spanx or something to hide it, but does anyone know from experience if as you lose weight, does it go away?
Thanks for the help. 10 pounds down, 70 more to go!!

Replies

  • zippitydo
    zippitydo Posts: 62
    I have a saggy belly! I am worried that as I loose weight, it will sag even more. Where does the excess skin from arms and belly go? I don't want to work hard to lose the weight, just to have excess skin that hangs even lower in the front. I know that I can always wear Spanx or something to hide it, but does anyone know from experience if as you lose weight, does it go away?
    Thanks for the help. 10 pounds down, 70 more to go!!
  • Amboo
    Amboo Posts: 30
    If you don't exercise as you lose weight the flab will hang but if you exercise and tighten it up it will be tight skin but you have to exercise. I stress the exercise because I have seen what it does to people when they don't and they end up cutting it off.
  • joonieB
    joonieB Posts: 101
    Exercise certainly won't hurt, but much depends on how old you are and how quickly the weight comes off. A very clean diet and slow and steady weight loss is best--for a lot of reasons. A person in her 20's will have much better luck with the skin snapping back than a person in her 40's. Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear....
  • angelinaz
    angelinaz Posts: 262
    Each body is different. Losing weight slowly is the best. 2 lbs a week or less is ideal. Each person has a different elasticity factor to their skin. I have a friend who has lost 100 lbs twice and she looks like a model in her bathing suit. I have seen others not as fortunate. I personally believe that slowly losing weight and lifting weights are the:smile: things you can do for best results. Either way, our goal is to be healthy and losing the weight will accomplish that and give us longevity. Good luck!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    if you lose an excessive amount from a particular area you are bound to have saggy skin. it's just a fact. Now sometimes, particularly if you are relatively young and your skin is still quite elastic, the skin will tighten up again to some extent. There's nothing wrong with a bit of saggy skin though. I have some in my upper arms and thighs and I really couldn't care less. It's tightening up a bit with time but hey I'll take saggy skin over 70 extra lbs anyday.

    best things you can do to help it along are to lose slowly- 1-2 lbs a week max will along your skin more time to keep up with your changing body. drink your water- it helps to improve and maintain skin's elasticity. and do some strength training- it doesn't get rid of the saggy skin but it can help to fill it out by building layers of muscle below the surface. :flowerforyou: good luck
  • utexashorns
    utexashorns Posts: 34
    You HAVE to exercise and lift weights if you want to be firm. Also as someone else said you need to drink plenty of water. I also want to strongly encourage you to get plenty of soy protein in your diet everyday because it improves skin elasticity which of course will prevent flab. Oh yeah, use a great organic lotion (go to whole foods) this will also support your skin rejuv. Efforts as well. If you do these things which are easy to do, you should not have a problem with flabbiness! I have seen it done successfully many times! Good luck!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Skin is elastic, as your body shrinks or grows, it expands and contracts. If you lose weight quickly, then it takes a while. The older you get the less elastic it becomes. You can combat that by making sure you get the proper vitamins and minerals for your age and gender, but in extreme cases, there's nothing to be done after a lifetime of "skin" abuse (obesity) but surgery or live with it. In almost all cases the skin will contract to a degree, but depending on your age and how healthy you eat and live (yes, including exercise) it may or may not come all the way back on its own. And no, none of those skin creams will do it, some may help a little, but none of them will do much more then give your skin the vitamins they need to naturally restore.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Skin is elastic, as your body shrinks or grows, it expands and contracts. If you lose weight quickly, then it takes a while. The older you get the less elastic it becomes. You can combat that by making sure you get the proper vitamins and minerals for your age and gender, but in extreme cases, there's nothing to be done after a lifetime of "skin" abuse (obesity) but surgery or live with it. In almost all cases the skin will contract to a degree, but depending on your age and how healthy you eat and live (yes, including exercise) it may or may not come all the way back on its own. And no, none of those skin creams will do it, some may help a little, but none of them will do much more then give your skin the vitamins they need to naturally restore.

    A lot of BBers will use hemorrhoid cream to tighten up before a show because it helps retain more water beneath the skin, making it look smoother. But you might get some looks slathering your whole body up with Preparation H. :laugh:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Skin is elastic, as your body shrinks or grows, it expands and contracts. If you lose weight quickly, then it takes a while. The older you get the less elastic it becomes. You can combat that by making sure you get the proper vitamins and minerals for your age and gender, but in extreme cases, there's nothing to be done after a lifetime of "skin" abuse (obesity) but surgery or live with it. In almost all cases the skin will contract to a degree, but depending on your age and how healthy you eat and live (yes, including exercise) it may or may not come all the way back on its own. And no, none of those skin creams will do it, some may help a little, but none of them will do much more then give your skin the vitamins they need to naturally restore.

    A lot of BBers will use hemorrhoid cream to tighten up before a show because it helps retain more water beneath the skin, making it look smoother. But you might get some looks slathering your whole body up with Preparation H. :laugh:

    I have heard that too. It's a an odd thing what people will do. :laugh:

    What does Prep H do? Just suck the moisture out of the skin? I imagine that can't be good for your skin if you do it a lot.
  • mickie
    mickie Posts: 183
    Well, I had three large babies (biggest 10lbs., 12 oz. and 23" inches long). They are 14, 12 and 10 now and unfortunately I still have the roll from where my stomach stretched out (stretch marks too; sorry if TMI). It ain't goin' anywhere (no matter how hard I work; 6 days of cardio, 3 days heavy lifting, clean eating). The only way to get rid of it is to cut it off (which won't happen unless I win the lottery). And yes, I am 41 now, but I was down to 122 lbs after my 10 year old was born and I still had it. Sorry to be a downer, but that's my experience. Maybe yours will be better. Good luck!:happy:
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
    I had big babies, too, but I never lost much of the flab.
    My mom always told me to lose it before I got so old the flab would hang down into an "apron."
    eeeewwwww!!!!!!!
    And here I am.
    :ohwell:
  • artschoolgirl
    artschoolgirl Posts: 598 Member
    It's different for each person. I'm 23 and was overweight my whole life & will require a tummy tuck and a couple of lifts in other areas if I choose. I carried a significant amount of weight in my stomach. I work out, I eat healthy, I've lost at a good pace, but still, my skin was stretched through a long period of time and did not have it's full elasticity.

    Key is, work out through your journey, use creams if you feel their necessary, and these will definitely help minimize the problem, but it may require more! The most important part is being at healthy weight & you'll feel much better being thin with a little excess skin than being overweight.
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