Question for those that have lost 50+ LBS

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MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B
MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B Posts: 170
in Motivation and Support
I am 20 years old and have 100+ lbs to lose (have to lose 100 before I can try for the US Navy).

Here is my question:

I am worried about excess skin (because I do have so much to lose) and I am worried that I will have to have surgery to make my stomach/arms look normal after losing the weight. I really do not want to do this for several reasons (1 being that i just do not want to do it, 2- do not want scars).

With those around my age frame (20-30yrs old)... Did your skin "BOUNCE" back as you were losing weight or did it hang all over the place and you had to get something surgically done about it?

Just wanting to have an idea of what to expect and to maybe get some tips on how to make sure my skin shrinks with the rest of me.

THANKS EVERYONE <3

Replies

  • spitfire1962
    spitfire1962 Posts: 347 Member
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    Although I'm not at your age range, I have lost 70 lbs and it's going really well. It's been a process in the works and almost 2 years since I've begun. I think when you see pictures of loose skin, they've lost most of the weight immediately, not giving the body time to adjust. The skin is like elastic, it bounces back, but it does depend on how much elasticity it has. I recommend drinking lots of water and strength training. Working with weights will not bulk you up, but it does burn fat faster and helps to firm the skin.
  • erxkeel
    erxkeel Posts: 553 Member
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    You're 20 years old. Your likely to be better off than someone of older age. I didnt lose 100+ but lost 60 slowly. and retired from the Navy. Best of luck to you!
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
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    32 here... and it sucks, but my skin will never be "normal".... and i am okay with that, it is a reminder of where i will never return. :-)
  • lissypriss
    lissypriss Posts: 157 Member
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    Seeing that you are 20, your results should be different than mine (I'm 36) and your skin may sag some, but with being young, it won't take near as long to shrink. The longer you go without losing weight, the harder it is for your skin to bounce back. Unfortunately, I have to look to other alternatives to remove so much extra skin--I've lost/gained my entire life and it has taken it's toll on my body.
  • dnnmccloud
    dnnmccloud Posts: 124 Member
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    I've lost of 60lbs and 41..no real issues with skin and you are half my age. I really think as long as you tone as you loose you really shouldn't have any problems!
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    At 20 you should be able to recover if you lose 1-2# a week. Use some good lotions to help out. At my age I need surgery to get rid of excess skin even though it has been nearly a year. You should be fine!
  • TabiHerbalifeCoach
    TabiHerbalifeCoach Posts: 691 Member
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    I am active duty Navy, I did have surgery to remove excess skin, but im not sure it had much to do with the weight loss. I am a short person with a short abdomen. and I had two very large children they were both almost 2 feet tall when they came out. If you loose the weight slow and steady it should bounce back, if you do drastic weight loss like seen on weight loss shows you're more likely to have excess skin.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    It's there. around the sides and belly button area. not very big or apparent but it's there. I'm not too concerned at the moment. When I reach my goal I'll give it a year or so before making and decisions about surgery or not. I don't care about scars. besides I read somewhere that chicks dig scars! :smile:
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
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    i lost 110 between the ages of 30 and 33. part of it i lost very quickly.

    most of the skin shrunk. i have a small amount left in the stomach area. it's not excessive, and it is not noticeable at all, even when i wear a swimsuit. i didn't notice it until i started doing push ups a lot.

    the downside : even though i've earned a six pack, it's my opinion that it will never show. the skin has to be absolutely tight for that. however, i'm not getting surgery to have an inch or two of skin removed.

    everyone's skin is different. however, it seems to be most elastic when one is young, so hopefully yours will shrink.
  • iluxoxo211
    iluxoxo211 Posts: 241 Member
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    Hello.. I am 20 years old and my starting weight was 335lbs and I am 265 now.. I have VERY LITTLE excess skin..If you are young your skin tends to bounce back. I don't think you will have a issue with skin as long as you add some sort of working out even if its a few times a week. Good luck and stay positive (:
  • iluxoxo211
    iluxoxo211 Posts: 241 Member
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    wow you have lost so much weight congrats!! :)
  • YMTaylor
    YMTaylor Posts: 230 Member
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    I'm 33 and I've been on this journey for over 2 years. I just said to someone else that while it would be nice if the weight came off a little quicker sometimes, I'm so glad it's going slowly because I'm tightening up as I go. I have no excess skin issues so far and I have 38 pounds (100 total) to go. :)
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
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    OMG, the skin thing again! sorry, but I've posted this many times.

    Here's how it works. For as long as it took you to gain the weight and stretch your skin out, it will take the same amount of time for it to shrink back. Your skin is living! don't have surgery just because you are impatient!

    So if you gained your weight over three years, it will take three years for your skin to resize itself. The good part is, it starts as soon as you begin losing weight, so it might take a year to lose 100 pounds, but that first year of your skin adjustment has passed, so it will only take a little more time.

    Welcome, by the way. If you want to be successful, this is the place to do it.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
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    At age 20, much of your skin should return to "normal." Part of that will depend upon how fast you lose the weight.

    At age 58, I've now dropped 65 pounds (started in 2008). In the last year 2011, my weight was relatively stable while I added some strength training (geared more towards cardio than bulking up) and that loose skin has gradually tightened up most everywhere except my buns. Butt (pun intended,) even they are beginning to come back.

    Good luck to you.
  • hbm616
    hbm616 Posts: 377 Member
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    I'm 22 and with in the past 2 years I've lost about 60-70 pounds, with off and on calorie counting. Because it has taken me so long to take the weight off I feel that my stomach skin isn't as bad as it could be if I had dropped it all in one go but it is still pretty loose. I think it only looks bad right now because I've just lost about 10lbs in the last 2 months. I know from experience that given time and a lot of exercise the skin will shrink and slowly firm up, its just a slow progress, even slower than weight loss unfortunately. I'm guessing that how long you carried the extra weight may have an effect on how much extra skin you are left to deal with. I've spent a solid 2 decades over weight so I feel like my skin will be slower to firm than someone my age who had put on some weight in college or something
  • MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B
    MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B Posts: 170
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    Thank you for all of your help! I am trying to lose the weight more quickly bc i really want to join the Navy BUT I am doing it the healthy way! THANKS AGAIN!!
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
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    I was overweight most of my life and lost 70 pounds when I was 23. I had some stretch marks but the skin came back. I gained it back and lost 70 again at 35 still stretch marks skin came back not as good. I lost 114 pds over 9 months last year and at 40 yrs old the skin is not coming back very good. I would worry more about losing it and keeping it off. Just my opinion. Better to be healthy with scars then overweight.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
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    I have some loose skin, but there isn't a ton and, even if there was, being healthy and droopy is better than being obese. My body is thankful that it doesn't have to carry around an extra person's worth of weight.

    Here are some things you can do -
    Eat nutritious foods (good nutrition helps your skin, muscles, etc)
    Drink plenty of water
    Moisturize
    Exercise (this includes STRENGTH TRAINING!!!)
    Hope for the best (genetics are going to play a HUGE role, as does age)

    Also, it can take some time for skin to "bounce back" so give yourself a couple of years post weight loss to see if your skin catches up.
  • 1996gtstang
    1996gtstang Posts: 279 Member
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    at 26-27 i lost nearly 100lbs and my skin was fine. being a big dummy i gained it back plus some and now at 33 i'm hoping my skin stays tight again as i lose

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