Extra skin after weight loss?
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nicholebean
Posts: 160
I just posted a blog today (http://healthychoices-for-life.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-number-one-most-asked-question.html) about extra skin that I have. Does anyone else have a little extra skin they are trying to firm up? If so how are you doing it? Check out my blog and let me know if I can add anything else that would be super helpful to people! Thanks!
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Replies
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I'm doing weight training also. Unfortunately I was overweight to seriously overweight my entire adult life and waited until my 40's to do something about it. Two children didn't help either:) As a consequence I have a significant amount of loose skin. Since I switched to mostly maintenance I have notice a little bit of firming up, but no where near what I want.
So you young women out there, listen up get a handle on your weight now while your body will recover alot more quickly!0 -
Both of you are awesome I know it has nothing to do with your post but 128 and 114 lost is amazing wtg0
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I *HATE* my arms for this reason. The stretch marks too. I'd love to see what people say about this and I'll also be reading the blog post. The belly I can hide in jeans but not my arms!
ETA: What kind of weight training can i do at home that doesn't require expensive and bulky equipment?0 -
I have a friend in her mid-50s who has lost over 100 pounds in the last year. Unfortunately the skin loses elasticity as we age so it's much harder to firm it up. She finally went to a doctor and they "tucked" the worst areas. She still has some loose skin but now it looks more "normal".0
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I had considered tucks, but after reading the cost and the affects of surgery, I've decided to give my body time to heal itself. I don't like my arms too, but I'm so freaking cold now that I've lost all this weight, I am always wearing long sleeve shirts and hoodies anyways lol.
For weight training at home do a google search on "body weight" exercises. If you haven't done any weight training yet those are a good start. Also resistance bands would be good for a beginner.
My husband and I decided it would be a good investment for our health to make a weight room. We cleaned out a storage room downstairs. Removed the carpet and put down cheap interlocking tile flooring (wish we had put a heated underlayment lol). We went to a local Farm Supply store and bought horse mats for the exercise area. These are much cheaper and heavier than the crap at the sports stores. Be aware though they stink for awhile!! We watched sales and picked up a 300lb Olympic Weight set, a bench and a rack. Quickly found that doing Squats really needed a squat rack/cage. But they are very expensive and most too tall for our drop ceiling. He ended up finding a diy cage plan online, and him and his dad built it for us. It works great! We also splurged and got a flat screen TV and Blueray player so we could have music or look up videos on youtube on proper form. I will say I do somewhat regret getting the olympic set we did. If you do invest in weights get the grip ones (holes all the weigh thru) When you have to start lugging around the 35lbs/45lbs it's a pain without it.
All together we probably shelled out ~1K$ but it is well worth it.0 -
I had considered tucks, but after reading the cost and the affects of surgery, I've decided to give my body time to heal itself. I don't like my arms too, but I'm so freaking cold now that I've lost all this weight, I am always wearing long sleeve shirts and hoodies anyways lol.
For weight training at home do a google search on "body weight" exercises. If you haven't done any weight training yet those are a good start. Also resistance bands would be good for a beginner.
My husband and I decided it would be a good investment for our health to make a weight room. We cleaned out a storage room downstairs. Removed the carpet and put down cheap interlocking tile flooring (wish we had put a heated underlayment lol). We went to a local Farm Supply store and bought horse mats for the exercise area. These are much cheaper and heavier than the crap at the sports stores. Be aware though they stink for awhile!! We watched sales and picked up a 300lb Olympic Weight set, a bench and a rack. Quickly found that doing Squats really needed a squat rack/cage. But they are very expensive and most too tall for our drop ceiling. He ended up finding a diy cage plan online, and him and his dad built it for us. It works great! We also splurged and got a flat screen TV and Blueray player so we could have music or look up videos on youtube on proper form. I will say I do somewhat regret getting the olympic set we did. If you do invest in weights get the grip ones (holes all the weigh thru) When you have to start lugging around the 35lbs/45lbs it's a pain without it.
All together we probably shelled out ~1K$ but it is well worth it.
That's some great info, thanks! I envy your weight room, that sounds so amazing!0 -
Both of you are awesome I know it has nothing to do with your post but 128 and 114 lost is amazing wtg
Thank you!0 -
The skinny on this is:
It takes the same amount of time for your skin to shrink as it took to stretch it out. Your skin will return to normal, but if it took 3 years to gain all your weight, it will take 3 years for it to shrink back.
But you started shrinking your skin the minute you started losing weight. Keep at it, keep working out, and your skin will return to where it should be.
Just as with dieting, there are no quick fixes.0 -
The skinny on this is:
It takes the same amount of time for your skin to shrink as it took to stretch it out. Your skin will return to normal, but if it took 3 years to gain all your weight, it will take 3 years for it to shrink back.
But you started shrinking your skin the minute you started losing weight. Keep at it, keep working out, and your skin will return to where it should be.
Just as with dieting, there are no quick fixes.
This is true! Thank you!0 -
I'm doing strength training to tone up my skin, though I've already lost over 100lbs so I'm sure it won't get completely toned up.0
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The skinny on this is:
It takes the same amount of time for your skin to shrink as it took to stretch it out. Your skin will return to normal, but if it took 3 years to gain all your weight, it will take 3 years for it to shrink back.
But you started shrinking your skin the minute you started losing weight. Keep at it, keep working out, and your skin will return to where it should be.
Just as with dieting, there are no quick fixes.
So what you're saying is that since I've been fat for almost 40 years, I'll have all this loose skin until I'm 80??? I sure hope not!!0 -
I lost 85 pounds from ages 22-24. I'm sure my elasticity is excellent, and while you can't see any of my stretch marks, you can definitely tell I have "stretched" skin. I've accepted it and moved on.0
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I *HATE* my arms for this reason. The stretch marks too. I'd love to see what people say about this and I'll also be reading the blog post. The belly I can hide in jeans but not my arms!
ETA: What kind of weight training can i do at home that doesn't require expensive and bulky equipment?
Milk / Water gallon / half-gallon jugs filled with water when you start, filled with sand/rocks when you get stronger. Stretching bands, etc.0 -
Weight training effects MUSCLES, not skin. Unless you are mistaking flabby muscles for loose skin, or you plan on building enough muscle to fill in all of your extra skin (basically getting back to as big as you were when you were fat), weight training isn't going to do much good for your loose skin.
How well your skin shrinks back is effected by biological factors (e.g. age, genetics, how big you were), which are pretty much out of your control at this point. Just keep your fingers crossed and remind yourself its better than being obese.0 -
The skinny on this is:
It takes the same amount of time for your skin to shrink as it took to stretch it out. Your skin will return to normal, but if it took 3 years to gain all your weight, it will take 3 years for it to shrink back.
But you started shrinking your skin the minute you started losing weight. Keep at it, keep working out, and your skin will return to where it should be.
Just as with dieting, there are no quick fixes.
Not sure about that.
I have been overweight for about 25 years and after losing 156 pounds in just over a year, my arms are not that bad and are shrinking back pretty well.0 -
So what you're saying is that since I've been fat for almost 40 years, I'll have all this loose skin until I'm 80??? I sure hope not!!
Sadly, it depends on how loose your skin is. If it's been 40 years and it's very lose, it may never shrink back. For many people, the only options are to either fill it with muscle, fill it with fat, or have a doc cut it off.0 -
I think that skin loosens at a certain age and even those who have not been overweight have sags and droops and wiggles and jiggles... BUT I am actually quite pleased with how my skin has responded to the weight changes in my body - it's not perfect but I think I look better with looser skin than I did with more fat - and I sure as H### feel better! Small price to pay for a longer life and more energy, better butt etc...0
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I really started freaking out when I noticed that I was getting lose skin, especially under my arms since I like to go sleeveless in summer... I did research and posted it here somewhere. Make sure you get in the vitamins your skin needs, moisturize, replace fat with muscle.. think those were the main parts.
Anyway, I was at Zumba class on Monday and noticed that the model-thin Zumba instructor had flabby underarms. They were really swingin' doing the arm exercises so it didn't make me feel so bad :-). My other Zumba instructor lost a bunch of weight and she said that it took one year for her skin to tighten up.0 -
Theres a website for "it works" which is a body qrap to help tighten lose skin. It does work I have done it and so have plenty of my friends...0
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Weight training effects MUSCLES, not skin. Unless you are mistaking flabby muscles for loose skin, or you plan on building enough muscle to fill in all of your extra skin (basically getting back to as big as you were when you were fat), weight training isn't going to do much good for your loose skin.
How well your skin shrinks back is effected by biological factors (e.g. age, genetics, how big you were), which are pretty much out of your control at this point. Just keep your fingers crossed and remind yourself its better than being obese.
^^^^^ this
I'll know soon enough if my genetics are worthy. I can say that my mother is tiny at 115 at 5'4" and really great muscle tone. No matter what she still has a flabby tummy from when she had me... 22 years ago. She was never obese but her genetics really were lackluster in the skin department.
If I were to add anything I would say that the quality of your skin starts from the inside. Consuming good fats, staying hydrated, and truly balancing your diet can do a lot. Of course, this is obvious information. :flowerforyou:0
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