Extra skin after weight loss?

nicholebean
nicholebean Posts: 160
in Motivation and Support
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!

Replies

  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    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!
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
    Both of you are awesome I know it has nothing to do with your post but 128 and 114 lost is amazing wtg
  • rehtaeh78
    rehtaeh78 Posts: 90
    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?
  • cinsuccess
    cinsuccess Posts: 333 Member
    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".
  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    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.
  • rehtaeh78
    rehtaeh78 Posts: 90
    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!
  • nicholebean
    nicholebean Posts: 160
    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!
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    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.
  • nicholebean
    nicholebean Posts: 160
    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!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    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.
  • ncsjodi
    ncsjodi Posts: 102 Member
    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!!
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    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.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    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.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    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.
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
    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.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member

    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.
  • brendacooks
    brendacooks Posts: 103 Member
    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...
  • maggiepz
    maggiepz Posts: 141 Member
    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.
  • sinman22807
    sinman22807 Posts: 66 Member
    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...
  • anastasiawildflower
    anastasiawildflower Posts: 197 Member
    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:
  • ijustmightbecrazy
    ijustmightbecrazy Posts: 37
    Age, skin elasticity, and the rate at which you slough off dead skin cells to make way for new ones also play a role in this, but the biggest factor as already mentioned is going to be time. You can help the process along though by exfoliating thoroughly in the shower, and moisturizing with Palmers or other similar lotions that contain cocoa butter and vitamin E. This will especially help with the visibility of stretch marks to fade faster. It's going to take 1-2 years at a minimum for you to really see the skin tighten up, especially in areas that aren't easy to replace lost fat with muscle such as the stomach, as well as the fact that due to differences in density, 1lb of muscle takes up far less space than 1 lb of fat.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    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:

    The first time I lost a substantial amount of weight, I was 24. I had a grandma body when I was done losing weight, and ended up having a tummy tuck which took care of the pooch, but I still had loose skin on my thighs, arms, and breasts. It did not firm up with exercise or the passage of time. So, I agree that genetics trumps all. I'm hoping you are one of the lucky ones, OP.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Yeh, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have a lot of loose skin in my stomach..

    I guess that's a price I'll have to pay for years of fat. 44 lbs down.. my arms and legs are looking great.. my stomach- gross.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    Yeh, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have a lot of loose skin in my stomach..

    I guess that's a price I'll have to pay for years of fat. 44 lbs down.. my arms and legs are looking great.. my stomach- gross.

    I'm pretty much disgusting all over (and have a hobby that requires me to be nearly naked, bonus!) but I'd still rather have all my gross (sometimes physically painful) extra skin than be morbidly obese again.
  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member

    I'm pretty much disgusting all over (and have a hobby that requires me to be nearly naked, bonus!) but I'd still rather have all my gross (sometimes physically painful) extra skin than be morbidly obese again.

    THIS! If I have to live with loose skin the rest of my life so be it, because it's going to be a lot healthier life now.
  • 26Nirak
    26Nirak Posts: 140 Member
    I am amazed and motivated by all that weight loss out there - kudos to all of you!!!

    I try to be proactive and dry-brush my skin and I do take cold showers and am generous with oils and lotions....in hopes that when I do lose my extra 50 pounds (I know I can, I know I can...), my skin will adjust...however, I know no matter what, I will never look as great in a bikini anymore as I did in my 20's.

    So what?

    So what if I have flabby underarms and go sleeve-less because I like it?? Nobody has to look at them.

    I think it's that accepting ourselves and loving ourselves despite our self-perceived flaws that also needs work...I think losing over 100 pounds is amazing, and something to be proud off....so I think you all earned the right to flaunt some flabbies!! :)

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