how do you tell between fat and extra skin?

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godblessourhome
godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
this may seem like a foolish question.

i am not sure if the area on my stomach is larger because i still have a lot of fat hidden there or if the bulk is from extra skin. when i am laying down, the area is completely flat and smooth. when i am standing up, the top part of my stomach is indented, but the bottom part is 'pooched' out. i can suck it in to be completely flat (but i can't keep it like that unless i am making a conscious effort). when i am bending over, my stomach is huge. the sides are indented, but it the middle area by my belly button hangs down much further than when i am standing.

when i am dressing up, i wear a girdle to conceal that area. the girdle flattens it completely by folding the skin over on itself; nothing overhangs on the top or the bottom.

i am trying to decide if i going to just live with it, assuming it is extra skin and there will always be a pooch there, or if i still have body fat and need to continue trying to lose weight. does anyone else have this problem?


**i hope people don't make fun of this post. i am being genuine.

Replies

  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    It might be a bit of both. I know mine is! My friend was talking about her belly the other day and I told her I still had a lot of work there and she told me that mine was just skin. I beg to differ. I eat well, but not completely clean and I think if I did my stomach would flatten out more. Defintely still fat there on me!
  • jbella99
    jbella99 Posts: 596 Member
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    I think the general rule here is if you can pinch more than an inch it is not loose skin, Skin is pretty thin so if you pinch it and it's thick its a layer of fat.
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
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    It might be a bit of both. I know mine is! My friend was talking about her belly the other day and I told her I still had a lot of work there and she told me that mine was just skin. I beg to differ. I eat well, but not completely clean and I think if I did my stomach would flatten out more. Defintely still fat there on me!

    Same for me too. I had three large babies and I do have a lot of excess skin but I also still have a lot of abdominal fat too. My husband thinks it is just skin but I disagree.
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
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    That sounds like extra skin, though there may be some fat there, too. A former co-worker of mine dropped a lot of weight very quickly, and had a similar situation in his abdominal region. His normalized eventually.
  • KRFinLeth
    KRFinLeth Posts: 22
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    Not a stupid question. I'm experiencing the same. I had a C-Section and then lost 70+ pounds so I'm not sure what's going on with my abdomen region.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Strength training will do some to help this problem... Also drink plenty of water, etc.
  • patricia909
    patricia909 Posts: 205 Member
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    bump
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
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    "Extra skin" may be unsightly and stretchy but when you pinch it it shouldn't be very thick. Skin isn't all that thick. I can't imagine that "stretched out" skin is thicker than normal skin. I think if you can pinch even 1/2" you have weight you may want to loose.

    If you've lost a huge amount of weight things will be stretched out and not completely return to your younger form. It may improve a little but you may have to live with it or have it corrected surgically.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    thanks for all the replies. i think it is probably a combination of both. the skin around my belly button is very thin when pinched, but the further away the thicker it becomes. i guess i'll keep trying to lose weight and tone up that area still.
  • chaufor
    chaufor Posts: 1
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    If you had babies, you might want to look up Diastasis Recti and transverse abdominis (TVA )exercises. I am just starting now and hoping my pooch will flatten. TVA is your natural girdle that may stretched and needs to strengthened. Good luck!
  • hyg99
    hyg99 Posts: 354 Member
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    So glad op that you asked this. A question burning me too. Having lost 63lb and my goal /target achieved last week, My bmi is now 23.3, I'm 5'5 and 140lbs, my boobs are shrunken, my ribs show on the top half, yet still I have this area of tummy that looks like fat, it too disappears when I lie flat. I am starting to get told by everyone that I need to stop, so I have no one to ask but you can pinch it and I think it's fat as it is thick not thin. I have stretch marks from 3 children and my tummy area looks a bit corrugated.. I don't mind the stretch marks but this pouch...tuck! .I am hoping another 7lbs might see it off....
    Worst case scenario, I can hide it in my knickers!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I'm wondering this too. Before I lost my initial few pounds, I had that hangy down look on my belly when I would bend over. Then I lost more and it went away. Now I have it again...I'm wondering what's going on.
  • 7aneena
    7aneena Posts: 146 Member
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    Like someone already said if you pinch fat it's going to be thick, whereas skin is pretty flat like rubbing 2 pieces of leather against each other
    If you had children or were really big around your waist before you lost weight it could also be muscle laxity and that requires surgery I think
    The laying down part I don't think is a good indication because fat could go to the sides but wearing compression garment and the pouch completely disappearing is a good indication its skin IMO
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Like someone already said if you pinch fat it's going to be thick, whereas skin is pretty flat like rubbing 2 pieces of leather against each other
    If you had children or were really big around your waist before you lost weight it could also be muscle laxity and that requires surgery I think
    The laying down part I don't think is a good indication because fat could go to the sides but wearing compression garment and the pouch completely disappearing is a good indication its skin IMO

    So if it's skin, can it mean that you're dropping fat again? I'm thinking this happens right before or after I'm about to lose, then it tightens up again.

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