Excess skin!!!

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  • blazeybug87
    blazeybug87 Posts: 226 Member
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    Well,

    I am 24 and I have loose skin. To the point where I need surgery.

    I lost 50lb over 18 months so nice and slowly, had at least a litre of water every day etc.

    I have loose skin on my arms that is so gross that I never leave the house in short sleeves, nothing above the elbow. You would think I had lost 200lb in 3 months judging by the state of it!

    I have spoken to a personal trainer and they have confirmed that although weights will improve it slightly, it will not get rid of it (it hangs for about 3-4 inches under my arm). A plastic surgeon has said that my skin was stretched so much while I was big that it has lost it's elasticity and surgery is the only option.

    I don't expect everyone to have this problem, or scaremonger etc - it's just my personal experience. Some people are really lucky and it springs back, I'm just not one of those people.

    Same age, I think it's about just how big you were and how long you were that big, it's not just age (more likely you've been fatter for less time though)

    I was 21 stone I've still got skin and I have a bit on my underarms like you say when I put my arms out wide, it is a LOT better from strength training though, I've been getting a bit of a bicep off cycling and it's noticeably different, to the point where I flexed the other day to someone at work and I had to literally point it out and drag it out so she could see it was skin.


    EDIT: After seeing your edit, your attitude is fantastic, I wish everyone was like you :)

    Thank you :smile:

    I was 18s 2lb at my heaviest and I got progressively bigger from my early teens until I decided to start sorting my life out around 2 years ago. Seriously though, if you saw the state of my skin issues you would think I had been 30 stone!!
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    If you lose weight too quickly and in the process canabalize a lot of muscle (by eating too little and not eating back cals) you are much much more likely to have loose skin. Not only that but you will gain back more easily. Avoid it by eating right and enough protein (FAR more than MFP guidelines) as well as incorporating weights into your routine. Lotion certainly can't hurt!
  • galegetsthin
    galegetsthin Posts: 1,352 Member
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    This terrifies me. I have been overweight or seriously obese since I was 10. My skin doesn't seem to be as forgiving. the lower belly crepey looking skin, the arms and upper thighs, the stretch marks from my knees to my armpits and down my arms...... it is terribly discouraging and I feel like I will have done all this work and will still look like a wrinkly freak from the neck down....... I cry about this whenever I pass by the mirror after my shower. I hate it. If I could afford surgery, I would have it in a heart beat. I have tried every lotion, every "miracle cream", toning, skin brushing, I drink a crapload of water........ i look like a deflated hot air balloon.
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
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    I have handfulls of saggy belly skin and I have since I had my son when I was 17 years old, so age doesn't always mean anything.
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 270 Member
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    i'm worried too ! as i need to lose 130 pounds. but there will be excess skin for sure.
    just a matter of slowly doing it. and we are young too, so it will tone up aslong as we do what we have to.
  • randisaucier
    randisaucier Posts: 178 Member
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    The first time I lost weight I lost 123 pounds, but I also had a 9 pound baby prior to that as well. The skin on my arms went back to normal, my belly had some extra skin as well as my thighs but strength training definitely helped with that. Now after having my second 9 pound baby and needing to lose a lot of the weight over again, I plan to have a tummy tuck as we will be having no more children.
  • mauswood
    mauswood Posts: 137 Member
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    If you do weight training while you're losing I feel like it helps keep things firmer. I wish I had been doing strength training along with all my cardio during my initial weight loss.
  • jaquibleu
    jaquibleu Posts: 7 Member
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    I have been overweight about 15 years and have 70 lbs to lose. I'm a slow loser because I'm building muscle weight with cardio, weights, and Callanetics. At 49, I don't expect to have a teenager's body when I'm done but believe that over time much of the excess skin will fall into place, so to speak. If not, then there's always spanx for me! Thankfully my husband loves me at any weight!
  • KatelinJade
    KatelinJade Posts: 8
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    Coconut Oil! Rub Coconut Oil on your loose skin areas and stretch marks. It's a healthy, natural way to regain your skin elasticity back and especially if you're young you should be fine. You can buy Coconut Oil on Amazon.ca or .com for cheaper than you can get it in health stores, even with the shipping costs.
    Also as everyone else has already stated, lose slowly and work your muscles.
  • jenslife82
    jenslife82 Posts: 229
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    I have been overweight about 15 years and have 70 lbs to lose. I'm a slow loser because I'm building muscle weight with cardio, weights, and Callanetics. At 49, I don't expect to have a teenager's body when I'm done but believe that over time much of the excess skin will fall into place, so to speak. If not, then there's always spanx for me! Thankfully my husband loves me at any weight!
    I love this! My husband also loves me at any weight. From 170-280 and if I ever reach 130 he will love me then too :) I do worry about excess skin too but I agree with spanx! I've seen them do great things :)
  • deadmittens
    deadmittens Posts: 536 Member
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    From your picture you don't look very big, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I started at 336lbs and I'm down to 244, and I have minimal excess skin so far. You're at a much better starting point though so I wouldn't sweat about it :) Excess skin is better than excess chub
  • BandForAlyAnne
    BandForAlyAnne Posts: 321 Member
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    i am worried too, but i have excepted it. i am young but ive been large too long. i strength train already tho. i will probably have an issue with my arms , my thighs, and my stomach. i dont mind my tummy too much because its a easy to hide scare, but not to excited about the other 2 locations. : /
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
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    If you lose weight too quickly and in the process canabalize a lot of muscle (by eating too little and not eating back cals) you are much much more likely to have loose skin. Not only that but you will gain back more easily. Avoid it by eating right and enough protein (FAR more than MFP guidelines) as well as incorporating weights into your routine. Lotion certainly can't hurt!

    Agreed on the eating too little and not eating back cals. The weight you lose is muscle weight as well as fat/water loss. I had pretty decent muscles under my fat and they completely disappeared while I lost weight, I did it the wrong way and I think that's why I've still got some on my stomach now. I'm gonna find me a way to at least reduce the appearance though (I've started to lift heavy last couple of weeks) It will make a difference I can already tell, something that encourages me is seeing some of the friends on my list that have been lifting heavy for a while, although they didn't have skin beforehand, their skin looks incredibly tight on their muscles, like one looks like he's about to rip in half so it seems to work on them too.

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