Tummy Skin...

Bump. I'm having the same problem...

exercise. dont do cosmetic surgery. you can fix it yourself with just exercise, you get stretch marks because your body grew too fast in a small amount of time. you will still have stretch marks. but tighten your skin up and they'll fade, but not all the way.

Hey! I'm in the same boat... I've learn that almost everyone has stretch marks even alot of people who have never had kids so they don't bother me as much anymore... but the loose skin... yeah... alot of people say it will go back... but i think depending on how much extra skin, cosmetic surgery may be the only option... I know for me it is the only option as I have ALOT of loose skin. Even my Dr said it will never go back to normal no matter what I do... oh well, my babies are worth it! haha Good luck!

I have the sagging tummy skin as well. And the stretch marks. A friend of mine's personal trainer, who is totally ripped, lost alot of weight quite awhile ago. She still has the saggy tummy. Unfortunately, it sounds like the only way to completely rid yourself of the extra skin is surgery.

I've read a few articles about this - and it's really dependent on the individual and your genetics. Some people can lose a bunch of weight (slowly and steadily - aka, the right way!) and with exercise they will have a minimum of "extra" skin. Others, no matter how hard they try, may have to go the cosmetic surgery route. I have also heard that some insurance companies will help pay for that surgery after a large weight loss but haven't looked into that as of yet.....

The stretch marks never go away :-( they are pretty deep scars in the skin, but maybe its sweet since it shows how much your body went through to give you your beautiful babies? A bit too positive maybe, but you can fix the tummy skin. Exercise will do it, Ive read high intensity cardio, serious weight training, and a very clean diet does work. It takes time though. If you really work hard at exercising and eating clean, the tummy skin should shrink back within a year.

I've been worried about this as well, since I have a large amount of weight to lose. I've been trying to do research and there are a few things that pop up over and over again as ways to help that lose skin after weight loss. First, I would chill with the tanning. Everything, and I do mean everything, I have ever read has said that tanning will negatively affect your skin and its elasticity, its ability to bounce back. It's not good for your skin and will cause it to age much faster than it will on its own. You are not doing yourself any favors with the tanning.

But the things you can do to help with the lose skin (from what I've read through my research) is first of all be patient. Skin takes a while to bounce back, sometimes up to two years. And the older you are the longer and harder it is for your skin to tighten. Lose the weight slowly. This gives your skin time to change with your weight change. You lose weight really fast, your skin can't keep up. Eat a lot of lean protein as a part of your diet, and make sure your diet is low in fat. Drink lots of water. Get into weight lifting. This the tip I've heard the most. It will help to add muscle (no you won't get bulky, that's a myth) which will help fill out your skin. Plus, it makes you strong and who doesn't want a little muscle instead of just skin with no definition underneath. Pure cardio isn't gonna help with muscle. Try using some exfoliation scrub in the shower a few times a week to help get rid of dead skin cells which can help keep skin healthy which can help with elasticity. Also, try to avoid body washes with sulfates, they will dry your skin out.

Now there are tons of miracle creams and solutions out there. Realize there is no such thing as a miracle cream. They just want to sell you something. 99.9% of the time, they don't work. You are gonna hafta to work at it, and give your skin time. Hope this helps.

My stomach, or so I guess it's still called, looks like a pile of mush. Most of my fat there is gone & it's been 9yrs since my last baby. Hoping over time it will tighten some from losing weight, but grossly I can bunch mine up & hold it like a squishy ball lol Love my kids, but it's gross and not going away. As for stretch marks... haha just call me silverback & front & side....lol. Embrace being a mom (BEST THING!) and try your best to be a healthy example, THAT'S what matters most

If I end up going with cosmetic surgery, I'll probably get the laser stretch mark removal as well....might as well deal with all the imperfections at one time.

Cosmetic surgery was the best decision I ever made for myself. I think it is a very personal choice. I know from my experience, I am 100% satisfied with my results. I had breast implants (after losing weight) but haven't made up my mind about having my stretch marks removed yet. Good luck with your decision.

I think it depends on how big you were and for how long. I've read that it can take up to 2 or 3 yrs for your skin to settle in it's final position agter losing weight. The older you are, longer you carry the weight, and heavier you are, the less likely it is to bounce back. There is a breaking point, where your skin is too broke down and stretched out to bounce back, but that is different for everyone. Give it time after reaching your goal weight to see if you may need surgery or not. I have look up tips for " helping" it out as much as possible. They included things like, losing weight more slowly, exercise, lots of water, eating certain foods that increase cologen and elastin, such as almonds, not tanning bc that dries out the skin, trying not to be in chloronated water too much, lotions to help with moisture, and fighting gravity by wearing something like spanx... I know I will need surgery on my arms for sure. My arms look like I was 550lbs and lost 300. I have never seen anyone my size with such aweful arms. It makes summer hell. I don't feel pretty no matter how good I'm looking, with rolls of fat hanging out of my sleeves, but I still have hope for my stomach, back and thighs. Good luck!

Hi ladies,

That has been one of my biggest fears and my reasoning for not losing the weight...didnt want my tummy to sag and look ugly. I am 27 and only have 1 kid. I weigh more now then what i did 9 months prego with her. I started my journey at 257lbs and down to 237.4lbs and the thought is still in the back of my head. Will i be pretty, will i be able to wear a swim suite and look good in it, will my tummy be flat, will i still have 2 big rolls, etc...you never know but i can honestly say that right now i rather have sagy skin then be the fat girl forever. I have been told that if you have enough dairy in your diet it will help with the elasticity of your skin in all areas not just the tummy. But your genetics do play are part. My mom had 7 kids and not matter how much weight she has lost she still has a sagy tummy and a round tummy at that. I am hoping that i have better luck since i have only had 1 baby. A friend of mine had the gastric bypass and she was 280lbs and her skin isnt sagy from what i can tell. she probably needs to tighten it up which she is working on but she still looks dang good. I say if you want the surgery to fix it, then have it but think about it...it wont change who you are and it may not make you feel better about yourself. Be proud of the stretch marks. You have beatiful babies from them. and if you can cover them up with tanning then tan your butt off to hide them just dont go changing yourself to please other people. do it for you.

It will tighten up some, but never go away without sugery, ...I have a couple mom's on my friends list that look amazing however without surgery!! One has 6 children!

I know what you mean I'm only halfway to my goal but I've seen some improvements to my mummy tummy (if you go on my profile and into my threads you should see my mummy tummy thread with pics) x