Brie:

I'm curious - I don't know how long you were overweight or what your current age is now, but when you lost the weight did you have a problem with loose skin????

I've read both sides of this - one says that the only way to deal with loose skin after you lose weight is to have surgery and have everything tucked. The other side says, nope... that the loose skin is actually fat and that you need to work on muscle tone to help firm things up.

So I figured I would ask someone who has walked the walk.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SpaceCityPaula,

quote:

Originally posted by TriGirl:
I had a friend who lost about the same amount in her forties and she had baggy skin on her arms and stomach.

My sil has baggy skin on her arms and is 50... (I haven't seen her stomach )

She only yo-yo's about 20 lbs. but her skin is damaged from years of tanning booths and sunbathing... I don't think it is the weight yo-yo-ing... but that may have contributed to it some.

She is actually very toned... but has some loose skin over the tone.

I didn't end up with loose skin after losing about 60 pounds in my early thirties. I regained about 20 of those pounds and am down 10. I don't have loose skin (so far) this time either (I'm now 35). I am starting to notice some lines in my face but I think that's more a consequence of getting older than weight loss. I have never had kids so I wonder how much of the loose belly skin is, as Denise and Brie suggest, the result of pregnancy and childbirth.

I had a friend who lost about the same amount in her forties and she had baggy skin on her arms and stomach.

I don't think I'd do a tummy tuck even if I had loose skin -- surgery seems too dangerous and getting rid of a little loose skin where it's easy to cover up doesn't seem like it's worth the risk. Most of us don't wear bikinis every day (or at all).

P.S. I do have stretch marks, but I think I got those when going through puberty, mostly on my hips.

I gained and lost a quite a lot of weight when I was younger.

I don't have loose skin, but major stretch marks. I think that was more from rapid gain, than rapid loss though.

I "only" lost 35 pounds, but I did so after the age of 50, so I was very concerned about lose skin because older skin does not have the capacity to "bounce back" that young skin does. I was particularly concerned about "turkey wattle" under my chin because when you see my before and after pictures, I think my face/neck is where you notice the most difference.

I lost my weight VERY slowly and I think that was they key for me. I did have some wattle as I was losing and it just seemed to disappear within months after I stopped losing.

I was overweight from puberty until age 32 with lots of yo-yo dieting in between. I got as low as 117 and higher than 215 (I stopped getting on the scale eventually). I would say that I averaged in the 180s-190s most of that time. I also had two pregnancies pretty close together (at ages 29 and 30).

Like Denise I also have stretch marks and a handful of loose skin over the bikini line. Even when I was at my absolute lowest, it was there. I don't think it's fat and I know it's not going away as I've been at goal (or in the vacinity) for almost 4 years.

Some times it bothers my but not enough to put myself through surgery.

I agree with Denise that loose skin depends on lots of things, many of which are out of your control.

I would say don't worry about it until you get there. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

I changed the title to more accurately reflect the information and because I'm open to more than just Brie's answer (obviously).

I suspected that was probably case in terms of YMMV but since I now know people who have actively maintained their weights in a healthy way, at least I have folks I can ask

quote:

Originally posted by SpaceCityPaula:
The other side says, nope... that the loose skin is actually fat and that you need to work on muscle tone to help firm things up.

There are people on the WW boards who SWEAR that doing “The Firm” or pilates or lifting weights has firmed up their skin. This is not my personal experience.

In my mind, if toning helped with loose skin… we should all chew gum to prevent wrinkles in our face…

I’ve got some GREAT AB muscles… under the loose skin.

I do have *some* subcutaneous fat under the skin… all healthy people do… but it is mostly loose skin, not mostly fat. I’ve weighed 40 lbs more… and the fat fluffs up the loose skin nicely… however, I don’t recommend this method of getting rid of the excess skin.

But some people DO swear that the Firm helped with loose skin… but I think that maybe that also picked their parents well and got some good genetics.

My sil is Italian and has darker skin than I (MOST people have darker skin than I) and had her two children younger than I… and she has NO loose skin at all…and she gained 80 lbs with her pregs… and I only gained 25. My sister and I both have loose skin… we are all different.

I'm not Brie (obviously)

I lost 30 lbs, then gained 55 lbs, then lost 40 and have maintained that for 2 yrs, 4 months now.

I've also been preg and two surgeries. I've got loose skin... about a "handful" ... but not enough to need surgery (IMO).
(I was preg at age 33, and lost and gained and lost the weight between 36ish and 47ish.)

How loose your skin ends up is partly age, genetics, race… and other factors you can’t control. How fast or slowly you lose is sort of a factor, I think (although childbirth is sort of like the ultimate in FAST weight loss… and my skin has been loose and wrinkled since having a baby).

Also EXPECTATIONS are a huge, HUGE factor. Some weight loss blog had before and after photos of her tummy tuck. I was sort of surprised because her “before” stomach photos look exactly like my loose skin now… and I would never consider surgery. However, she found it gross and disgusting and opted for a tummy tuck.

I know people on the WW boards who have lost 200 lbs and didn’t have surgery (and don‘t have a lot of problems with skin infections and the like)… and I know people that lost 35 lbs and decided to get a tummy tuck for cosmetic reasons. Our expectations are all different.

Also, I know from posting on the WW boards. Most people’s skin shrinks for about 1 year after they reach goal. That is my experience.

Also, it IS possible to find somebody to do surgery on you sooner vs. later…. But I’m not sure that is the way to go. The weight loss blog with the photos (she’s taken them down or I’d give you the link)… she had a TT after losing about 50 lbs… but still needed/wanted to lose another 30 more. She had no maint experience. She had the TT, and maybe she decided that she was “done” or something… but then gained back 30-40 lbs…

I also know somebody on the WW boards who did not have a good experience with the TT, and has a lot of nerve issues.

I *think*, most surgeons want you to wait a year. Partly as your skin will continue to shrink… and partly to give you some time maintaining your weight. Many people find maint harder than losing (although that isn’t my experience) and many, many people do gain some weight back. Also, most surgeons won’t want to do a TT on you if you are planning to get preg.

So at any rate… it is good to hear Brie’s, or my, or anybody else’s loose skin experience… but your mileage may vary.