Extra skin

[huskersfan869]

My greatest fear is when this is all over I will have all this extra skin as I have stretched mine over the last 15 years pretty tightly. I have lots of ugly stretch marks and splits where my skin tore underneath due to steroid use for my asthma and just general weight gain. Is there a way to reduce that possibility? I haven't ask a doctor, as I am afraid of what he is going to tell me I have to do--like have some of it removed. I am mostly worried about it in my belly area--where I carried most of my weight! Any thoughts? will lotion help, slow weight loss--will it shrink aback with the rest of me? Does weight training help? Toning? Suggestions welcome--I have lost 31 lbs so far but I don't want to get to goal or close only to find there was something I could have done 75 lbs ago to prevent the sagging in the end?!?!?! So I want to start now if there is anything anyone suggests--I have been putting lotion on every day--all over my body--I deal with dry skin even in a humid NC climate--suggestions are welcome.

232/201.5/130

http://lowcarbeating.infopop.cc/6/ub...&ul=8176094385

If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it!

[kamren]

Here is a great article from ediets on tightening skin:

tightening skin

I am exercising, as the article suggests, and using lotions and massage....anything and everything that might help.

Although I still have alot to lose, I can say that with my 80 pound loss I have very little sagging occuring....Everything seems to be slowly tightening up with the weight loss. But whether that will continue when I get to 150 and then 200 pounds lost...I don't know. I do know I do not want to have to have surgery for it....so I will do anything and everything I can to avoid it. If it doesn't work at least I know I didn't go without a fight

400/320/200

[huskersfan869]

Thank You--taht was helpful--I knew someone would know where to look for what I was looking to know!

232/201.5/130

http://lowcarbeating.infopop.cc/6/ub...&ul=8176094385

If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it!

[paladin]

I just wanted to add that the problem becomes worse if you loose the weight fast.

I have also read that vitamin C is essentail for tightening the collagen. Make sure you are taking a supplement.

[slatelee]

Thanks for the link! I too have wondered about it. The walking that I am doing seems to be helping, but I really don't want to end up with lots of ugly saggy skin.

[drummergirl]

I met with my personal trainer and while vitamin C and coconut oil DOES help, if you have excessive amounts of skin, he told me there really isnt anything you can do about it besides surgery. Strength training also helps, but only to a certain extent.

I am worried about this too, but I have decided that I am going to get to my goal weight first, then see how I look. If its not a problem for me when I get there then i'll forget about it. But if it is, I think I'm going to get it tightened.

Just my thoughts!

About the skin, definitely taking a supplement of vitamin C and E can help, as well as exercise, but depending on your degree of skin stretching, rate of weight loss and individual skin elasticity, your skin may still sag. I am a physician, and I have done everything possible from day one to help keep my skin as tight as possible, but I still have a fair degree of sag, especially across the abdomen where the ability of the muscles to tighten the skin is the lowest. By the way, sometimes with the extra skin skin sag, yeast can develop in the navel and the cracks of your legs( gross!)but, if this happens, you will be bright red, itchy and it might hurt.. see a doctor, take pictures... your health insurance might pay for a tummy tuck!!!

Atkins Induction start 7/7/03 wt 330 lbs, size 30/32 OWL 3/9/04 wt 215 lbs size 14 ... goal 170 lbs ... am getting there!

Where there is a will, there is a way!!

[laffingbead]

I have lost 165 pounds total from my highest weight. (I was 380 in the March of 2000, 311 in September 2002, around 215 now) Since I have arthritis, my main form of exercise is swimming. I have some "turkey" neck loose skin, but feel the rest of me isn't that bad. I have some excess flesh in the tummy, but there is still quite a bit of fat there. I don't feel like I have skin without something to fill it hanging around. Now, I have lost the weight fairly slowly, so I imagine that helps.

I would rather be thinner any day, and am on my way!

[LisaC]

I've always been big, about 190 and even 200, but in the 1980's I lost a lot of weight. I lost it over two years from about 180 to 143 and no over loose skin. It seems that when your body looses it naturally, it goes back into shape. I think it's when you liposuction that it doesn't have that chance to slowly go back to where it really belongs.

Also, I was working as a CNA (certified nurses aid) in a local nursing home for two years. It was pretty much rush, rush, rush, going down the hallways with the huge linen cart, lifting patients into their chairs, walking at top speed just to answer lights and get to where we needed quickly. So I was doing quite a bit of exercise just doing all that. We constantly worked short there. While two people worked one wing each person had their own rooms to do on that side. Lots of rooms, lots of movement. I lost slowly, but my metabolism (excuse the spelling) has always been bad, but my thyroid is fine. Go figure.


Anyways, that's my experience with it.

[heykim]

i am pretty sure AGE has something to do with how fast and how well the skins snaps back into shape...
i know from experience that just a little weight training with five pound weights did amazing things for my fluffy arms..(ahh HUSH,.. you KNOW that FLUFFY sounds better than any word you might have called em..*grin*)

[heykim]

oh... and you just KNOW someone is going to say it.. so might as well be ME.. WATER! WATER! WATER! just HASta help....

[biddy22]

I was just thinking that Kim - water! I've always heard that helps. Interesting thread, I've been thinking about this topic lately as I see the weight go away...thanks for all the info!

[Miss Melly]

Huskerfan - Thanks for asking that question!!

Kamren - thanks for that article! I've been looking for something to do with these arms -- I could kill a person accidentally hitting them with the flab on my arms!!!

[gilley79]

I think i can add something else in here.
seeing as to have the infamous Jello arms ... i comfronted my trainer at the gym.. he made me up 2 new programs that im to alternate that work my arms alot of the underside.. and alot of ab work.. seeing as to these are the two biggest places that have loose skin... my leggs are big but firm... and strong...

even if you take a jug of water and hold your arm above your head and lower it backwards to your back.
that will do wonders for your underarms building muscule.. and toneing up.

abs.. you can pick up one of those wonderfull ab wheels w/ the handle bars on them they are awsome work for the mid section... or even better lay on your back lift your leggs up in a bent positionand basicly kick slowly down in a motion like you are climbing up.. dont let legs touch the ground... try that 50 times total...(25 each legg) rest for less than 1 min.. and do it agin .. will strengthn the muscule sooo much..
another thing.. one of the wonderfull womans product companys out there have a firming lotion out..

if you have a gym you go to .. there are wonderfull equipment you can use to help... ask around if you do and see what you can also come up w/