Saggy Skin

[SpaceAngel]

After watching Extreme Makeover last night - she looked amazing- I am petrified of loosing all this weight and be left with loads of saggy skin. It really does raise a question in my head - do I stop loosing when my skin starts to look saggy or do I carry on and hide it under my clothes? Has anyone else on here that has had big weight loses (I have about 6.5 stone to lose) have lots of saggy skin and if you didn't, how did you prevent getting it.

p.s I do expect some sagging - but not rolls of it!!

[Xanth]

I think everyones different. My friend had to have a tummy tuck, but after losing a lot of weight mine doesn't look too bad at the moment.
My problem area is my arms, which I will definitely have to have surgery on.
Keep drinking loads of water and try using firming cream. I use anything to try and help

[icemoose]

Loose skin does tend to be the "battle scars" of losing large amount of weight but remember that clothes hide it and no one ever died of having loose skin.

And ultimately you can go under the knife if you want to or need to.

I lost about 11.5 stone and people always say to me "Can't believe how you haven't got loose skin"

But if they saw my six pack they would see it is more like a sixteen pack.

M.

[SpaceAngel]

I don't mind a bit of loose skin (I have never been a bikini wearer) but just don't want folds!! My tattooist said I had good skin which is fairly tight (it takes ink well) so who knows? I will see what I look like once my BMI is under 25, then I will decide then if I want to carry on and lose more.

[Maintainer]

My loose skin doesn't show when I'm dressed either. I'm aware of it but no one else is. To be honest, I wore a bikini on the beach this summer and felt good just because I was slim. (There were far worse sights than me on the beach!)

Mentally, the positive effects of being slim far outweigh the slight disadvantages, in my opinion

[deej]

I have lost almost 6.5 stone in the last 6 months and I do have some saggy skin. My stomach isn't really dreadful, I can live with it for now but I don't think I would be comfortable wearing a bikini!!

I expected some saggy skin, one because of the amount of weight that I had been carrying around for years, two because I have had two children in there kicking and stretching and lastly because I have hit 40! I think that I would probably have some saggy skin anyway by now, even though it would be less.

I have also got some saggy skin on my thighs, but only a small amount and with time, and exercise, I suspect that will disappear. I will also be able to improve my stomach tone with exercise. (Note to self - I must get started with this regular exercise lark!!)

At the end of the day I would much rather have some saggy skin and be able to wear size 12 jeans and run around in the park with my children (without needing to sit down after 2 minutes!) then be wearing a size 22 and not have any saggy skin!! (Although I still had the same amount of skin then, it was just filled with fat!)

Loose the weight, feel great and worry about saggy skin then, it isn't a reason to give up on the diet.

Good luck!

[KD]

Yeah, I have saggy skin. As Mike says, it's our battle scars

Sure beats being overweight though, and it really does hide well under clothes.

do I stop loosing when my skin starts to look saggy or do I carry on and hide it under my clothes?

You really can't tell until you are close to that place. It'll depend on where the weight is coming off. How you feel about yourself and how you look

[SpaceAngel]

Thanks everyone. I know that I want to be slim and I won't stop the diet. I have managed 16 days without even wanting to cheat and I want to be about size 12-14. The skin I will see as a battle scar (hey even Posh has it!!) and his it in my jeans!!

[bigbluefurrymonster]

Sarah... I gotta say i felt exactly the same while watching Extreme Makeover last night... It scared the hell out of me!

She looked amaaaaazing.... but I too fear having to hide my saggy skin at the end of this journey. I can't aford to go under the knife... and want to know after all this I will be pleased with the way I look.

It was the first time I considered that maybe drastic weightloss isnt such a great idea? But then I have tried other ways and failed.

I have been doing CD for nearly 6 weeks now... and lost a stone and a half.... I started at 17st 5lbs... I am now considering stopping using this drasic measure to lose weight at maybe 12 or 13 stone and trying to lose the rest the more conventional way from then on.... to tone up the skin and make some muscle... control what I eat.... and hopefully avoid sooooo much saggy skin!

I know that saggy skin isnt as bad as being overweight.... but at the end of my journey I want to be able to feel confident and sexy! .... not feel the need to hide under my clothes!

I gotta say though... all of the inspirational photos look amaaaazing.... Maybe last night was just putting an uneccessary fright up me?

I dunno!?

BBFM

[Maintainer]

BBFM - I lost my weight through conventional means and still have the loose skin! Sorry!

Most people who have lost lots of weight couldn't care less about the skin... it's not as if it's hanging around our knees or anything.

It's good that you're thinking about it now, and perhaps can start exercising regularly and rubbing creams in, but the surgeon I saw told me that nothing I could have done would have helped with the amount of weight I had to lose. As you say, we stretched it that far and now it just won't ping back.

When you're slim, and running around, you won't care two hoots about it...

[DQ]

Hey Maintainer, how did you lose your weight?! Enquiring minds want to know how you achieved your great loss!

[Maintainer]

hi D_Q,

I lost it through healthy eating... after years and years at failing at every faddy diet on the market, and some that probably weren't, like most failed dieters I knew exactly what I *ought* to be doing... but just had to get my head into the right place to put it all into place.

So, refusing to pay any more money to slimming clubs, miracle products and potions, etc, I devised my own plan. Including loads of vegetables, fruit and salads and lean meat only. I cut out chocolate completely, as still find that easier than restricting myself, and mentally divided my plate into three, one quarter for protein, one quarter for carbs, and the other half for salads or veg.

Upped my water intake to about 3L a day, exercised by running to the loo 1,000,000 times a day(!), and it took me about 18 months...

I had a bit of a problem stabilising at the end though as hadn't a clue how to maintain... I'm pretty stable now, and still follow my fairly strict weekday regime, allowing a treat on a Saturday, and total free rein on a Sunday.

That's me!

[Diva]

Wow - now that is impressive, Maintainer!!! Excellent.....

[SpaceAngel]

Well done Maintainer. There is no way I have the willpower to do that. I have tried doing it my own way, slimming clubs etc. I decided to do this because I wouldn't have to think about food anymore. I was always worried that I was eating too much or not enough and it would do my head in. At least this way I know that the only was I can be getting things wrong is by not drinking enough water or if I eat anything and that peace of mind is great.

[Mini]

I have lost six stone and have no saggy skin...

It sometimes looks lose arond my neck from time to time as my head is slowing appearing out of my turtle neck, but it so far sprins back.

Still three stone to go and I will let you know then.

Love Mini xxx