Thread: How to avoid excess skin?

Just wondering? Up to now, I've lost almost 3 stone and there is no excess skin anywhere but that's not to say another 4 stone down the line there won't be The only effect I've got is my stretch marks have faded. I've been big all of my teenage and adult life so there's a big chance of this happening.

Does anyone have any tips for avoiding the skin hang?

I'm very worried about this, as I have 7 stone to lose too, and even then my body fat would be in the low 40s (I'm 50% fat now, scary - I feel like only half a person!). I'm planning to lose the initial 4.5 stone (to which point I don't get excess skin, or at least haven't in the past). I tend to have a bit of a wobbly stomach at that weight, but I think that's more because of all the fat still in it! (I'm apple shaped). To try and avoid the loose skin, I'm going to try to go through fat loss, and muscle gain phases, in the hope that spending months trying to build muscle will 1. give my stomach/body time to re-adjust the skin 2. give me more muscle to burn calories with for when I go back to fat loss.

Because I have such a high fat %, it takes up a lot of room, so hoping muscle will bulk it out. I can't imagine living with lots of loose skin and being happy :/ I would go for a tummy tuck (and perhaps under arms) except that I've seen tummy tuck scars, and even 18months in, they don't seem to have faded much. I am praying that the muscle will improve the loose skin drastically (although as it takes up a lot less room than fat for the same weight of it, I have a feeling it might not work).

I can't begin to say how worried I am about this, and I do wonder if it's one of the factors that makes me sabotage my weight loss. I'd rather get down to 12st 8lbs (still overweight by a long way) and stick there, than go down to a healthy weight with loose skin. If I did lose enough weight, built as much muscle as I could (I'd rather look like a female body builder than have the loose skin), and still looked bad - I really do think I would purposely put fat back on, on purpose, to make me feel better about myself. Perhaps I'd be miserable enough that I would pay for a tummy tuck, and put up with the scar - but I don't think so. I am hoping that in the next few years, they bring out a tummy tuck procedure with less scarring!

Some tips that people have mentioned to try to avoid/solve the problem of loose skin (I don't know which actually work) are:
Drink over 2 litres of water a day
Exercise - swimming and weight/resistance training in particular
Build muscle to fill the skin
Use moisturisers, preferably with vitamin E in it
Make sure you have a lot of fruit and veg for the vitamins and minerals
Take baths with bath salts in them (and perhaps bio-oil)
Just wait - skin rebounds over time, more so for some people than others
Lose weight at only 1 to 2 lbs a month
Lose fat till you are not much above your essential range, and the skin it's holding on to will be able to contract again

I especially don't believe the last one because I know that we are born with all our fat cells, except if we gain massive weight, and then we grow more fat cells. Once new fat cells exist, they grow as our fat levels grow, and as we lose fat, the cells shrink, back to an empty sac if we lose enough fat. However, they don't vanish again - they're still there. So I don't see how the skin will be able to contract that much, as there are still lots of extra fat cells around.

It's all just very depressing.

Taking it slowly seems to be the best advice - lise 1-2lbs a week for your best chance of not only keeping the weight off but also of letting your skin shrink with you. I've lost 7.5 stone in 17 months, and my main loose skin is on my arms; I'll never be able to wear anything sleeveless, but it's a small price to pay. My stomach isn't too bad really, considering how much I've lost and that I'm 50, lol. Don't get me wrong, I won't ever be prancing round in a swimsuit, but I look fine with clothes on. xx

Thanks for the replies, dreamer you want to lose a similar amount total to me. and Tracy you've done so well

Originally Posted by missRV

Thanks for the replies, dreamer you want to lose a similar amount total to me. and Tracy you've done so well

Thank you, hon. Should also say that I know people on other parts of the forum who've lost as much me and hardly have any excess skin - it seems to be such an individual thing, but I'm not at all unhappy with mine for my age and fitness level (which is extremely poor as I can't exercise). xx

You've done brilliant. My mum is 70 and she is doing the plan with me, she's even joined the gym. She lost 2 stone last summer and wants to lose another 2 this year. She's very active, so you're a spring chicken

Originally Posted by missRV

You've done brilliant. My mum is 70 and she is doing the plan with me, she's even joined the gym. She lost 2 stone last summer and wants to lose another 2 this year. She's very active, so you're a spring chicken

Lol, thanks. xx

Originally Posted by TracyGWill

Taking it slowly seems to be the best advice - lise 1-2lbs a week for your best chance of not only keeping the weight off but also of letting your skin shrink with you. I've lost 7.5 stone in 17 months, and my main loose skin is on my arms; I'll never be able to wear anything sleeveless, but it's a small price to pay. My stomach isn't too bad really, considering how much I've lost and that I'm 50, lol. Don't get me wrong, I won't ever be prancing round in a swimsuit, but I look fine with clothes on. xx

Similar for myself, cant get to wash board tummy, nor the 6 pack,

Wow jockiejoe you've lost around half your body weight looking at your stats! That is amazing. And Tracy, the slow and steady weight loss seems like the way to go (not only for loose skin, but it seems most people that maintain, lost the weight gradually!) but how did you maintain willpower for so long?! I am very impressed.

It really is motivating to see people like you two lose so much

I am also buoyed by you not having that much of a problem with the skin, without the exercise. Don't get me wrong - I will exercise, but I won't be going all out and making myself ill with it (as I tended to do in the past).

MissRV, yeah similar amount, good luck to you We can both do it! I second your comment - so inspirational to see success stories.

I think what's different about this is I'm doing it in 2 parts... I'm 1/2 way through now, similar to how you're doing it, since coming back from my holidays in August I'm 4lbs heavier than I was when I went.

The other difference is this forum, I've only been on it but it's so good to see people who have been there, done that, and also people who are in the same boat as me

Originally Posted by Dreamer

Wow jockiejoe you've lost around half your body weight looking at your stats! That is amazing. And Tracy, the slow and steady weight loss seems like the way to go (not only for loose skin, but it seems most people that maintain, lost the weight gradually!) but how did you maintain willpower for so long?! I am very impressed.

I'm not entirely sure to tell you the truth! I think something just clicked - possibly because I started having severe weight-related health problems like high blood pressure and arthritis. It just seems natural to count calories now, not like I'm on a diet, and I just keep plodding on, lol. xx

Originally Posted by Dreamer

I am also buoyed by you not having that much of a problem with the skin, without the exercise. Don't get me wrong - I will exercise, but I won't be going all out and making myself ill with it (as I tended to do in the past).

MissRV, yeah similar amount, good luck to you We can both do it! I second your comment - so inspirational to see success stories.

Yes, I really have done no exercise at all, I'm afraid - I can barely walk due to arthritic knees and also have ME/CFS, so working full-time and looking after my family is all I can manage. I'm a good advert for losing weight by dietary control alone, lol. xx

Originally Posted by TracyGWill

working full-time and looking after my family is all I can manage. xx

You say that as if it's not much! That's loads! I find it hard enough to take care of myself.

Hope your symptoms are much improved. The weight gain has given me achey joints, and also I don't sleep as well (I think because I don't feel like a breathe as well). I am determined to be in your position, i.e. having lost considerable weight, in around 6months time