I lost 6 stone last year, and I swear by swimming. I've said this loads, but it is honestly the best excersise you can do.
I know it's daunting putting your cozzie on and showing all your wobbly bits, but swimming is amazing excersise. It's mega toning, works all the muscles at once, low-impact on your joints, will help eleviate some of those aches and creaks and I personally think is mega calming.
I found I had mimimal loose skin (less than my mate who only needed to lose 3 stone and is the same age as me), plus my arms and thighs looked great.
At first I went to Ladies only sessions, cos that's less intimidating. I also did aqua areobics, which I found (not being nasty) had quite a few overweight ladies in which makes you feel more at ease.
Once your in the water, no one can see you! I used to wrap a towel round me and hang it up at the side of the pool to mimimise exposure time!
Plus once I started to lose weight I loved checking myself out in my cozzie and seeing how noticable it was becoming.
Good Luck with your Jouney x x