Building muscle tissue and minimising saggy skin!

[squidgster]

I've lost just over 6 stone so far by watching what I eat and doing more exercise. I've done it slowly (it's taken about 14-15 months), and I average between 1-2 pounds a week. I do 10 miles a day on an exercise bike, and get out in the fresh air every now and then for some walking, but think I ought to be doing more/different exercise to try and tone up other parts of the body whilst I continue to lose the weight (still got 3 stone-ish to go). I'm 22, but know I'll have a problem with excess, saggy skin in the main problem areas of abdomen, thighs and upper arms.

Can anyone offer any advice about what I can do to try and minimise this problem? Is the idea to build lean muscle at the same time as losing weight?

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[rowanx2]

Hi, You can only help your arms so much, depending on how they are. I've been doing weights for so long now, and no matter if i lift them forever more i will never get rid of the flabby under bits. But having some muscle in there is worth going for.
Your stomach,again, its going to depend on more factors than just exercise, but doing crunches will strengthen your core up.
Fot your thighs, basic leg lifts where you lie on your side and raise your leg will help.

theres no guarantee that no matter how hard you try that you wont be left with some baggy bits, but at the end of the day, you can only try to help these areas along.

I'd say the if you hadnt of exercised at all your end result wouldnt have been as good if you hadnt bothered. You can look lighter than someone the same weight as you if you exercised, plus your body % would be less than theirs, you would be fitter and stronger.

well done on your loss, and all the best for shifting the last of it.

 

[DeliciousBoo]

Hiya Squid

I was watching a programme called DietBusters on Sky a few weeks ago and there was a young woman on there that had lost ten stone by calorie counting and moderate exercise. She had a very flat tum and her arms and inner thighs had toned up really nicely...she attributed this to the yoga class she joined when she was losing her last few stone.
So when I get to my last 21lbs I am intending to start a beginners yoga class to tone up my flabby tum and bingo wings.
Hope this helps. X x

Also...not forgetting...Well done on your weight loss so far, that's a fabulous amount of weight to lose...have you got any tips for us ???

Best wishes

Boo x x

 

[squidgster]

Thanks very much rowan and boo for your answers!

I know it's going to be inevitable to have some saggy skin - I can't ever see myself as being someone who wants to show off in a bikini anyway, so I think the fact that I will be slimmer and healthier will outweigh the fact that I am saggy and baggy in places! In the mean time though, will do what I can to try and firm up, to hopefully minimise the problem the best I can. I'll look into the possibility of yoga boo - not sure what's available in my area, but will do abit of investigating! Will also take on board the exercises you suggest rowan. Every little helps I'd say...

boo - everytime I come on here I read more and more stories of people who have lost weight far more impressively than me! I just plod along at a very slow rate! I've never eaten all that badly - just too much I reckon. I've cut down, though still eat what I would consider to be very normally - thinking long-term, I know that if I went on a liquid/shake/soup diet for example, or ate very small amounts I wouldn't be able to keep the weight off after reaching my target. The biggest thing for me has been exercise - I was very inactive before, so without my daily stint on my exercise bike I wouldn't have lost much whatsoever! Being abit more confident these days I'm planning to up/vary the exercise - even if it's just to go and have fun playing Badminton or something! Well done on your loss so far! How are you doing it?

rowan - just been looking at your pictures! congratulations, you look great!! there's even a huge difference between your stomach between Jan 5th and Feb 5th - how did you do that?? Have you reached your ideal weight now?

Squidge xx

 

[rowanx2]

I was just going to say dont give up on the bikini just yet as there are some 1950's style ones out now that hide a multitude of sins in the belly department, but i see youve seen mine lol.
I lost half a stone between those 2 pics you are on about, I put on in december so trying to get back to 12 stone, got about another half stone to go but I'm not stressing about it now. I'm trying to just concetrate on what I look like rather than have a goal weight because it's been doing my head in and getting me stressed out (or could that be my husband? it's one or the two)
as long as i can get back to wearing tht bikini thi ssummer in th egarden then that'll be me happy and then its just going to be a case of carrying on keeping fit to prevent it going back on.

 

[x-Katie-x]

Rowan your pics are excellent - you've done brilliantly sticking to it = you look great.

 

[squidgster]

Well i'm very impressed by the pics rowan! as katie says, you look great! I've never had a goal weight in mind before - was just going to keep going until I looked more like what I wanted to look like... though my ticker wanted a target, so I made one up! But will be just seeing how things go!

 

[wanna.be.slim]

i am worried about this also, after having 2 kids i've stil got a tummy on me, hopefully with diet and exercise it will lessen, will use some of the exercise tips from this thread, thanks

 

[FIRE-STAR]

I've lost just over 6 stone so far by watching what I eat and doing more exercise. I've done it slowly (it's taken about 14-15 months), and I average between 1-2 pounds a week. I do 10 miles a day on an exercise bike, and get out in the fresh air every now and then for some walking, but think I ought to be doing more/different exercise to try and tone up other parts of the body whilst I continue to lose the weight (still got 3 stone-ish to go). I'm 22, but know I'll have a problem with excess, saggy skin in the main problem areas of abdomen, thighs and upper arms.

Can anyone offer any advice about what I can do to try and minimise this problem? Is the idea to build lean muscle at the same time as losing weight?

Thanks very much in advance!

Hi! I've just read the **** responses on here. They are useless.

You want to BUILD muscle at the same time whilst losing FAT?
This is damned impossible, unless you decide to use steriods.

Your best option is to try a bodybuilding method called 'Lactic Acid Training', it uses weights and cardio to BURN fat off and build muscle, although it works for males I've no idea about women.