Post weight loss issue

squidgster

Full Member
Hi all,

Firstly I will just apologise for this thread - it will seem just like an opportunity for me to have a whinge, but I genuinely would be interested in hearing from anyone else in a similar/the same position as I am.

Over a period of about 2 years (beginning 2007 - end of 2008), I lost about 9 stone throug just sensible eating and some exercise. For so many reasons it has been great, and I would never wish to go back to the size I was before. However, like so many others I have been left with absolutely awful excess skin. I had hoped my age would be on my side (I'm 23) and the fact I was losing slowly would help, but unfortunately that was not the case.

If it were just one part of my body I may be able to look past it more easily, but my stomach, thighs, arms and boobs are all very bad. And to be honest, it's seriously getting me down and affecting my general confidence and happiness.

Surgery is something I don't really see as an option. I want the option of having children in the future, and also because it's not just my stomach, a tummy tuck wouldn't go very far in helping.

Nobody else knows what my body is like (I find it impossible to share my thoughts/feelings generally), so they see losing all the weight as only positive - when in reality it has come with this hefty downside. As I said, I don't at all wish I hadn't lost the weight, but I need to learn to live with myself as I am - and that's the part I'm really struggling with.

Is anyone else out there in a similar position? How have you managed to adjust your mindset to deal with it and be happy? Being a single 23 year old, I really don't see much hope at the moment. :(

Sorry for the waffling!

Squidge x
 
Hugs!

Hun I can't help much I'm afraid: I am also 23 but I haven't lost that much weight and don't have the same problem. I just wanted to offer sympathy. What a tough thing to deal with. I mean I guess you've got to either accept your body which is tough. You will find someone out there who will love you the way you are. Or you have to have a series of operations I guess, but that's expensive.. NHS might be able to do some of it, as you've maintained for a while. But I understand that they're hard to get.

Anyway well done you for losing all that weight!
 
hey I was exactly like you, lost 7stones on RC which is healthy eating and exercise. Couldn't bear anyone looking at my body. Afterall I couldn't look at it.

Fortunately as I am now 44 I have had my children. I would have liked a lower body lift or even full body lift but being single there is no way I could afford it. I went to see my GP and I had a tummy tuck on the NHS (that is all they do for weightloss on NHS).

You have plenty of time and you may find that your skin retracts more with time.

Good luck and keep your chin up
 
Well done on your weightloss!!!!

My tummy and boobs are awful too, but then I have had 2 children. My boobs have completely gon, theres just excess skin there now - they are awful! My tummy has some excess skin, but doesn't bother me so much as I know that after 2 kids its not going to have been great anyway!!!

I think its hard because you think that when you lose the weight you will then have this body you can love, but I have come to realise that no one loves their body, or at least not very many people do!!!! I am trying to learn to dress to hide my bad bits!

I hope you can learn to live with it happily, and well done again xxx
 
Don't be disheartened....skin can shrink back. I've never been seriously overweight, only by about a stone and a half in the past but as alot of people will know, that can be as bad mentally as being 10st overweight!!! Anyway, I've had 3 pregnancies and my stomach went back flat after each one...although I did religously do post-natal exercises! I'm 57 now and it's still flat.

As someone said above....it may take up to 2 years as not all skin is the same, yours may be in the 'slow memory' bracket. Good luck anyway, you so deserve to feel good about yourself after such a great weight loss. Well done! :D
 
Well done on weight loss. You have done really well to have such a big loss & keep it off. Re the saggy bits, the only advice I can give is to try some toning exercises & maybe pilates. My stepson lost around the same amount of weight with a gastric band & he has been rubbing in Bio-oil & says that has helped a lot. He is 32 & skin has shrunk over a period of 2 years. So I think that using either the oil or maybe something like palmers cocoa butter would help you. (he rubbed it in twice a day,which for a man was quite impressive). Keep reminding yourself of your great acomplishment in losing that much weight.
 
Hi everyone. Thanks for all your replies - our broadband provider was kind enough to cancel our account by accident, so only just had a chance to get online.

Everyone on here shares the fact they are affected by weight in some way, so it's nice to hear from others.

I've been maintaining the weight I am now or there abouts since around Christmas, so perhaps as some of you have suggested it may improve still over time. I'll try and up the amount of resistance exercise I do, and look into what else I can try.

...and I'll try to remember that losing 9 stone is quite a good achievement after all.

Thank you all again,

Squidge x
 
The younger your skin, the more elastic it is. Areas with stretch marks, however, I'm afraid are permanently damaged. As mentioned above, the NHS can provide a tummy tuck. And attending the gym and working those muscles will get the blood flowing in the area and encourage skin renewal. But it could take a couple of years :(
 
Wow, Squidge. I am inspired by your loss. I have a long way to go to catch up with you. I do think your skin may still shrink a bit. I assume you are drinking enough water. Dehydration can be murder on skin.
 
hiya hunny, i am 22 years old and i just felt that i had to reply your post. i know you dont feel this way because you are low because of your skin but your really are an inspiration to us all. what you have done is a HUGE and i mean MASSIVE achievement. you took control and you did so firstly well done. secondly please bare in mind you are very young and you have your whole life ahead and therefore plenty of time and also hope that your skin will get back to as normal as possible. if it is a thing that is really getting you down to the point that its getting unbearable do your research. sit down and have a chat with your gp or a specialist such as a surgeon who performs procedures to remove the skin. go onto some forums and ask people who have had it done how they found it, what happened after etc.
find out what the pros and cons are, how dangerous it can be with regard to having children etc. dont fret until you know all the facts first because there may very well be a solution ok. keep smiling and be so proud of yourself. you have given yourself a huge headstart in life by losing this weight so young. never forget that. also ive lost four stone and itwo things exercise, just keep doing it, weights, toning etc. put up a post in the fitnees and exercise forum in this section and see can justin give you any exercises to help get firmer! hes brilliant! also and this is huge go and pamper your skin.

buy yourself a body brush. and before you shower (never on wet skin as you will mark it) brush you skin gently. do a google search on body burshing and you will see what i mean.. then exfoliate. get yourself a nice srub and try to do it a few times a week. and finally and this is the big one. MOISTURISE. seriously go and get yourself a big tub of good moisturiser. by good i dont mean expensive i mean a tub of e45 or whatever you fancy. and literally everyday after you shower spend a good ten minutes or whatever it takes moisturising your skin. now i dont mean a gentle rub i mean pick up your skin and massage the cream in really well. my beautician says firming creams arent what does it its how you put a cream on. if u slap it on u wont get results, think of it as a self massage! lol also and to be honest i am contradicting myself and my beautician garnier firming cream i find great. now i will admit it dries out ur skin so i suggest put it on before u go mad with the good mosituriser. but i have stretch marks and a saggy belly and i notice the difference big time. also coco butter is excellent for damaged skin particularly stretch marks so maybe think about some of that as you main moisturiser

please dont distress xxx
 
Your weight loss is incredable, 9 stone in 2 years, wow, well done you.. :) I am so sorry to hear how down your getting though.. :( The only thing I think you can really do it try & tone it up a little to make it not as bad as you don't want surgery.. Just think how far you have come though :) xx
 
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