[MrsMomOrtiz]

Does anyone ever become AFRAID to lose weight?! I do! Of course I'm also afraid to remain at my weight much longer considering the health risks involved as I get older.

I read a lot of blogs/forums/articles online about dieting. The different types, success stories, and recently...the failures.

I've come acrossed a couple articles the past couple days of women who have died shortly after beginning weight loss progroms. Granrted, it was the same program they were on and I believe each already had a medical problem.

Still, I think it's scary. It's so important to do it the RIGHT way!

Some of my other fears is excess skin. I can't stand the thought that when I lose weight I might have this huge flap of skin haning from my stomach and arms. Combined with my stretch marks.....YUCK!

Of course the pros weight out the cons of weight loss. And I feel very educated on the rights and wrongs so I'm confident in my weight loss choices.

Am I the only one who thinks about those things?

[niafabo]

As long as you aren't starving yourself or taking pills weight loss definitely shouldn't kill you in fact you should start seeing your health improve relatively quickly.

I too was afraid of excess skin when I started and I know this isn't what you want to hear but based on your weight and height and my starting weight and height there is a very very good chance you will have extra skin left on your stomach. the thing to realize though is extra skin and little bits of fat sticking and clinging to the skin are very different. i had lots of hanging fat on my arms for awhile but now that that fat is disappearing my arms are shrinking. if you wanna minimize hanging skin as much as possible you will definitely want to take things slow and strength train through out. if i hadn't i'm sure my skin would have been a lot more of a problem.

we all have our worries and fears. don't let them get you down. you're doing great.

[ShanIAm]

I think all of us have a fear of one type of another. I know that one of my biggest fears is dealing with the attention from men. I have been invisible for a long time and now all of a sudden I am honey, sweetie and babe. It bothers me. My other fear is that I am afraid I will never get to where I want to be. That there will ALWAYS be a pound here and a pound there that I need to get rid of.

Your fears are very legitamate and I'm sure shared by the majority of the people on this board. I hope, for you, that if you start seeing loose skin you will learn to like it more than the fat that was hiding underneath.

Congrats on your 10 pound loss so far too!

[stacygee]

I am not afraid of losing weight...I am afraid of gaining it back again.

[dnnrca1987]

I definitely do. I already have very visible stretch marks from years of gaining and losing weight really fast, which I hate, and I'm terrified they will get worse or multiply. I fear loose skin as well. Most of my weight is belly fat so I'm super worried about the post weight loss sag around the middle.

We love to fantasize that when we reach our goal weight, we'll look like models with perfect thighs, abs, and breasts, strutting around in our bikinis. Unfortunately with those of us wanting to lose a large amount of weight, it's a very real possibility that skin will be stretched and loose in some areas. The only thing we can really do is cross that bridge when we get to it. There are a few steps we can take like getting enough water, proper strength training, and making sure to not lose weight too fast, but most factors are out of our control, like our genes and age.

It natural to have some fear and anxiousness going into this. Weight loss is a monumental point in your life, its a turning point where you choose to take control and charge over your own destiny. It cannot be a change you make based solely on looks. It's your health, your mind, your lifespan. Think about the positives, like how accomplished you feel after exercise, how good you'll look in clothes, how strong you'll be, how much more outgoing you'll feel, how you'll look in pictures...etc. That fear is just a piece of the old you trying to hold you back. In the end what will be will be, but try not to fear the change too much, I guarantee you'll feel the happiest you've ever felt, a little stretched skin or no.

[MrsMomOrtiz]

It's definitely comforting to see I'm not the only one who thinks about those kinds of things. And to see that you are all well on your way to your goals is motivating!

[Tai]

My biggest fear was that I just wouldn't be able to get all my weight off. I was intimidated and overwhelmed by the thought of needing to lose 140 lbs.

I think I'm the only person at 3fc's who never gave a thought to loose skin! I ended up with a lot of it, but I'm luckier than most because it doesn't bother me much.

[MrsMomOrtiz]

Wow Tai! 140 lbs is amazing! Loose skin is definitely better than fat.

Another one of my worries is my incision. I had a cesarean last year, then the incision was reopened a couple months ago for my hernia sugery. I worry how that will affect weight loss in that area and muscle development. Still, I'll be happy with any weight I lose. I agree, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!

[carter]

Originally Posted by Tai

I think I'm the only person at 3fc's who never gave a thought to loose skin!

You're not. I didn't look like a supermodel when I was at my heaviest and the notion that I won't look like one when I'm trim either really doesn't faze me a bit.

I admit I haven't (yet) had a ton of issues with loose skin, but the wrinkly areas that are starting to show up on my stomach and thighs don't bother me a whit. I'm proud of them - they are my battle scars, and they show how far I've come.

[Eliana]

Loose skin isn't a given. But I think the odds are better that you'll probably have some. I can tell you I have no loose skin at all and have weight trained throughout. I had some saggy breasts there for a while, but somehow they firmed up again, thank goodness!

I do not fear dying from weight loss. Quite the opposite! Those are quite rare circumstances you are reading about. Sometimes in the middle of spin class when I'm doing my fourth sprint in a row I end up daydreaming the news headlines of a woman who loses nearly 100 pounds only to keel over from heart failure in the middle of spin class! LOL! But the chance of that becoming a reality are rather slim.

I used to fear not making it to goal. You'd think I still would since I can't seem to get there. But now I realize that whether I get there or not, I'm pretty happy where I am and have been for a long time now.

[AZ Sunrises]

Which is scarier, something aesthetic or something that will shorten your life? You need to decide which scares you more.

As has been said before, if you don't like the results, you can always regain the weight.