[Alpha2dropzone]

Okay so, I'm 16. I've been struggling with my weight since I was in 3rd grade, and I'm now in 10th. I weigh about 200lbs if not less by now because my pain medication makes me not eat very much but that's besides the point, I need to lose about 80lbs. And who knows, I might get down to 140 and feel fine. Who knows I can't remember the last time I saw a 40 in any number on the scale for me so I have no clue what I'd look like. I've recently been obsessed with the whole loose skin aspect of weight loss and I'm absolutely terrified. Really really scared. I've read a lot about the fact that since I am only 16 and only trying to lose 70 or 80lbs my skin has a lot more elasticity than a 38 year old trying to lose 130+lbs. If you could please for the love of God give me some tips or personal success stories with avoiding loose skin it'd really help me a lot.. Because right now I'd rather stay at this weight than have loose skin and hate myself even more than I did when I was fat.

[mjf]

To lose weight you need to do two things: Eating healthy and exercising (eating healthy is the more important of the two)

It's not just about how much you eat, but also about what you eat. You should avoid sweets, refined carbs, and fried foods. If you tell us what you eat on a typical day, I or someone else can give you advice on how to improve your diet. For exercise I'd suggest doing both weightlifting and cardio.

To avoid loose skin, don't lose weight too fast. Aim for about 1-2 lbs per week but not more. Drinking lots of water, eating enough vegetables, limiting sugar, and exercising will also help your skin.

[Thousandsunny]

Hey Alpha, welcome aboard. I wanted to chime in and maybe help put your mind at ease! Yes, will you being younger and with "only" 70 to 80 pounds to lose, I don't think the loose skin should worry you. I'm also going to assume you are a non-smoker and not a drinker? Your akin will bounce back as you lose, like Mjf said, if you aim for 1 pound or so a week. And adding strength training in with your diet and exercise changes, I think you'll be fine. I am one of those older women you mention who has lost around 115 pounds and I have little to no loose skin anywhere, save the insides of my thighs and that's on me for hating squats with the power of a thousand suns. You're doing your future self an amazing favour by losing the weight now, you should be proud of yourself for taking the steps! I wish I had when I was your age. Kick butt, you got this.