Questions for those that have lost a lot of weight and/or have lost baby weight

Martina · 08-25-2010, 02:39 PM

First, my title. NO, I'm NOT PREGNANT. Unless its God's baby. hee hee.

Anyway, for those that have lost a lot of weight, or lost baby weight (I will explain why I want to hear from the mothers in a minute), what did your body look like before you lost weight, and what did it look like afterward?

Recently I lost ten pounds and eventually I want to get down to 150 pounds (I weigh 200 pounds now and I am five foot two). My issue is that I have not gained weight evenly throughout my body, My arms are actually much smaller than the rest of me. With clothes I look smaller than I am. Without clothes I look pregnant. This is me before:

Keep in mind, I've never been pregnant or anything, its just how my weight was gained.

Well, when I lost my first ten pounds, my stomach actually sagged a bit. I'm REALLY fearful that when I lose my weight, I'll have a flap of skin sagging down. So thats what I'm wondering-- what did your body look like after you lost a lot of weight?? What did it look like before you lost weight?

Laureedee · 08-25-2010, 02:54 PM

Well, I am a mother of two but I'm not sure mothers are any better to answer your question than anyone else. Yes, we've gained weight/stretched our stomach skin, but pregnancy does a whole other number on your body beyond weight gain (well, for some of us) so while my stomach is sagging (I've also been overweight most of my life) and I do believe I'll have that little "flap" of skin once I'm done losing, it doesn't mean you will. My stomach stuck out twice that far when I was pregnant and I carried really low too. Me saying this doesn't mean you won't have the same flap either, I'm just saying. We can't really tell you that, it really depends on the person.

CarbsAreEvil · 08-25-2010, 02:58 PM

I basically look like a smaller version of my old self (lost 111 lbs as of today) I still have a pooch, still have the rolls, same shape, just smaller. I don't think your shape totally changes until you're around 10 pounds from goal.

With that said, I'm not at goal yet, so who knows what I'll look like, but I do have wrinkly skin! No huge flap or anything, can't quite pinch an inch, but there are lots of wrinkles on my inner thighs and belly. They're not as bad as the picture below, but those are the kinds of wrinkles I have on my upper inner-thighs. I'm only 21 and like I said, they aren't that bad, so I'm hoping it will tighten more once there isn't that fat there.

sacha · 08-25-2010, 03:13 PM

I'll share my pictures, but I'm not sure it can really compare.

Picture is- pre-pregnancy (125lbs), 9 months pregnant (about 165lbs), and about 138lbs. It's such a rapid growth and change + skin stretching that I don't think it would work in the same way as your loss. As you can see, gaining over 40lbs, the distribution is very different - I had literally no fat on my stomach, it was stretched to the max. I do have a fair bit of loose skin now.

PS I don't think you look pregnant in your pictures

Like most women, you just carry in the abdominal area! It's natures way of protecting our organs.

kestrel · 08-25-2010, 03:52 PM

My initial weight gain was from Depo Provera and I carried it for ~13 years, since then I've had 4 kids. I lost ~65 lbs after #3 was born and I still had a squishy little fat pooch below my belly button, and my belly liked kind of like a (bigger version of) sacha's belly in the middle picture above.

That being said, I had still not quite reached my goal weight when I became pregnant with #4. In fact, I was just a couple pounds into the normal BMI category for my height. I'm not sure how my body would have changed if I had kept going, hopefully I'll find out this time.

Arctic Mama · 08-25-2010, 09:13 PM

My pooch sagged a bit before having children, that was just how I gained. That said, babies and surgery have certainly made it more dramatic. Even pregnant, I have a firm upper belly and all the fat and skin shift a to sag off my lower belly. It is... Less than attractive.

Oh well?

atreyyena · 08-31-2010, 01:12 AM

I've had two kids and although I have noticed a bit of a change in my stomach before and after, I've found that I just mostly gain in my stomach. So far I've gone from a size 22 to a 14. I've lost 15 inches in my stomach. My stomach can go up or down an inch each day just based on how well I've eaten. Compare this to my hips-i think I've lost Maybe 7 inches? lol. So yes: I walked around looking constantly pregnant. exactly like you in your picture (not being mean, because you don't look pregnant as much as you look like that's where you gain most of your weight,like me). So I vote that it's just how you're carrying your weight right now. as far as the flap of skin-I think that will depend on how you lose it. fast through diet only? slower with weight training? skin brushing? There are a lot of extra factors. but I think once you've lost another 15 pounds you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

FreeSpirit · 09-05-2010, 11:27 AM

There's an awesome website called shape of a mother (you can google it!) and it has user posted pictures and stories of women who are dealing with accepting their bodies after pregnancy. It's a beautiful site. You may be able to find pictures of what you're looking for over there. That being said, I don't think you look pregnant at all!

60lbstogo · 09-11-2010, 04:42 AM

I had one daughter 4 years ago, and gained 40 lbs I'm hoping to lose. I wonder if I'll have a pooch as well. I think I can deal with that as long as I'm healthy and can cover it up with regular clothes (nothing excessive). I've never been crazy for bikinis or showing my midriff anyway--not even when I was skinny.