Does skin get flabby before tightening back up?
 

So, this might be a weird question....

I've been running lately and have noticed some changes in my legs/thighs. I'm a little curious about what's happening and thought I would ask. Well, it seems the fat on my legs is looser--almost flabbier. I've been working out 5-6 times a week and have lost about 40 lbs thus far. However, I've noticed it MUCH more in the last 3 weeks.

For those of you who have lost a lot of weight (or losing weight currently), did you notice that your skin was flabbier before tightening back up? It almost like I've lost a couple of layers of fat under my skin and there's extra space in there now (if that makes sense). It's been slow moving on the scale lately and I wanted to notice as many "non-scale victories" as possible to keep me going.

Thanks!!
:carrot:

I have noticed that happening in my stomach. I have only lost about 30 lbs, very slowly over the last year, purposely cause I want to try and let my old skin shrink a bit if it will. I'm afraid if I lose too fast it will make it worse. I've been running on the treadmill too, and I know what you are saying, the muscles are definitely showing now but the flab part looks worse somehow, maybe it's the contrast?

From what I've read, this might happen, and sometimes the skin doesn't always shrink. But, nevertheless, we will still be healthier! I think there are lots of great threads in the "Body Image and Weight Loss Issues" (or something like that) forum in the Maintainers section.

Do some toning exercises with weights to help but over time it'll continue to shrink. You want to get your muscles to tone up while you are losing cuz that helps the skin to not look as flabby. Part of it is also genetics and part of it is how fast you lose- that's why on shows like biggest loser the people have a lot of flabby skin cuz they just lose too fast.

I know it doesn't answer your question but may I suggest an exercise to help target the inner and outer thighs. At boot camp we call these fire hydrants . You get on your hands and knees on the floor and lift one leg at a time as a dog would on a fire hydrant . Do reps of these pretty quickly in sets of 25 to start it will help tone those areas you are worried about.

Congrats o your weightloss!

Yes. My two belly spare tyres: they both go very soft and floppolly, really quite unpleasant but I suppose better than hard-packed fat; after a while the skin seems to tighten up a bit round them for a time, then off we go again.