[steinanwine]

So Ive been doing a really good job working out and counting WW points which is great. I've lost 5 LBS since Sunday (might be water weight, I dont know anymore, Im just glad the scale is going down).

I dont expect that weight is going to keep flying off without continued hard work ..... BUT .... I am REALLY worried/terrified/depressed/sofreakingscared that I am going to have really loose skin on my under arms.

I'm pretty much fat all over being 5'2" and 180 starting weight. My upper arms got really fat. It's disgusting and embarrassing and I knew they were bad but I just saw some pictures of my arms stretched out dancing with a friend and my upper arm fat hangs so low, Im so disgusted and terrified the skin is going to be loose there when I start losing more weight. I know my arms wont be stick thin right away but seeing these pictures I didnt realize HOW bad my arms were and I just feel like the skin has to be really stretched out from holding all that fat and hanging.

I'm only 25, maybe the ellastin or whatever in my skin isn't gone yet. I just dont know what to do. Should I be doing weight training on my arms, will that help? Do I need to start using lotion that will help restore or build ellastin (that probably dont really work??)

Definitely crying and so upset with myself that I've put myself in this position and that I ever let myself get this fat. How could I just have let myself go and not thought of the consequences?

[kelly315]

When I lost last time, I was 23, and loose skin wasn't a problem under my arms. I lost 120lbs, so I think that would have been more of a problem than your planned 45. I hear that toning does help quite a bit, for many other things as well.

[steinanwine]

Thank you so much Kelly. Im probably being dramatic and over emotional, etc etc. But seeing those pictures just shocked the HECK out of me. I think Ive been in denial about my weight for a long time and finally seeing my arms like that from a perspective I've never seen .... Just got me so worried and scared.

But you have made me feel a lot better. I am going to try to start incorporating upper arm weight training too.

Thank you again for taking the edge off my sudden freak out.

[brillmama2]

i am having the skin problem.. and i am exercizing alot mostly cardio. it hasnt helped much, but id rather be smaller and stretched than big and stuffed. just tell yourself over and over that you are makinjg the healthy choices... and weight lifting should help to build muscle wich in turn fill the skin.
i guess worst case scenareo there always saving for plastic surgery!!

[sontaikle]

I had some lose fat or skin in my arms about 5-10 pounds ago and it got quite annoying. I started lifting heavier weights at the gym (usually used 8lb handweights, switched to 12) and did some more strength training focusing on my arms.

Changing up my routine a little helped me lose some more I think, but I noticed my arms got considerably smaller and more toned. It could just be from pure fat loss (maybe that's where the 5 pounds came from? haha) or maybe having more muscle there helped speed it along? Of course I still have the stretch marks on my arms, but I know those won't ever go away

I'm not sure, but I think at our age you shouldn't have too many problems with lose skin in your arms (especially starting out at 180. If you had 100+ pounds to lose it might be a different story). It might unfortunately come off there last, but it will come off as you continue to lose weight.

[fromthebox]

I think all forms of motivation are good to help us lose, but I can also tell you that, if the "consequences" to you are all cosmetic that you 1) don't have too much to worry about beside stretch marks with only 45# to lose. I lost 50 and have not experienced any sagging in my arms. (I'm 24) and 2) are going to acquaint yourself with the other consequences eventually. Don't worry, they're a good motivation to keep it off too.

I don't mean to be harsh, just realistic.

[runningfromfat]

I'm just under 30 and so far I haven't had any problems with loose skin (beyond a postpartum belly but that was there before the weight loss ). I do do a lot of weight lifting, though, it can never hurt! It does make my arms look a lot more shapely even with the extra padding there still (like you I tend to carry a lot of weight in my arms).

However, think of it this way. Would you rather have large arms because you are obese or the extra skin but at a healthy weight? In the former you can't hide the extra fat as well (whereas the extra skin is much easier to hide) and the rest of your body is going to be in a larger size too and won't be as healthy. However, in the later you can learn how to dress to hide the skin, you'll be in a smaller size clothes, in general, and you'll be at a healthier weight.

[boomerang]

At your age you will probably not have much of a problem, especially if you continue to work out. I will say, however, after a lifetime of gaining and losing, that it will probably help enormously if you stay at your desired weight.
After what I thought was my last loss and finally reaching my goal, I was able to take care of the "evidence" through cosmetic surgery. That is, ALL but my arms. My surgeon would not touch that! She indicated that the scars heal much slower than those on other parts of my body or not at all. Her work has left absolutely no visible scars after the initial healing, so I believe her. Not a story to scare you, just one to encourage you to remain at your desired weight if this is a concern. Good luck and great job on catching this "issue" early enough to resolve it

[iaradajnos]

I'm 44 and have lost from my heaviest known weight, about 210. I'd say about 55 pounds overall. I lost 35 pounds or so at age 42 and didn't see much skin in the arms that I couldn't attribute to just more fat to lose. I was toning a lot. I'm about 150-155 now and working to lose another 20 pounds. I'm seeing a slower loss than expected but I have pretty toned arms without much upper arm exercise besides my required PT strengthening. I'm about 5-10 pounds off from a healthy BMI number.

Don't despair. My 47 year old friend lost a lot of weight two years ago too. She did have the under arm and stomach skin issue. At the time, we both were wearing sleeveless shirts and you could totally see her extra skin. She didn't stop wearing them. I think it was a bigger issue to be healthy and slim than have extra skin. I never heard or saw anything but complete positive support and love for her and her accomplishment. She did choose to privately opt for stomach sking removal surgery. I admire her in so many ways and her accomplishments and going sleeveless were among the reason I love her.

[SC Vitamin C]

If you don't do at least some form of weight training exercise, you should definitely start. It will help tone the muscles and make you arm shapelier and look better even with some extra skin.

[Jonsgurl0531]

I would suggest you start lifting weights. When I started losing weight my arms were larger than my calves (almost 18 inches!) I have been doing arm exercises from day 1 and have lost almost 5 inches on them. They still seem large for my smaller frame but I have accepted the fact that my arms may always be that way.
Don't let your fear of saggy arms hinder your weight loss.

[liliesinmycereal]

I do weight training for my arms and it feels alright. I started weight training during the summer at like 170 pounds I guess but I started losing weight at 220. My skin isn't really saggy at all except for my stomach but I think that it years of my boobs being too heavy for my stomach. Just the normal flab that I should have for my weight.