It doesn't go away on it's own, unless you are particularly blessed with good skin genes. After years of stretching, it just stays true to shape, without the fat behind it to hold it up. Surgery is the only option.
Fred Anderson used to have a web-site (he now has a book -- From Chunk to Hunk). He said that his doctor told him that loose skin would tighten on its own in seven years. He didn't want to wait that long, so he had surgery. I've never managed to maintain for seven years, so I have no idea if it's true or not.
I too am starting to have that concern. I won't be able to afford surgery to have it removed. The skin alone has to have some measurable amount of weight to it too. That is the one thing that really pops in my head and says is all this worth it? Not often but it is a nagging feeling knowing I still won't look as good as I'm going to feel.
Isn't there toning exercises that could be emphasized during loss? Also, wouldnt it matter how long the skin was stretched out? I mean someone who was at 350 for say 10 years vs 2 years. Wouldn't the skin be more likely to go back after only 2 years?
Kim
It scares me too. I actually talked about in therapy vs. not losing at all.
Basically what it comes down to is, you may or may not based on several things: Genes, Exercise, amount of time that you were overweight...
With 34 lbs gone, I don't see any really loose skin yet, but I can see, especially under my upper arms, where it probably will get fleshier (if that's even a word).
I figure I'll get to goal and then worry about it. If I need to fix something, I will, but most people say it'll be at least 6 mos - year after reasching goal to determine.
I think a lot of it depends on how long you were overweight and how much you were overweight as well as your age and how much elasticity is left in your skin. I've seen pictures of women who were really overweight and have lost the weight without having excess skin that I could see anyway and I don't think they'd had surgery. I think it helps too if you are weight training. The faster your metabolism is going the faster that loose skin will tighten up.
The loose skin issue is one of my main fears and has been one of my main stumbling blocks. Whenever I just totally lose motivation, it usually has something to do with thinking about becoming the "saggy, baggy elephant" woman. But, as folks on this list who have done it, being lighter, being able to move, being healthier, having had the experience of accomplishing such a great goal and life changing experience means more to them than the loose skin. So I put my faith in them. They've lost the weight, they've done what they had to do, and they know. When I get there, I'll figure it out. But I want to get there first.
As far as the surgery goes, it seems to be running between $25,000-40,000 which is about the price of a new car (a really good car, but still a car). When I think of it that way, it seems a little more doable. And then again, maybe it's not something I'll need to do.
Barbara, I think your fears are valid. I can imagine what it might look like to have rolls of skin hanging all over, would that be less or more attractive than the rolls of flab? Still being at a lighter weight ultimately is healthier regardless.
I don't like all the loose skin, but its a lot easier to hide than fat. Okay, I can't wear sleeveless shirts or thongs, but a nice short sleeve covers my bat wings and a good pair of support underwear holds in the belly and butt looseness so that clothes look fine. I figure the only people who will see me totally butt naked are myself (and I don't make it a habit to stare) and the one who loves the person I am and accepts whatever physical appearance I may present.
I can't imagine not losing weight because of fear of loose skin. The health benefits alone are worth it. As for surgery, I'm of mixed mind. Any kind of surgery is always a risk and I'm not sure I'd subject myself for purely cosmetic purposes. Mind you, if I was terribly scarred in an accident or something I might consider it, but unless my excess skin starts causing me undue medical or emotional discomfort, I'll give it a pass. If I was younger I'd probably be more open to the idea of surgery, but at my age I liken it to having facelifts and botox to prolong the appearance of youth, and I'm learning to accept the aging process.
As for the expense, when I think of the places I could travel to for $25-$50,000 and the thrill of being healthy enough to climb pyramids, tour historical sites and fully experience different cultures - I'd rather spend my money on that than my shar-pei tummy
The loose skin has absolutely been one of the hardest things I've had to deal with. For me it is a constant daily reminder of the damage I've done to my poor body. And for what? Warm, gooey brownies, ice cream and candy? UGH! I could just kick myself! But the damage is done and I accept that, but now what? Yes, it can mostly be covered up by clothes, but not by a lot of the clothes that I would like to wear. I've never been a "normal" size; so I never got to experience the fashions that physically fit young women get to wear. I would still like to have my belly button pierced, but the skin above my belly button actually hangs over it, so that's not gonna happen without a little surgical intervention! Yes, if I had all that excess cash laying around I would definitely have a complete body lift, no doubt about it. But I don't, so here I am left to deal with a problem of my own making, and wishful thinking and "what if's" will only drive me nuts. But the bottom line is, my life, health, and happiness are, with out question, immeasurably better than they were 190 lbs. ago. I have a life that I can freely live on my own terms now, something I've also never experienced before. So, I try to look at it this way: not being able to wear belly-bearing clothes vs. not being able to function in society? Yea, it was undeniably worth it, not even close.
I've heard that weight training can help tighten loose skin IF you do it while actually losing. If you wait until after you have already lost the weight and the skin has loosened up, this won't help much.
Don't know how true that is since I'm not big on weight training (no pun intended)
Don't know how true that is since I'm not big on weight training (no pun intended)
If you're a woman, weight training doesn't make you big. It makes you small.
Exhibit A:
Which occupies more space? The 5 pounds of fat or the 5 pounds of muscle? I'd sure as heck rather be 140 pounds with firm muscles than 140 pounds with jiggly flesh. Weight training makes you smaller, tighter, more shapely, and a better fat-burning machine -- not to mention stronger, faster, and leaner. And when you start it during your weight loss journey rather than at the end of it, you help your metabolism and increase the efficacy of your workouts -- if you're stronger, you can accomplish more than if you're just a cardio-bunny!
As for weight training, it might help in some cases with loose skin, but there are many cases in which the amount of skin is too great to be impacted significantly by increased muscle.
Seriously, read the FAQ over at Maintainers. The information there is not based on speculation, but on research and personal experience.
I am weight training now, it didn't help those on the maintainers forum (has anyone mentioned to read the FAQ???) but I know it's helping me lose the weight, and hey if I end up having reduced levels of loose skin, all the better, but I won't bet on it.
The loose skin issue doesn't worry me, now that I know what to expect. If I hadn't joined these forums I wouldn't have known about it, and would have felt devastated. But for me weight loss has nothing to do with appearance, because if I really cared about the way I looked, I wouldn't have let myself get to this weight in the first place. For me it is all about health and well being. Yes I would love to get to goal and wear a bikini, and dang it, I might anyway!!! The loose skin might draw peoples attention away from the 30 centimetre scar across my stomach!!!
As for the expense, when I think of the places I could travel to for $25-$50,000 and the thrill of being healthy enough to climb pyramids, tour historical sites and fully experience different cultures - I'd rather spend my money on that than my shar-pei tummy
This is exactly my feeling as well. (btw OMG shar-pei tummy! I'm so stealing that!) I've been trying to make friends with my the wrinkles under my belly button as I know I'll always have better things to spend that much money on.
Will loose skin EVENTUALLY go away?
