It depends on many things, age, weight gain and weight loss, pregnancy.I do have a lot of loose skin, not fat, just plain old loose skin. I would love to have a tummy tuck but will not because of other health issues. Meanwhile it is not noticeable under clothing. I hate it, though.
I have lost 25.5 pounds and have 10 to go, and I have had no problem with loose skin.. My body looks better than it did in high school.. I have lost the weight over a 3-4 month period.. I only have my self as a reference, but I think if you lose the weight in a healthy way over a healthy period of time your skin will be fine )
I'm 32 and have lost over 50 lbs. in 5 months and do have a problem with with loose skin on my tummy and oddly enough on my upper inner thighs?? It looks terrible. I think I will never wear a bathing suit again! I also have some loose skin under my upper arms. Stretch marks too... I'll try cocoa butter. I'm a mess! And I've never even had any children! Hate to be a downer
I do have a little loose skin in my abdominal area after losing 40 pounds, but I don't know whether it is due to being overweight, or having 2 babies, or both! It's not bad, and does seem to tighten a little over time, but I'm probably never going to wear a bikini. I don't notice anything loose anywhere else.
This is exactly my experience. FYI -- I'm 35yo, had two children via c-section (so I have the weird loose skin on the top and then the incision and tight skin), and a weight loss of 31 lbs.
I have no loose skin anywhere except the abdominal area.
You guys are starting to scare me. I'm 25, never had kids, and am hoping to lose about 75 lbs the slow and steady route. Obviously it's better to have loose skin than be obese, which is my case now, but I don't wanna have that problem when I'm still so young.
So, do you guys have any tips on minimizing that problem while you're losing weight?
There's a great thread in the Maintainer's forum under the Body Issues After Weight Loss thread - a loose skin FAQ. Seems to me there's just no way to know - but there does seem to be a majority who say there is big improvement after about a year of maintenance. The favorite saying is that if you don't like the loose skin, you can always gain the weight back. Yeah, right!!!
I lost 42 pounds (plus) in about 8-9 months. & I ended up with a teeny bit of loose skin on my tummy, and upper arms. However I know with the proper diet & working out & Lifting it will eventually tighten up! Because it has already!!
Last edited by RunningGirl; 11-22-2009 at 08:06 PM.
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Because it has already!! 
