I feel like I've posted this before, but I could not find it back.

I started at 305 lbs. I now weigh 255. I am already having trouble with loose skin. There is so much loose skin at the top of my thighs that when I sit down, they stick together. Sometimes I almost have to peel my skin apart. I use baby power all the time but it only lasts so long.

My stomach is disgusting. It hangs way down and my boobs are long and about 2" thick--if that. I know there is really no way to get rid of that entirely without surgery, but that is out of the question because of finances. Is there anything that any of you do to make it more comfortable? I bought some Spanx that go from mid-thigh and up to past my waist, but bought a size too small.

I can only see this situation getting worse. Please--any suggestions will be so much appreciated.

I've been reading up on loose skin as this is starting to be a problem for me as well. People online say you should use some aloe and make sure to exfoliate the skin well to remove dead skin cells. There really isn't a lot you can do other than be patient. Even people considering surgery often have to maintain the loss for 2 years before the procedure (during which time the skin will tighten up somewhat).

I think you are pretty much doing all that you can. Hang in there.

Blessings,
Annie

Beth - Just keep on keeping on. Skin has some elasticity and over time will shrink up a little bit, but may not ever be just how you imagine without a little surgical help. I am definitely having some skin issues with my stomach, inner thighs and upper arms. I do weight train 3x per week and this can only help down the road. No matter what happens with my skin I would much rather be a healthy and fit smaller person with some saggy skin than a 300+ pound person with tight skin!
Barb

I am having the same problem. I have noticed that i get chaffed alot worse than when i was at my heaviest. I really have a problem with the apron area.I am using medicated powder and it seems to help better than anything else. I have used a baby powder deordant on the area to help with the sticking and sweating.

Beth, be strong because you're doing great!

I talked to a plastic surgeon about this several months ago. Your skin will shrink somewhat, depending upon your age and your genes. The shrinking goes through a process. The reason why we're all so dang flabby and droopy now is because there is an undercarriage of support for the fat that's been there and it now also has to shrink to support the lower level of fat. It takes time, which is why plastic surgeons don't want to do surgery on us to remove skin too soon.

I was told to make sure I drank plenty of water every day, keep up with the weight training, try dry brushing my skin daily before I take a shower to remove dead skin cells, and to eat unprocessed foods that included plenty of lean proteins and fibrous veggies and colorful fruit. The aloe is great too.

For chafing prevention, I've been reading about Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel. Apparently it goes on in gel form then dries to a silky powder-like finish and doesn't make a mess. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to get some soon. I've read good reviews on the product and it seems to even help those with sensitive skin.

Georgia

We all have this problem. I mean it is a bit frustrating as when you have this idea of "weight loss" in mind and to be honest, I think all of the non-real before and after pictures help feed this image, we do not imagine our bodies hanging. However, for someone like me who begun their weight journey around 340+ pounds, well there is gonna be some hangage lol.

Loose skin comes with the territory and to be honest with you, it freaks me out on some days. My stomach is disgusting, it hangs and my legs...ack. I have bat wings on my arms, as they call them, but it isn't as bad as other areas. And I have skin discoloration in the worst areas...my skin looks dirty, when it is not! At some point I will have plastic surgery in my future, it is for certain.

A few added thoughts:

1. I agree, plastic surgeons do not want to do a surgery too soon. They want your body to have time to adjust and you'll find that the general advice is to wait one to two years before having surgeries.

2. Drink plenty of water, liquid, as that helps the skin. You can also add more carrots and celery to your diet. Celery is a very hydrating veggie and carrots have been known to help skin in various ways.

3. Loose skin is inevitable for most of us. It is something I'm learning how to accept and live with, but the truth is being healthy does out way it for most of us. It is upsetting, yeah, but you know our bodies are going through a change anyhow and I can say that my skin has tightened up since my starting weight. The more I loose the better things get actually. Right now I have A TON of fat on me still, so I can't say what I'm going to look like 100+ pounds down the road. What I view as "loose skin" actually has a lot of fat in there currently...I see sag! I feel saggy! hehe
****
My stomach does not hang as much as it used to, which says that it is not going to be as bad as I think it is lol. I'm also moisturizing more and more and I use Gold Bold Ultimate Healing Powder with Aloe. I have very sensitive skin.

I'm also learning how to incorporate more weight training and toning. It does help, but in the end you can't weight train your way to a super tone body....not unless you have surgery or learn how to live with it.

Hang in there! Give your body a chance to make this change!

I would agree to drink lots of water, and take the diet and exercise suggestions given already. I'm also using a biogel but it's expensive so haven't used it all the time. So far these things are helping me to avoid loose skin so try them. In fact I'm sure my skin was looser a few weeks ago than what it seems now though I am expecting a lot more loose skin over the coming months.

Really, it's a genetic roll of the dice. Most of us have some. Some of us have little, some of us have a lot. I've lost over 100 lbs before and at my lowest weight, I hated my arms and my tummy. But in retrospect it really wasn't that bad. Bikini-ready? No. But in the right clothes, I looked fabulous. And that time I wasn't exercising, drinking enough water ~ I wasn't as fit and healthy as this time around.

Get good underwear and you will be fine! Enjoy your weightloss journey. Trust me, bikinis aren't a necessary part of life.

I don't use corn starch baby powder anymore because I found out that yeast feed on corn starch. I use zinc oxide. I also stay hydrated, take fish oil and eat pumpkin regularly. Pumpkin is supposed to help with skin elasticity. I have some loose skin, but only on my bottom half. Except for a little under my upper arms, my top half has tightened up nicely. When I get closer to my goal weight it might be much more of a problem than it is now.

I have been thinking about asking this exact question of people. I noticed after I hit 330, my stomach dropped another three inches down, YIKES and YUCK but I was told it will pull back up as I lose weight. It won't ever not sag like it does, but it will pull back up...

I can only hope. I am lifting weights three times a week, religiously since February, and I feel so much stronger. I told my trainer, when I lose the fat, I want to see definition. LOL

But I do wonder about the covers of the magazines with the Biggest Losers on them. None of these women really look like they have left over stomach or leg skin. Are they spanxed up? And do Spanx work? Did I spell that right? LOL

I can only worry about the health issues, I think it might be easier to hide some left over hanging skin than a big belly and butt that won't let you into a restaurant booth.

Hey! Have you checked out the Body Image and Issues After Weight Loss forum?? Bc it is full of threads that address the loose skin issue and I think you would find it beneficial and interesting.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=219

Ohh, I didn't know that about pumpkin! Thanks for the tip. It's one of my favorite foods.

I also heard the same, that drinking lots of water as you lose weight helps. My doctor also mentioned that losing weight slowly causes less excess skin compared to losing weight very quickly.

I didn't know that about pumpkin either! I know carrots also are amazing for your skin, so eat plenty of those!

I do, however, agree and disagree with the slow weight loss theory. I think if someone is loosing weight fast enough and long enough to be "rapid weight loss" then you will have some loose skin issues, but I think that normally people loose at their own rates meaning their bodies just do it however. I mean I lost 30 pounds in one month when I started out, but my total for the year was only like 65 pounds. So, my body had plenty of time to adjust, I think for me personally, and I've noticed my skin tightening up. I mean at this time my body dumps weight when it does or it dumps nothing. lol. So, if I loose 20 pounds in one month, I don't consider that rapid for me personally at this time and don't think my skin will become that much more loose is my point. I think it depends on genetics, as someone else mentioned, your age, your starting weight, how long you have been that weight, etc...

I think loose skin is going to happen no matter what, especially with someone who is 300+ pounds. I mean I'm in my 30s now and will have lost almost 200 pounds when I reach my goal weight. Yeah stuff is going to tighten up to a point, but in the end there are gonna be some issues. I mean I know people who have lost weight very slowly and still had loads of excess skin afterwards and then again there are people who lost weight at a faster rate, just how their body works, and they had excess skin, but not as much.

It makes you crazy! lol...

I like the idea of eating loads of pumpkin and carrots though!

In a previous weight loss adventure () I had lost over 100 lbs and had loose skin. A doctor told me there was little that could be done aside from surgery. Drinking water, taking good care of the skin, etc. can help but only very minimally (this was according to my doctor at the time... not necessarily my experience.)

I gained the weight back and then some. So, um... yeah, problem solved.

Congrats on your weight loss so far - that is AWESOME! Once you are done losing weight, surgery may be a consideration... but it has risks, of course. I hope you can just love your new body the way it is...