Since I've just begun on my weight loss journey, I have to ask those of you who have dropped a significant amount of weight, what happens to the extra skin on your body? I have visions of a loose, floppy, slab of belly skin that I will have to tuck into the clothes that I will wear when I reach my goal. Seriously, will I have to buy clothes that can accommodate my flop?

Hi Heehaw,

I lost 110 lbs in 2009 at age 49 and I was really surprised that I did not have big problems with loose skin. I did have a "belly flap" it was just much smaller than the same belly flap I had at my top weight. My arms and legs and face were fine. Boobs were fine too.

I can promise you that any loose skin is WAY less noticeable than stretched out skin filled up with fat. I have seen pictures of people with tons of drippy skin hanging all over the place and I didn't look anything like that.

Unfortunately, I gained a lot of the weight back and am working on losing it again. I'm hoping that this time I'll have the same result.

My starting weight was not much less than yours, and I've lost 75 pounds (roughly) so far in about 18 months...but from what I've read, there are 4 things that factor in with the skin:

1) Drinking lots of water
2) Exercise
3) Slow loss
4) Genetics

I can say that I've lost my weight slowly, and I don't have any droopy skin, just a bit on the upper arms. Losing slowly and drinking lots of water seems to help your skin's elasticity somehow (allows it to shrink with you!). That's what I heard, anyway!

Thanks, ubergirl. I am 45, and I know that the elasticity in my skin is shot due to the amount it has been stretched for so many years. I agree, a little sagging skin wouldn't be a problem, but I'm seriously worried that I will have a LOT. Nothing I have to worry about any time soon, though. I'm still a long, long way away from my goal. In the meantime, I can invest all the money I'll be saving on groceries and plan for a tummy tuck.

Thanks for all the good advice, Pattience. I know that I will be on my current plan until August 22. That's when I go back to the doctor. I do plan about asking him if I can increase the calories at that point, and will also make it a point to ask him about Atkins or low carb alternatives. I have a friend that is doing low carb and she has dropped about 25 lbs, but she is also exercising like a maniac. Good luck to you on being so close to your goal. I know you must be feeling like a new person. Congratulations!

The only thing that determines if you will have long term loose skin or not is genetics. Other things can come in to play as far as temporary loose skin - how you lost your weight - like was it fast and furious so it takes time for the skin to shrink up? Is your overall health compromised from smoking, etc?

Age can be a factor too - but again genetics play a big role in that. MORE younger people have skin that recovers than older people, BUT your genetics still have a say in that.

You need to drink enough water for health - doesn't change loose skin or not.
Fast weight loss or slow weight loss can result in loose skin. Fast weight loss might just mean more temporary loose skin as it needs more time to shrink up.

Exercise is good for overall health, but does nothing for making less loose skin (muscle is smaller than fat anyway, so the whole idea of "filling up" the loose skin is bunk).

Genetics... nearly 90% of it.

Of course, those who DIDN'T get loose skin will use themselves and what they did for anecdotal evidence, but it was genetics.

I would not agree that those are myths. I did a Google search and came up with a lot of information. I started to copy links but there were too many. If you're interested, here are a couple.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/11...during-weight/

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articl...ight-loss.html

http://www.3fatchicks.com/how-to-avo...m-weight-loss/

If you're still concerned about saggy skin, I'd recommend talking to your doctor about it. You'd probably get more accurate information too. Good luck!

And not one of those articles had a source. Even the middle one said that slow weight loss just gives time for skin to shrink up - I said that too. Fast weight loss just might give temporary loose skin as the skin doesn't have as much time to tighten up. So, what's better? lose slow so that you don't notice the skin shrinking up?

I have done EVERYTHING right with losing weight and I have loose skin. I drink TONS of water. I exercise - cardio and strength training. I eat a very well balanced diet. I have lost slowly in the past and quickly more recently. I still have loose skin. Why? GENETICS. it's also why I got stretch marks during pregnancy - genetics.


Besides genetics - age plays a factor for some women and overall health, but 90% is genetics. I stand by that and will stand by that unless someone can source out REPUTABLE studies that refute that.

Oh, and doctor's won't know any more about loose skin than the average joe unless the specialize in loose skin issues. That is not something covered in medical school.

I suppose to avoid problems with skin you need to lose weight slowly, need to do sport, use maybe some creams. There are many factors that may effect on your skin: skin type, age, genetics. But still don't think about the worst so soon!

I agree with everything you said here except that I got HORRIBLE stretch marks in pregnancy. So I don't know why I won the loose skin lottery.

Different kind of elasticity perhaps? My mom had HORRIBLE stretch marks. I was worried I would get them. My sister and I were pregnant at the same time. I started out pregnancy overweight. I gained NOTHING until the last week of pregnancy (water weight gain). I was still LOSING weight when I started to get stretch marks. I have so many stretch marks on my stomach you can't even count them. I ate perfectly (I was growing a baby!) I was exercising, etc. I used creams (mostly for itching). TONS of stretch marks.

My sister? She was normal weight when she started. She didn't exercise. She ate crap and she gained 80 pounds. NO creams either. She didn't get a single stretch mark.

So, imagine how I feel when people come in and tout creams and diets and "ways" to prevent... people... it had NOTHING to do with what you did or didn't do - just your genetic lottery.

Same with loose skin. It's a slap in the face when people say, "if you do this and this you won't get loose skin." REALLY?

If stretch marks are any indication of what I have to look forward to with saggy skin, I'm in trouble! I have so many stretch marks on my stomach, boobs, butt that they run together. YIKES!

The part of my belly that got destroyed by stretch marks definitely never stretched back. That's for sure!

This is quite honestly my biggest worry about weightloss. While I completely agree with berryblondeboys that it is 90% genetics I will still do what I can to prevent it. I will use slow weight loss to give skin a chance to bounce back as much as it is going to. I eat skin healthy foods and vitamins and drink water and move my body to give my skin the best chance it is can get to bounce back as much as genetics has planned.

Just like when eating out at a restaurant, I pick a food that will give me the best chance of staying on plan. I will do anything I can to give my skin the best chance to shrink up. And even if I may need it someday, I loathe the idea of skin removal surgery because I hate having surgery and scars and healing are so painful. BUT! If I end up needing it I won't rule it out. If I can lose that much weight I surely can power through surgery and healing!!