Another thread from me, sorry. I'm just brimming with questions today and who better to turn to than you girls!

Okay...how to get this out concisely....

I'm currently 143 (I should be between 135 and 140, but I gained during vacation in October). I'm usually around 137 or 138. Getting down to 135 for me is HARD! I would really love to be at 130. That's my dream goal weight.

I've put my body through a lot. Lots of ups and downs in weight - I got up to 215 non-pregnant and 225 pregnant.

That said...I have extra skin. I definitely have it on my lower abdomen and I think it's also on my butt/thigh/hips areas. I used to think it was fat/flab, but now I'm beginning to change my mind.

I'm seriously considering hiring a personal trainer to help me get down to 130 and see if I can firm up my lower body. I'm pretty certain she's going to want to see what my fat % is. If she pinches me, is there any way to distinguish between fat (that I can actually improve upon) and loose skin (that I will have to live with until surgery down the road)?

I knew I couldn't get this out shortly and sweetly. I'm just confused about whether it's reasonable to shoot for 130 or will my loose skin always be in the way of that. I work my body hard (weights/cardio) on a consistent basis, but I don't really know what is muscle (under loose skin) and what is fat/flab.

Hope this makes sense! I would appreciate any input!! Thanks a bunch.

I don't do the bodyfat % measurement myself, but perhaps Mel would know the answer to that question...? Whether a competent bodyfat measurer could tell the difference between loose skin and fat??

You might also consider having a consult with a Board-certified plastic surgeon, just for a benchmark...

Karyn - I had the same problem that you're experiencing. I honestly didn't know what was skin and what was fat until I talked to a plastic surgeon. All my deflated skin looked exactly like cellulite to me because of the way it was all wrinkled up. One thing that was a tip-off (this is going to sound gross) was that the skin would float in the bathtub. Yuck, right? But that's one way I could tell that it was skin and not fat. And I could grab handfuls of it. Double yuck.

When I went to see a PS, he told me it was skin, ALL skin. He told me that I had YARDS of skin, even though it looked like fat. Huge relief! He took his hands and circled them above my knee and pulled up, like you'd pull up pantyhose. And it all pulled up and smoothed out! I highly recommend going to a PS for a consult for your own peace of mind, even if you don't think you want to do anything about the skin.

About body fat and excess skin - I worked with a trainer in my gym while I was losing weight and he took my BF every four weeks with calipers. He was able to distinguish between fat and skin - perhaps Mel can talk about how that's done. So yes, I think that a qualified person can do your BF despite any loose skin. One word about BF and skin, though - the lower my BF got, the worse the skin looked because there was nothing filling it out. It's not a reason to stay fat, of course, but it's something to be aware of.

The whole excess skin issue caught me completely by surprise when I reached goal. Crazy as it sounds, I really felt like a failure because of how I looked at goal. That's why we put together the skin FAQs sticky here in Maintainers. So please don't apologize for asking questions - that's what we're all here for - sharing our problems, questions and experiences.

KarynLee,
When I caliper someone, I can definitely feel the difference between fat, skin and muscle. Ironically, the only people with whom it is really difficult is us "surgically altered" old chickies Pre-tummy tuck, it was very easy for me or my trainer to get a caliper reading on my abdomen. Now it's near impossible. I don't know if Meg has had the same experience. One the other hand, as long as my pants fit, I no longer care.

The fat vs. skin issue really is a bugaboo. I couldn't live with the skin around my middle, but at my current body fat level, I can live with my face. I would like to lose about 5 more pounds also, but I'm pretty sure I'm NOT going to like what that will do to my face and I'm just not going there surgically.

Too bad there's no such thing as Miracle Bra for eyelids

Mel

I'm feeling like the Bionic Woman or the Terminator or something ... Or else the cat ...

I'm guessing you're still swollen, Mel, and that's why the calipers can't get a grip on the new tummy. I'm almost two years out and there isn't any problem getting a pinch on my abdomen (last time it was only 3 mm ). Too bad all the fat in my body is stuck to my legs!

Miracle Bra for eyelids ... hmmm ... Scotch tape?

When I was getting my caliper test a few years ago, the person doing it admitted my % may be off a tiny bit due to my loose skin.

Cheers!

Ali

Thanks, everyone. I'm now planning on making an appointment with a PS for a consultation to get a better idea about my obstacles and options. I appreciate all the input!

Karynlee - Thanks for asking this question. I've started to think about getting a body fat analysis done and I was wondering this same thing myself! So thanks!