Ok so I'm 19, 5"4.5 and 234lbs. I'm so worried about getting loose skin on my lower stomach when I reach my goal weight, my dad says because of my age it'll just spring back... but I'm 234lbs! I'm starting toning exercises and cardio tomorrow, but do any of you think that it'll work? Have any of you had this problem when reaching your goal weight? Does anyone have any tips on avoiding loose skin? It's driving me insane thinking about it and I really don't want to get to my ideal weight and still feel saddened by the way I look Any help will be much appreciated

Go slow! Rapid weight loss is a big culprit.

Yeah this is my first week starting my weight loss I know that I'll lose alot this week, but I'm only aiming for 1-2lbs a week, id that too much? I don't care how long it takes really as long as I get there

No, not at all You will lose the most the 1st week (water weight), then it will be gradual. Aim for 1lb, 2lb is a bonus. Any more creates muscle loss and that negatively affects body composition. Good luck!

I am worried about the same thing. I am 27 and 285 lbs and I have heard the same thing "your young it will be fine" but... I am not so sure. I wanna lose the weight but I don't wanna look disgusting...lol This is a great thread, thank you for posting

Hm...I don't think loose skin discriminates on age. I'm only 16 and I have little 'pools' of loose skin on my underarms thighs, and a little on the sides of my tummy (sorry to be so gross) BUT I have also been overweight since I was a little kid. So depending on how long you've been your weight, it may or may not happen. I do, though, feel your pain on not wanting it. If things go the way I intend them to, I'll be in my 20's looking like that evil old-lady from the Shining in the bathtub.
Sacha speaks the truth, slow weight loss (I have heard) can definitely help but I think that all together there are a lot of factors with loose skin. Good luck with your weight loss, you can totally do it =].

Ahhhh.....give me loose skin over being morbidly obese any day

Really, some days it bugs me but 99% of the time I'm loving my new body!

I'm the queen of loose skin! I've got it on my arms, tummy, thighs, and butt, but like Romance Diva said, I'll take that, my smaller less than perfect boobs, and the excess skin over being obese again any day! Small price to pay! Don't let that discourage you on your journey. Trust me, it's not the worst thing in the world.

Aw thanks guys you really made me feel better about this, I'ma stick it out and whatever happens happens but at least if I do end up with a little extra skin I'll be alot healthier

Also, don't be discouraged. A lot of women, even slim women, have a lot of loose skin, you just can't see it through the clothes. I'm one of them

Hey Candylove!
I worry about this a lot as well. It discourages me some times which is silly really. But there is a certain amount of truth in the whole the younger you are the less likely it may be. I mean there is bound to be some (i'm guessing) but the elastin(which keeps skin tight) becomes weaker with age (causes wrinkles etc.) so it may be less severe in younger skin.....
But really all we can do is lose the weight slowly and steadily and keep as much exercise as we can in our daily routines and see what happens!

I'm in my mid-30's & Ive been losing weight pretty quickly since February. So far my skin is surprisingly springing back quite well...so I don't exactly buy into the 'slow is best' approach to avoid sagging & hanging skin. I believe it may be true if you aren't doing any exercise (coming from a very high weight)...on the other hand, maybe it's just simply a crap shoot altogether..because even people who do get it. I'm not so sure how much I believe age plays into it or whether the intensity of exercise & strength training does. My stomach pooch is lifting up and in & doesn't sag anymore, arms & thighs are pulling in, etc. Good genes? I don't know. Maybe because I've been obese for the past couple years as opposed to 20? The amount of cardio & weights I'm doing? I really don't know the reason at all, could be all of the above...who knows. All I know is that when I started losing...I was more than willing to accept loose skin over staying fat...& I'm still willing to accept it if things take a turn down the line as long as the fat just keeps melting off my body. Loose skin wont kill...but being fat & what it brings to the table sure will. Excess skin removal costs a whole heck less than open heart surgery, in more ways than one.

I would definitely recommend reading our weight loss and skin faq. Basically, if you lose weight 'fast', then initially, you may show more loose skin than if you lost the weight slower. It takes a while for your skin to bounce back and I've found that over time it does get better although yes it may not bounce back completely.

There is nothing proven that the speed at which you lose weight will determine the amount of loose skin that you have. A lot of OTHER factors go into. Age, the length of time you've been overweight for, genetics.

I urge you not to worry one little bit about loose skin. You may end up with none or very little. And even if you DO wind up with loose skin, I personally think it's a lot more attractive than tight skin that is covering pounds and pounds of excess flab. Loose skin you can easily camouflage and look really darn FABULOUS and smokin' hot in most clothing. There is no way to cover up large amounts of excess fat.

Besides, loose skin doesn't cause diabetes, numerous cancers, heart disease, liver disease, gout, acid reflux, achy joints, back pain and a slew of other medical ailments.

Loose skin won't prevent you from fitting in air plane seats, amusement park rides, restaurant booths...

Yes, I'll take loose skin over being overweight any and every day of the week!