My stomach has been a real issue for me lately...mainly because I can't tell the difference between the two...Right now the lower part of my stomach sags down. Its like a flap. I've noticed the more i've lost the more it seems to spring up. But i'm not sure if its completely fat or not. I can lift it fairly easily, to the point that when I do, its completely flat. When I lay down it flattens, and when I bend forward, it all goes forward and droops....0.o When I grab a handful of it, it feels...kinda like a firm spunge....not hard but not completely soft, especially in the center.


But its so much which has me worried. Liderely handfuls of it :/ If its all lose skin then I shouldn't be losing anymore, and need to work on letting everything tone up. Would explain why I keep getting stuck in plateaus... :/... I don't have a small frame. I have broad shoulders and bigger then average feet so I won't be able to realistically get to 145-150 pounds without looking like i'm about to die 0.o

Based off this I was wondering if anyone could give me their opnions? I can attach some pics when I check back if anyone needs to get a better idea of what i'm talking about.
Or if theres a place where they can measure how much is actually loose skin/vs fat

I have the same exact thing. You could have described my stomach actually!!

I hate when I'm doing planks or something and the skin is hanging down...

I think at this point it's skin, I mean I can't have much to lose and neither can you. I've added in more exercises for my core and I noticed it's gotten a little better since I've gotten stronger in that area, but it's still...bleh.

I only have a little bit of fat/extra skin on my arms and legs (at this point I think it's just the little bit of fat most women have) but my stomach is bleh...so I know how you feel.

I have the same too. I certainly also have fat there but I can tell the difference between the skin and the fat (my skin looks wrinkly and hangs over like you described, my fat is up higher and you can grab a handful ).

I know just what you're talking about as well! I have a "flap" on my lower stomach after losing about 80 pounds, and I'm not thrilled about it. As I've lost more body fat it's gone away more, but is still there. I also have this weird bunched up/wrinkly deal going on right above my bellybutton that I wish would go away. I can tell it's just from having lost so much fat on my stomach, but it definitely doesn't make me want to bare it anytime soon. I may look into some of that skin-firming cream and see if that helps out. If it helps, I believe a lot of gyms have someone who can actually take a little tool that can measure body fat on different parts of your body, and they may be able to tell you if it's more skin. I have a great YMCA that I go to and there is a female there that will assess you for body fat and things like that. I hope that helps!

@Lindsay: that would be a "skinfold caliper", essentially an accurate version of the old "can you pinch an inch".
If it's only skin you're looking at millimeters.

hey!! don't worry chickie, you are not alone.

also, i have the same issue. i tan, so post shower the other day i was putting on lotion, and k (graphic) but if you place your hands on your stomach, and rub like...up... towards your breasts, and then let go (for some reason i was putting on lotion bottom to top? i don't know) but ya, then you let go...it's like a waterfall of skin. ha ha.

sorry i don't mean to make light of the situation, and its craptastic, because you've put in so much work and then your tummy is there. for me, it's also when i bend forwards, i don't have love handles, but it kind of all goes to the front into a sausage shape, with the stretchmarks, it looks like deflated sausage casing. nom nom nom right?

fingers crossed that it tightens!! but this is normal unfortunately.

After having babies, and mine were BIG (10 pounds), I went down to 108 pound; size 0/2 (funny because I can not blame my weight as "baby fat" ) I had really skinny tummy, but I had skin on lower part that just hung I think once that area stretches out, skin won't recover 100%. -- This time around, after I am done with my weight loss, I am considering having the skin removed. I know it sounds vain, but the skin and stretch marks have always bothered me. I don't spend a lot of money on me, in general....so why not this time?

Have to agree that it's skin and not fat. Well, it is fat too, but fat that you can't lose as it's essential fat to the skin - part of the skin layer. I have the same thing. Of course, I have a bit of fat to me left, but a LOT of it is skin at this point.

Some of it will firm up a bit yet, so don't go rushing out for surgery right yet. Give it a year or two and then see.

This is something I worry about having to deal with in the future myself. I do know a lady (friend of a friend) who had her saggy-baggies tighten up a couple of years after maintaining, so there may be hope there. If I were you, I would have my body fat percentage checked. If your percentage is towards the lower range for a person your age/sex/etc..., then you can assume it's skin. If you're not there yet, keep working it down until you can see what's what. Good luck to you, and congratulations on making such an awesome change in yourself. The loose skin thing is a bummer, but you should be super proud.

I don't have it yet, but my husband does. (he lost over 100 lbs.) It's been about a year since he met goal and it does look like it's firming up a bit, so maybe time will help.

You could go to a plastic surgeon and get evaluated and see what they think? Usually they do an up front eval for free. You don't have to get the surgery though.

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Ladies, I have the same problem. Mine isn't just skin, it has fat in it too but it's the one thing that I've been persistently trying to get rid of. Even when I'm lying down, there's still a dent there. It's so depressing. I'm hoping that doing crunches may help me but I know the key is overall fat loss- I just don't know if I should keep losing any more weight.
Here's the bad news though, my sister has one too. She is about 5'9" and weighs 115 lbs. I'm talking about the most naturally skinny person I know- she has a little bit of the dreaded dent too!
I couldn't believe it when she showed me. I feel so screwed over- either its loose skin from when I was bigger or its genetic. Either way, I don't know if it's going anywhere without a tummy tuck.
I guess we're just lucky that it's lower. I can always buy bathing suits that cover it somewhat. I just don't feel so confident being totally nude