It's Good News But It's Making Me Depressed
 

Well I was sick all of last week and I just started feeling better on Saturday. Didn't really lose any more weight then usual but it appears that I dropped a pants size and that I now need 12s even though I just bought three pairs of 14 last month. I know I should be happy about but I have a lot of hanging skin which is already noticeable as a pouch in my current pants. My 14s are too lose on the waist and belly and they are falling down off the top of my stomach but I'm scared to get 12s because I know if I got them my pouch of extra skin would be extremely noticeable. I'm scared it's going to get worse as I lose weight and that it's going to become even more noticeable and hard to cover up. I know I should be happy but I'm scared and self conscious right now and I catch myself thinking man maybe losing weight wasn't such a good idea. I know it's rediculous and I must look better over all but I keep waiting for these feelings to go away and they aren't. :(

Would you feel less self conscience wearing a body shaper under your new SIZE 12 pants? Oh, and a HUGE congrats on that btw! :-) You deserve to show off the new you in clothes that fit and, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with a little body shaper help.

Good for you for dropping a pant size, but you need to just stick with exercise in order to get rid of the pouch. I had sagging skin around my stomach and now it's almost gone. It's still a belly that I need to get rid of, but it's a firm belly and no sagging skin. Don't let it get you depressed. Just work through it.

Cnograts on the pant size! I agree that maybe you should get a body shaper until you tone up the loose skin.

*big hug* Hey it's always good news to lose!

That being said the shaper is a great idea- it'll help against gravity at least. I also suggest buying some firming lotion. I kow those things aren't the greatest BUT at least keeping your skin hydrated DOES help improve the look of your skin :)

I have also noticed more sag recently and just bought a bottle of Equate Skin firming lotion. It has Vitamin E in it which is good for your skin. I'm not expecting miracles BUT I'm hoping keeping my skin lotioned up (I use it after every shower) will help.

If my skin gets worse I definitely will look into wearing shapers to help :)

Just gotta say you have to move past it...have to.

I'm at goal, and I still have loose skin and stretch marks. Continued exercise and time has made an improvement, however it will always be an issue unless I can get surgery, which I can't.

I would take a little saggy skin and looking great, clothed mind you, over being trapped in my fat and unhealthy body any day. Being fat is hard, losing weight is hard, maintaining weight is hard - choose your hard (I stole that from another member :))

No go with the body shaper. I tried wearing one a few months back and it looked funny and greatly contributed to me tearing a muscle in my lower back.

The hanging skin wouldn't bug me so much if it didn't all collect on the bottom and look very noticeable through my clothes. :(

I'm happy for your "downsizing"! I think you'll have to wait it out to see exactly what occurs once all the weight it gone. The last time I lost weight I had become post-menopausal and I developed a round belly below my size XL tops so I know what you mean. I let it and some other stresses derail me and now, 2 years later, I have to do it all again. I realize that maybe it wouldn't have been so bad because I still had a lot of fat in there, but I never let myself find out! As for the surgery, I am hoping that if I need it our insurance will pay. Sometimes they pay for the surgery on the extra skin as it's considered a "health issue". Hopefully we'll be okay though. I do understand the belly thing. I admire what you've done! ; )

I've read somewhere that while losing, your body goes through some awkwardness, but it won't last. I've noticed that since I lost the fat that was propping up other fat, my hourglassy shape is getting way more sand in the bottom. :D

I suspect that the skin you're talking about isn't nearly as noticeable to other people as it is to you, but if you're uncomfortable with it, you're the one whose opinion matters most about yourself. Have you tried some other styles of clothing that go with your changing body type? I had a skirt that used to look great on me, but now that I'm smaller, it just clings to all the wrong spots and makes me look melty. "Melty" is not a good look for me. I am throwing that skirt out even though it fits.

If you normally go with one kind of fit for your jeans and pants, try some other possibilities. You might find that flat-fronts work for you now whereas they never used to or that relaxed fit no longer fits, for instance.

A lot of "hanging skin" issues are related to the last vestiges of excess fat sticking to you. Think about how your purse looks after you've emptied it, then put a couple of heavier things back. Continuing to lose will get you into the shape you want instead of the intermediate steps it takes to get there.

At least I hope so, because I was looking the other day and OMG, I am in an awkward phase myself in some spots. My inner thighs look like biscuit dough--biscuit dough!--and they never looked like that when I was at my biggest. It's a shame to look down and think "Mmm...biscuits!" when it's biscuits that got me into such a state in the first place. :D

Ugghh, I am in this phase, too, Nola. I tell my husband it's elephant skin on my inner thighs...they are just drooping there! Soooo gross. But, I'm going to run and I can't wait for the warm weather so I can rollerblade, and hopefully it will tighten up!

what about those types of body shapers that are more of a "tall panty" then a whole body shaper? And they don't have to be TIGHT. It's just the smooth layer of fabric you are probably looking for. -fm

thanks guys. hopefully it'll all snap back once my skin has a little more time. if it doesn't then oh well i guess. i'll just accept it as my punishment for letting myself be so fat for so long.

I am always afraid that I will have sagging skin when I lose weight and also I have stretch marks that i know I will still have when I lose weight. But I realize that I would rather be thin with stretch marks and a bit of extra skin than be overweight. Also you are young so you're skin still has more elasicity. I'm sure that with excerisce you won't even be able to tell that you used to be overweight when you reach your goal! And congrats on the smaller pants size it's awesome!

Also I think some people metnioned this but I do believe it takes time for skin to "shrink" You've lost the weight now your skin needs time to adjust to your new size.