I've lost almost 100 lbs in a year and i probably am struggling with "the last 10 pounds", i'm 50 so my muscle tone and skin certainly is not what it was in my 20's/30's, muuuuuch more soft than i used to be. A lot of it was lack of exercise for years because of my CFS/Fibro.

i do exercise pretty regularly as much as i can and i know i have loose skin on my lower abdomen but it's my upper that gives me fits, that little "spare tire" that i'm sure is also from hormonal disruption and STRESSSSS (cortisol) fat displacement. i am being diligent about diet, eating right and exercising as much as i can but i am wondering if i will ever have a flatter stomach especially that pooch above my navel? (HATE IT!)

i'd hate to lose weight anywhere else just to try to get rid of it as i'm slender enough and am also wondering how much of it is partly loose skin (hard to tell right there) or just that very stubborn fat? i should probably try to find one of those slimming body shapers....

Susie

You lost a lot, and fast! It may never go away completely, but chances are, over time, it will improve. I also do dry skin brushing on the off chance that it helps (it has other benefits too and is inexpensive).

Congratulations on your success!!!

I'm RIGHT There with you with the same loose skin. I can tell it's loose skin too. Do this, get on your hands and knees (in just your bra, nothing else) like you are crawling. Drop your head and look through your arms. Don't freak out if you've never done this as you might be a bit surprised by what you see. What you will see - if' it's loose skin, is you will see "pools" of loose skin pulling away from your body hanging directly down - unlike when you stand up and it gets pulled down the other way. That loose skin around your waist? If it's like mine, it will be a handful of droopy mess. Fat just doesn't do that. Kind of like batwings (the underarms) don't look like batwings when your arms are down by your side.

Just try not to beat yourself up about it. My suggestion for dressing (if you have hips), is to buy pants that have a midrise. That way pants are fitting right over your hip (so they don't fall off), but they aren't grabbing/pushing at the loose skin around the waist.

I don't know about you, but my waist is where I lost the most inches. I had a 43" waist at 255 pounds. I have no idea what it was when I was 275, but it was probably 2-3" wider (if it goes in line with other losses). That would mean I've lost 14" or so on my waist. Well, my body has absorbed a lot of that excess, but it can't absorb all of it. Like you, I was wearing a 20 (a tight 20) and I'm now around an 8 (hard to say with sizes so screwy). That spare tire for me, and most likely for you is not fat - it's excess skin - especially with our age counted in (I'm 42).

I feel ya! I'm still fighting the belly bulge! The good news, you've probably noticed, as you get close to goal, is you can pretty much hide it in clothing now.

I'm 54 and have resigned myself to the fact that all that flab/loose skin around my middle is never going away. Like berry suggested, I buy pants that come just above my hips so they don't dig into the excess tissue (a phrase my vet once charitably used about my fat cat).

And, like Hippo said, I can comfortably hide it with clothes now so I'm trying not to let it bother me too much.

Congrats on your success!

I am there too, but so far at a size 12-14 I have not been able to hide it with my clothing. My upper tummy seems to be the problem area. It was never an issue until I had babies. When did you all start to be able to " hide it with clothes"? What size?

Here's what I mean about hiding it with clothes. I'm wearing 8s and 10s now, this dress is a medium. (Forgive the "pose" - I have a bad leg and bend it unconsciously all the time!) I don't feel like the two rolls of flab between my breastbone and navel are apparent.

Hmm, I think maybe around size 10?

I'm 25 and a size 2-4, weight train 3x/week and do cardio almost all the other days. I still have a tummy which is partially loose skin; it has gotten better with more weight training and staying the same weight for several months in a row, but it's there. Some days I sit on the toilet grabbing huge handfuls of fat and skin and feel repulsive despite knowing this is the best shape I've been in, but that is counterproductive.

I dress to flatter my shape - midrise pants, control top tights, non-clingy and non-flowy cut tops and dresses - because dammit I feel like I deserve to feel comfortable in my clothes. There is no honor in wearing styles that make you uncomfortable. And nothing honorable about hating your tummy either.

I do this too. I feel a bit more normal now!

We all have our problem areas. I've been blessed with a flat and firm tummy, but I'll always have saddlebags and at 55 I have a couple of nasty varicose veins. If it wasn't your belly, it would be something else!

F.

I laughed our loud at BerryBlondeBoys instructions on how to see the loose skin. I stopped losing at 90 pounds because I gave myself a real shock when I looked at myself while doing a plank at the gym. Everything was sagging the wrong way! I realized immediately that this was loose skin that was probably going to be mine forever. This is exactly what BBB was describing.

I keep reminding myself to be happy with the results so far. Today is exactly a year of maintenance. My skin (at 61 I figured this is what I'd get) is no tighter than a year ago. My face looks less gaunt, though. I have a belly pooch, but it isn't bad. I never cared about my FAT FAT FAT belly, so I'm trying to be OK with a poochie belly. Naked isn't very pretty, but in jeans and a sweater (even a tee shirt) I look pretty good - especially when I compare 252 to 162.

I know this might not be the answer the OP is after, but loose skin is loose skin and it's only going to snap back so far. Tummies, butts, and hips are the worst for all of us, I think. congratulations on losing 100 pounds. Doesn't it feel great?

Lin

Thank you for all the replies, ladies

IDK if it's loose skin or not, it kind of looks/feels different from the lower abdomen which i KNOW is loose skin but oddly enough doesn't stand out like the "spare tire" right above my navel. i haven't done the on all fours check and see yet but i am still thinking most of it IS stubborn fat, it feels much more solid than my lower abdomen. i think it is just going to be very stubborn and what i'm going to do is focus on planks and simple ab exercises so hopefully my very saggy muscles will help everything. it just feels to me like a big roll of kind of firm STUBBORN fat and i hate that my face has to look kind of gaunt, etc. for me to start losing more in that area. Maybe it is loose skin but i don't think so, idk. i'd take a picture but yikes.. idk.. lol

Now i certainly understand why they call it stubborn belly fat!!!!!! but yes like all the other posters said, i am enjoying my new shape for SURE!! i think i'm lamenting because when i envisioned losing weight, it was a tight torso i always thought of and exactly what is lacking in me.

Also... the mid rise pant... i have ones from Levi's that are a bit higher than midrise, they dont go over my navel but they are higher cut than the average and i am finding they help MORE than the lower cut jeans, kind of like a girdle almost, that is if i dont get a size too small like it seems all the girls are doing. i get them snug but not "muffin top" tight! but it seems to offer support. Maybe i'll go try on some lower rise and see because y'all are suggesting them, but one thing i do want to do if i ever get the gumption is to try some shapewear like a braless cami for the torso.
Anyway, thanks so much, girls

Susie

I really think gyms should have at least one exercise room without mirrors for those of us that really don't want to "check our form"!

I avoid mirrors. I really only look at mirrors to put on my makeup. It's pretty sad. I see people all the time walk by mirrors and check themselves out. Not me I just keep on walking.

Yesterday I was pulling out my summer clothes and wanted to see I I looked in some of my tops......SMH belly fat. That's how I found this thread I was looking to Find information on body shapers.

I was thinking about the getting on my knees to look at the fat/skin because I was wondering if it was fat or skin but I have bad knees and may not be able to get up. I can literally pick my stomach up while stand up straight. I sometimes say to myself if this stomach wasn't here I sure would look better.