About saggy skin...

[randomchick]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum. I have been out of shape for a long time. I am a 32 year old woman who at five feet nine inches tall, got up to 250 pounds. I am now down to 185 and am really frustrated with the way my body looks. My only salvation is that I can still lose about 40 pounds and perhaps look better but I'm really scared about sagging skin. It already seems to be heading in that direction. I look hideous naked. My breast are sagging and when I lay down, they spread apart. If I raise my arms up and look in the mirror, they look pretty good though. :p. Anyway, I could never afford surgery even though I'd love to get it for my breasts and stomach. Every where I turn, I see that this is really the only option. But I haven't turned to people who actually know about weight training which is what led me here. That and the fact that I am a vegan. Anyway, I was wondering if it is possible get a decent body with weight training after having lost so much weight when it looks like everything is going to keep heading south?

Thank you so much in advance for answering this question.

[aliquis]

I saw some TV-program about someone who had lost a lot of weight and she had plenty of lose skin so I guess that's more or less how it is if the volume difference has been big enough. I guess you may have to decide for yourself which situation you find better. Good work with the weight loss in either case.

[Centinal]

Hi there, welcome to the forum!

I lost eight stone very fast (in around nine months). I had the same problems as you. Some skin types are more prone to sagging than others but when you lose vast quantities sagging is inevitable. Weight training will give you a better shape and will improve your posture by pulling back your shoulders. Building your pec muscles (in your chest) will give your breasts a better appearance. Building your glutes with lunges and squats will stop it looking too flat. If your skin has stretch marks then nothing you rub on it like creams or oils will help other than giving the skin a more moisturised look so do not waste your money.

The only advice i can give is to lose weight slowly. Or take a tiered approach by stopping the weight loss for a period of say a year and then resume. This may give your skin a chance to catch up.

[Johnboy74]

Thats a point actually, I've started bodybuilding, been doing it for 8 months now. If I make good gains over the next few years and increase my size but then decide in later life I want to slim down and be a runner or something does this mean I could have excess skin flapping around?

[dropSoul]

Still get healthy, even if the skin is hanging it's better than being unhealthy and overweight. I lost 50 lbs so far, there is some sag but with light therapy (light4beauty.com) deep tissue massage (with that wooden block) and vitamin C (5 bucks at Skinactives.com) the skin can look MUCH better, not perfect, not fitness model, but damn good for a 42 year old ex-fatitude -- it took years to stretch out, it will take time to go back too. And there is Thermage too.

What you want is muscle to shape you and fill in your spaces, check this woman out:

http://www.stumptuous.com/reader-mail-1
47 years old and DAMN!!! I wanna be ripped too!



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[dropSoul]

And it matters how you lose it, if you are low calorie, high cardio, you're losing muscle too, seriously get a vegan trainer and she'll show you how to lean out and the flab won't be as bad. And there is the time when there is the jiggles, which means that the fat is on the way out since it's holding water just in case it's needed again.

Build your muscle underneath and you will look a lot better. I know that it sucks after losing so much not looking like your "ideal" but you ROCK still and you are COMPLETE and a glorious human being. Worth your own effort every step of the way! (I'm writing this to me and all people struggling with body image.) We are spiritual beings in a human body, not the other way around.