Lose skin due to weight lost. Questions,Thoughts,Solutions PLEASE SHARE

[SynCity]

So I was always under the impression that when you lose weight the "natural way" lose skin is not something that you have to worry about as long as you strength train.  I thought lose skin was something that people who undergone surgery dealt with. Recently I've found not that weight lost=lose skin. But is that the case for everyone?
 
I'm so curious!
 
Please share your thought,comments,experince, and even solutions.

Moderator edit: format.

[Tave]

It's all about priorities.  I was never worried about loose skin.  I figured, as large as I was at my heaviest, it was more important to lose the fat and have some skin loose than carry the fat and destroy my health further.  Over the course of three years (2010 to 2013) I dropped about 175 lbs by walking and eating nutritiously.  No strength training.  No loose skin - though I still had a bit of fat.  

I put a lot of that back on, but am determined to get to a healthy weight.  And again, I am still not concerned about the loose skin.  I figure, if I have it at the end, then I will deal with it.

[Emzor]

From what I've seen on my intesive before and after picture searching (lol), it's about a 50/50 whether or not the skin will be loose or not at the end of your journey.  It all comes down to how quickly/slowly the weight comes off as well as how much elasticity is in the persons skin - which is different for everyone.  

The important thing to remember is that even with loose skin (that can be hidden), you are going to be so much better off at the end of your journey. Once you realise that loose skin may be a possibility and accept that fact, you'll find it isn't really that important 🙂

[emili]

its similar to having a baby. for some they bounce right back for others they carry a pouch and stretch marks. I lost weight fast and I worked out at the same time. I'm also oldish. and have had two kids. I have a slight "turkey neck" but I used to have 7 chins, so I am fine with that. And I have some looseness in the belly area- but I carried two kids so not all was perfect anyhow. Its not that big a deal since I have found the correct way to stand to not bring attention to it. And when I am dressed, I look 15 years younger than I am and kind of awesome. if you watch the biggest loser or that transformation show- most of them have skin issues...

[tamado]

Age is a huge factor in elasticity but it also just varies from person to person.  Loose skin is your badge of honor for hard work.  That said, check with your insurance to see if there is any coverage.  I live in Canada and I have a friend who is eligible for cosmetic surgery under Canadian healthcare (universal) to remove the excess skin because she lost x amount of weight and kept it off for x amount of time (I don't remember the numbers).  So, if your weight loss is large and sustained, there may be some help for you.  Otherwise, the skin is a reminder of how far you've come.  I've lost 50lbs as of yesterday and have more to lose so I am pondering the same thing but I'd rather have some loose skin than have it stretched across my fat like a drum skin.  

[josephz2va]

Some people will have a lot of loose skin while losing weight. Mostly that can be worked on with personal training. I do home personal training nightly to work on that. Some will opt to see a surgeon to remove the flabby skin.

[Onmiwei]

It all has to do with age, genetics, how much weight you lose and how quickly, how long you have been overweight, how elastic your skin is...I have seen some people lose a lot of weight with no loose skin and some lose half as much with loose skin. I even read one study that said it was about diet and exercise..most with loose skin weren't eating the correct amount of carbs, proteins and such. So there are a lot of variables to factor in.