Lose skin?

[JustinFK]

I'm totally terribly terrified of lose skin from weight loss. You know those pictures of the guy who lost all the fat but kept the rolls of skin and saggy pecs, or the women who's bellies don't recover from pregnancies?
I'm just mortified at the thought... Wouldn't it be angonizing to lose all the weight and still not take off your shirt at the pool!!, to look worse than when you were fat, and then have to regain it all and start again at a much slower pace, or get surgery...

Anyway, how much loss will cause the problem, and how fast? I'm trying to cut a good 50lbs (to 7-9% fat) from a starting 200ish lbs. So far I've been burning about 13,000 extra calories of week, losing an avg of 4lbs a week. Am I risking approaching saggy skin, is 4lbs a week too much? Im not too old (early 30s, and I look like I'm early 20s, if facial elasticity plays a role, but I've also been carrying this fat for at least a decade, if that plays a role too...)

Anyway, anybody who has been down this road, or knows someone who has, I'd love some advice, or reassurance as to how best manage shrinking my skin in proportion to the rest of me

[ninjamidget25]

@bdunlap Anyone who says that their looks are not a factor in losing weight is lying to themselves.  It is human nature to assess our image of ourselves.  To insinuate that someone is losing weight because they want to be popular is just plain rude.  Who are you to assess someone else's motivation?  Stick to your own assessments.  At least then if you're wrong, you're only doing damage to yourself.

[Lightsinger]

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@ninjamidget25 wrote:

@bdunlap Anyone who says that their looks are not a factor in losing weight is lying to themselves.  It is human nature to assess our image of ourselves.  To insinuate that someone is losing weight because they want to be popular is just plain rude.  Who are you to assess someone else's motivation?  Stick to your own assessments.  At least then if you're wrong, you're only doing damage to yourself.

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I totally agree that it's rude to make moral judgements about how people feel...what they feel is what they feel and not worthy of being ridculed in any way.  I conclude that the person who is concerned about loose skin is concerned because it's something that bothers them.  Doesn't mean they don't value good health, doesn't mean that they don't want to feel great.  Why are those things mutually exclusive?  It's not like they said "I'm not going to lose weight because I might get loose skin."  No one ever said that. 

[bdunlap]

@ninjamidget25
"Anyone who says that their looks are not a factor in losing weight is lying to themselves."

I'm not lying to myself when I say that my looks are not a factor in my reasons to lose weight... I haven't lost weight to look better. I certainly lost weight to get healthier, to be healthier mentally and physically. Screw saggy boobs and butt! My main purpose for living is to be healthy, happy and productive, not to bag a few one night stands. I don't tune up a car to make it prettier, I tune up a car to make it run better.

You write "Stick to your own assessments. At least then if you're wrong, you're only doing damage to yourself."

Ditto.

If one has never survived imminent death, one can never know their reason for living. Looking sexually attractive is not one of my must-haves in life. Being alive and mobile are. With feeling accomplished comes confidence and the sense of being attractive. Those are the two mindsets that actually make someone attractive, not a tight, firm ass.

[ninjamidget25]

@bdunlap "If one has never survived imminent death, one can never know their reason for living"  I'm sure you've been through your hard times, but that is not unique to you.  To say that unless someone has been through something similar to you, they do not know their reason for living is a very selfish thing to say.  Again, you presume to know how other people define their worth.  

Your 'Ditto' remark does not make any sense, since I did not make an assessment of you, but just gave my opinion of what you said.  I suppose you could say that me saying that anyone who does not admit to caring about their looks is lying to themselves is making an assessment of you, but that is something that is backed up by years of pshochological knowledge and data collected by professionals who know a lot more about the subject of how a person's identity is tied to their physical appearance than either of us.  

I suppose, I don't tune up my car to make it look better either...that's what car washes are for.  And I care about both of those, in my car and in my body.  I don't see how that's a bad thing.

[mlaccs]

@bdunlap  GOOD FOR YOU !!!!  Be fit and be happy with your body.  If others don't like it then that is not your problem.

[mlaccs]

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@ninjamidget25 wrote:

@bdunlap Anyone who says that their looks are not a factor in losing weight is lying to themselves.  It is human nature to assess our image of ourselves. 

@ninjamidget25 that is 100% true.  BUT we cannot expect to live up to everyone else's image of who they should want us to look like or be like or act like or or or or ....... of course we want to look "good" ... whatever that means.  Ot we may want to look like we don't care what others think.   I am not sure that is the problem here.

[bdunlap]

@ninjamidget25 you wrote "@bdunlap "If one has never survived imminent death, one can never know their reason for living" I'm sure you've been through your hard times, but that is not unique to you. To say that unless someone has been through something similar to you, they do not know their reason for living is a very selfish thing to say. Again, you presume to know how other people define their worth."

My hard times are extremely unique to me. I never ever said or implied that someone has to go through similar "hard times" to know their reason for living. Hard times is defined by me as struggling to keep up with bills, not starve to one inch before death because my immune system freaked out. Living through pain which I have a high tolerance for but on multiple occasions had me nearing stroke status due to the severity and prolonged nature of it. Not being able to stand up, barely able to sit unassisted in any chair... all because of lack of nutrition thanks to immune problems.

Regarding my "ditto" comment: "Stick to your own assessments. At least then if you're wrong, you're only doing damage to yourself." You are assuming things about what you feel I am saying or thinking. Take your own advice. Don't.

I honestly don't have a problem having saggy skin except in the case that it can be bad enough to throw my body minorly off balance when moving and stopping quickly. Yes it sags, no I don't care. I'm alive. Being alive and feeling better is the ultimate feeling of success. I accept that my skin will never be that of a 110 pound woman who was never fat a day in her life. I'm alive.

You, from across the globe, without ever having known me in person or online are telling me that 100% of people across all ethnicities and cultures including myself care 100% about my looks enough to worry about some minor saggy skin?

What you are doing is showing yourself and your insecurities and personal failures on your sleeve portraying them as backed by psychological science from decades of research and study, but you fail to understand that science can't prove anything 100% of the time as there are too many circumstances in absolutely every experiment. Just because a zebra has white and black stripes doesn't mean all four-footed white and black stripe animals are zebras, too. I'm sure the white tiger would be upset to be identified as a zebra, if it could comprehend the situation.

[ninjamidget25]

Ok, I'm starting to think you may have some issues with the english language.  You made the statement "If one has never survived imminent death, one can never know their reason for living"  Most people would read that as a statement to anyone reading the comment (i.e. 'If you have never survived imminent death, you can never know your reason for living').  Nowhere in that statement did you refer to yourself, unless your name is actually "One" and you refer to yourself in the first person.

I'm a programmer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I'm sure I am hardly "from accross the globe".  I have made no judgements about you.  I have only voiced my opinions about what you have said and given you some unsolicited advice about focusing on yourself instead of making comments that appear to be judgemental of others.

It's great if you're happy with yourself, but I am not the only one who though your comments came off as somewhat judgemental of others.  If that is not the case, then ok, my mistake

[bdunlap]

I can assure you English is my native language. For the phrasing using "one" instead of "your" I chose that because it is a way of generalizing without sounding like I am forcing my beliefs on you, because I'm not.

I wouldn't say "When you eat eggs your cholesterol rises," because I don't know your body and how it reacts to eating eggs. I would state "when one eats eggs one's cholesterol rises." The same applies to what I mentioned earlier.

When I said you were from across the globe I was referring to your complete and utter non-affiliation with me or any one I know. You very well could live in Dubai and I could live in China...

And no I am not being judgemental of others. I was stating my viewpoint on the subject of being concerned unnecessarily with some loose skin from too-quick of weight loss.

The things which happen to us in life are rarely things which we can control. From tripping on a sidewalk to having saggy skin after weight loss, it is all circumstantial and doesn't change who we are. It may shape how we react to the world around us but who we are inside isn't changed. Enhanced maybe.

And in case nobody commented on losing 4 lbs per week... yes 4 lbs per week is too fast according to most fitness and health experts. They recommend no more than 2 pounds per week as the slower your weight loss, the more likely it'll be to stay off in the long run, and gives your skin the time it needs to re-elasticize and appear firmer.

[Lightsinger]

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@bdunlap wrote:
I can assure you English is my native language. For the phrasing using "one" instead of "your" I chose that because it is a way of generalizing without sounding like I am forcing my beliefs on you, because I'm not.

I wouldn't say "When you eat eggs your cholesterol rises," because I don't know your body and how it reacts to eating eggs. I would state "when one eats eggs one's cholesterol rises." The same applies to what I mentioned earlier.

When I said you were from across the globe I was referring to your complete and utter non-affiliation with me or any one I know. You very well could live in Dubai and I could live in China...

And no I am not being judgemental of others. I was stating my viewpoint on the subject of being concerned unnecessarily with some loose skin from too-quick of weight loss.

The things which happen to us in life are rarely things which we can control. From tripping on a sidewalk to having saggy skin after weight loss, it is all circumstantial and doesn't change who we are. It may shape how we react to the world around us but who we are inside isn't changed. Enhanced maybe.

And in case nobody commented on losing 4 lbs per week... yes 4 lbs per week is too fast according to most fitness and health experts. They recommend no more than 2 pounds per week as the slower your weight loss, the more likely it'll be to stay off in the long run, and gives your skin the time it needs to re-elasticize and appear firmer.

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Everyone's journey is different.  Life is a process, and one person's pain is no more or less than someone else's. 

On line, tone and intent are hard to convey.  There's no body language, no facial expression, no tone of voice, and you may well have only intended to offer your personal viewpoint.  As a matter of fact, I'm pretty much convinced of that.  But, when you throw in words like "unnecessarily" and "it's all circumstantial" you appear to trivialize the other person's concerns as unimportant and unworthy of their concern.  Maybe you didn't intend for those things to sound judgmental, but can you maybe see how that could be taken that way?

[ninjamidget25]

@Lightsinger Well said, but I think this particular case appears to be a lost cause.  I'm not going to bother with responses to bd.  I've been clear, and I still don't understand where she is coming from, so time to move onto something productive.  Thanks for chiming in on this.

[HelenaFitbit]

Hello everyone, let's keep this thread friendly and conversational mmkay? 

[mlaccs]

You got some people here who are very thin skinned and other who just have a burr under their skin that cannot get it out.  They just need to loosen up. 😞 😞

[I-train-hard]

HelenaFitbit ....My favorite person to clean up 

[Strem2]

Great line, Betty Grace:  "to not borrow trouble from tomorrow "

In my 30's I lost quite a bit of weight without sagging skin.  I was giving up smoking and ran a lot, everytime I got grouchy. 

In my 50's I lost quite a lot of weight, following a difficult breakup.  I rode a bicycle 40 minutes back and forth to work, and worked out in the gym.  I didn't suffer sagging skin. 

In my 60's, now, I plan to lose quite a lot of weight for health and wellbeing, stamina and fun, and I don't know about sagging skin.  I hope not.  I do drink a lot of water, take collogen and flax sees which are supposed to help with keeping skin attached to the underlying muscle.  I also work out, figuring that if I build muscle to fill in the loose space, I won't have any sag.  -- It's a theory LOL. 

We can only do out best and focus on what we want rather than what we don't want.... Best of luck.

[_Louise_]

The beauty industry is suffering from several hundred years of bogus claims and now that something really DOES help (Retinol), no one believes them. If you want to know about your skin, see a qualified dermatologist who can assess your specific needs. You may be pleasantly surprised to find there are now legitimate options.

Louise

[HelenaFitbit]

Message to @I-train-hard:

Adding to the subject, I've recently spoken to my Doctor who's in a crusade to help me lose weight. He mentioned that slow and steady weight loss combined with proper exercise and weights should keep me from getting bat wings. 

[SunsetRunner]

from what I have been told, losing weight slowy reduces the chances of saggy skin, as it gives the body time to lose as much of the excess skin as it can

however, skin can only stretch so far, so sometimes surgery is the only way to get rid of it

[Tee679]

@Strem2  Thanks for your post, I found it very encouraging, along with a handful of other posts on this thread.  I've just turned 50 and had similar experiences to you in my 30s  - ie. lost 30kgs easily with no sagging skin.  I'm now trying to lose 42 kgs (92 pounds) and reduce my body fat percentage from 44 to 20 over the next 18 months.  Your experience of weightloss in your 50s without ending up with saggy skin is immensely helpful to know.  I do drink a lot of water (2-3 litres a day) so hope that will help, but your other comments about taking collagen and flax seed is also good to know.  I will try that too. Thanks a ton 🙂 

[Jodhnie]

My dermatologist referred me to a plastic surgeon for my lose skin (after 100+ lbs of weight loss). It's heartwrenching...and these surgeons are very costly. It's considered elective surgery...