Has anyone lost so much weight that you had loose skin around your stomach? Is it to the point where you'd consider surgery to remove it or can working out help it stretch back to the way it use to be.

Im worried about it because my stomach at its widest point is 54.5 in. while my waist is 44 in. My goal is to be able to see a six pack on me before I die so Im really determined to lose the weight.

I would probably see a doctor and see their recommendations. Id keep working out in the meantime and drink plenty of fluids and who knows.

I agree with Apolon - I may have that problem one day myself so I've looked into this topic some.

I can't worry about it until I actually have the problem though - so I'll do my best and deal with it at the appropriate time. There are some amazing stories of people who've been very large and with the enough effort and focus that skin has tightened up on it's own.

Skin has some elasticity (think pregnant women), but only to a point to where the fibers actually can't recover. With very large weight loss, you will see it come back a bit, but with a loss of 20 inches, it's questionable.

I would totally stick to your goals, keep working at it, and once you get close to your goal weight/size, you can assess where you are skin wise, and perhaps determine if plastic surgery would be warranted (make the appt for consult.)

I'm not a big proponent of PS, but in a case like that, it might help bring it all together once you lose the weight, and we're being positive that you WILL, right? :tu: Keep up the good work!

your skin will come back further than you think it will. i am a big proponent of fat free milk. i used it with awesome results. i went from 42 to 28 waist and i have MINIMAL excess skin. maybe there are exceptions to the rule but i think with the proper program you can achieve your goal. my skin also shrank quickly, 256 to 141 in 3 1/2 months. you can do it.

What does loose skin look like? Sounds sort of... gross.

I think genetics probably play some factor too.

I thought that I didn't have a large chance of having loose skin. I only lost about 40 lbs. total, going from a 35-ish waist to a 29-ish waist. I lost is relatively slowly too, no more than 2-3 lbs. per week.

However, I still did end up with loose skin. It has somewhat improved over time, it has been about 5-6 months since I stopped cutting. It also helped a lot that I added some muscle underneath, I've gained about 10 lbs. of mostly muscle since my cut.

My loose skin is definitely not bad enough to consider surgery. When I'm standing up, you wouldn't be able to tell I have loose skin, I just don't look as cut around the midsection as I should. I'm convinced I should have a six-pack with everything I've done, but my loose skin prevents that from completely happening. It's frustrating, but what can I do, I got myself into this mess.

I've tried drinking a lot of skim milk too, with no noticeable results. I'm hoping that over time the situation gets better and better, but I've all but given up the hope that it will return to the tightness that someone my size should have. And that's frustrating, because I don't look as cut as a lot of guys who don't work nearly as hard as I do in the gym :(

Has anyone lost so much weight that you had loose skin around your stomach?

Mooshie (http://www.sickofbeingfat.net/profiles.aspx?Mooshie) - A JSF member (whom I haven't seem around in a while and seems to have moved the photos from his picture threads) had loose skin after his dramatic recomposition. You can see the loose skin and how it is firming up over time in his progress photos. Really amazing.

Shamie (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=40698) - Had a similarly drastic recomposition with minimal loose skin, if any, and looks as though he'll be tight as a drum in no time if he keeps after it.

Whether or not you'll have loose skin seems to be mostly a factor of your skin's natural elasticity and how fast you slim down -- Less so a matter of the ratio between waist and hips. For now I'd recommend dropping the fat and crossing the aesthetic-options bridge if you come to it. To minimize the chances of acquiring loose skin in the process:


Cut at a reasonable rate (about 1% of your bodyweight per week upper-limit)
Stay hydrated - drink lots of water (v. good for your skin)
Eat high quality, nutrient-rich foods
Use resistance training that blasts your core stability to maintain muscle tone in your trunk (squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, pullups)


:gl:

I don't watch regularly, but the contestants on Biggest Loser all seem to have lost 10+ inches on their waists, and I don't remember ever seeing any with grossly excess skin. I think if you lose weight in a sensible manner (proper diet and exercise, not fad diet) then you should have minimal problems.

Worst case scenario you lose a ton of weight and then need to get the skin on your stomach taken in. Consider it a side effect of getting to buy a new wardrobe.

Good luck!:tucool:

I stand corrected, I had always thought it was inevitable, and had a friend who had to have surgery as a result of lots of weight loss, but it seems you guys are right.

I found an interesting article, granted, one guy's opinion, but it does seem to make sense.

http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

This is another blog post about a guy's personal experience. Thought they might encourage you.

My apologies for speaking without looking into it as much as I should have.

http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2006/07/maybe-that-loose-skin-is-really-excess.html

My apologies for speaking without looking into it as much as I should have.

It's not easy to discuss a topic that hasn't already been covered somewhere in these forums. :p

Never let that stop you from posting about what's on your mind. There's constant turnover here and this thread may be the place where someone else gets their answers. :tu:

Thanks for all the replies. I plan on taking my weekly pics and measurements along with weight. Im also watching my carb, protein and fat intake as well. I guess the only way to find out what Id look like is to lose the weight and see right?

Either way, Ill weigh less and feel better. :tucool:

I stand corrected, I had always thought it was inevitable, and had a friend who had to have surgery as a result of lots of weight loss, but it seems you guys are right.

I found an interesting article, granted, one guy's opinion, but it does seem to make sense.

http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

This is another blog post about a guy's personal experience. Thought they might encourage you.

My apologies for speaking without looking into it as much as I should have.

http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2006/07/maybe-that-loose-skin-is-really-excess.html

I have visited those links and more in my search on loose skin. While I hope very much that you accomplish your weight loss goals without loose skin, I posted just to mention that, even if you take all the steps prescribed, there is *still* a chance that you end up with loose skin (I'm living proof!).

That's not to say that you shouldn't take all those precautions, but just a warning that there is a lot of idealizing going on in those links, especially the piece by Ron Brown.

I'm trying to follow all the recommendations to reduce the amount of lose skin at the end of my transformation....but my biggest approach is TIME. Just like I have to be patient about my weight loss. So the skin part I've figured into my plan too.

Year one - drop 55 pounds (done)
Year two - drop 55 pounds (working on it)
Year three - let my skin tighten up as much as it can naturally

If after that, I want to think about surgury...THEN I will...but I won't worry about it for now.

NOTE: Down 75 pounds so far (need to update my signature)

I don't watch regularly, but the contestants on Biggest Loser all seem to have lost 10+ inches on their waists, and I don't remember ever seeing any with grossly excess skin. I think if you lose weight in a sensible manner (proper diet and exercise, not fad diet) then you should have minimal problems.
almost all of the biggest loser contestants have crazy loose skin. they lose the weight so quickly its not possible to tighten up their skin as they go, they just start wearing shirts more and more and tuck their extra skin into their shorts. (you can see this as the episodes go along, they actually stop taking their shirts off and the women aren't in sports bras anymore). In fact, in the finals some contestants are so proud they rip their shirts off and the cameras cut away as you see the loose skin coming out and the contestant will try to stuff it back into their pants. Even with the clothes they come out in, you can tell the skin is still there because as lean as they are, there is about an inch bulge around their belt line.

On top of that, it is known that they aren't allowed to get surgery to take care of the loose skin until after the finals either because in some cases, the removed skin can weigh close to 10lbs which would give competitors who decided to get the surgery an advantage over those who didn't/couldn't.

almost all of the biggest loser contestants have crazy loose skin. they lose the weight so quickly its not possible to tighten up their skin as they go, they just start wearing shirts more and more and tuck their extra skin into their shorts. (you can see this as the episodes go along, they actually stop taking their shirts off and the women aren't in sports bras anymore). In fact, in the finals some contestants are so proud they rip their shirts off and the cameras cut away as you see the loose skin coming out and the contestant will try to stuff it back into their pants. Even with the clothes they come out in, you can tell the skin is still there because as lean as they are, there is about an inch bulge around their belt line.

On top of that, it is known that they aren't allowed to get surgery to take care of the loose skin until after the finals either because in some cases, the removed skin can weigh close to 10lbs which would give competitors who decided to get the surgery an advantage over those who didn't/couldn't.

Thanks for the confirmation - I haven't seen enough episodes to see this. As an aside, I think it's too bad they focus so much on weight loss and not body fat loss. It would be a real opportunity to educate the public on the need to incorporate weight lifting in a sensible fitness program.

I've got a bit of loose skin myself, and have had it for awhile. I'm considering going to get it chopped off only because I feel no amount of time isn't goinng to make it shrink. I was from a wasit size of 44 to 30... and my lower stomach hangs.

I've got a bit of loose skin myself, and have had it for awhile. I'm considering going to get it chopped off only because I feel no amount of time isn't goinng to make it shrink. I was from a wasit size of 44 to 30... and my lower stomach hangs.

Dude, are you seriously considering surgery for that small amount of loose skin? I don't think it looks bad at all, would it really be worth the risks/costs of surgery as well as the scars?

you guys have got to stop being SO negative on this loose skin thing. granted i think that genetics have a lot to do with it but it is possible to have large weight loss and keep loose skin to a minimum. even fast weight loss and minimal loose skin is possible. i attribute my tight(relatively) skin to consuming fat free milk while losing. if you havent scanned the site i lost 115lbs in 3 1/2 months with nearly no adverse skin effects. luck, milk, genetics---maybe a combination of all three but it is possible. do what you can and keep at it, the healthier you is the most important thing. when your done if your not happy go under the knife, a positive self image is just as important if you ask me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/jptaylor2/DSC00455.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/jptaylor2/DSC00456.jpg

you guys have got to stop being SO negative on this loose skin thing. granted i think that genetics have a lot to do with it but it is possible to have large weight loss and keep loose skin to a minimum. even fast weight loss and minimal loose skin is possible. i attribute my tight(relatively) skin to consuming fat free milk while losing. if you havent scanned the site i lost 115lbs in 3 1/2 months with nearly no adverse skin effects. luck, milk, genetics---maybe a combination of all three but it is possible. do what you can and keep at it, the healthier you is the most important thing. when your done if your not happy go under the knife, a positive self image is just as important if you ask me.

:tucool:

I hope my skin shrinks as yours did. I have about 200 pounds total to lose. Time will tell. Good job man. :claphigh:

another example of a guy loosing lots of fat yet not having loose skin is joe riggs, an mma fighter

here he is at i think 250 ish http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3236/jriggsfatpj8zh2.gif (http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3236/jriggsfatpj8zh2.gif)
i heard that he was even up to 300 at one point.

and here he is at fighting weight (170ish):
http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0718/mma_riggs_275.jpg (http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007/0718/mma_riggs_275.jpg)

these are before and after pics by the way.

it seems like the key to getting rid of loose skin to to build muscle to replace the volume that fat used to take up.

I lost about 70 lbs over the course of a couple years. I have a little bit of loose skin but it's not really noticable. Only time it bothers me is when I do pushups shirtless. Kind of hangy.

Dude, are you seriously considering surgery for that small amount of loose skin? I don't think it looks bad at all, would it really be worth the risks/costs of surgery as well as the scars?

I don't remember ever posting my loose skin.... and the pics on muscletank are well over a year old.

Considering? Yes
Doing right now? No

I will seek consultation and make my decision later - not in a rush either. I would prefer to not have surgery but I'll let multiple experts let me know what my options are. Time is not a problem so it if it took 5 years I would wait 5 years, but I haven't seen any improvements in a year. (at least noticeable)

and i'm not being negative either, It is what it is... just gonna deal with it ;)

I don't remember ever posting my loose skin.... and the pics on muscletank are well over a year old.

Considering? Yes
Doing right now? No

I will seek consultation and make my decision later - not in a rush either. I would prefer to not have surgery but I'll let multiple experts let me know what my options are. Time is not a problem so it if it took 5 years I would wait 5 years, but I haven't seen any improvements in a year. (at least noticeable)

and i'm not being negative either, It is what it is... just gonna deal with it ;)

Didn't mean to come off judgmental, sorry if I did, was just going by your pictures on muscletank, which look good!

I'm in a similar boat as you, just a little pouch at the bottom of my stomach when I bend over, and no six-pack where there probably should be one. I'm going to give it more time of course, I'm young enough to give that a shot.

Let me know what the experts say, although I doubt they'll be able to predict with any certainty whether it will improve it or not - I don't believe it's a well understood phenomenon at all. I didn't get any clarification from the MD's that I asked, anyway.

Didn't mean to come off judgmental, sorry if I did, was just going by your pictures on muscletank, which look good!

I'm in a similar boat as you, just a little pouch at the bottom of my stomach when I bend over, and no six-pack where there probably should be one. I'm going to give it more time of course, I'm young enough to give that a shot.

Let me know what the experts say, although I doubt they'll be able to predict with any certainty whether it will improve it or not - I don't believe it's a well understood phenomenon at all. I didn't get any clarification from the MD's that I asked, anyway.

Don't we all wish it was easy? If getting rid of the loose skin was as easy as losing the weight I would be golden by now. I have this overhang of skin when I stand straight, and when I bend over it's even worse. Granted there is still some fat, but it's hard to be modivated to cut down to under 10% when I know it isn't going to look pretty.

I'll try to get pics here soon. I need to update muscle tank as well, its been awhile.