Weight Loss and Skin slackening
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Fri Jul 07, 2006 4:22 am

Hi Everyone.

As you have all been wonderful with questions I have asked before I would like to pick all of your brains for another one.

I am vastly overweight. I have about 168 pounds to lose. I am starting, on Thursday, a huge weight loss programme.

What products has everyone used that they have found to firm up the skin? I know that with the amount of weight I have to lose there will be a certain amount of slackening and I am prepared for this but surely there are products that will lesson this effect.

Any help anyone can give would be gratefully recieved!!

Louise

free skin care · Fri Jul 07, 2006 6:16 am

http://www.massageandbodywork.com/Articles/OctNov2000/skinbrushing.html

Louise, give this article a read and you might find that a low tech way to tighten skin is just what you need...very inexpensive too

Way to go for starting a new fat loss program. I'm 5 months into my new WOL and i'm pretty happy, i've lost about 30lbs and have about 60 to go....you can do it too!

I'm not as consistent with skin brushing as i should be but i know it does work...

Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:13 am

Thanks.
I've just bought the Elemis Skin brush and it's already made a huge difference in my skin!!

Thanks for your help!!

Lou xx

free skin care · Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:18 am

Congratulations to you both, that's a wonderful achievement. I don't know what kind of exercise programme you ladies are on but I seriously recommend weight training and not those girly 2lb weights either, it will aid the weight loss as mucles burns calories but it will also fill out the skin where you've lost fat.

free skin care · Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:35 am

Eve wrote:

Congratulations to you both, that's a wonderful achievement. I don't know what kind of exercise programme you ladies are on but I seriously recommend weight training and not those girly 2lb weights either, it will aid the weight loss as mucles burns calories but it will also fill out the skin where you've lost fat.

I agree. I used to do light weight/really fast speed on the elliptical and I've gotten MUCH quicker results doing a slower pace with greater resistance.

In one month, my backside has gone from something that looked like a 5 year old trying to recreate the human form with play-do to dare I say... perky Laughing

free skin care · Mon Jul 17, 2006 1:40 am

I think many women worry they will come out the gym looking like body builders but that's not the case, we just don't have the hormones to get like that and those that get big have been training for years and are likely to have....other enhancements to get those big bulging muscles and adam's apples. Confused

free skin care · Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:29 am

And as you get older some weight training is recommended to help offset osteopirosis.

Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:46 am

Good luck in your weight loss efforts. I too share your concern regarding loose skin. I have been dieting now for 15 months and I have lost 120 lbs. I have accomplished this through diet AND exercise. (you have to do both). I went from 300 lbs and bmi of 52 to 180 lbs and a bmi of 31. One thing I really regret is that I didn't take any pictures or measurements of the "before". The reason for this was because I didn't think my diet would go anywhere. I would still like to loose another 30 lbs or so...I've never set any goals...just did my best. I exercise 5x a week for 1 hour each time. My diet is low in fat, low calories, low carbs and low glycemic. As far as my skin is concerned...my stomach skin hangs past my pubic area, my breasts and my arms are bad too. I have consulted a doctor but I have yet to hear whether the govt will pay for it or not. If they don't, I probably won't get it done. Anyway...good luck...take pictures and measurements and stay focused. Without the focus you won't get anywhere.

free skin care · Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:03 pm

Hi Louisa,

I too, lost a few pounds, like 8 and my BMI actually went down from 36% to 28%! to further avoid skin slackening, make sure to do strength training too along with cardio, the muscles will help hold up the excess skin if there is any. good luck!

Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:08 am

Thanks for all your good wishes and advice!! Your all fab!

I'll admit that I am worried about having this mass of skin left over when I've lost the weight there is to lose. I have started skin brushing, using a firming gel after every shower - something I have never done - and started doing pilates and some weight training. Unfortunately due to very bad knees I am unable to walk for very long. However as soon as some of the weight comes off and I feel a little lighter I will start upping the amount of gym work I do.

If my skin does decide not to retract then I will save and go for cosmetic surgery, god knows how much that will cost!!

Lou xx

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:28 am

Eve wrote:

I think many women worry they will come out the gym looking like body builders but that's not the case, we just don't have the hormones to get like that and those that get big have been training for years and are likely to have....other enhancements to get those big bulging muscles and adam's apples. Confused

unfortunately, Eve, i have a hormonal imbalance problem called PCOS which has as one characterisitic, a very high testosterone level. I build muscle very very easily, but lose fat slowly because i also have very high levels of estrogen and very low levels of progesterone. I love to work out with the heavy weights, but that is only good for upper body work for me because any muscle work on the lower body really expands the muscle in my butt, thighs and calves... so i bought a rebounder to burn more viseral and subcutaneous fat through aerobic movement...i should skin brush more to tone the skin but i'm not always good at what i should do....

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:07 am

rosyface wrote:

Eve wrote:

I think many women worry they will come out the gym looking like body builders but that's not the case, we just don't have the hormones to get like that and those that get big have been training for years and are likely to have....other enhancements to get those big bulging muscles and adam's apples. Confused

unfortunately, Eve, i have a hormonal imbalance problem called PCOS which has as one characterisitic, a very high testosterone level. I build muscle very very easily, but lose fat slowly because i also have very high levels of estrogen and very low levels of progesterone. I love to work out with the heavy weights, but that is only good for upper body work for me because any muscle work on the lower body really expands the muscle in my butt, thighs and calves... so i bought a rebounder to burn more viseral and subcutaneous fat through aerobic movement...i should skin brush more to tone the skin but i'm not always good at what i should do....

well on the upside you could do Olympic shotput Wink

seriously though not to make light of your situation, have you found any particular diet/lifestyle changes have helped your symptoms?

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:14 am

Actually, i was very good at shot-put in high school as well as archery which required upper arm and shoulder strength... Smile

Yes, i've done really well on Very Low Carb. I know a lot of people say "you should just eat a balanced diet" but that was what put my 90lbs overweight to start with...i just can't handle any starches...i get severe intestinal pains and bloating when i eat any grains at all and i've decided that sugar has no health benefits at all so i don't eat anything with it either. Basically, i eat all vegetables(low sugar ones) and lean proteins and good fats. I feel so much better, clear headed instead of foggy and my skin is much clearer and i don't retain water anymore either...but again everyone has to work with the body they have and maybe this would not work for everyone...one size does not fit all in the fatloss wars....

just my .02 cents Smile

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:26 am

I will be on a maintenance low carb diet forever. I lost 40 pounds 3 years ago and kept it off. More importantly I am sensitive to sugar. Before low carb my blood pressure was sky high even on many Meds and was hospitalized so they could do tests. I was diagnosed with "Syndrome X" (prediabetes high blood pressure). Low carb cured me in 6 months.

Also a recent review articles looking at studies of people who lived over 100 years found that the only thing that correlated with long life (aside from not smoking) was triglyceride level and low simple carbs. (Cholesterol levels, sun exposure and many other factors thought to be important do not correlate especially for women (probably because fat plays an important role in hormone production)). Don't eat processed or refined foods; carbs are fine as long as they are mostly fiber (berries!!).

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:46 am

Louise with that much weight to lose, you will be left with sagging skin that will need to be removed. Your age does help, the younger you are the more elastic your skin is. Not sure where you are in the world but Bio Oil is good for stretch marks which you will get as you start to lose the weight. It will be a long process and at times it will be really tough, but just think how much better you will look and feel at the end of it.

Do it slowly, no faddy diets and be careful with those Elemis skin brushes, don't brush too hard they can be really scratchy. Always brush upwards and towards your heart.

Couple of things that might help, get a photo of what you look like now and put it on the fridge so that you have to look at it every time you open the door. Take your measurements, some weeks you might not lose any weight but you might lose inches, especially if you're exercising.

Drink lots of water, it really does help to flush out the toxins. Another great tip is, if you have 2lb bags of sugar where you are, buy one, everytime you lose 2lb and line them up in your kitchen. You'll have so much sugar you won't be able to use but if you're feeling down, you try picking up that sugar!!

Good luck

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:53 am

My dh uses seltzer bottles. Water is much better for you than sugar.

If you're that much overweight you are almost certainly prediabetic and low carb is not a fad but a life saver! When I was first diagnosed I was put on a low fat diet that landed me in the hospital because even on a beta blocker and a calcium channel blocker my blood pressure went ballistic. When people say to me are you still on the fad I just say I was dying before the diet and now I'm slim AND cured of the prediabetes some fad!

free skin care · Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:57 am

i've read other places that if you start to lose motivation during weightloss, fill backpaks with something that weighs the same as what you've lost and lug it around for a day. (Say you've lost 40lbs, put bottles of water weighing 40lbs in a couple of backpaks and carry it around for a day. You'll be so grateful to take off the backpaks at night and realize that you never have to carry that weight around again permanently that you will carry on with your weightloss with renewed enthusiasm). I did it when i had lost 15 lbs, i carried groceries in a pack on the subway and around while i did errands one day and i couldn't believe how heavy it was at the end of the day. I really was grateful to "drop" the weight of it that night and i was able to not complain about keeping up with my food plan.

I never realized before how heavy 15 lbs can really be...

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