Thick loose skin

[TeresaHip]

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

 

[docka]

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

 

[TeresaHip]

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

My weight never came off and went back on in a hurry. Being heavy has been my normal state. Roughly 17 years back, though, I was in a car accident. For 1 year I was stuck laid up. The pounds piled on during that time. The weight I have lost came off gradually. Today's number puts me 164 pounds lighter.

 

[TeresaHip]

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

I appreciate the ideas you shared.

 

[longex2021]

TeresaHip said:

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

My weight never came off and went back on in a hurry. Being heavy has been my normal state. Roughly 17 years back, though, I was in a car accident. For 1 year I was stuck laid up. The pounds piled on during that time. The weight I have lost came off gradually. Today's number puts me 164 pounds lighter.

Honestly, surgery is probably the only real option here. When you drop a lot of weight and you're older, the skin just doesn't snap back the way it used to

 

[dancs]

Might I pose several things to you?

What age are you?

What do you weigh?

How tall are you?

Are you currently doing any training or exercise?

Where exactly are those fat deposits sitting?

I realize a number of these are personal, yet my aim—and I'm sure the same goes for everyone else—is sincerely to assist you.

Over the years I've ridden the yoyo diet rollercoaster, putting on and taking off large amounts of weight. Luckily for me, my genetics meant I never ended up with sagging or loose skin, BUT my abdomen is covered in a fair number of vertical stretch marks.

I've gone through plenty of trial and error, experimenting with keto, carnivore, animal based diet, counting macros, dirty bulking, extreme fasting/diet(s)—I did a lot.

I'd like to find out whether there's anything I or others here can do to help you. Hearing success stories and motivational testimonies is always good news!

 

[RubbaDubba1]

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

 

[lessthanhalf]

I doubt plastic surgery can be avoided if you want real improvement. Peptide treatments, for instance, probably won't do much. When skin has expanded in surface area rather than simply being pulled taut, and when the fibrous bands beneath it that anchor skin to the structures below have lengthened instead of staying under tension, looseness is the result. Areas that remain stretched tight, however, will tend to return closer to their original state.

After dropping 80kg, I have plenty of loose skin myself. Since I neither have the money nor any desire for an operation, I mostly see it as a huge step forward compared with that same loose skin when it was stretched out and packed with fat. At minimum, wearing a tshirt makes it look much better. Whether it bothers you, then, often comes down to how you choose to view it.

 

[TeresaHip]

dancs said:

Might I pose several things to you?

What age are you?

What do you weigh?

How tall are you?

Are you currently doing any training or exercise?

Where exactly are those fat deposits sitting?

I realize a number of these are personal, yet my aim—and I'm sure the same goes for everyone else—is sincerely to assist you.

Over the years I've ridden the yoyo diet rollercoaster, putting on and taking off large amounts of weight. Luckily for me, my genetics meant I never ended up with sagging or loose skin, BUT my abdomen is covered in a fair number of vertical stretch marks.

I've gone through plenty of trial and error, experimenting with keto, carnivore, animal based diet, counting macros, dirty bulking, extreme fasting/diet(s)—I did a lot.

I'd like to find out whether there's anything I or others here can do to help you. Hearing success stories and motivational testimonies is always good news!

I am 56 years old.

My height is 5'5.

My weight is 241.

Because of several knee operations, exercising is not possible for me, though I do walk whenever the pain allows it. Right now I am healing from a procedure to take out hardware following a tib fib fracture. On top of that, I live with lupus, RA and Raynaud's. I genuinely put in my best effort. When I am not recovering, I take my dogs out and we cover roughly a mile on most days. Every day I use my exercise bike as part of therapy. The focus is mostly my legs and stomach. Today someone suggested to me that I might have lipodema. I really hope that is not the case!

 

[TeresaHip]

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

My coverage is through Medicare, and the only procedure they might cover is a Panniculectomy. Even then, it's only if the skin is creating problems.

 

[Grogu]

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

Count me in on that view — my extra skin is nothing but floppy.

OP, go easy on yourself regarding working out. For one thing, everyone manages whatever they can, and from what you've described, your surgeries have put limits on what you're able to do. For another, neither walking nor biking will ever shrink leftover skin. How elastic skin stays mostly comes down to age, genes, and the stretch it has endured plus how far it was stretched. Once more, those are things you can't really steer now.

When it comes to removing the skin, I'm still sorting through what to do. My terrible insurer will not cover a thing, and even though I might be able to afford it, I'm unsure whether the surgical risk is justified. There's also a specialist I see who must approve any procedure, however minor, and he turns down nearly everything. Here, I suspect I'd side with him. Right now this is plainly a cosmetic matter, not something creating physical problems for me.

 

[BNLFL]

TeresaHip said:

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

My coverage is through Medicare, and the only procedure they might cover is a Panniculectomy. Even then, it's only if the skin is creating problems.

Medicaid, or is it Medicare?

 

[RubbaDubba1]

TeresaHip said:

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

My coverage is through Medicare, and the only procedure they might cover is a Panniculectomy. Even then, it's only if the skin is creating problems.

In my view, if you can access that, it's worth checking out. A relative of mine went through the same procedure — her circumstances resembled yours, and she ended up losing 25lbs.

 

[dancs]

Sorry for prying into something so personal. My thought was that heavy lifting can improve those stubborn spots, though only up to a point...

Not sure whether this breaks the rules here, but I've got some Cag on order --- if it's OK on this forum and you're fine with it, I could send you a bit once it shows up?

I'd suggest looking into Cagrilintide, AOD-9604 and MOTS-c. All 3 are on their way to me and I'd be glad to help however I can. BUT you need to research the pros/cons yourself and judge whether they'd benefit you or backfire given your condition(s) (which I don't know anything about).

 

[TeresaHip]

TeresaHip said:

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

My weight never came off and went back on in a hurry. Being heavy has been my normal state. Roughly 17 years back, though, I was in a car accident. For 1 year I was stuck laid up. The pounds piled on during that time. The weight I have lost came off gradually. Today's number puts me 164 pounds lighter.

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

My coverage is through Medicare, and the only procedure they might cover is a Panniculectomy. Even then, it's only if the skin is creating problems.

In my view, if you can access that, it's worth checking out. A relative of mine went through the same procedure — her circumstances resembled yours, and she ended up losing 25lbs.

Yes, that's me. There are still a few other operations I need to have done first.

 

[TeresaHip]

dancs said:

Sorry for prying into something so personal. My thought was that heavy lifting can improve those stubborn spots, though only up to a point...

Not sure whether this breaks the rules here, but I've got some Cag on order --- if it's OK on this forum and you're fine with it, I could send you a bit once it shows up?

I'd suggest looking into Cagrilintide, AOD-9604 and MOTS-c. All 3 are on their way to me and I'd be glad to help however I can. BUT you need to research the pros/cons yourself and judge whether they'd benefit you or backfire given your condition(s) (which I don't know anything about).

That's such a nice thing to say! cag and motts are two things I've had on my list to try. As for Aod, I'm still on the fence about it.

 

[RubbaDubba1]

TeresaHip said:

TeresaHip said:

docka said:

hate to say it, but when loose skin stays thick, that's a sign — in 99% of cases — that triglycerides are still sitting inside your fat cells. that's not to say loose skin isn't there, of course.

my guess is you dropped a lot of weight and then put some back on very quickly, so the extra calories ended up as stubborn subcutaneous fat parked inside that leftover skin. our bodies really do seem to work against us. it's maddening, and i've dealt with it myself.

if you want a fast way to gauge how much fat has come back, start tracking macros and do everything you can to keep from exceeding your lipid intake. stay at maintenance or above and the skin on your belly ought to get softer and take on a much more watery feel. give it a week and you'll see just how much fat is hiding in those stubborn spots, which gives you a solid base for deciding what to do next.

too much salt is another thing that can make loose skin look extra fat, so treat your sodium and electrolyte balance as a key part of how it looks

My weight never came off and went back on in a hurry. Being heavy has been my normal state. Roughly 17 years back, though, I was in a car accident. For 1 year I was stuck laid up. The pounds piled on during that time. The weight I have lost came off gradually. Today's number puts me 164 pounds lighter.

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

RubbaDubba1 said:

TeresaHip said:

Does anyone else deal with loose skin that feels thick? It looks terrible. According to what I found, the causes could be dropping weight too quickly (that wasn't my situation), fat stored around the organs, insufficient protein (that might apply to me), too little resistance training (a major problem in my case since I've undergone numerous surgeries during my weight loss, which kept me from working out. I'm currently recovering from surgery), and inadequate hydration (that's definitely not an issue for me).

I really dislike having to pile on more concerns to my already long list of problems. I'm hoping to return to exercising and training before long.

For those who have or had this problem, what did you do to fix it?

Nice work dropping the weight #1, and #2 I hope things go your way as you work toward the body you want or the one plastics requires. My own loss was 400lbs, and I've been through 13 operations so far (more still to come), constantly doing physical therapy, and I've already had plastics.

From what I went through: the Panniculectomy (stomach) only removes the extra skin with a hip-to-hip cut. It costs far less than a tummy tuck, though afterward it wasn't the polished result I'd hoped for. The Gynecomastia (chest) turned out okay, but on my end it only fixed the worst parts. In total they took off 15lbs, which is a lot. The problem was my physical condition, I had no muscle tone and that thick loose skin you're describing. Then I put 140lbs back on, and later dropped a lot of it with Tirz/Reta, which brought me to where I am today. I could do plastics again, but I'd want far better muscle tone first and to fix every problem area in one go, spending my money once instead of twice.

Given what you're asking, here are a couple of ways you could handle it. If your goal is simply a better quality of life through plastics, find out what insurance will cover. Document, document, document, and gather several letters of recommendation backing medical necessity, then be ready to appeal. If that goes nowhere and you're paying yourself, the Panniculectomy is a reasonable choice, just keep your expectations low about the final look. Usually, if a plastic surgeon is willing to do a Panniculectomy, they'll also offer a cheaper option for a $%^*& reduction.

If money isn't a problem and you're a bit vain (no judgment), then take the slow route. Work hard to build decent muscle tone. Recovery takes a long time, and you'll lose some muscle until you're back in the gym training. Meet with several surgeons, compare prices and their different approaches to your case. A surgeon who specializes in patients who've lost 100+ lbs is absolutely essential! In my opinion, that might even mean traveling if you have to. Go to the ones with the big scrap books, the ones at the peak of their careers rather than just starting out. Skip the free consult, because most likely they aren't the best in the business. Some people save a bit of money and time by having multiple areas done together, while others split areas up one at a time for a faster recovery, but in my opinion they tend to end up with better and happier results that way.

Personally I'd pick #2, and if I were younger with the money again, I would. Especially now that we have the GLP-1's to help us stay compliant.

My coverage is through Medicare, and the only procedure they might cover is a Panniculectomy. Even then, it's only if the skin is creating problems.

In my view, if you can access that, it's worth checking out. A relative of mine went through the same procedure — her circumstances resembled yours, and she ended up losing 25lbs.

Yes, that's me. There are still a few other operations I need to have done first.

I get what that's like. Wishing you the best with it all.

 

[FarmgirlRebel]

At 61 years old, I've dropped 160 pounds from my peak weight. The only thing that will address the loose skin on my lower abdomen is a surgeon with a scalpel.

Spanx-type garments do a good job of holding everything in and making it tolerable, so I doubt I'll pursue surgery. Had I been younger, things would likely be different—I'd probably choose to get it cut away.