Loose Skin...how to prevent it...

I haven't had the surgery yet, but I am on the road to submitting everything to my insurance company.  My question is for those of you who have had the procedure done, how did you/are you combating the loose skin issue.  I'm pretty sure that plastic surgery isn't going to be an option.  I'm not afraid of working out, but is that really enough?  I am hoping to lose almost 150lbs...there's gonna be some excess skin.  Thanks!

From someone that lost 120 pounds with the band, you will have loose skin, but, really, it's so much better than have tight, fatty, rippled skin from being obese!  It didn't bother me as much as I thought it would- I'm married so not on the dating scene and also hubby wasn't complaining.  I also knew I wasn't going to spend thousands on plastic surgery so didn't give it much thought!  Just keep up the exercise and see how it goes!  Control what you can and let the rest go.

There is no way to combat loose skin other than keeping it stretched out with fat!  Things you can do to improve skin's appearance include weekly scrubs, frequent moisturizer, and muscle-building exercise.  Good luck to you!

It is really funny because Star Jones said on Oprah (I have way too much time on my hands!!!) that what prevented her batwings and what not was doing pilates!  She said she had for vanity sake a boob lift, and a tummy tuck because of sores.  But the arms and what not was helped with pilates.

Sorry, but you're either gonna be one that has it or not...most do.  So what I did was to have it cut off...plain and simple.  I only lost a little over 100 and still had it.  i had a lower body lift and breast lift last October at 20 months out.  I will still need to do my arms as well.  I suppose I could have lived with it but after weight training for 12 years, I wanted to see the fruits of my labor.  Now that the swelling is almost all gone I can see my six pack. : )

Laura

There is absolutely NO way to prevent, or to minimize, loose skin.  You may read all kinds of junk, see ads for all kinds of products, and NONE of them actually work.

Depending on your age, just how overweight you are and how much you lose, and your genetics, will control just how much excess skin you end up with.

If you end up with a large "apron" of skin hangind down in front of your stomach, most insurance will cover the removal of that.  Even the VA will cover that, because it is a very real health hazard.  It harbors yeast, bacterial infections and a lot of other portntially nasty things, so medical insurance will usually cover a panniculectomy.

As to the rest, well, let's just say I do not wear short shorts, or short bathing suits.  Bermuda's work just fine though, and I actually look pretty good in them for an old guy!

Well, we all have different skin tone and elasticity so it's different for all of us.

I've exercised rigorously throughout my weight loss journey - from 299 to 164 (currently). Whilst I've gained some lovely strong and lean muscles, unfortunately they are still covered in a layer of excess skin and some additional fat - even with a body fat percentage of 22% currently. I've tried all kinds of exercise - body combat, running, weights, RPM, walking, swimming and Pilates - all have helped tone up my body and burn calories - but sadly none managed to move the excess skin.

I've resorted to plastic surgery to remove the excess which was bothering me both aesthetically and functionally for sports.

You can read about my plastics on my blog - so far I've had a tummy tuck (2lbs of skin removed) and a breast lift (minor skin removal) - I'm having a thigh lift and arm lift on Sunday.

Good Luck