???

I know I have posted before about excess skin, but I have another question for the older VSGer's   I am 66 and down 80 lbs now and FEELING GREAT, but looking pretty bad.  My face is starting to show wrinkles (of course with the extra 80 lbs.  there weren't any)  my belly is almost comical,  my arms Yuck, and my thighs double Yuck.  I expected this...kinda.  But I still have another 40 lbs or so to go and really wonder what I will look like then.   My arms I can hide (never wore tanks anyway)  My thighs also (no shorts before either)  That doesn't really bother me.  Not much can hide my face and my cloths don't lay smoothly around the waist.  Shapewear works pretty well, but not looking forward to the summer.   I am pretty sure I want some kind of plastics on my tummy, but am not sure how my age will figure in with that either.   What is your experience?  Anyone got some kind words?  

I love the before and after photos, but don't see too many in the senior group.  Don't get me wrong, I did this not so much to look better, but to get a new lease on life and feel better and it is working beautifully!  Couldn't be happier.  But the worrying part is the texture of my skin.  It is very "crepe like"  or "old ladyish"   Don't know how else to explain it.  Really does look like crepe paper I guess.  Not just empty skin.  I feel stupid asking about this when everything else is so perfect.  Just looking for some other input.  

Any experiences to share?

Love my little Chiquita,  Alice

 

I'm 54 & all I can tell you is to hang on, finish what you started & get as much plastics as you can afford. That's my plan.
I know we can't avoid aging but I'm going to do what I can.
You've done great!

I'm very satisfied with everything that has gotten me this far.  I guess I'm just tired of winter, anxious for spring, and doing a little nitpicking.    There are so many smart and helpful people on OH that I feel sure someone will be able to offer some help.  I am prepared to consider plastics for my tummy....don't see how I can not do it, but the rest is a wait and see.  Just wondered how older people do with that.  And thank God I am aging.  Life is good.

Thanks.  Alice

Alice, I don't have any advice but I'm 61 and I know that without a doubt I will NOT be able to afford plastics and believe me, that is depressing.

I am seeing new wrinkles under my chin. and my upper arms have a terrible sag.

I had a nurse tell me (quietly) that I needed to start documenting, with my Primary Dr., whenever I had a rash or infection due to the excess skin.  Some insurance companies will pay if you can prove the skin overlap is causing problems.  I imagine in the summer that won't be much of a problem.   

I sympathize with your problems...I just am so pleased to feel so great that this is really just a minor annoyance.  But now that I am feeling better I'm looking to fix the little stuff.  I know tha****er is very very important to all your wellbeing and skin condition and figure that the more the better.  I'm in Michigan and the winter has been awful and dry, so maybe summer will be better.  

Good Luck,  Alice

Also be sure to check into the new noninvasive procedures that are available now. I haven't yet but I see commercials.

Alice, I am sooo with you on this!  Last night was the first time I thought my arms really looked like an elderly person!  

I have the same "spots" as you that are problematic, so I think the "start documenting" this summer will be wise advice.  

Did you ever read "The Saggy, Baggy Elephant"?  That's how many of my parts look -- and with another 50 or more pounds to go!

So far, the only parts that don't sag are my forearms and my calves!  Do they make compression garments for chins?  LOL!

 

 

You'll have two heads. 

Seriously, your body is in the middle of a transformation. I bet Michelangelo's David didn't look too hot when he was in the middle of carving that puppy out and was look pretty strange at various points in the process. But he didn't look half bad at the end.

The way we lose weight isn't uniform. We might get too thin in the face and we may lose faster in one place than our ability of our skin to snap back. But over time, our body adjust. My skin continued to snap back even after I stopped losing, for example. It takes about 2 years for it to snap back as far as it's going to IME. Plus my face filled back out. So did my boobies!! (Doing the happy dance!)

Then I did a lot of weight training and that filled things out. Then I had a bit of bounce back and that filled things out.

I was totally sure I would get plastics in the middle. But now I'm not so sure. If I go back to doing Ironmans and lose a lot of body fat I might but dh has to get a job first and I have to get a better one and I have to pay off my car too. And nothing I want to do more has to come up. And there's always something I want to do more.

I'm 46 but I still know exactly what you are talking about. When i was a couple of months out of surgery and had lost a significant amount of weight, my skin looked like an 80 year...scary at 46!! But that has improved and that wrinkly "crepe like" skin has gone away and the texture of skin I had before surgery has returned. The bagginess of your skin will pull up too given time. You have lost a LOT of weight in a short time and that means you will notice it a LOT in the deflated skin category right now. But yes that sagging mushy skin is a reality we all have to face at some point...no matter your age.

It is discouraging when we look in the mirror and feel like we have suddenly just melted or something. I know right where you are and I was thrown off by that too, but it will improve a LOT. That's why when you get any kind of reconstructive surgery they usually want you to be 6+ months maintaining your weight loss. It important to give your skin time to recover on its own so you really what you are dealing with. I don't plan to have an reconstructive surgery... that kind of expense is just not in the cards for me.

I am scared about summer too. Most of the woman in their 40s and 50s have NO sagging skin at all yet and I most definitely will which makes me rather self conscious. When it gets me down, I just focus on how I feel and how everything is so much lighter now in my world. Don't feel stupid. What you are asking is something we ALL feel even if we don't say it.

BTW... you have done AWESOME in your weight loss!! Congrats!

:) Deb