Ponderings on Excess Skin

I wrote this in my journal last night, after I spent about 10 minutes staring at my naked body in the mirror and noticing all of my newly loose skin.  I really want to be able to look at myself, see the loose skin, and see that it stands for everything I've accomplished and achieved.  I don't want to see it as just one more thing that's ugly and wrong about me.  :(  Maybe some of you can sympathize here, but I wanted to share my thoughts from last night.  

As I find myself in the 50+ lost realm, I'm really beginning to notice excess skin in places. My inner thighs, my panni, my upper arms... I find myself wondering if it's okay not to care. Is it okay to love my body the way it is? Am I allowed to love it even though it's imperfect? There are so many people on the forums who hate on their excess skin and bodies and look for ways to cover up, and I don't want to remove one source of self-loathing just to replace it with another. But I find myself looking at my body more critically than ever due to everything I read.  

That's not the way I want my future to be. If I need plastics, fine, but I still want to be proud of my body all the way through. Is that unrealistic?

I think that every single person has imperfections and that they are a unique character because of those.  At my gym they have lots of trainers and I think weight lifting is supposed to tone those areas. 

My understanding is that muscle will fill in some of the loose skin, but it seems unlikely that I could have as much muscle as I had fat. ;)

Prior to my VSG, I thought I would love a tummy tuck. Since my surgery and 80+ pound loss, I have changed my mind. Yes, I have excess skin but it isn't as bad as I thought it might be. So far I look great in my clothes and satisfactory in my swimsuit. I have been able to wear shorts.

I have decided to use my $$$ for travel and such wonderful adventures. I have accepted my body as it is. It has been very freeing. It has been a very positive aspect of my journey.

I admit that if I were much younger, I might consider plastics but being older has its advantages when it comes to appearances.

Go for the experience of loving yourself unconditionally!

That's fantastic!  

I don't know if I'll want/need plastics, but I do know that I plan to wait until 18-24 months post-goal to decide since I know that skin will continue to tighten for that long.  I definitely don't want to rush into it.  

But, yes, loving myself is what my goal is.  Most of the time I do, and I don't want to be sucked in to a negative thought pattern about my body!  Been there, done that, and DONE with that!

It is ABSOLUTELY okay to love your body the way it is! That loose skin is a sign of progress. I realize that down the line, we will all probably want plastic surgery, but I feel like in the mean time, embrace the skin we're in! We worked hard to see that transformation. I'm only down 31 lbs and I'm seeing a difference on my neck & I laughed at it yesterday. Lol. 

That's what I keep telling myself.  "Loose skin is a trophy!"  I notice it in my neck too.  And collar bones!  I didn't even know I -had- collar bones.  

Excess skin seems to be a fact of life for many of us. it seems younger people snap back better.   Years ago there was a book called Body Love - can't remember much about it but it was about accepting you body with its imperfections.    

Of course you are allowed to love your imperfect body!  Hating your body is the same as hating yourself.   When i look in the mirror undressed I see a lot of saggy skin but I also see a slim outline of a normal weight person.  without my glasses i even look petty good!!   So look for the good things, not the bad.   and be proud of the new health you have.    diane

Thanks, Diane!

I think is may be a really good thing to accept yourself throughtout this journey. here is a person who came to speak to my clinic's support group you may find inspirational. http://deepercravings.com/