Lost weight ... and looking awful.....

[LunaB]

I want to say a great big thank you for all the positive replies I have been getting on my post! I KNEW this forum was the one and only place to spill my beans! Thank you!

I may not have enough loose skin for a tuck, but I admit that if I was in my 20´s or 30´s I would definitely save up to have my boobs fixed. Something that would never ever have crossed my mind even in my wildest dreams before. Now, at 56 .... hm, I don´t know, I may just have to live with them...?

And weight training will be next on my agenda! I lost the weight very rapidly on a real crash diet, so I probably lost a lot of muscle in the process.

And with clothes on I think I look pretty good at the moment

Och, lph - Tusen Tack!!

[Blueberry]

I just wanted to echo what others have said - you have done something amazing! Since you lost it fast, I would say give it some time. Skin can take some time to adjust - and add weight training as others have said. If the boobs bother you, I don't think your age should be a limiting factor if it's what *you* want to do for *you*. You're active, you're in great shape - do what it takes for you to feel that way. I don't think you need to settle because you're 56!

[marni]

I too have lost a lot of weight, albeit much more slowly than you, and at a slightly more advanced age. I do seriously weight and resistance train, ride, drink lots of water, eat a healthy diet, etc so mostly although flabby I am not too wrinkly. About the only thing I ever consider getting some skin work done on is my bye bye bingo arms which actually flap noisily if I hold my arms in the the wrong position going downhill on my bike at speeds over 20 miles But hey, I'd rather save my money for a new bike.

Congratulations on your weight loss. That's a great accomplishmentany time any how especially if you feel fit.

[Triskeliongirl]

I echo the suggestion to get a good fitting bra. If hubby likes you 'voluptuous', get one with padding for the boudoir! You could also get a swimsuit with a padded bra like top. A good bra will do wonders for how you look in your clothes. Then work on the weight training to firm and tone your skin. I would say give it a year, and if you have maintained the weight loss but still are unhappy about saggy skin, then consider surgery.

[shootingstar]

Congrats LunaB! Better to feel healthy and energetic even though right now you wish you looked more taunt.

Just wondering for cycling, do you cycle more regularily longer distances now?

Swan, you mentioned elsewhere in another thread that you regained abit of weight but are working away at it? Hope you find a job soon....

[LunaB]

Thank you, shootingstar! I have a few "circuits" which I cycle, the longest one is 48 k, or 110 k if I go around both lakes. Yesterday I did the 48 k one for the first time after loosing weight, and even though my average was pretty much the same, I felt much stronger AND most of all, I did much better on the hills, where normally I almost fall off the bike from lack of breath! So things definitely feel better in that sense! I think I need to focus on all the positives

[lph]

Way to go, Luna! Yup, body weight plays quite a big role on the hills. It must feel fantastic to be able to do them without the extra weight.

I hope you have fun with weight training. If you're not used to it you will be sore, but it can also help you feel at home in your body in a way that running and cycling doesn't necessarily do. Well, it does for me anyway. I think the proper term is proprioception, the sense of where everything is and how it works together.

[zoom-zoom]

I lost the weight very rapidly on a real crash diet, so I probably lost a lot of muscle in the process.

It could also be that your skin will simply take longer to shrink down a bit than your fat cells did, so be patient. I think a lot of people find that when they lose weight fast that there is a lag between their skin shrinking to match the rest of them. And some areas are stubborn on some of us. My upper arms, inner thighs, and belly all have stretch marks (and having had a c-section only adds to my belly's floppiness), so these areas may never shrink much, since the skin has visible lack of elasticity. A lot of it's genetic. My mom doesn't have particularly elastic skin, either.

[Catrin]

I've the same problem with skin that isn't so elastic - and I've lost a LOT of weight, close to 100 pounds. I've also had stomach surgery, twice, so suspect things won't change much. I am 53, and while I don't have all that many stretch marks, the skin is taking it's own sweet time to shrink down. If it doesn't I won't allow that to trouble me, though it could if I allowed it to do so. Weight training is great for many reasons, and becoming comfortable in your own skin is one of the most important, to my mind at least. Congratulations on all of the hard work you've been doing. Personally I wish that I had added weight training years before I did, it pays off in so many ways.

[emily_in_nc]

I've the same problem with skin that isn't so elastic - and I've lost a LOT of weight, close to 100 pounds.

Wow, Catrin -- I had no idea. Congratulations!

(Sorry for the thread hijack...)

[Catrin]

Wow, Catrin -- I had no idea. Congratulations!

(Sorry for the thread hijack...)

I've run across a couple of people recently who haven't seen me for a decade, their shocked reaction was rather interesting

back to the regular thread...

[Sky King]

I started weight training the end of July last year, I am 57. I didn't have as much weight to lose but can still relate to the wrinkles. I have lost 19 pounds of fat but I have gained 6 pounds of muscle but alas still have folds of skin hanging around.
Let us remember to keep celebrating our fitness. I too am beyond the bikini, wear a bra with formed cups and am more comfortable in capri's and walking shorts. Do what works for you, if that means a skin tuck then check it out.
BUT do try out a good weight training program, I do a cross fit type so is only 30 minutes 2 to 3 x's a week. I have 4 GF's who go too, we call ourselves the grey headed team

[skhill]

I'm about 75lbs under my heaviest, and have been this weight (or smaller) for 5.5 years now. 5 years ago, there was much more droopy/ saggy stuff, but over time things have tightened up considerably. Wearing a bikini wouldn't be a good idea, though! I'm 42 now, by the way... Give it some time, and see what happens, would be my suggestion.

A lot of my family weren't all that thrilled about my weight loss. My thinking is that they had known me as an overweight/obese/sedentary person for so many years, and I made some really significant and noticeable changes in my life and appearance. But big changes in the people we're close to can be unsettling. They've all adjusted too over the years!