So- I have been thinking. I know, dangerous. I've been thinking about my body and any excess skin I might have once I reach my goal weight.
I remember watching The Biggest Loser a few seasons ago and there was a young girl about my age that lost around the same I have to lose. I noticed that when she had lost her weight she didn't have any "visible" excess skin. Her arms were nice, toned and tight looking. I pinned my hopes on her arms being nice because her skin bounced back well due to her age.
I am quickly learning age has NOTHING to do with it. After examining my legs closely the other night, I noticed that I have wrinkling skin right at the nook of my knee bend. Not a good sign.
I am one of those people you would consider- um.... how do I say this... "proportional", meaning that when I gain, I gain EVERYWHERE. Not just my tummy or my rear, even my elbows store fat.
The girl from Biggest Loser was what most would consider an "apple". She stored most of her weight around her mid-section leaving her arms and legs relatively unscathed by her obesity. SO, when she lost weight, her excess skin was around her mid-section that was well hidden and her legs and arms looked fantastic!
That is NOT going to be me. I am going to have half the Atlantic Ocean worth of waves and ripples going down my legs and my arms are going to occupy a different altitude than my head. Weight loss is one of those times that it pays to be an apple or pear, but not proportional.
With that said... I know it is SO much better to have that extra skin all flabby and floppy than it to be stretched to maximum capacity with fat, but still. After working so hard, I may have to consider some plastic surgery, something that I would never have wanted to think about before. O'well.
A whole new perspective on body shape, huh!?
Posts
8 comments:
I'm down from 299 to 215.6 as of this morning, and I can already see signs that I'm gonna have extra skin. I've started applying lotion, when I remember. Hoping ... not gonna think about it. I'd rather be healthy and wrinkly than unhealthy and fat. Vee at http://veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com
300+ down to 180 or so - I ended up having a reconstructive tummy tuck. Best decision I ever made!
Hi--You are looking awesome!
I'm an apple...and could definitely use a tummy tuck. I've lost over 60 pounds (so far)....3 big babies and 3 c/sects helped contribute to my excess skin. Hopefully one day I will be able to take care of it surgically. Til then, I'm just glad to be down on the scale and will keep exercising!
I am also proportional and I am going to have a lot of excess, hanging skin. I have only lost 75 pounds so far but am already getting some pretty impressive batwings and loose skin on my thighs and belly.
Yepper... One day I will make some reconstructive surgeon very, very happy. lol
Would you believe that the thought of loose skin sabotaged a most successful effort two or three years ago?
I knew I was being silly but I couldn't get past the knowledge f all the wrinkles and excess skin.
There won't be any surgery for me and I think I've come to terms with health versus a smooth skin because my skin is showing too many signs of age so not so pretty anymore *smiles*. I guess I'm hoping it won't be too ugly.
Excess skin has been my biggest fear as well. However from reading Ali Vincent's book (winner of BL) and reading several Web sites by doctors and personal trainers, I have some hopeful new for myself - and for you!
While I don't know yet if this really works - at least for me - it does kind of make sense. When we lose weight, we are losing fat from under our skin. Now skin is pretty resiliant, especially the younger you are. BUT if you remove the fat from under your skin and don't replace it, then of course it's going to droop and sag.
So the solution is to replace the fat with muscle. I just saw on BL last night a woman who had the stomach surgery at 14 and had the highest percentage of body fat of all the contestants. The reason was that she originally lost a lot of weight, but didn't replace it with any muscle.
Again I dont know if it will take care of all the lose skin for myself - or for you - but I would strongly recommend if you want toned arms and legs and stomach etc. start doing a lot of weight training. the number on the scale might go down slower at first as you gain muscle, but having less lose skin would make it worth it to me.
Just my thoughts...
Did you ever notice when they first start, they make them wear the sports bras so that their stomachs hang out and then at the end they start wearing the more tighter fitting tank tops that come all the way down? I always swore that's how they hid the excess skin. That stuff is some serious lycra. I still stand by the notion that's how they did it because you'll see some of them will have the batwings.
Oh goodness! I just found your blog. I've recently started my own weight loss blog, and up to now hadn't thought about the extra skin... Makes me wanna whine like my son... Oh WHY did I get myself into this trouble???
Post a Comment