Question from a newbie

Hi there, I have just started the process with my surgeon. I've had my consulation, I am starting all my tests and am waiting to hear what the requirements are from the insurance company.

I currently way 376.

My questions is for the folks who have already lost a great deal of weight. How did your skin react? I'm expecting at some point to have to have surgery to remove excess skin from my stomach. But how have your arms and legs reacted to your weight loss?

I will be, of course, doing stregth training to help tone, but I'm just curious what you all have gone through.

And I would love to become friends with people who have achieved or need to achieve similar weight loss.

Thanks :)

It really just depends on a lot of factors. Starting weight, how your weight is distributed, age, genetics, smoker/non-smoker, sun exposure, etc. I've lost almost 250 lbs and I've been surprised that my skin isn't worse - however, that doesn't mean it is good. I would definitely need plastic surgery to look anywhere close to being normal.

Strength training will help you to develop a good body underneath the skin; however, it's not going to reverse the affects of morbid obesity on your body. From what I understand, when you gain a lot of weight, not only does your skin stretch to accommodate the fat, but it eventually grows more to repair the damage - and you just can't un-grow skin... no matter how tone your muscles are (unfortunately).

I would take the skin over the fat any day - I can tell you that much!

I started at 384 and today I am 201 (actually up a little bit from last week sadly). I am about 17 months or so post-op, I haven't done the math in a while. Anyway if you had asked me 6 months ago i would have said all hope is lost. I have built up my biceps and triceps to get rid of most of the lunch lady arms and I am confident in the next year they will be completely gone.

My thighs are still a bit saggy but they have bounced back fairly well. My stomach has actually rebounded nicely but I do not thing to the point where I will be able to avoid plastics. I have about an inch or so overlapping my belt line of just loose skin. Not terrible to look at but I wouldn't want to get naked in front of a new person just now.

All that being said, every one is different I believe Nikke had some good reasons as to why and age plays a very big role too. I am 46 and I believe lucky that I have had as much rebound as I have had. There are some things that help but will not help to the point where you can avoid plastics. Skin brushes and seaweed wraps help to some degree. Also wearing a compression belt and compression shorts when you exercise. They won't help you lose fat but they hold everything in place which make it a bit more comfortable to exercise and keeps the skin from sagging further. I 100% believe that is why I have had the success I have had.

my body looks like a sharpie (dog) but I am in my 50's your age how long your overweight , your genes all help decide how much your skin shrinks 

I'm only 10 weeks out from surgery but have been losing weight over the last year.  Both my husband and I have noticed that some areas are tightening on their own and others aren't.  I haven't started exercising yet but I do know that by building your arms up you can decrease the look of the bat wings.  My friend was told by her PS that skin can take 1-2 years to totally tighten to where it's going to.  He makes his patients wait one year after a major weight loss before he will do work on them so that if they have areas that are going to tighten they aren't getting surgery that isn't needed.  I don't know if I will bother with PS...maybe my thighs but I plan to wait at least a year after goal and then I will decide.  

I'm 6-7 months out and finding wrinkles is areas that I didn't think would be changed and smooth skin in areas I thought would be affected.  My doc said 18-24 mos before plastics are recommended.  We'll see.