Need advice about saggy skin after weight loss

Ok, I saw a post on:

soc.support.fat-acceptance

It is titled:

Michael Schiavo DEAD...just desserts!


And the user called post posted a link in his that
post to a woman who had gastric bypass and lost over 200lbs. Now, they
show after photos, and I am telling you, a lot of skin! I have a lot
of weight to lose. I have done pretty well so far, as of this morning,
I have lost 44 lbs.

Anyway... After looking at this last night, I had a hard time
sleeping. I am wondering if you think this woman just had something
wrong with the elastic in her skin that would not allow any of her skin
to go back to normal? Or is this just what happens to people that have
to lose such a large amount of weight?

I may not have quite as much weight to lose as she did, but it is
comparable and I am absolutely shocked and scared that this could be
the case for me too! Anyone else that has lost a lot of weight get so
much skin it looked like this? If my boobs end up looking like that, I
would rather be fat!

Please check that out and tell me what you think. And if I have
offended anyone, I am sorry. I am just really shocked.

I would also like to know if you have any ideas of what a person can do
while they are losing weight to prevent some of that saggy skin? I
know that I will have some and I can deal with that, but man, I don't
want anything like she has. Please tell me of ways to help the skin go
back to normal.

Thanks in advance
Sherry

Having once been 320 pounds, I'm very concerned about skin elasticity. So
far, after losing 142 pounds from peak, my skin appears to be returning to
normal with some extra wrinkles. Wrinkles near the elbow, and such, are
common at my age of 49 anyway. I still have some poundage to lose to see
what the result will be.

My best guess as to why my skin appears to be recovering, is that I get lots
of saturated fat and cholesterol. The body needs the basic building
materials to re-engineer itself. I suspect that horrible skin results may
be a symptom of low fat diets.

Cubit
311/178/165


"wsherry72" wrote in message
oups.com...
Ok, I saw a post on:

soc.support.fat-acceptance

It is titled:

Michael Schiavo DEAD...just desserts!


And the user called post posted a link in his that
post to a woman who had gastric bypass and lost over 200lbs. Now, they
show after photos, and I am telling you, a lot of skin! I have a lot
of weight to lose. I have done pretty well so far, as of this morning,
I have lost 44 lbs.

Anyway... After looking at this last night, I had a hard time
sleeping. I am wondering if you think this woman just had something
wrong with the elastic in her skin that would not allow any of her skin
to go back to normal? Or is this just what happens to people that have
to lose such a large amount of weight?

I may not have quite as much weight to lose as she did, but it is
comparable and I am absolutely shocked and scared that this could be
the case for me too! Anyone else that has lost a lot of weight get so
much skin it looked like this? If my boobs end up looking like that, I
would rather be fat!

Please check that out and tell me what you think. And if I have
offended anyone, I am sorry. I am just really shocked.

I would also like to know if you have any ideas of what a person can do
while they are losing weight to prevent some of that saggy skin? I
know that I will have some and I can deal with that, but man, I don't
want anything like she has. Please tell me of ways to help the skin go
back to normal.

Thanks in advance
Sherry

Cubit wrote:
Having once been 320 pounds, I'm very concerned about skin
elasticity. So
far, after losing 142 pounds from peak, my skin appears to be
returning to
normal with some extra wrinkles. Wrinkles near the elbow, and such,
are
common at my age of 49 anyway. I still have some poundage to lose to
see
what the result will be.

My best guess as to why my skin appears to be recovering, is that I
get lots
of saturated fat and cholesterol. The body needs the basic building
materials to re-engineer itself. I suspect that horrible skin
results may
be a symptom of low fat diets.

Cubit
311/178/165

There are many reasons for the loss of elasticity in the skin.
Menopause is probably the biggest for women. Healthy fats are a great
source for help in the prevention of sagging skin. Here's just one of
many articles that can be found with a search on "skin elasticity fat".
I couldn't find any that specfically suggested saturated fat; most
mentioned fat from fish, avacado, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to
find many of the foods I normally eat. At age 62 I'm still blessed
very little sagging skin.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...2/ai_n12885932


Beverly

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 16:08:51 GMT, "Cubit" wrote:

Having once been 320 pounds, I'm very concerned about skin elasticity. So
far, after losing 142 pounds from peak, my skin appears to be returning to
normal with some extra wrinkles. Wrinkles near the elbow, and such, are
common at my age of 49 anyway. I still have some poundage to lose to see
what the result will be.

My best guess as to why my skin appears to be recovering, is that I get lots
of saturated fat and cholesterol. The body needs the basic building
materials to re-engineer itself. I suspect that horrible skin results may
be a symptom of low fat diets.


I dunno. I think we all tend to credit our lifestyle choices for what
may be mainly good fortune. My skin has also recovered well, and I
eat little saturated fat. (I do try to eat a reasonable amount of
good fats.) I am inclined to credit weight training for the skin
recovery. But really, is it your fat, or my weight training, or just
gradual weight loss and luck in the genetic draw?

Chris
262/130s/130s
started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004

"Cubit" wrote in message
m...
Having once been 320 pounds, I'm very concerned about skin elasticity. So
far, after losing 142 pounds from peak, my skin appears to be returning to
normal with some extra wrinkles. Wrinkles near the elbow, and such, are
common at my age of 49 anyway. I still have some poundage to lose to see
what the result will be.

My best guess as to why my skin appears to be recovering, is that I get
lots
of saturated fat and cholesterol. The body needs the basic building
materials to re-engineer itself. I suspect that horrible skin results may
be a symptom of low fat diets.

Skin type is something you're pretty much born with. Although. I do cut down
on fat to lose weight because of the high calorie content of fat I don't
have dry skin. I've heard people complain about dry skin with a LF diet,
I've just checked & my nose still shines brightly ;-) I always had oily
skin & suffered from acne as a teenager. One of my best friends has very dry
skin and she's had deep wrinkles around her eyes since I met her aged 23,
now she looks older than my mum!

The highest amount of weight I ever lost was nearly 60lbs in just over 6
months so it doesn't compare with the amounts other people have lost,
however, I never had lose skin, only softer adipose tissue under it. Oily
skin may be more elastic but it's not a result of a high fat diet, more a
matter of genetics. Moisture (water) also matters, us ladies use
moisturizing creams even on oily skins. Skin moisture is affected by air
humidity, the water in your region, exposure to the sun, etc. In short,
there are too many factors skin tone. Sounds like a subject for further
investigation.

On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 10:53:16 +0200, "Polar Light"
wrote:

Oily
skin may be more elastic but it's not a result of a high fat diet, more a
matter of genetics.

This is my impression. My skin has been pretty much the same (rather
on the dry side) all my life -- didn't change when dieting, though I
eat much less fat than I used to. But even with dry skin, my skin
recovery has been pretty good, I think.

Moisture (water) also matters, us ladies use
moisturizing creams even on oily skins.

I do moisturize :-).

Chris
262/130s/130s
started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004

Chris Braun wrote:
On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 10:53:16 +0200, "Polar Light"
wrote:

Oily
skin may be more elastic but it's not a result of a high fat diet,
more a
matter of genetics.

This is my impression. My skin has been pretty much the same (rather
on the dry side) all my life -- didn't change when dieting, though I
eat much less fat than I used to. But even with dry skin, my skin
recovery has been pretty good, I think.

I've seen Chris IRL and have to say her skin looks great. You
certainly wouldn't know she had ever been at a heavier weight.

Beverly

Speaking of IRL, Beverly, my Dayton trip has just been finalized. I
will be traveling out Sunday, so could get together for dinner if
you're available. (Or possibly sometime in the afternoon -- don't know
yet about flight times.) Let me know if you are free. I'll be staying
at the same place.

Chris

Anyone else that has lost a lot of weight get so
much skin it looked like this? If my boobs end up looking like that
....

I've lost more than 150 pounds, and if you are referring to the
Discovery Channel program I think you are, then yes, I look like that.
My breasts look like deflated footballs; I have to clean and jerk them
into a bra every morning. There are rolls of excess skin on my abdomen
and thighs; my upper arms make a flapping noise during aerobics. I look
like a shar-pei, but less cute.

I
would rather be fat!

I wouldn't. I started this WOL to improve my health and quality of
life. I figured my middle-aged skin would not "go back to normal"
after 20+ years of morbid obesity. Being able to walk without fatigue
and pain, having energy to live an active life, and controlling my
diabetes and sleep apnea are well worth the unpleasant appearance,
which can only be seen when I'm nekkid. I look quite presentable
clothed:

http://photos.yahoo.com/kasey0613 (click on Kasey ASD album)

I have an consult scheduled with a plastic surgeon in June, so I hope
to have some of the redundant skin removed. But even if I can't, I
value my health far more than my physical appearance.

As always, YMMV.

Kasey
365/213/190

Holy cow, Kasey, you look AMAZING in that blue suit. Way to go, girl -
what an accomplishment! You must be thrilled with the new you!

Mary G.