Danana's Journal, 06 Aug 18

you are younger still and may snap a lot of that back. but I would expect you will have some excess skin if you are losing over 100 pounds. you have to be realistic about things. there are things you can do to correct that once you get to your goal and maintain it. I will be looking into things if I find I have way too much skin to deal with. but hopeful some of this snaps back. 

I’m 49 and have lost 60 pounds. My skin is actually behaving far better than I expected! I thought for sure my stomach would be hanging down to my knees, but the skin has receded with the weight. I have done no ab work, only cardio - I think I could take care of it with some ab work if I cared. Also, I have pretty bad bat wings which I suppose would firm up with some arm work. It looks like I started out heavier than you, so you may be surprised with how the skin bounces back. 

Oh, I’m quite pleased with how my face looks too! No more wrinkly than it was before 😂 

Thanks. @ Baskington. I only(ha, ha!) have to lose 60 or 70 pounds, but I am also only 4'11" tall so I don't know if it's significant. I do exercise regularly and recently added exercises specifically for combating bat wings. Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to answer my questions. I don't consider myself an overly vain person, but I guess I have a bit more vanity than I thought! 

I am 52, 5'2" and so far i have lost 58#. Still have 50# to go, so waiting to see what my skin is going to do. Trying to resign myself that thin with bat wings is still a better look than 110# overweight. Especially what with being able to move around and all. 

exercise is great for boosting blood flow which helps the skin too. proper food to feed your skin is helpful too. there are articles on google for items that can help your skin too. I am not into a lot of additives but some things you can get naturally in your diet if you look into it. 

I have heard that losing it slowly is better as far as keeping the skin retention. I don't know if that is true or not. 

I am losing slowly so maybe the skin won't be an issue.  

I am 54 and have lost 80 pounds. I have some sagging skin in my arms; but, I am working on that through a combination of fasting to eliminate as much loose skin as possible and working out to build muscle to take up the remaining skin I can't lose any other way. 

Just wanted to chime in here. Your skin like other parts of your body is made up of protein. You will find that if you incorporate intermittent fasting or short term fasting in general, your body will use what it needs including your loose skin. If you look at the survivors of Auschwitz for example, they looked like anatomy charts in many cases because their body used what was available for them to survive. This link is to a man who has it down to a science. I have used intermittent fasting for years now, and continue its use for health and body composition. https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting  

I'm 57 and have lost over 40 LBs, and have the physique of a 20-30 something in decent shape. I had someone recently remark that I had a killer body, but still had an old head. I took the first part as a compliment, and discarded the second half. I enjoy the new me, I can't change time, but I can make the best of it, and having a fit body sure helps. Embrace your age, seek your health, and do what you can for the effects of aging skin--above all love you.  

Once you get past 50 some sagging skin is to be expected. I've lost right around 100 pounds and struggle a little with stomach fat. It's also better to lose slowly. I did it a little too fast (7 months). But like other have said intermittent fasting does help. I do a 13 hour fast everyday and have seen a difference. Exercise also makes a difference. Good luck! 

A mix of cardio, strength and resistance training will definitely help with that. I am in my 30s and dont need to lose over 50 lbs but the combination of those with a right diet will fix that issue. Good luck! 

I think the skin will snap back in most areas but I believe it depends on a couple of things. How long you were overweight stretching the skin out and how fast you lose the weight. I've seen people who have the gastric bypass surgery and lose weight super fast and they do have a ton of hanging skin. Losing slower is your best option and making sure to use the correct skin care products is essential as well. I'm prepared after my 55 lb weight loss I'm working towards at 53 to probably have to have some surgery to tighten up the belly and arms. I'm already saving for it! 

@Nivi2013 I hope you're right as I've been doing all of those things for years. I just finally decided to be honest with myself and fixed my diet instead of hoping the exercise would do it all for me. 

@Adamevegod1 Thanks for the reminder. That's definitely the right attitude. I actually love being older and appreciate whatever amount of time I get as I know too many who were denied a long life. I intend to make the most of mine and do as much good as I can for as long as i can. 

@Danana it will take some time. I just graduated with a Masters in nutrition. The best way for this is a combination of cardio and weight/strength training. I see so many here follow a keto diet but I dont recommend it. Increasing intensity of exercises will help depending on what your body can handle. You said you are pretty active. You can’t spot reduce as I am sure you are aware of that but a well balanced diet with appropriate amounts of macros will do the trick. It will take time. 

On the cusp (recently turned 50) and although my face doesn't sag, other areas do - and I consider myself moderately active. I find "sweating it out" helpful... over a longer period of time - esp. for my back and abdomen, but that may be 'cause I'm a guy. 

I really appreciate everyone's thoughtful input. I wish everyone well on their journey. I'm in this for the long haul, losing slowly and building habits I can maintain for a lifetime. I also work with a trainer 3-4 times per week and do Zumba twice a week. I add in walking where I can. Fortunately, I love to exercise. I am losing just under a pound per week eating in a way that I can sustain for the rest of my life. Previously I've only lost weight in very restrictive ways that were not sustainable. You guessed it: I gained back more than I lost each time. What's different for me this time is I'm paying attention to how certain foods make me feel and sticking to the foods that give me strength and a clear head. I'm also paying better attention to portion size. I estimate I was eating 3x the amount I should have been. I'm okay with it taking a year or two to reach my goal. Summer has been great because I don't keep junk is my house. As I return to teaching, it's my hope that I remain strong and avoid all of the temptations at work. I feel confident that I will be successful. I am also not going to let any slip ups derail me. Thanks again for all of the support FS family. 

This is a great way to lose the weight Danana! I al doing the same thing. Slow weight loss and exercising 5 days a wk with a trainer twice a wk. good luck!