Loose Skin

LegacyUser

Hi everyone,

I am 21, male and 6 foot five inches tall. I started college three years ago. In that time my weight has increased from 15 to 20 stone. This was down to too much eating, too much drinking and lack of exercise. I have stretch marks on my "love handles" and my abdomen. I also think I have some cellulite on my thights. I have started a weight loss programme and am loosing wieght steadily at 3 pounds per week. I am worried that I will be left with cellulite and lots of loose skin (especially around my abdomen and a bit around my upper arms). Will this be the case do you think? With enough weight loss will the skin tighten?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!

Kevster

Hi,

You did'nt mention whether or not you are still drinking and eating heavily. I mean - okay - you're on a diet, but have you completely cut these things out of your food-intake? Diets have negative connotations, by the way, and you shouldn't say to people that you're on a diet. Instead, get into the habit of saying that you've just changed your eating habits and that you're happy about the new arrangements. When you say 'diet', people think: 'Ill give her a few days before she fails it'. If you just think - however - that you've just changed things a little, then it sounds much more positive.

To be honest, the best way to look good and feel good is to start exercising. I suggest - strongly - that you join a gym and start doing some jogging on a treadmill. Start by doing just 5 minutes at a slow pace and then take it from there. Also, start doing some weights. Get rid of the stigma from your head about women doing weights, and instead get into the habit of doing things AGAINST the book. You don't want to be doing the same thing as everyone else, do you?

You are your own person - and you have your own life to live - and you are the one in control. Don't ever listen to what other people tell you to do. Make decisions for you and you alone and - from this point forward - your new life (with you in control) begins.

Kevin

Agonist

I think at 21 there's a very good chance that you won't be left with much loose skin. Despite the stretch marks your skin should have great elasticity.
As a guy you can bulk up with muscle instead of fat, fill up the skin and look great.
Good luck with the weight loss.

Thornography

Defiantly hit the gym right away. Start on the cross trainers and treadmills.
when you have dropped a stone or two (at this stage you will be fit enough and lost a good bit of fat) start doing weights after cardio work. weight training is a GREAT way to burn fat and look good. Fat turns into muscle faster and easier then completely losing it. Not only that but you wont have any sag anywhere except for the stomach until you get under 9% bodyfat in that area, which will be the hardest. stretch marks unfortunately are gona stay for ever.

kiffer

I thought cardio and weights on the same day was a no-no... Or is that just if the cardio was after the weights... anyway...
OP... The posters in the Fitness subforum might be better equipped to answer these sorts of questions... A nice slow steady weightloss is probably best if you need to avoid loose skin... Too fast and you'll end up with flaps... But too fast is probably very fast crash diet style loss.

LegacyUser

Hi Kevster,

Yeah I've cut out all the junk food and stopped drinking (bar milk and water of course!). Breakfast is a bowel of porridge, lunch is 3 potatoes, lean meat, peas and some instant gravy. Tea is 3 slices of whole grain toast with some cheese tomato and onion. Also I ahve an apple for a snack. I'm swimming 80 lengths of a 25 metre pool a day. Think it best if I don't call it a diet all right.

Also I don't mind if this thread is moved to fitness if the mods think it is more approproate there.

Bloody Nipples

You're not big enough to suffer from loose skin, that's really only for the super obese.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I think it is important to work on your emotional state and why you put on the weight. If you can identify a pattern you will be more aware of yourself for future relapses. Loosing weight can be very hard especially if you feel really down about yourself, recently i lost a stone i was very upset about the 2 stone i had put on and i started to be very critical over myself, it perpetuated a negative state of mind, I addressed this and started to form a more positive self dialogue with myself, the lighter the emotional load the lighter my body became, Exercise did not work for me- im female i had a personal trainer for 3 months and lost no weight it was all my diet, so what worked for me was becoming more conscious of my relationship with food and the way i was emotionally eating.

Best of luck OP, and if like me you talk to yourself using words like i am fat change that to i have a happy slender body!! G'luck xx