Weightloss muscle tips.

AmyLouisee

Hey boards!

So since the beginning of this year I've managed to lose close to 80lbs!
I did it the healthy way by following a healthy diet and exercising 5-6 days a week.

I just want some tips on how to really tighten stomach muscles as my stomach is saggy (with extra skin ), for the past 3 weeks i've been doing 20-30 sit ups in the morning and before I go to bed but they don't seem to be helping at all.

I'm 20, 5ft 3 and female, and currently weigh between 140-142lbs.

I'm hoping to lose another 15lbs by the end of the year, and I realize that muscle weighs more than fat!

Anyone have any tips they would share with me? Really appreciate it!

amazingemmet

Unfortunately you can't exercise off that saggy skin, it will tighten up but it takes time. The only advice I can give is drink plenty of water, follow a good skin care routine and don't fall back into bad habits

Love2u

It's one of the hardest things to combat! You need to work your abs "every" day to get any sort of results, and don't expect miracles. Well done, your doing well!

thegreatiam

AmyLouisee wrote: »

I just want some tips on how to really tighten stomach muscles as my stomach is saggy (with extra skin ), for the past 3 weeks i've been doing 20-30 sit ups in the morning and before I go to bed but they don't seem to be helping at all.

situps are largely pointless and to some extent dangerous. There are better choices for your stomach

https://s3.amazonaws.com/streamfit/Poster_full.jpg

Love2u

thegreatiam wrote: »

situps are largely pointless and to some extent dangerous. There are better choices for your stomach

https://s3.amazonaws.com/streamfit/Poster_full.jpg

Why are they dangerous and pointless? I do them often and never knew there was a danger involved.

thegreatiam

Love2u wrote: »

Why are they dangerous and pointless? I do them often and never knew there was a danger involved.

they put unnecessary stress on your spine which can cause damage. Especially if you do them with incorrect form (which is very likely)
You'd be safer and get better results doing some of those exercises from the link

Love2u

Interesting, I might stop them then :-/

--Kaiser--

Also, ab exercises will do next to nothing for a flabby tummy. The flab is fat, not 'relaxed muscle' as some people seem to think, and you can't reduce fat from a particular place by exercising muscles near it

--Kaiser--

Also, congrats on your weightloss, 80lbs is incredible in that time frame

Love2u

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Also, ab exercises will do next to nothing for a flabby tummy. The flab is fat, not 'relaxed muscle' as some people seem to think, and you can't reduce fat from a particular place by exercising muscles near it

So are you saying strip down the fat first? Then work the abs ? I'm just curious

--Kaiser--

Love2u wrote: »

So are you saying strip down the fat first? Then work the abs ? I'm just curious

Work abs to have strong abs and spinal support, regardless of fatness/thinness. If you have a flabby belly then you have to burn the fat off, everyone has abs under their stomach fat

Love2u

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Work abs to have strong abs and spinal support, regardless of fatness/thinness. If you have a flabby belly then you have to burn the fat off, everyone has abs under their stomach fat

I've done years of an work, mainly sit up etc.... I recently have had spinal problems, mainly the neck area :-/

thegreatiam

Love2u wrote: »

I've done years of an work, mainly sit up etc.... I recently have had spinal problems, mainly the neck area :-/

if you have any spine problems then sit ups are a definite nono. stop doing them now.

if all you want to do is get a flat stomach then stop doing ab exercises and concentrate on fat loss through diet and full body workouts/compound weights and some cardio.

If you want strong stomach muscles then do ab exercises.

Fat on your stomach is 100% unconnected to stomach muscles. It is the biggest myth and most exploited information in the diet industry. any stomach exercise will strengthen your stomach muscles, but to look slimmer in that area you need to lose the fat first.

Picture it like this: you are wearing a big woolen jumper and a big puffy jacket. you may or may not be ripped with muscle under there but you cannot tell because the clothes will dictate your shape. remove the clothes layer by layer and we will eventually see the real shape of your body. Fat is like wearing those clothes under your skin. You have muscles under there and they are flat and shapely, everyone does. they are just obscured by a layer of fat.

until you get rid of that layer then you could have huge muscles or tiny muscles but you will never be able to tell.

and just like a puffy jacket, you cannot simply remove the belly section, you need to take the whole thing off.
this is done by controlling your diet and staying active. Worry about your body as a whole and stop concentrating on your least favorite part and it will all come together.

Borboletinha

I went through the same thing after I had my daughter. Lost a lot of weight fast got a saggy belly and about a thousand stretch marks. There are laser treatments
to tighten the skin and there is plastic surgery to remove it. Carboxitherapy I've heard is very good too. Getting rid of loose saggy skin with exercise alone is extremely hard.

--Kaiser--

Skin itself is very thin, I would imagine when most people think they have loose skin, they actually still have a layer subcutaneous fat to get rid of

Borboletinha

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Skin itself is very thin, I would imagine when most people think they have loose skin, they actually still have a layer subcutaneous fat to get rid of

Well I'm sure in my case it was loose skin since I'm 5'9" and weighted at the time 8 and a half stone. There is a clear difference between fat and loose skin which is why even if you get a lipo it wont get rid of loose skin just remove fat. Its a whole other surgery to remove exceeding skin since they are completely different things.

thegreatiam

there is a user on here who did a big weight loss which left him with a saggy stomach, he recently posted "after" after pics showing how his stomach has tightened.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=86183343&postcount=1

seems he did it through exercise and correct diet.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84988167

no surgery required

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

there is a user on here who did a big weight loss which left him with a saggy stomach, he recently posted "after" after pics showing how his stomach has tightened.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=86183343&postcount=1

seems he did it through exercise correct diet.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84988167

no surgery required

Never said it was impossible. I said it is extremely hard and I stand by what I said.
If the OP 's belly is like this guy on the thread then fine its not that bad. I lost two stones in a month and a half, my belly button was deformed with so much saggy skin. No amount of weight lifting or veggies would have been enough. Also you seem to forget that the OP like me is a female. Guy on the thread is not. Bit of a difference there.

Davei141

thegreatiam wrote: »

there is a user on here who did a big weight loss which left him with a saggy stomach, he recently posted "after" after pics showing how his stomach has tightened.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=86183343&postcount=1

seems he did it through exercise and correct diet.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84988167

no surgery required

His was a very mild case and he would still be left with skin sagging if he was doing planks or whatnot and you could still see the marks in a different light.

OP if it is bad enough no amount of correct diet and exercise will fix it without surgery, despite what people will tell you. You will know yourself.

thegreatiam

actually i am acutely aware of the fact that the op is female. which is why i am trying to instill the idea that it can be resolved through exercise and diet. rather than through surgery. since women are usually more susceptible to suggestions that they cannot control their appearance without pills or knives.

surgery should always be a last resort. unfortunately it is all to common that people will suggest it first based on nothing more than 4 sentences in an online thread. and once the suggestion is implanted it will almost certainly grow.

suggesting surgery for someone you literally have no clue about, without any medical qualification is comically dangerous and selfish.

the fact she is a girl make no change to the prescription of good diet and correct exercise, it is the same for both sexes.

OP concentraye on body composition, try to reduce your body fat and increse your muscle mass, the skin will take care of itself.
Surgery should only be considered once you have exhausted all other options.

Borboletinha

I'm speaking from experience. are you? Didn't think so. Also I never suggested surgery which I didn't get done myself. I said there were LASER TREATMENTS available and carboxiterapy as well as surgery.
There are limits to what exercise and healthy eating alone can achieve and saying it's not so is unrealistic. You might as well tell women with saggy boobs that if they if they do enough chest exercises their boobs will be perky again!
Lastly, women and men are different when it comes to healthy body fat levels, women have a higher level of body fat just for being women. Women also have different skin conditions which is why they are more likely to have cellulite, stretch marks and loose skin than men. Saying the skin will take care of itself is a lovely idea. Not true though. Ask most women were their bellies ever the same after pregnancy the skin going back to being just as tight?!?
Have you ever lost a lot of weight really fast? Are you a woman? Are you a doctor? If not I dont know what makes your opinion any more valid than mine. At least I've been through what the OP has.

thegreatiam

Sure thing dr kevorkian.

There are reasons people do not recomend medical procedures to internet strangers. One of them is that Drs with years of training are employed to check out each individual case and help make a decsion that is correct for the patient. They are also backed up, most importantly, by insurance. So that when the patient insists on taking a short cut option of surgery and it goes tits up they have something to fall back on. So unless you have that backing, maybe you shouldnt recommend someone go under the knife.

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

Sure thing dr kevorkian.

There are reasons people do not recomend medical procedures to internet strangers. One of them is that Drs with years of training are employed to check out each individual case and help make a decsion that is correct for the patient. They are also backed up, most importantly, by insurance. So that when the patient insists on taking a short cut option of surgery and it goes tits up they have something to fall back on. So unless you have that backing, maybe you shouldnt recommend someone go under the knife.

My last question: can you read properly? If yes would you mind saying where in my posts I told the op to go under the knife??? I wrote the solutions I know are available first of which was laser the one I used and there is no knife during the procedure! I also stated that it is extremely hard to get rid of loose skin with exercise alone which is true and you saying it's not, over and over again (with no experience to base your opinion on might I add) won't make it any less true.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

I went through the same thing after I had my daughter. Lost a lot of weight fast got a saggy belly and about a thousand stretch marks. There are laser treatments
to tighten the skin and there is plastic surgery to remove it. Carboxitherapy I've heard is very good too. Getting rid of loose saggy skin with exercise alone is extremely hard.

They must do plastic surgery with a spoon where you studied medicine then.

Now I ask you a question. Do you think every person is the same, or that it may be possible that 2 similar appearing cases may in fact be completely different and when they are it is never wise to go in blade first, unless you have the appropriate medical background. I repeat, you find I do that when i am talking to people with obviously short memories like you seem to have. Surgery is a last resort, diet and exercise should always be your first option.

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

They must do plastic surgery with a spoon where you studied medicine then.

Now I ask you a question. Do you think every person is the same, or that it may be possible that 2 similar appearing cases may in fact be completely different and when they are it is never wise to go in blade first, unless you have the appropriate medical background. I repeat, you find I do that when i am talking to people with obviously short memories like you seem to have. Surgery is a last resort, diet and exercise should always be your first option.

If I was on a forum looking for opinions I would give preference to someone who had professional knowledge or experience. You seem to have neither.
Saying there is plastic surgery to remove skin is not the same as suggesting she goes under the knife specially since its not what I did and I mentioned laser treatment first cause some women don't know of it. It's way less invasive than plastic surgery and it is efficient.
You find offensive the mention of plastic surgery but I find more offensive you denying the fact that most people lose weight through healthy eating and exercise so if they already lost a lot of weight through exercise and were left with lots of loose saggy skin calling them lazy and saying they are taking the easy way by pursuing something other than exercise is unfair and not true.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

If I was on a forum looking for opinions I would give preference to someone who had professional knowledge or experience. You seem to have neither.
Saying there is plastic surgery to remove skin is not the same as suggesting she goes under the knife specially since its not what I did and I mentioned laser treatment first cause some women don't know of it. It's way less invasive than plastic surgery and it is efficient.
You find offensive the mention of plastic surgery but I find more offensive you denying the fact that most people lose weight through healthy eating and exercise so if they already lost a lot of weight through exercise and were left with lots of loose saggy skin calling them lazy and saying they are taking the easy way by pursuing something other than exercise is unfair and not true.

you going round in circles now.

If you're not a doctor who has examined the patient and know their history then you don't recommend surgery. Or are you so arrogant that you believe you know better.

Your experience is as of a patient. Your logic is the same as saying "I got hit by a car so I know how to race formula one"

Get your head out of your arse.

Davei141

thegreatiam wrote: »

They must do plastic surgery with a spoon where you studied medicine then.

Now I ask you a question. Do you think every person is the same, or that it may be possible that 2 similar appearing cases may in fact be completely different and when they are it is never wise to go in blade first, unless you have the appropriate medical background. I repeat, you find I do that when i am talking to people with obviously short memories like you seem to have. Surgery is a last resort, diet and exercise should always be your first option.

Who on earth would rather spend thousands on surgery first and not try everything else first? You are talking some amount of absolute crap and its clear you have no idea about this subject apart from looking at some before & after pictures of somebody with mild sagging. Diet & exercise is great, but it doesn't fix loose skin.

thegreatiam

Davei141 wrote: »

Who on earth would rather spend thousands on surgery first and not try everything else first? You are talking some amount of absolute crap and its clear you have no idea about this subject apart from looking at some before & after pictures of somebody with mild sagging. Diet & exercise is great, but it doesn't fix loose skin.

another DR. we are lucky to have so many on these boards.
Out of interest what is your specialty doc? or are you a GP?

Borboletinha

@thegreatiam :
SEE HOW CLUELESS YOU ARE? LASER TREATMENT IS NOT SURGERY!!!

You are self righteous and like to argue but your opinions are based on nothing!! If my opinion is that of a patient yours is of a clueless person. Like a woman who's never been pregnant talking about how painful labor is!!!
I gave my opinion based on experience the op can take it or leave it. She should of course exercise and eat healthy which I'm sure she's doing or she wouldn't have lost all that weight. I did not suggest that first cause I assumed she was already doing it. Now if she tries that and is still left with saggy loose skin pursuing a skin treatment wont make her lazy.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

SEE HOW CLUELESS YOU ARE? LASER TREATMENT IS NOT SURGERY!!!

You are self righteous and like to argue but your opinions are based on nothing!! If my opinion is that of a patient yours is of a clueless person. Like a woman who's never been pregnant talking about how painful labor is!!!
I gave my opinion based on experience the op can take it or leave it. She should of course exercise and eat healthy which I'm sure she's doing or she wouldn't have lost all that weight. I did not suggest that first cause I assumed she was already doing it. Now if she tries that and is still left with saggy loose skin pursuing a skin treatment wont make her lazy.

Again....not a DR dont recommend surgery. Even a real DR wouldn't recommend any treatment on a patient he has never even examined.

Now take your fake medical certs and shove em.

Davei141

That's some nice horse crap to deflect the fact you still haven't a clue about the subject at hand.

thegreatiam

Davei141 wrote: »

That's some nice horse crap to deflect the fact you still haven't a clue about the subject at hand.

Ah a veterinary DR, then you would be an expert on horse crap.

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

Again....not a DR dont recommend surgery. Even a real DR wouldn't recommend any treatment on a patient he has never even examined.

Now take your fake medical certs and shove em.

Why so aggressive? Can't stand to lose an argument can you? Then try not to argue about things you know nothing about!! You call us doctors but I would love to know where all the mighty authority from your posts come from! Again nobody told the op to go under the knife. I wrote the solutions I know are available. Laser treatment is not surgery. Dont believe me google it! You seem to have a lot of time on your hands.

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

Again....not a DR dont recommend surgery. Even a real DR wouldn't recommend any treatment on a patient he has never even examined.

Now take your fake medical certs and shove em.

Why so aggressive? Can't stand to lose an argument can you? Then try not to argue about things you know nothing about!! You call us doctors but I would love to know where all the mighty authority from your posts come from! Again nobody told the op to go under the knife. I wrote the solutions I know are available. Laser treatment is not surgery. Dont believe me google it! You seem to have a lot of time on your hands.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

Why so aggressive? Can't stand to lose an argument can you? Then try not to argue about things you know nothing about!! You call us doctors but I would love to know where all the mighty authority from your posts come from! Again nobody told the op to go under the knife. I wrote the solutions I know are available. Laser treatment is not surgery. Dont believe me google it! You seem to have a lot of time on your hands.

the first post you recommended plastic surgery, or are you so forgetful you need me to quote you again.
If you want to be so irresponsible then feel free recommending surgery to every tom dick and harry you see.
Not got correct form on your weight? Plastic surgery.
Struggling with weight loss? plastic surgery.
Am I a Dr? Plastic surgery.

what, plastic surgery is not a wise decision to be made with out medical training or examining a subject first? Lasers then. PEWPEW.

Quit trying to cover your screw up. You recommended plastic surgery before and no doubt you will do it again. lazy, irresponsible people tend to repeat their mistakes.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

plastic surgery.

Borboletinha wrote: »

plastic surgery.

Borboletinha wrote: »

plastic surgery.

Borboletinha wrote: »

plastic surgery.

.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

I would love to know where all the mighty authority from your posts come from!

That's the point, there is no authority. So unless you are a medical professional, or a trainer responsible for the individual case then you are limited to what you can recommend.
Diet and exercise is pretty much going to cover that.
I don't have an issue with the laser treatments. You say you used them for your ugly stomach then that's fine. Feel free to promote it.

The issue I have is with the plastic surgery.

If you're not one of the mentioned professional then the only advice you can give is, diet, exercise or go see a DR. also lasers PEWPEW

Davei141

thegreatiam wrote: »

That's the point, there is no authority. So unless you are a medical professional, or a trainer responsible for the individual case then you are limited to what you can recommend.
Diet and exercise is pretty much going to cover that.
I don't have an issue with the laser treatments. You say you used them for your ugly stomach then that's fine. Feel free to promote it.

The issue I have is with the plastic surgery.

If you're not one of the mentioned professional then the only advice you can give is, diet, exercise or go see a DR. also lasers PEWPEW

Charming fellow.

ambid

AmyLouisee wrote: »

Hey boards!

So since the beginning of this year I've managed to lose close to 80lbs!
I did it the healthy way by following a healthy diet and exercising 5-6 days a week.

I just want some tips on how to really tighten stomach muscles as my stomach is saggy (with extra skin ), for the past 3 weeks i've been doing 20-30 sit ups in the morning and before I go to bed but they don't seem to be helping at all.

I'm 20, 5ft 3 and female, and currently weigh between 140-142lbs.

I'm hoping to lose another 15lbs by the end of the year, and I realize that muscle weighs more than fat!

Anyone have any tips they would share with me? Really appreciate it!

This thread's gone a bit weird... but I just wanted to say a huge well done to the OP! Those are amazing results and I hope you're very proud of yourself.

Borboletinha

thegreatiam wrote: »

That's the point, there is no authority. So unless you are a medical professional, or a trainer responsible for the individual case then you are limited to what you can recommend.
Diet and exercise is pretty much going to cover that.
I don't have an issue with the laser treatments. You say you used them for your ugly stomach then that's fine. Feel free to promote it.

The issue I have is with the plastic surgery.

If you're not one of the mentioned professional then the only advice you can give is, diet, exercise or go see a DR. also lasers PEWPEW

Saying "there is plastic surgery to remove skin" is not the same as recommending it!!!
However recommending it is not illegal either as you seem to think it is in your crazy head.
Lastly my stomach might have been ugly I'll give you that but you are an overall ugly person and no amount of exercise and healthy eating will fix that!!! Ah, and no laser treatment or plastic surgery for that either!! Your case is hopeless.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

Saying "there is plastic surgery to remove skin" is not the same as recommending it!!!
However recommending it is not illegal either as you seem to think it is in your crazy head.
Lastly my stomach might have been ugly I'll give you that but you are an overall ugly person and no amount of exercise and healthy eating will fix that!!! Ah, and no laser treatment or plastic surgery for that either!! Your case is hopeless.

not illegal no, but irresponsible and against site policy.

and finally whah whah boo hoo.

Brian?

MOD Warning: Borboletinha and thegreatiam, stop now. No more bickering. Both infracted for being uncivil.

Borboletinha, this is a health and fitness forum, please don't come here to recommend cosmetic and surgical options, thanks.

Borboletinha

I was not aware you couldn't mention cosmetic procedures. I'll rephrase my first post so. Op , if you cannot get rid of saggy loose skin with exercise alone it is not because you are lazy or are not exercising properly it is because it's extremely hard. Congrats on the weight loss though. That takes will and discipline and it proves you are not lazy.

Stench Blossoms

Borboletinha wrote: »

I was not aware you couldn't mention cosmetic procedures. I'll rephrase my first post so. Op , if you cannot get rid of saggy loose skin with exercise alone it is not because you are lazy or are not exercising properly it is because it's extremely hard. Congrats on the weight loss though. That takes will and discipline and it proves you are not lazy.

It is possible.

Borboletinha

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

It is possible.

It's also possible to bike and win the tour de france without steroids. Not a lot of people do it though.

thegreatiam

Borboletinha wrote: »

It's also possible to bike and win the tour de france without steroids. Not a lot of people do it though.

only one person per year can win it, that's why.
If they held a tour de france for every person that wanted to get thin and fit then there would be more non-steroid abusing winners.

Stench Blossoms

Borboletinha wrote: »

It's also possible to bike and win the tour de france without steroids. Not a lot of people do it though.

But it is possible?

Why are you being so negative to the OP?

You are pretty much saying there is no hope for them without surgery. Exhaust all other options before going down that route.

And BTW, just for reference, I've undergone cosmetic surgery myself and I wouldn't be quick to recommend it to anyone.

Davei141

Personally speaking after losing a lot of weight (about the same as the OP) 7+ years ago I have got myself into good shape and great shape at times. I eat very well and train as much as I could/can, at my leanest you could see my abs and muscle definition was everywhere - apart from where I have loose skin. Getting that lean and still having lots of loose skin was pretty crap. Literally could not have lost anymore weight. I always knew it wasn't going to disappear, people generally know their bodies. Didn't stop me from trying though.

--Kaiser--

Here a doctor asserting that loose skins is a myth, not sure how correct he is but something to ponder

http://www.bodyfatguide.com/LooseSkin.htm

Davei141

The ignorance is astounding.