My weightloss & bittersweet loose skin.

[GetOntheGoodFoot]

Im 24, 5ft'9 tall and weighed 285lbs for most of my life untill last year. I started out walking daily, after meals usually. Soon I was doing situps, pushups, lifting weights, and walking daily. With mild results I started writing my meals down and counting calories and carbs, restricting myself to around 1000 calories. I ranged from 800-1700calories a day and I didnt feel starved or unsatisfied, I was also still walking after meals. About 4 months in I had lost probably around 80lbs, at this point I was still doing the regular exercises as well as biking, jogging, and alittle speedbag & heavybag. I was doing at a minimum 2miles on foot a day and 6 at the most meanwhile still eating around 1000 calories. At times i felt i was loosing weight to fast that it was unhealthy, but i never felt sick I was feeling great and better than ever so I continued. In around 6 to 7 months I had gone from 285lbs to 170lbs.

Its been a a year and half and i weigh 175lbs, having lost 110lbs in under 8months. I had no guidance so of course no one told me that losing it so fast would leave me with a large amount of excess skin on my gut. Im just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how I lost the weight, if it was bad for me to do so, and if theres any hope for my loose skin to disappear. Im attempting to build muscle and tone hoping it will cure the loose skin though I cant help but feel doubtful.

Any comments or suggestions would be much appreciated good or bad, helpful or not.

 

[K-man]

Mate, that is a fantastic effort! Congratulations, not only for the weight loss but for the fact that you have kept the weight off for a year. It is so easy to put it back on. From what I have seen a small amount of plastic surgery may be required to get everything back into place. Check with your local doctor and see what he/she suggests. :s447:

 

[crushing]

With mild results I started writing my meals down and counting calories and carbs, restricting myself to around 1000 calories. I ranged from 800-1700calories a day and I didnt feel starved or unsatisfied, I was also still walking after meals.
[...]
Im just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how I lost the weight, if it was bad for me to do so, and if theres any hope for my loose skin to disappear.

Way to go!

I think that it is your carb counting that helped the most. I don't bother counting calories, but I do track my carbs (using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) and I have lost 40 pounds in the last few months (275 to 235). I hadn't really stepped up my exercise much other than the occasional set of sprints, so I attribute most of my weight loss to the change in my diet.

A very useful source of nutrition and exercise information for me has been: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

 

[GetOntheGoodFoot]

Thanks guys

Yeah after loosing all that weight ive realized it was more the carbs, fat, and the nutritional value not the calories that truly matter, and more than that you have to use those carbs instead of sitting around letting it turn into fat. With my daily exercise and determination it was melting off like butter at one point, I commend you on doing it properly crushing as you seem to be gradually loosing it at an acceptable pace.

Thanks K-man, yeah all information I seek seems to lead me to doctor, see your doctor, you have to cut it off. Well at this point in my life its a zero option. Im unemployed and have no health insurance, no money, and no one to support me in that. They say its actually a pretty serious surgery too, they have to put you under and it leaves scars for life not to mention it costs over a $1000. Its truly bittersweet as its uncomfortable and almost painful to do pushups or planks, and most other activity's are also uncomfortable doing with the loose skin.

Sadly if someone had told me that after i lost 100lbs id have to save up money for a serious surgical operation, Id probably have chosen to stay overweight. I suppose its good no one told me :/. I do realize I should have slowly lost it over a longer period of time, but it just didnt work out that way. I had no one backing me or helping me I just simply started doing it and couldnt back down, I did not know better.

 

[Carol]

Congrats on the weight loss!

You are a young fellow, there's a good chance your skin can recover without surgery. Keep your diet clean and keep working out, that will help your body overall, including keeping your your body's own healing and restorative processes running well.

If you can, moisturize your skin with cocoa butter lotion -- the cocoa butter has a lot of nutrients that can help the skin heal itself.

 

[MikeBielat]

I have a good 70 lbs I want to lose (12 down so far!) and the loose skin is my biggest worry. I was an obese child growing up and just so happened that I lost my weight in 7-9th grade so I was also growing like a weed at the same time.

Now I am hoping that it can come off at a reasonable rate so I don't have the skin problem. I guess ill have to bathe in coco butter or something now to help prevent it however I can.

 

[arnisador]

Great work losing that weight! The skin will require a nip-and-tuck--only you can decide if it's worth it.

I think that it is your carb counting that helped the most. I don't bother counting calories

It's calories that matter most, by far--the category is nowhere near as important. A low-carb diet won't do much without calories restriction.