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loose skin after weight loss

Lakesha lost 178 pounds

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Today’s weight loss story: The fabulous Lakesha lost 178 pounds by eating right and working out on the regular.  Although she had been approved for weight loss surgery, she decided not to go through with it.  Here is what she shared with us about her weight loss journey:

“I’m sure I topped the scales at well over 400 pounds at one point in my life. By the time I was sick and tired of being fat, I weighed in at 388 pounds. At that point, I felt like gastric bypass surgery was my cure all. Getting approved for the surgery was fairly easy. I had a surgery date set in August of 2008.

There was a still voice telling me I hadn’t given it my all and before I went through with this life changing procedure, I owed it to myself to give it my all.

I am living proof that giving it your all will get you the results you desire. I started my journey in January 2009. Like most it was my new year’s resolution, but this time I chose to dig deeper and I prayed everyday. I asked God to give me the strength, stamina and endurance to go on even when I didn’t feel like going on. He answered my prayers, but I also did my part with making the right food choices and I exercised five to six days a week. The three D’s are a staple in my life Dedication…Determination & Discipline.

The last time I weighed myself I was down a total of 178 pounds. At one point, I was thinking I can’t wait to show my before and after photo. Truth is… after never comes.  It’s a journey that doesn’t end. It’s a lifestyle and I’m in it for the long haul. It’s not an easy journey in the beginning, but it’s so worth it. I swear I’ve never felt this great in my life. It’s not about being skinny or just smaller. It is a plus to being smaller because the clothes are not as expensive and I have choices. I can shop in any store I want.

It’s about not being worried if a seat is too small in certain places. It’s about being able to out run my children while we’re outside playing. It’s about taking care of me now so that I won’t be a burden to others later.  It’s about having the energy to live and enjoy life.

I currently still work out five to six days a week that’s cardio & strength training. Don’t be afraid to lift weights it will help with the loose skin. I was so heavy that I still have some skin but I think it would have been a lot worse if I didn’t lift weights at all. I eat clean 75% of the time. I drink plenty of water. At minimum I drink a gallon a day. One thing to remember… you can’t out train a bad diet. Don’t waste your time or money going to a gym if you don’t plan to change what you are eating. It starts in the kitchen.

You and only you can make the changes necessary to live a healthy life. You are in control of every bite and nibble you taste. Exercise that self control and see where it takes you. Eating healthy and exercising is a CHOICE. Make the right choice for you!!!

I have no regrets about my weight loss journey. I feel good!!!

Lakesha weight loss story

Caroline Jhingory shares her loose skin surgery story

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Caroline skin surgery

Hey Divas, our good friend Author Caroline Jhingory recently wrote to us to talk about loose skin.  We featured the story of her 150 pound weight loss back in July and she received a lot of questions from Black Women Losing Weight members about sagging skin post-weight loss.  She shared the info below and photo for more info:

“As a result of my weight loss, I was left with a mass of hanging skin on my belly and underneath my arms that hung like curtains. The fact that my stomach was bigger than my already tiny boobies bothered me the most. People often commented that my belly looked like the stomach of a woman that had 5 kids, although I have never had children. I know of others that were successful at losing 100+ pounds and they had no issues with sagging skin. Their skin bounced back. However, for many (myself included), there was no amount of exercise or strength training that would get rid of my post-weight loss flab.

In December 2007, I choose to have an abdominalplasty (tummy tuck) and lipo on my arms to remove the excess skin. I thought that the skin weighed more, but the doctor said it was around a pound and half worth of skin he removed. Over the last few years, I have reduced additional flab around my belly with more intensive cardiovascular exercise. Much of the research out there says that you need to SWEAT, meaning cardio, to burn fat around the belly.

I’m a little 50/50 on whether I would have plastic surgery again.  Maybe on my thighs. I’m a little hesitant because the surgery was the worst.  Let me say it again …the worst pain of my life. Maybe I am just a sucker. It hurt when I laughed, it hurt when I breathed, it hurt when I walked, it hurt when I ate.  And for some reason I couldn’t pee after surgery unless I splashed ice cold water on my “vajayjay” with a water bottle and shocked it to pee. The doctor said this was normal and that it happens to some women after C-sections, so go figure.”

Check out Caroline on Instagram.

More info on loose skin.

Loose Skin after Weight Loss: Why It Happens and What to Do about It

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loose skin after weight lossFor many people, the joy of watching the number on the scale and the size of their clothing go down gets overshadowed by the presence of loose skin. Not only can your skin get loose and saggy after extreme weight loss, your body can maintain the same shape it had before your weight loss efforts. The image in the mirror, while smaller, appears to change little all the while your skin loses shape and elasticity. Fortunately there are ways you can combat loose skin while dieting.

Why Do People Have Loose Skin after Weight Loss?

Your skin is an amazing organ with the ability to expand and contract along with your growth spurts and changing body. This ability is called elasticity and it is at the heart of the factors that contribute to loose skin. You see, once elasticity is gone, your skin loses its ability to shrink back – much like a worn out rubber band that refuses to recoil. Following are just a few things that can affect your skin’s elasticity:

  • Obesity – If you are considered obese, your skin has stretched considerably. Those who need to lose 100 lbs. or more in order to reach their goal weight can expect some lose skin.
  • Time – the amount of time you have been overweight also has some bearing on how loose your skin will be once you lose the weight. The longer your skin remains in a stretched-out position, the harder it will be for it to snap back.
  • Age – As we age, we lose elasticity – it’s what causes wrinkles. Younger skin has more ability to shrink back after weight loss than older skin.

So, some of these factors can not be affected that much.  This is why many people have to have surgery after losing large amounts of weight.  It’s just a fact.  However, you should never let loose skin stop you from losing weight.  Being obese or overweight and dealing with weight related health issues is not worth the vanity.  Your health is more important than some loose skin.

How to Minimize Loose Skin during Weight Loss

As mentioned before, there are several things you can do to minimize loose skin during weight loss. While you may not be able to avoid loose skin altogether, you can surely improve your skin’s ability to retract.

  1. Lose weight slowly – Sustaining a gradual weight loss of approximately 1-2 pounds per week will go a long way in preventing loose skin. You see, it takes time for your skin to contract. When you lose weight quickly, your skin has no time to catch up.
  2. Consume plenty of protein and good fats – Your skin, hair, and nails are made up of protein. Eat plenty of it to alleviate loose skin.  Collagen is a protein that is related to this in the body.  The issue is that if you aren’t eating right and your body starts to cannibalize the protein in your body…it could eat up or hinder the production of collagen that you need for skin elasticity.  It’s also important to include healthy oils in your diet to keep the skin flexible and as healthy as possible.
  3. Get a weekly or monthly massage –  Massages improve circulation to the skin and helps skin retract. Getting a massage also helps alleviate cellulite – another unsightly issue that occurs during weight loss.
  4. Take a multivitamin or monitor the vitamins you are eating – For good skin health, you need vitamin C, E, A, B-complex and K.  Iron, selenium and zinc are also minerals you’d want to get the recommended amount of.
  5. Don’t be afraid of weights – Weight training will help to reshape and redefine the body.  Muscle also burns fat at rest.  Adding some muscle definition and muscle tone will help to redefine your body so that it doesn’t appear that you have just deflated.

In addition to these tips, it’s vital to remain hydrated. All of your body’s organs, including your skin, need water in order to function properly. If you stay hydrated, lose weight slowly, follow a balance diet, and make efforts to increase your skin circulation, you can greatly diminish the amount of loose skin you will have after you lose all the weight. In cases of extreme weight loss, however, it often becomes necessary to surgically remove excess skin when it becomes apparent that it isn’t going to bounce back into shape.