Which exercises are the best to build muscle mass and help reduce the amount of excess skin? I am bit under the illusion that there will be zero excess skin and I know that there are several factors in the amount of excess skin you have and how well it recovers...would like to hear some things that have worked for others. Thanks

Sorry that is supposed to say "not" under the illusion. Lol....doggone predictive text!

I have been doing 2 zumba classses a week, 1 yoga and 2 days of weight training and it seems to be working for me. I still have loose skin but not hanging skin and I am down 81 lbs. Everyone is different, some people have very elastic skin and bounce back quickly. All you can do it try different things and see what works for you. Good luck!

exercise routine for women: http://www.t-nation....e.do?id=1305014

moisturize your skin - obviously a necessity

eat foods high in collagen, like blueberries. collagen is what gives skin it's elasticity, so that's important. berries are usually pretty low in sugar & carbs. there's other stuff with collagen, you'll just have to do a bit of research & see what works for you.

take MSM.. it's a natural sulfur compound that does not smell (different kind of sulfur) & it's derived from rain Water. MSM lubricates your joints, as well as makes your skin supple & soft. a lot of people with huge amounts of weight lost (100+ lb) have used MSM & had great success getting their skin to shrink.

skin brush.. it removes dead skin cells & promotes growth of new skin.

take a multi-Vitamin & anything with vitamin E in it is always good.

hope that helped.

Not to be pessimistic, but anything you read on this topic is going to be extremely anecdotal. A person could say they did this or that and had no loose skin, but they have no idea if they would have had loose skin regardless. Some people do absolutely nothing and still have no loose skin, some people try some of everything but still get it. Building muscle will at least help fill out loose skin to a certain degree, but it's going to have to be a full body routine. There is no one muscle group you should focus on. And even then, there is only so much muscle you can build on a reduced calorie diet.

Thanks for all the feedback! Just wanting to hear what had worked for others so that I can try to get a routine tailor made for me. All info and comments are greatly appreciated, even those of the Preachy, Judgmental, Bullying variety. Lol! There are two sides to every coin!

exercise routine for women: http://www.t-nation....e.do?id=1305014

moisturize your skin - obviously a necessity

eat foods high in collagen' date=' like blueberries. collagen is what gives skin it's elasticity, so that's important. berries are usually pretty low in sugar & carbs. there's other stuff with collagen, you'll just have to do a bit of research & see what works for you.

take MSM.. it's a natural sulfur compound that does not smell (different kind of sulfur) & it's derived from rain Water. MSM lubricates your joints, as well as makes your skin supple & soft. a lot of people with huge amounts of weight lost (100+ lb) have used MSM & had great success getting their skin to shrink.

skin brush.. it removes dead skin cells & promotes growth of new skin.

take a multi-Vitamin & anything with vitamin E in it is always good.

hope that helped. [/quote']

Where does one buy a skin brush??

Where does one buy a skin brush??

from: http://www.skinacea.com/how-to/dry-skin-brush.html

To dry skin brush, all you need is a natural bristle bath brush (synthetic fibers can cause small scratches on the surface of your skin). Most brushes come in either short or long handles. I prefer the long-handled brushes with a detachable head. The detachable brushes are more ergonomic for brushing your limbs, but the long handles make it easier to brush the back, buttocks, and other hard to reach places.

There are some brushes labeled as "detox" brushes, but don't be fooled. These can cost upwards of $20, but all you need is a simple $4 brush. Natural bristle brushes usually lose their stiffness after a few months of use and must be replaced.

Whatever kind of brush you get, you just have to make sure the brush has stiff, yet flexible bristles. You don't want a brush that's very soft, otherwise you would get zero exfoliating effects. You don't want the bristles to be too stiff either, but it's better to err on the side of being too stiff because the bristles will soften with use.

Before you buy a brush, tug on the bristles a bit to see if they come out easily. If they do, find yourself a better quality brush. If you don't buy a brush with sturdily rooted bristles, the hairs will fall out during dry brushing sessions, rendering the brush less effective.

in regards to where to buy one.. you can buy them online, at places like whole foods or other "health" stores.. you *CAN* use synthetic ones from walmart or whatever.. i've also seen natural bristle ones at walmart & at the mall & places like bath & body works.

from: http://www.skinacea.com/how-to/dry-skin-brush.html

To dry skin brush' date=' all you need is a natural bristle bath brush (synthetic fibers can cause small scratches on the surface of your skin). Most brushes come in either short or long handles. I prefer the long-handled brushes with a detachable head. The detachable brushes are more ergonomic for brushing your limbs, but the long handles make it easier to brush the back, buttocks, and other hard to reach places.

There are some brushes labeled as "detox" brushes, but don't be fooled. These can cost upwards of 20, but all you need is a simple 4 brush. Natural bristle brushes usually lose their stiffness after a few months of use and must be replaced.

Whatever kind of brush you get, you just have to make sure the brush has stiff, yet flexible bristles. You don't want a brush that's very soft, otherwise you would get zero exfoliating effects. You don't want the bristles to be too stiff either, but it's better to err on the side of being too stiff because the bristles will soften with use.

Before you buy a brush, tug on the bristles a bit to see if they come out easily. If they do, find yourself a better quality brush. If you don't buy a brush with sturdily rooted bristles, the hairs will fall out during dry brushing sessions, rendering the brush less effective.

in regards to where to buy one.. you can buy them online, at places like whole foods or other "health" stores.. you *CAN* use synthetic ones from walmart or whatever.. i've also seen natural bristle ones at walmart & at the mall & places like bath & body works. [/quote']

Ty!!! Can't wait to try!

Ive been skin brushing since before surgery and it seems to be helping .i then moisurize with almond oil.

And you just use it on your skin dry? Does it hurt?

No it doesnt hurt and yes you dry brush and then shower then apply a natural oil. I actually love it i feel really good after . Its relaxing and it exfoliates your skin it is also supposed to help your lymphs empty .

I love it too!! Feels so good!!

Guess I'm gonna have to try it out! thanks yall!

I know compound movements (pullups, deadlifts, squats, incline bench press, etc) really help build muscle and have helped me. I've not lost a ton of weight (60+ pounds so far), but I think I've added a good bit of muscle weight, lost a lot of fat and I have zero problem with saggy or excess skin. But then again, there's genetics and age involved as well. Just letting you know my experience.

I love it too!! Feels so good!!

I think I want to try it now!!