I haven't decided on with surgery to have yet and I'm sure all WLS can cause it due to speedy weigh loss but I was wondering if 100% of patients has this problem? Would you mind sharing your starting weight height and age? I realize this is personal but I know these must have alot to do with how much loose skin you will have. Thanks:)

I know that once I start to really loose weight post-op I will look like a melting candle. I'm not thrilled with it but I can deal with it and will eventually consult a plastic surgeon.

Until I get to the point that I'm ready for a surgeon I will faithfully wear my Spanx to help smooth everything out.

So is there no way to get rid of loose skin via rigorous exercise or some kind of serious fat burning exercises? Skin is skin I guess, but I'm wondering if there is some underlying fat or something that can be worked out through exercise to some degree.

I had talked to somebody who went from 475 to 180 with a gastric sleeve, and he hated the loose skin he had. I saw him right after he had plastic surgery on his arms and stomach, and I didn't really like the scars it left. His arms looked like he had tried to commit suicide with long scars from his shoulder down below his elbow. Maybe it'll clear up later, I don't know, but it was certainly noticeable.

Everyone doesn't have loose skin. I've seen quite a few YouTube vids where people minimized it tremendously by starting weight training as soon as they were cleared to exercise. One woman said she did 4-5 sets of 10 reps using 4 lb weights of arms strength training exercises, and this chick ended up with muscular arms a year post op. Not a single bit of flab. Most of the flab would be in the legs and tummy, but that can also be combated with major sit-ups and ab exercises, and leg weights. One would have to be extremely dedicated, but it is definitely doable. My plan is to get a personal trainer with the money I'm saving from no longer having fast food and eating out.

Ah, sit ups, the bane of my existence. But I have childhood issues.

Just want to say I have a lot of loose skin already and have about 20-30lbs to go! It's bad! Will post more about it tomorrow when not falling asleep.

So is there no way to get rid of loose skin via rigorous exercise or some kind of serious fat burning exercises? Skin is skin I guess, but I'm wondering if there is some underlying fat or something that can be worked out through exercise to some degree.

I had talked to somebody who went from 475 to 180 with a gastric sleeve, and he hated the loose skin he had. I saw him right after he had plastic surgery on his arms and stomach, and I didn't really like the scars it left. His arms looked like he had tried to commit suicide with long scars from his shoulder down below his elbow. Maybe it'll clear up later, I don't know, but it was certainly noticeable.

The scars will fade with them and especially if he were to use a cream to encourage the fading.

So is there no way to get rid of loose skin via rigorous exercise or some kind of serious fat burning exercises? Skin is skin I guess, but I'm wondering if there is some underlying fat or something that can be worked out through exercise to some degree.

I had talked to somebody who went from 475 to 180 with a gastric sleeve, and he hated the loose skin he had. I saw him right after he had plastic surgery on his arms and stomach, and I didn't really like the scars it left. His arms looked like he had tried to commit suicide with long scars from his shoulder down below his elbow. Maybe it'll clear up later, I don't know, but it was certainly noticeable.

Skin is skin as you say. Yes you can absolutely tone the muscle underneath and get rid of as much subcutaneous fat as you can (cardio and diet, not weight training) but that won't get rid of the skin.

I worked out HARD had lots of muscle mass, quite "cut" and well defined, 18% body fat--almost no subcutaneous fat. I still had loose skin. Not horrible, but definitely there. I can share pix if you want to PM me. Not totally sure I want to post those. Will think about it.

My plastics scars are NOT that bad. At all. And they don't go shoulder to wrist. Armpit to almost elbow for my arms and they hide when my arms are at my sides.

Everyone doesn't have loose skin. I've seen quite a few YouTube vids where people minimized it tremendously by starting weight training as soon as they were cleared to exercise. One woman said she did 4-5 sets of 10 reps using 4 lb weights of arms strength training exercises, and this chick ended up with muscular arms a year post op. Not a single bit of flab. Most of the flab would be in the legs and tummy, but that can also be combated with major sit-ups and ab exercises, and leg weights. One would have to be extremely dedicated, but it is definitely doable. My plan is to get a personal trainer with the money I'm saving from no longer having fast food and eating out.

She had good genes or was young or hadn't been overweight that long. Somehow she still had skin elasticity. Working out will tone the muscles underneath and get rid of subcutaneous fat but it WILL NOT AFFECT SKIN.

Maybe you will be lucky and have skin elasticity, maybe the OP will. Some do, some don't. The working out is excellent please do it. But the skin elasticity is not related.

So is there no way to get rid of loose skin via rigorous exercise or some kind of serious fat burning exercises? Skin is skin I guess, but I'm wondering if there is some underlying fat or something that can be worked out through exercise to some degree.

I had talked to somebody who went from 475 to 180 with a gastric sleeve, and he hated the loose skin he had. I saw him right after he had plastic surgery on his arms and stomach, and I didn't really like the scars it left. His arms looked like he had tried to commit suicide with long scars from his shoulder down below his elbow. Maybe it'll clear up later, I don't know, but it was certainly noticeable.

yes and no. To some extent you can "tone" after weightloss, but your skin has a maximum elasticity and for people like me who have made it to 400lbs, we have broken the elasticity of our skin and it is completely impossible to retract all that skin. It's torn. Think about an elastic waist pair of pants. If you fit in the pants the elastic weight flexes and goes back to it's shape afterwards, but if you jam a person 3x the size of the pants, they bust and rip and the elastic gets shot. Same with the skin.

As @@jess9395 said, it depends on the person. Younger people (say under 35) generally have more elasticity in their skin, and the loose skin tends to be less of an issue generally (although not in all cases). For most of the rest of us, loose skin is a reality we will just have to cope with regardless of how many crunches or whatever you do. Skin doesn't just melt away with exercise.

And as @@Sajijoma said, for people who have lost a lot of weight (over 100 lbs, which is or will be most of us) there is simply too much extra skin to "tone" away.

I am hoping that given some time and continue to tone that at least it will get a bit better! If not I will have to do some fund raising to get my problem areas fixed! Great thread!

Don't wait til you lose to start working out. Do it as soon as you have release from your doctor.

I am 45 and i have lost over 120 pounds I exercise 7 days a week for 1-2 hours a day you are going t o have loose skin because remember you have stretch your skin , exercise helps tone it , i also have had a tummy tuck with muscle repair because my stomach was so big that it hung, i went from a size 32 pants to a size 10 pants. So I am saying this i would not trade being healthy for nothing gaining your life back gives you a second chance on life and you are want to do things that you could not have done and the extra skin can be handle with body contouring and exercise. Good luck everyone.