Hi All, i'd love to avoid another surgery like an arm lift. What is your way of avoiding saggy flabby arms, it was already flabby 30 lbs ago but now with the weight falling off, i know there will be excess skin on the arms, anyone have any ideas on how to minimize the excess skin with the weight falling off rapidly? I am going to get in exercise once I am cleared.

Exercise, exercise and more exercise. There are lots of contributing factors with excess skin - age, how long you've been overweight, genetics, etc. I have sagging skin and I think of it as a tax I have to pay for allowing my life to get out of control.

I found that once I started yoga, the sagging in my arms wasn't as bad (the bat wings) and my legs had more definition as opposed to sagging skin at the knees. I am starting weights again now and I can see better definition in my arms.

Toning can help a little, but ultimately skin is skin, and it will not magically disappear. Surgical intervention is one option, but learning to accept yourself is another. Unfortunately, there is no miracle treatment (and anyone promising you that is either mistaken or trying to sell you something). It took many years of abuse to bring your body to this point, so don't get discouraged when it can't be undone.

I've heard good things about the arm surgery, and the recovery time seems to be quick.

Edited September 7, 201510 yr by BarrySue

I agree exercise does help to an extent; if anything other than surgery will help, it is exercise. With that being said, as others have said, excess skin is a price we pay for allowing our bodies to carry so much excess weight for so long. I did have a tummy tuck/ panni to remove the excess skin from my stomach and that was covered by insurance, but they denied my arm lift. So I am left exercising, saving up to self-pay, and learning to accept my arms and inner thighs for what they are. :-)

I'm going to the gym and doing everything I can to tone then, but realistically I'm not ruling out an arm surgery in the future. I'm a little to scared of the recovery for a TT/paniculectomy, so I'm just going to have to live with my belly!!

I've done strength training in my arms 3 times a week for the past 9 months and unfortunately I still have really bad bat wings. I've changed up the exercises I use to "tone", used info from my doc, but still is an area I need to work on. Has an arm lift ever been covered by insurance?

In addition to toning out with some light weights, I'm using firming cream and taking vitamin e, it's tightening my skin up quite well. Whole Foods has some organic lotions and body butters, there is one in a purple and orange tall bottle, it smells like mango cream-sicles. Saved my skin.