Has anyone out there had any trainers or perhaps dietitians that have taught them ways to firm your skins elasticity up before going into surgery? My thought is, after such dramatic weight loss...there will be some loose skin issues for some of us. I have a fear, I'll be one of those. So, what my thinking process is...is there a way to at least alleviate some of this if not all? Maybe you have some tips to share, or some reality to shed on us. I'm sure that this is a question on a few of our minds that are pre-surgery patients!

Dev

I am only 3 months out, but from what I hear some people are destined to have firmer skin than others-just depends on the elasticity of your skin- the best thing is to excercise and do exercises to tone.

Once elasticity is lost, it is gone forever. And no amount of exercise will help with that. Exercise will build muscle, and fill out some of the sagging skin, but it will not "tone" the skin at all, because skin is not a muscle.

i exercised like a fiend and have very saggy, pug like skin...

i still exercise, but nowhere near as intense as before - - i need to work on that.

chickie-although i hated to hear your response, its so true. okay so what about the people on the biggest loser they all have more sagging skin that i have and now it looks pretty toned to me!!

I have no idea what the people on a tv show (that I don't even watch) have done. I only know what several doctors, including no less than 3 reconstructive surgeons have told me, and personal experence have taught me.

Good question, goodtimes. I watched the Biggest Loser finale last night and I had the exact same question. How did they get so toned and a lot of them (some still had problems) did not have saggy skin?

Wasn't that amazing!

Did you see them naked? Like 100% butt naked?

Because I look like I have never been overweight, let alone super morbidly obese, till I take all my clothes off.

And how many of them were at a healthy weight? As in not in the "Overweight" category? Trust me. You see big changes in the skin between "Overweight" and "Normal"

I am not trying to be argumentative here, but TV (even reality TV) is not realistic in any way shape or form.

Good point Chickie; I didn't see them naked. What I was noticing was their inner thighs and their arms. The last 4 contestants also "appeared" to have really flat stomaches. They were very overweight when they started the TV show. Isabeau, one of the contestants, lost a 113 pounds during the process!

However, you did bring up a good point. Clothes can hide a lot. Right now, I am so far away from my goal weight, I would love to look good IN clothes. I am not even concerned about how I look naked. So, I am happy to hear that you look great with your clothes on. Kudos for you! I am hoping that someday I will be able to say the same thing.

Wouldn't surprise me to find several rolls of duct tape in the back rooms at BL. There is no way to tighten skin like that----without surgical intervention. Chickie should know, she worked out--or ran --like a mad woman, and is toned beyond belief, even though her pics are down----and even she had to go the surgical route....as will I!

I will gladly do the TT---------it is so worth it to have this much of the weight gone, and know the rest will eventually come off too---makes even the plastics worthwhile!

Kat

Good point Chickie; I didn't see them naked. What I was noticing was their inner thighs and their arms. The last 4 contestants also "appeared" to have really flat stomaches. They were very overweight when they started the TV show. Isabeau, one of the contestants, lost a 113 pounds during the process!

Did you see them in undies? Because even shorts hide a lot. My point. Again is, they probably DID look "toned" because they are still overweight! The skin is still being fill out by fat. Naturally you wouldn't see hanging skin on someone who has still got 50 odd pounds to lose. It's when we get close to the finish line (a healthy, normal BMI) that the loose skin begins to really show.

Wouldn't surprise me to find several rolls of duct tape in the back rooms at BL. There is no way to tighten skin like that----without surgical intervention. Chickie should know, she worked out--or ran --like a mad woman, and is toned beyond belief, even though her pics are down----and even she had to go the surgical route....as will I!

I will gladly do the TT---------it is so worth it to have this much of the weight gone, and know the rest will eventually come off too---makes even the plastics worthwhile!

Kat

Awww.... Thanks Kat!

Several of the biggest loser contestants in Australia have made a big thing about all the PS they needed after the weight loss. Its all smoke and mirrors on TV and do you notice how the men take their shirts off to weigh at first and then stop doing so past a certain point?

Sorry, but there's no way to prevent sagging skin, you either get it or you dont. I was very lucky but I do have some. I'm going to have a breast lift, for some reason that area REALLY suffered whereas my stomach and thighs, whilst somewhat loose are really very OK, no worse than a lot of people who have never been obese.

But yeah, with a bra on and dressed, I have a pair of quite impressive assets, lol. They certainly get stared at a lot as now I'm tall and thin with DD's. But naked, ugh. They are horrendous.

Good point Chickie; I didn't see them naked. What I was noticing was their inner thighs and their arms. The last 4 contestants also "appeared" to have really flat stomaches. They were very overweight when they started the TV show. Isabeau, one of the contestants, lost a 113 pounds during the process!

However, you did bring up a good point. Clothes can hide a lot. Right now, I am so far away from my goal weight, I would love to look good IN clothes. I am not even concerned about how I look naked. So, I am happy to hear that you look great with your clothes on. Kudos for you! I am hoping that someday I will be able to say the same thing.

compression garments (or sucker inners as i call 'em) do WONDERS.

i do not leave the house without one. i've even started wearing one when i work out because of the loose/flabby skin. they are a bit pricy but SO worth it.

LJM that's what I was thinking. They are so compacted in those shirts that most (if not all) had to be wearing a spanx or something like it. Only the one old guy took off his shirt and he was pretty saggy. The others you could see a little arm skin or around the knee thing every now and then

I know that I'm already sagging and there's extra skin on my thighs, my upper stomach and my lower stomach (sadly - there are now two ). I don't expect to look perfect naked but I'll go for HOT in clothing any day

I am considering a tummytuck and breast lift if things look really nasty when I get done

wombat,

oh, i know about the 2 stomachs ... (one that is above the compression garment and the one being sucked in...)

my arms and inner thighs are 'skinny' (as in lots of skin) and wrinkly, but my lower stomach is my main problem. going to get that taken care of in 70 days ... :whoo: