The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[LilMsTexas]

I just love you Martha

[martha]

CHRISTI--

DITTO RIGHT BACK AT YOU YOU are a fine person and I am proud to be associated with ya..Martha

[24KaratGold]

And both of you have been so good and kind to me in this very difficult time in my life -- I appreciate you both. God sends angels when we need them, I've heard.

[martha]

24KT--

You are such an inspiration to me .. I will be here for you whenever you want me to be..In fact I will be here for you when you don't feel the need for it anymore.. I truely hope things are better for you this week.. I continue to pray for peace in your life.. I'm proud to know you and call you friend..martha

[Nancy]

Dear giamarie ~

It is interesting that you would find us in your search about lose skin. I see that you lost 127 pounds - that is a very BIG DEAL! Congratulations to you for doing it! It is not an easy task to lose a century of pounds and you have gone beyond that.

You also tell us that your weight loss journey has been fraught with insurance hassles, gall bladder surgery (surgery can often be difficult for the surgeon as well as the patient if obesity is involved) and emotional pain because you are not feeling very good about your appearance.

Those of us who have lost our weight due to Medifast generally do not require surgery to remove excess skin as Jan and Christi have so eloquently explained. Medifast is a nutritional approach to weight loss and it is truly the fat that is expended and not the muscle; not so with other weight loss programs.

Gastric by-pass surgery was my doctor's suggestion for me because of my frequent weight loss failures but the skin issue was one of the reasons I opted to not go that route. I did a lot of investigation into weight loss surgery and many survivors (you see, not all who have the surgery awaken from it) require skin removal.

Some of you may have seen the people on Oprah and other TV shows who required skin removal due to weight loss surgery. (BTW, for those who lurk, the MAIN reason I didn't go the gastric by-pass route is because I like to have a piece of marion berry pie ala mode and eat a blue cheese burger with bacon every once in a while and for most people who have by-pass surgery eating something sugary or greasy gives them dumping syndrome and it is not pleasant. I hate to throw up - it makes me sick to my stomach!

Thank you, Jan for the comment about my bod (which, by the way, Folks, Jan HAS seen me up-close and personal as has Paul, Unca (yeah, well, very up-close and personal, as he lives here at the MakeMeThinner Cottage) Bonnie, RavenKat (aka Kat), Sister, NE Gal in S, Spidey (well not THAT personal) and many others.

Hey, Jan, I didn't know you were THAT old, you never told me! ...I turn 57 in October! We look pretty good, Folks.

I was working in the yard today wearing a spandex shirt, as I am wont to do BECAUSE I CAN...I got honked at by two men in a convertible doing a drive-by! They slowed down and gave me the once-and-then-the-twice look over - I loved it!

My arms were HUMONGOUS when I was 265 pounds. My upper arms are flappy but I don't care, they do not hang down to my wrists and Leopard Woman has her subtle ways to dress and to distract. I suppose if I ever get rich and famous, I could have my wings clipped but I'd choose to have my eyes done before arm flappage!


giamarie, we really cannot help you with your current skin issues due to your weight loss from surgeries and/or other eating plans. If you want to lose the rest of your weight and reach a healthy BMI, we can help you get the last 40 pounds off with great nutrition. My skin tightened up more after time, too.

Best of health to you! You are healthier for your weight loss even though you are not happy with the excess skin.

[Jan]

Hi Christi
I just sent you two -- yes two -- p. m.'s Out to cyber space they went -- maybe you got them -- My computer is sloooooow today. Hope you did them Jan

[NikkiZ]

Hello everybody. I am not using Medifast yet (but hope to be approved soon), but I wanted to comment on the loose skin issue. I have found that skin brushing has been EXCELLENT for my skin! Remember that your skin is an organ, and one of the best ways that you can care for it is by exercising it and keeping it clean. You can use any kind of natural bristle brush, just don't use too much pressure. One of the other major benefits of the brushing is improved circulation (you are in essence pumping the lymph through your body), and better appearance of the skin (ie:glowing skin!). I realize this post has turned into a novel, but loose skin can be a very pesky problem so I just wanted to share something that has helped me out. Hopefully soon I will be posting more in other threads as well about all the great benefits I will get from Medifast!

[Nancy]

Thank you, Nikki for the great idea. I suppose at first, it is ticklish, eh?

I know that brushing the leaves of my African violets helps them to appear healthier - it gets the dust and dry particles off of the leaves, allowing for better oxygen exchange. Many people exfoliate their face and neck to remove dead skin cells and to eliminate dry dull-looking skin. It would seem that brushing the body would indeed increase circulation and improve the appearance of the skin.

Thank you! As you use Medifast, you will de-flab, which results in an improved over-all appearance, too!

[juls4u]

I have that same exact problem and I have the same stat as you 5'3 started at 330 now 175 I feel the exact same thing not sure what do do. I need help also

Julie

Hello. I just came across this site because I have been looking very seriously into finding away to get rid of all this excess skin that I have hanging around. Literally! I got sick Oct. 04 with gallbladder problems thanks to insurance issues I did not have it removed untill Feb. 05. I had lost some weight but, not as much as I have after the surgery. I was at my highest weight 297 and a size 28w and I am only 5'3. As of today I am 170 and wear a size 15 in juniors. Okay great! I love the fact that I am smaller but, I could be so much smaller if I could get rid of all this disgusting skin on me. I would probably be 5 sizes smaller if I could only figure out how to make it go away. I do excerise, eat very little because I still can not eat much without pain but, when I do it is for the most part very healthy. I think sometimes I am more sad now than when I was really big. I cry just looking at myself in the mirror. But, everyone tells me how wonderful I look. Thats because I have clothes on and they dont see me naked when they do! I am very seriously considering surgery. But, how much does something this extensive cost? I am unhappy all over again. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for me please help me out. I dont know what my options are. This is the first time ever that I have posted a note like this. contact me at <snip>no emails please - Mr. Snippy</snip> thank you so much for any information you can provide.

<comment>emails are not allowed here for your own protection - register on the forum and add your email to your profile, if you'd like members to contact you - UT</comment>

[a healthy guy]

Sorry guys but im all natural . I have read many Mens Health magazines. Im even aiming for an eight pack, which i have set a deadline for 2 more months. I totally disagree with surgery, because you take risks and there is absolutely no risk in letting your body do this naturally. When you catch a cold, your body recovers and does the same with a cut. I think that what was said about your body eventually pulling itself back together is true. Thanx a lot for the post. My skin has been pulling itself together after a 50 lb weight loss and i've noticed because i look at myself every day in the mirror and wont give up until the flab is completely gone. I build as much muscle as i can. Im very lean and cut. If i completely loose all of my flab in about a year i will repost saying i did, but so far i've lost a good amount. Guys dont get depressed, there's a solution to your problems in natural ways, use surgery as a last solution to your problem. I also would like to say im no expert either, but i've learned from my experiences.

[Nancy]

a healthy guy ~

Thank you for your comments - it is true, as muscle is developed, it plumps out some of the skin. Allowing some time to pass and your body to do its thing, loose skin becomes less of an issue. I have written about it in other threads - there are other factors one needs to consider - age, length of time one has been overweight, heredity, medications and disease, etc. For example a woman in her twenties who has been overweight for three years since a pregnancy will have different issues than a person like me that is in her late 50's, has been overweight or obese for 40 years. I consider my skin to be used to being spronged out and yet, it looks amazingly good - my photos are totally un-retouched. My face, neck, and chest are not like a turkey's wattle.

Healthy Guy, as you continue to work out and build your muscles, you will tighten up and will look great, I’m sure. I just know that I feel very happy about my weight loss; I love how I look and feel confident and so glad that I lost 135 pounds. I feel and look so much better than I did when I weighed 267 pounds and my skin was so firm and taut then that it looked like a sausage about to burst! I’ll take a few wrinkles or sags rather than the sky-high cholesterol, surging blood pressure numbers and lousy arterial health I had before I went on the program any day.

[Fahad]

I have the similar problem I am 23 age MALE.

I am so scared of this surgery any other alternatives

[Friendly Mate]

Well,

I am 23 years old male..
I was 210 lbs and now i am 160 lbs, lost weight all naturally, I always go for natural way in healing medicines and stuff, but This Loose skin hangingt below my navel is so disgusting it makes me sick. This actually was there before i started to loose weight, that was my motivation, But, damn its still here after a long struggle with my eating habits as well as my bad habits of not exercising.I always wanted a six pack kinda body, but unfurtunately i am CURSED. I am so depressed now, i cant tell this to anyone, My friends, family they compliment me on losing so much weight and also that i should stop losing weight and blah blah, but, I cant seem to stop due to this ugly stomach of mine, I cant go swimming, i cant take off my shirt anywhere, i am so much in pain only god knows....

I even heard that, doing PILATES everyday for 6 months helps in getting back your tummy tuck properly and core muscles will be stronger and plus using potions to firm those areas is that true?? ?
I went to a surgeon that my mom went to for her surgery, She reccommended the same thing what my mom had done.. Its so scary so brutal, i always hated knives, i m scared..

Please are there any NATURAL or SAFER ways to eliminate this excess skin folds sometimes i cant even find my BELLY BUTTON, its so weird since, my hands, my overall body seems so thin, my hands are so skinny, even i am scared they will break....

ANY IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, OPINIONS, HELP will be really appreciated.

THANKS alot
Freidnly Mate- <snip>no emails please - Mr. Snippy</snip>

[Nancy]

Friendly Mate ~

I am so sorry to hear that you have hanging skin.

My skin tightened up over the course of time. It is not perfect but I do not have hangy skin. My thighs are 'shaky' but so are the legs of other women in their late 50's who were never overweight.

Adding exercise will assist by defining the muscles that support the skin but it does not reduce the skin volume. You don't indicate that you are currently exercising or whether or not you exercised during your weight loss program. Since you mentioned that your skin was somewhat saggy to begin with, perhaps genetically your skin is not as responsive - you also mention your mother experienced the same thing.

Sorry but I really have no suggestions for you.