Hi, Just found this forum and love it! I have a question to anyone who has had a similar problem. I have been on the Atkins diet for the past 12 months and have lost 236 pounds. Started out at 452 and am now down to 216. I stand 6'1" and have a large frame. The weight charts say I should be about 195. Everyone tells me I shouldn't lose anymore...they say I am starting to look too lean. Most people guess my weight to be around 170 now and are suprised when I tell them I weigh 216. I have lots of loose skin and I remember reading or hearing somewhere that this extra skin could weigh 30-40 lbs on someone my size. Does anyone have any info on this? One more question... When I look in a mirror, I don't look any different to myself as when I was at 452, but when I see a current photo of myself , I am shocked by how thin and lean I look! Has this happened to anyone else who has lost a massive amount? Is this a normal thing? Thank you for any advice you can give. Greg

Hi GregInOkla

Welcome to the board, we're glad you found us. Sorry, can't help with the loose skin, I'm hoping Wa'il, our wonderful web master will jump in 'cause he has lost more that 200 lbs, he has been there, done that.

Your weight loss in just 1 year is absolutely astounding. I'm hoping you'll share your story with us in the Bootcamp, Success Stories forum. You are so close to goal, it must feel marvelous.

Looking forward to what you have to share,

Ruth

Hi there:

Congratulations on your tremendous loss.

Skin is actually an organ and does have weight, I am sure that there is someone on this forum that will know that answer.

What you are talking about when you say you feel larger than your size is something that I have difficulties with also. I always had the image in my brain that I was larger than I was and when I look back on pictures I realize that I was pretty svelte when I was younger. Having an accurate body image is important and I am assuming that you just need to ease into it before it catches up to your actual body size. Some eating disorders are based on not having an accurate body image (anorexic people can believe that they are much larger and have much more fat, regardless of what the mirror says).

My suggestion is to get pictures taken; put them up where you can see them, see yourself in the mirror as much as possible; just get used to the way your body looks now. It is as big an adjustment as losing the weight, in my humble opinion.

Friends arent used to seeing you all buff, and it might take them a bit of time too. I have heard that friends and family can start saying that one looks unhealthy after losing weight, but really it is just different.

Major life changes like a large weight loss take time and kindness... give yourself lots of both

Holly

If you have surgery to remove the skin, please consider donating it to a burn hospital. They are always needing human skin for transplants. I've heard that some hospitals do a number of the surgerys for free for those who can't afford it.

I think the body image thing takes a while to get into focus.

We've been used to being large for so long that we have to learn how to live as thinner people. It can be kind of spooky at times when you realize that other people perceptions of you have changed because you are no longer a fat person. I'm still getting used to my own image. Sometimes I'm proud and sometimes I'm scared.

You must be thrilled at the same time by what you've accomplished. Stick around and tell us what maintenance is like and share some of you "war" stories and thoughts!

Karen

Thank you all for the kind words and advice. Holly, I like your suggestion about putting up pictures...I stuck one on my bathroom mirror today. Greg

Hi Greg,

Welcome aboard, and congrats on the weight loss. Skin elasticity depends on genetics and age, people react differently. I had a lot of loose skin that actually dangled at one point from my belly. A year later it improved quite a bit, but was still quite obvious, not to mention streach marks all over.

I know the feeling when you think you still need to lose more, while others say enough. Looking in the mirror is quite different than looking at a picture. Why not have someone photograph you from various angles and distance, while you're clothed. I stress clothed because if you like what see you clothed, you're done losing weight. Now if you don't like what you see naked, this means you've lost some muscle along with the fat, and you just need to rebuild them with weight training.

Wa'il

Weight Training is about the ONLY method I know to firm up loose skin. I just started lifting free weights and I see a difference allready.

I have a problem with Stretch marks and loose skin below the Belly.


Good Luck and congrats on your achievement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Jessica

Oh, man. It is so great to hear that you were able to lose so much! It gives me a bunch of extra motivation just reading what you've posted here!

I seem to be somewhere in the neighborhood of where you were at the start, and it seems that we have nearly the same goal weight. I changed mine to show how close i am to being able to use a normal hospital scale. Then i set myself a reasonable goal of 220. I have thoughts of being really fit someday, though, so who knows.

Just reading what you've been able to do makes me want to go out and walk right now! Thanks, and please let us know if you post more information on your amazing, totally impressive feat!

I am totally impressed!

bill

Greg, Congrats !! You are awesome !! I am also a large guy at 6'4" and currently at 430. I just started the low carb WOL last week and I feel great !! Lots of energy, etc. I would appreciate any tips you can give me about what foods, quantities, etc. you ate and what else you did to loose that much soooo fast !!

Also, have you considered posting your before and after pics on a board somewhere. That's what really got me motivated and I made a decision to stick with this!! Especially since I am feeling such a feeling of well being all the time during the last 8 days.

Anyways, good luck with the loose skin, I also have read that Wieght Training was the most effective way to tighen it up. Of course... I would love to have your problem right now instead of being as overwieght as I am... Hey, but Im gonna get there and be a success story too ! !


Later,

Craig

Craig and Bill, Thank you for your comments. If I can do this, anyone can. Low fat diets never worked for me, but this way of eating does. Down to 205 now and sloooowly working my way down to my original goal of 200. Only 5 more lbs. to go !!! Do
you have any suggestions of a site to post before and after pics? I just received a digital camera and have lots of "after" photos. I have some video of myself at my heaviest (452) taken right before I started. I will try to get a decent digital photo off the video on the TV screen.
I took Hollys advice and started having people take photos of me from different angles. It worked...I no longer feel like a "fat person", and I know I never will be again. When I started this diet, I had just retired early (medical reasons) from a job I had worked for 15 years. Its so awesome now to run into former workmates and they don't recognize me at all. I'll walk up to them in a store, or where ever, and just start talking to them, and they look at me kinda funny. I look familiar to them, but they just can't place me until I tell them who I am ...and these are people I worked beside for 15 years! It always blows them away, and its alot of fun for me.
Craig, have you ever read Dr. Adkins book? I read his book cover to cover before I started, and pretty much followed his advice to the letter. Never cheated once...in fact, of all those I know personally on the diet, most have not read the entire book and do not do the diet correctly. You gotta read the book and do what it says. Good luck,it will work for you if you stick with it!

Greg,

Here is a link for posting your Pictures. It's a "Protein Power"
site but.. there's not that much difference between Adkins and PP.

http://www.pppics.com/pppics/index.html

I have read the "Protein Power" book by Michael and Mary Eades.
I am following it to the letter. No cheating..well, once this week... getting rid of those last toaster waffles..

I will check out the Adkins book also..

Good luck on those last 5 lbs you lucky guy !! I'll bet it's fun to
kid around with your old work buddies - I would have lots of fun
with that one for sure !!

Take care, and I look forward to seeing your pics up on the site.

Craig

Wow! It's good to see all the guys in this thread. I have a brother in law that asked for the book for Christmas that I had used, to get me started: "How I Gave Up My LowFat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds!" by Dana Carpender. He has heard how the low carb thing has been working for me and has wanted to try it for himself. One thing with having gained so much weight---when you figure out how to shed it, people want to know HOW you did it. I am not done by any means, but just the fact that it is working has made them look into it. So maybe after Christmas I will send him this way to the forum to get support from you guys. I know I enjoy the support from the ladies throughout the forum. But it's nice to know there are men in here, to help each other as well. Victoria

Hey everyone, I have good news.. I was excited and shocked yesterday morning when I stepped on the scale and found that I had lost 14lbs in 12 days on this plan !! Just keeping my carbs down, and protein to where it should be seems tro be working great !! I have tons of energy and it motivated me to start swimming in my gym.. Im not even self-consious about my big gut anymore !! Cause I know it's not gonna be there for long if I incorporate weight training & swimming into my routine.

Anyways, just wanted to share that I wne from 437 down to 423 !
I know it's just a start, but Im glad anyways...

Craig

Craig, put the high carb stuff down the garbage disposal, I wish I had done that right before I started Atkins. That's one of my lessons learnt.

I read somewhere (don't recall), Vitamin C, Copper, Vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, help regenerate skin. Perhaps somebody knowledgeable can tell us more and the dosages.
Perhaps they will help with the stretch marks?

I've read of skin "resizing" and shrinking with time, like a year, with exercise. I think a lot depends on age and genetics, too.

zellie