Hi everyone!
My name is Kim and I've been 'hanging around' here for about a week and have found a lot of motivation from reading journals and postings and have recently started my own journal. Between that and using Fitday- I am doing very well indeed! I have a long way to go but I've declared 2003 "My Year" to achieve goals that are important to me- and I will do it! I am off to a great start and each day seems to get easier rather than harder as I expected. My head is in the right place and that makes all the difference.

For now I have two questions:
1. What happens to your flabby tummy as you lose weight? I have never lost enough at one time to worry about that, but a lot of my weight is centered around my abdomen and lower stomach and I am worried that i will end up with this huge "flap" of skin there. Will that happen?
2. What about stretch marks? I have plenty- again in the whole belly area. If you have a goal of wearing a two piece bathing suit one day- is that realistic? Mine are REALLY serious marks and I've had them a long time. Can anything be done to minimize these?

Okay... that's what I need to know for now. Thanks for your answers in advance!
MsKim

Welcome Ms. Kim!

Sounds like you are off to a wonderful start with a great weight loss! Welcome to the forum!

I know that saggy skin can be a real problem for folks who lose weight very quickly. Even though it can be mind-numbing at times, it really is better to lose the weight slowly and then the skin has a chance to catch up as you go. Lots and lots of water and supplemental vitamin E can also help your skin stay in good condition and keep up with your weight loss.

I just don't know about stretch marks. I have a few from having babies but they have lightened up so much over the years that I don't worry about it much. Seems like having a tan over it really helps too. I am sure someone else on the forum has better answers about this. Welcome aboard and congratulations on your weight loss thus far! Cindi

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the forum - the answer with the sagging skin is working out, focus on the ab muscles with crunches and losing at a good rate. I have lost 32 of my 100 , my stomach was big and is shrinking. If you work out consistently it should help.

Stretch Marks - I have them too from my pregnancies, I have noticed they are a little more pronounced since I have lost weight and have resigned myself that I'll be a one piece girl. But I agree with Cindi - everything looks beter with a tan!!!

Good Luck and continued success

Thanks Cindi and Kathy for the answers. I guess I could always take my hubby up on his offer of a tummy tuck!
Oooooo I am just NOT an exerciser but I know I MUST begin!

You can start by walking in the mornings, at least a 1/2 hour. Then work up to an hour for 5 days a week if you can do more then do it. But you want to start slow then get your heart beating a little faster at a time don't rush in to it , it's to hard on the body plus you'll be setting your self up for fraustration from the exaustion, which leads to quiting.
Even try a pilates class if it's in the budget.

Josie

Hello MsKim. I have recently started doing Atkins this month and am pretty much in the same boat as you. Though I had lost 30lbs last year I had noticed that my stomach not only became flatter some of the strecth mark colors had started to fade. I think that diet will not do it alone you need to work on the stomach (sit-ups) Though I still have a lot of weight to lose I like you would love to hear from someone who has lost over 60-80lbs. Please keep me posted if you hear anymore information. Good luck with your weight lost.

I also have a lot to loose, and have already lost a lot. I'm almost at the half-way point.

My belly is flabby, but I've not had as big a problem there as some. My problem is the upper arms. Bat wings! Gad I hate them! I try to do weights, but neck problems keep getting in the way. I am hoping to get to join a gym within the next few months, and that's an area I'm going to concentrate on!

Moisturising I think helps too. My mom always said coconut butter for stretch marks, but I never tried it.

Cindy

Hello Kim:

I had been a yo-yo dieter for my entire life. I have also taken extremely good care of my skin, however. I don't have any stretch marks, vericose veins or anything like that even though I beleive, genetically, I should because my mom has all that stuff. I beleive, in addition to exercise, what I do to keep my skin healthy now will reduce the excess skin problem that I will face when I begin to lose a lot of weight.

My "secret" is that I religiously exfoliate and use cocoa butter every day. Exfoliating is the process of scrubbing away dead skin cells to reveal the new layer of healthy skin. Not only does it do that, but with vigorous exfoliation you are also stimulating the many layers of skin cells, thus encouraging blood flow. I believe that is the key to keeping skin elastic as well as smooth.

The mitt I use for exfoliating is found at the Body Shop and is available online. You can find it here:

http://www.usa.thebodyshop.com/web/...25&is_mac=false

I also use cocoa butter which is used not only to soften skin but is a widely accepted cure for stretch marks and scars. I swear by it. Queen Helene makes the best and most econmical one out there. A bottle close to a quart costs less than $5.00. I use the lotion daily and the creme when I have a spa day (because it is very thick and oily). I find it at Rite Aid here in the states. http://www.queenhelene.com/

Not only has this regimen worked to keep my skin elastic and visially beautiful, but also makes my boyfriend happy because I have the "softest skin he has ever felt."

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the tips Alleine! I've taken great care of my facial skin- I have NO stretch marks there- LOL! But I never really paid much attention to my body except for my legs. I believe it's too late to really reverse the damage, but I am willing to try exfoliating. I just never thought of rubbing my tummy with one of those scratchy gloves. I have really sensitive skin and it gets welts very easily. But I am thinking that after 14 days on Atkins my antihistamines might be quite calm. I'll get to the body shop first thing tomorrow and start working on it.
Today I asked a friend of mine who lost a lot of weight how she dealt with the flabbiness and I was pretty surprised when she told me that she had a tummy tuck and breast job after losing approximately 70 lbs. She said she was thrilled with being thin but she was miserable about the hanging tummy and the empty boobs. When I lose 100 pounds I think I will make an appointment with the surgeon!

Well I lost 80lbs over 10 years ago and have inconsistantly worked out since. I swear you can no longer tell that I was obese. In fact my friends at work (newer job) think i'm just an insane dieter that never was really fat.

My stretch marks are a very pale and unnoticable (unless you are up close or touching) and my fat folds (sorry to be gross) are no longer there. The hanging fat disappeared with this last lose since I started LC'ing.

I really believe it had everything to do with the keeping the weight off and letting my body take its time to bounce back and sorry but the exercising I think is key to keeping or getting some toning and proper proportions.

Hope this helps.

Hi Lisa!
I'm sure that working out is essential to getting your skin back in shape!
One more idea I had- my friend lost her weight following a traditional low fat diet and I bet that eating low fat is not at all benificial to the skin- am I right? She has pretty wrinkly skin and though she is nice and slim- she looks old.

Hello Kim:

I am not sure if your style of weight loss completely affects what you look like when losing. Although I am sure protien and fat allow more for youthful appearance than low-fat, I have seen how someone can also age by losing weight on atkins.

My brother-in-law lost 50 lbs on atkins. He looks 10 or more years older than he did. The problem with him, and many people who lose signifcant amout of weight, I believe, is simply because the face was more rounded and holds the skin tighter. When the paunch is gone, the older skin may inevitably hang more.

That's my two cents anyway

Since I posted this in January, i have lost almost 40 lbs. I can honestly say that exercise and water consumption is most definately high on the list for skin beauty as well! I do cardio and strength training 5X a week and have so lost inches and my skin looks even better!

Go get off your duff and do it!!!! If I can do it....so can you!