ok I asked about stretch marks and I'm resigned to keep them forever LOL. But what about the loose skin? I have been applying the Jergens Skin Firming lotion, BUT then I read on the internet it has alcohol which will dry out the skin. I can't afford anymore dry skin! So is this something I have to be "PATIENT" for too??!! Boy I wish I had more patience! It is just gross all stretched and marked and flabby!! Almost looked better 40 lbs heavier LOL NOT!

Thank you!

You've lost weight? And now you have stretch marks and flabby skin?<br />Ok..now don't get offended when I say this but it's sounds like you lost alot of muscle while you lost weight. When you lose fat and don't do any resistant training and eating correctly ,you know, a balance of Carbs, Proteine and vegetables, your organs including your muscle and integramentary system will become malnourish and cause atrophy.<br />You can buy all the creams you want baby but creams won't give you back the firmness or get rid of your stretch marks.<br />You have to invest in weights and build your muscle. I have a journal under Exercise Forum, feel free to check it out.<br />I love lifting weights. I'm 200# and 5'9" and I am overweight. But, people can't believe I need to lose 40 or 50lbs. Just because I build muscle it has made me look strong and fit. <br />Yes I have fat on me..but it's not lose or hangs. Your stretch marks? Well, I have my own but they are light and soft looking. So, keep trying creams on those. But, no gaurantee if they will go away.<br />Hey! Take care and build ya some muscle.<br />Peace <img src="graemlins/peace.gif" border="0" alt="[peace]" />

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: TboneTam ]</p>

Loose skin doesn't always mean lack of muscle or muscle loss. Sometimes if a person doesn't have very stretchy, resilient skin it will act like an "overstretched rubberband" and not go back like it used to be. It just depends on the individual and how much skin you have. Drinking milk will help somewhat with your skin getting back to normal or sometimes in severe cases, tucks (surgical tucks) are needed.

But there is no way that cream will help the stretch marks unfortunately. I got a ton of them from my first pregnancy and did all kinds of vitamin E cream preventatives. My doc told me afterward that creams don't penetrate enough because stretch marks are actually underneath your top layer of skin. They will fade with time, though. Mine used to be very red and now are the same color as my skin....

Weight training is always a good, healthy thing to do for yourself in any case. Hope you find something that works for you! Good luck!

So, some of you are saying that if muscle is not built during weight loss then excess or flabby skin results? Pregnancy of twins (a svelt 52" waist)left me with alot of "extra skin" and I have not been able to get rid of it. I still have 40-50 lbs to lose. I suppose if I don't do enough sit-ups I would experience more excess/flabby? I don't do creams. Any ideas? <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Actually, my skin was stretched from 2 back to back pregnancies and has never really returned to its "natural state" for no better words. My first pregnancy resulted in a 55 lb. gain lost it all after baby second was a 45 lb. gain, never lost a pound I gained (my son was in and out of the hospital alot and we ended out eating out alot) and my 3rd was 17 lbs. Nine months after the first. I got all my wonderful stretch marks from the 1st pregnancy.

I work out daily. If they are something I have to live with this fine.