I'm looking for input from people who have lost an extreme amount of weight.
I have lost 85 pounds in 6 months, and still have 95 to go. I'm scared to death of having massive amounts of sagging skin that would require a full body lift.

I'd like to know if any of you have had these issues. If not, how did you avoid them?

Either way, I want to lose this weight, but I want to avoid the skin thing if it's possible.

Thanks so much for your sharing your experiences.

Fleur

Hi, I am so glad I read your stats...you are doing so great! When I was 25 I lost 150lbs in a year and had major skin issues. The awesome thing is that Alberta Healthcare covers the surgery for the tummy tuck - exercise helps tighten the rest of you but you do end up with extra skin. I felt great until my girlfriend saw me naked and asked if she could touch it. I felt soooo sad like I was in Elephant skin, now I would give anything for the body I had then...but that is why I am here on diet talk. Just keep up the weight loss and use alot of moisturizer. You are an inspiration!!

I have lots of loose skin issues. No way around it, when you lose as much weight as I have, or you will. My doctor wants me to wait for another year before I decide to do anything surgical. Some people say that it never shrinks back, and that you should do it soon after you get near target weight, but my dermatologist says thinks differently. She wants my skin and overall body shape to "settle" a little bit (your body changes shape over the next year or so after a big loss), and to make sure that I am going to keep the weight off (gaining again after a tuck causes MAJOR skin issues sometimes).

I hate the way that my loose skin looks now in the shower, but still like it a lot better than I did the fat. I still look decent in shorts and a t-shirt, and since I'm so fair-skinned and sun-burn so easily, that is just fine with me so far. If I have the same amount of loose skin next year, I may just leave well-enough alone. I may not. Finances and insurance will determine some of that too. Some of my attitude probably has something to do with me being a guy, my age (I'm 43), and the fact that I NEVER looked good in a skimpy bathing suit, even as a kid.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize too. Take care.

Thanks for the input.
I was really hoping not to do the surgery thing, but at some point in time, it may have to.
In the mean time, I work out and use lotions... oh, and pray.

Thank you once again for sharing your experiences.

Dar

At this point I have seen very little loose skin on my body but my sister had alot. She went from 350 to 180 in 3-4 years. She got fed up with the skin and had several surgeries. She had a tummy tuck, breasts lift, upper arm lift, and upper thigh lift. Overall, she had about 12 pounds of skin taken off. Afterwards she also had breast implants because she lost alot of her breast tissue. Right now the surgeries are my biggest fear about losing weight because I saw what she went through. She had agonizing pain and her life was significantly altered for a long time. Luckily, she is fine now. I don't know if her experiences are the norm or not. If you do decide to do it make sure you do alot of research and be sure the doctor is well schooled in the type of surgery you want.