Let’s face it. Having a ton of loose skin after losing a significant amount of weight is a real concern. Many of us lose weight because we want to feel AND look good. So naturally, for those of us who want to lose at least 50lbs, we’re concerned about how we’ll look after we’ve reached our goal.

Will we look right? Will we look worse? Will people be able to see that we’ve lost a lot of weight? Will we look “skinny fat”?

Trust me, I’ve been there before and honestly, didn’t even think I’d be able to lose weight again but once I realized this one simple thing, everything changed.

After losing 88lbs, I’ve had several ladies ask why doesn’t it look like I’ve lost close to 90lbs

Most ladies want to know why don’t I have a lot of sagging or loose skin around my face, neck, arms, etc?

To be 100% transparent, I have SLIGHTLY loose skin in my lower abdominal area. You don’t notice it when I’m standing. It’s only when I sit or bend which honestly could be attributed to gravity/life as it pretty much looks like any other girl’s stomach when she sits

I don’t really pay it any mind because I KNOW that in the past, I’ve picked my body apart to pieces. Finding everything “wrong” so nothing I did was ever good enough. I refuse to go back down that path

My mindset going into this journey was completely different than it was in the past.

When I started this journey, I thought I’d have a lot of loose skin but I told myself I wouldn’t focus on it. In a way, I was prepared to deal with it because I wanted to feel better more than anything else.

As I continued to lose more fat and with time, the skin tightened up on its own which I notice is a MAJOR difference from when I lost 66lbs.

When I lost 66lbs in 2007, I had more loose skin than what I have now but then, I lost the weight super fast and wasn’t fueling my body properly.

So…

I wanted to share 6 things that I believe helped me reduce the amount of loose skin WHILE losing 88lbs.

Disclaimer: my skin was tightening AS I lost weight. I didn’t have to deal with trying to tighten my skin AFTER the weight loss.

6 Ways to Prevent Loose Skin After Weight Loss:

1. Lose weight slowly. Weight loss is a combination of water weight, lean muscle and fat loss. If you lose weight too fast, you’re more than likely losing a good amount of water weight and lean muscle. We want to try to preserve as much lean muscle as possible. This is why I personally recommend steering clear from anything that promises super fast weight loss, the scale may go down but you may be losing a good portion of lean muscle as well. Not to mention, your skin needs time to adjust to a smaller structure. You want to give your skin time to catch up! It’s easier if they (weight loss and skin) are going at the same pace than it is to start off 2 miles behind.
2. Get in plenty of protein. Protein helps to build and repair lean muscle mass which in my opinion is 99% of the reason for my now “lean appearance.” I aim to include protein with every single meal. So though I may have lost lean muscle during the weight loss phase, I was always getting in plenty of protein to help with the recovery.
3. Stay hydrated. Water is crucial to your overall health and the skin’s ability to “bounce back” aka elasticity. If the skin is dried out, it may not have the supple, youthful glow or it may lose some of its ability to “shrink” back. Think of it as a rubber band. A new rubber band can bounce back in a heartbeat but as you continue to stretch it, it becomes withered or dried out and loses it ability to bounce back. Hydration is a must!
4. Eat your fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables are great sources for vitamins and minerals that help with production of collagen — a protein that also helps with skin elasticity. Fruits and veggies high in Vitamin C really help with the production of collagen.
5. Get the body moving with some physical movement. Exercise can help tone as well as build lean muscle. Personally, I love incline walking. It gets you up, active and working those muscles! Pick an activity that you like!
6. HAVE PATIENCE! I’ve noticed that the longer I keep the weight off, the tighter my skin gets! When I reached the 88lb mark, I didn’t have a lot of loose skin but there was a bit more than there is today. I haven’t done anything different, just sticking with what I’ve mentioned today and the skin tightened on its own. Because I wasn’t rushing the weight loss process, I was able to enjoy the journey. I wasn’t just focused on the scale. I knew my goal was to lose FAT, not just weight so I stopped doing drastic things and I’m pleased with my results.

Final note: sis, do not let the fear of loose skin stop you from starting your weight loss journey. It is just skin and if you’re not happy with it, you can always do something about it.

PS are you ready to ditch the diet and lose weight without giving up the foods you enjoy? Sign up for my free 30-minute nutrition training below!

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