I am one of those people that has lost 100 lbs. I am 5'4" my highest recorded weight was 306 lbs (I might have weighed more at one point but I stopped getting on the scale). About 75 lbs of that was put on in less than 6 months due to a battle with my mental health during my last semester at university. I have a lot of stretch marks all over my body, and if you don't already know, stretch marks are scars. I did not start losing weight until the stretch marks had dulled in color (from a red/pink, to a color that matches my skin). Once stretch marks are past that red/pink point they do not just magically heal or go away without surgery or chemical peels that make them appear less noticeable. I cannot afford the surgeries to remove the skin, and I am not a fan of chemically peeling my entire body. So, I am here to talk about my loose skin in depth, and in detail. It's not an easy thing to deal with, and it certainly does make me uncomfortable at times but not talking about it only gives it more power and makes me feel more uncomfortable.
Some of you may be thinking, I've seen people say that their skin snapped back/firmed up over time. Yes, that is completely true for some people who have had a large weight loss. Their skin does recover over time but these people have hit the genetic lottery and are not the norm. For the rest of us, loose skin will be a part of losing a large amount of weight and it's totally ok!
When I lost about 60lbs I started to notice the loose skin. At first it caused me a lot of self esteem issues and discomfort due to the way it moves and looks. I almost let myself use the loose skin as an excuse to not keep losing! I was afraid of “looking gross” and upset that I would never have a tight athletic look to my body. Although deep down I knew that my health is much more important than some flappy, jiggly skin. I decided that if I was going to keep losing I needed to learn how to love my excess skin and accept my body at every stage of my weight loss progress. I made a vision board/collage that hangs on my wall. It says "skin is not an embarrassment," amongst other equally inspiring quotes and images. Whenever I am feeling unloving or unaccepting of my skin, I take a deep breath and tell myself that skin is not an embarrassment, it is not shameful or gross, and I am the only one who makes me feel bad about it. The second thing I did was research and realized that if I am going to live with this skin, I have to take care of it. MOISTURE IS IMPERATIVE. Keeping it hydrated with lotion or body oil, using a nice scrub 2-3 times a week and drinking a lot of water helps everyone have healthy skin. Loose skin is still YOUR skin. It needs to be taken care of and that means not neglecting it because the feel or look of it can be unpleasant. For anyone wondering, it feels like soft wax. I can kind of mold it but it’s not quite solid feeling either, it hangs and rolls and pinches itself, it jiggles and wiggles with every movement. I have loose skin on my entire body (except on my sides/back, lower arms, and calves). It feels like I am wearing an oversized skin suit at times. I have rolled onto my own breasts and squashed/pinched them, I have pinched/scraped the skin when taking off clothing. I will never NOT be aware of my skin, and it’s ok. Not a single person in my life makes me feel that my skin is unattractive or gross (only I do that). I have not had a single stranger make a comment or ask me about it. I may have gotten funny looks from some people while wearing a bikini or shorts or a swimsuit but I refuse to let that bother me. They have no idea what I have been through to get this body, they have no idea that this is something I did not choose to have, and I refuse to hide myself for some strangers comfort. Eff that!
This body and all of my skin has gotten me through 27 years of life (and hopefully many many more years to come). This skin has travelled all over North America, hiked miles of beautiful forests and coastlines of Northern California. It has rock climbed, kayaked, run, ridden bikes/horses/ATVs, it has been on boats/ships, it has been on airplanes from Hawaii to Jamaica, and layed in the summer sun by rivers/pools/oceans. I refuse to let anyone (not even myself) believe that this body is not worth celebrating and caring for. I have worked so hard to regain my health (mentally and physically), I am not going to let some loose skin stop me from continuing my journey and to continue to be ecstatic/proud of my progress.
Sure the loose skin has its downsides, and it has to be taken care of to stay healthy, but do not think for one second that the loose skin is something to be ashamed or fearful of. Do not allow others to discredit the hard work and dedication it took to earn that loose skin. Cheers to the wiggles and jiggles of a healthy lifestyle! If I can do it, you can too!
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