Atkins Diet Questions: Loose Skin
May 11, 2010 by Jim Made
Filed under Atkins Diet
** Graphic Show of loose skin around my stomach near the end — Viewers may want to ensure a bag is available ** Today’s episode I deal with the one of the most common questions people question me after hearing of my 200 pound weight loss. That is, “do you have much problems with loose skin?” In the end, I have to admit that I do have a bit of loose skin (I affectionately & sometime not so affectionately my “SharPei”) around my torso and legs, but it could be much worse. I could have the sheets of skin some dieters (more often low Calorie huge losers) have or even worse be my original weight still living in dread of loose skin. There are times that I really like my stretchmarks as they server as reminders of what might be if I reckon I can lax up. It also serves as a talking point like my pathetic driver’s license does for people looking for hope, but most days I am just thankful for shirts. There are other things that are claimed to help, but I have not tried. Cocoa Butter and Mederma are both used by pregnant women to ease the appearance of stretchmarks. Additionally, I believe the content of this Diet helps in maintaining the elasticity due to protein and stout being featured. The body does not cannibalize its own resources like on other diets, and many report their skin looks as excellent and clear as it ever had. Excellent skin health implies excellent skin elasticity to respond to the weight loss as well. One final theory about loose skin: www.bodyfatguide.com To summarize the above …
@DollyMat I hear you, and I just hope the same. Trust me the feeling of success will help eliminate any feelings of doubt or self-worry over lingering imperfections. We are all imperfect in some way, but the feeling of accomplishment and correcting the past terrible decisions is empowering. I could focus of the remaining loose skin or I could be pleased with who I am, and seek new challenges to try.
It is my hope that others also choose the latter.
Thank you for sharing that… its someting ive wondered about as i’m on the weightloss journey also and have been overweight for the last 15 years. My largest dread is needing a tummy tuck, i dont suffer with major stretch marks but i’m no spring chicken so a small concerned. I hope like you i will be more worried about keeping healthy if this happens.
I’m a single mom. I spent a fantastic deal of time in one relationship, had a child and not long thereafter was thrown out for someone much younger and thinner. I don’t consciously obsess to the point where I overlook the dire financial situation I am constantly immersed in- or the stressful management I have to undertake to keep things running. It’s an insidious afterthought that creeps in when I’m in bed alone. Or when I’m eating alone. I hope you know where this bitterness comes from.
how long do you reckon it’ll take for lose skin to tighten? i’m 5’5 190 pounds but i don’t look like it, and started the akins today
@lumyn Geesh, Ithink your being a bit hard on yourself, You gotta learn to like you….!!!!
@phoenix1O1 I believe critical to preventing loose skin is to not starve your body of nutrition it needs to rebuild itself during the weight loss phase. If you lose weight while denying your body the essential protein and fats it needs, you are that much more likely to suffer loose skin.
bowulf how do you lose the excess skin in time i was thinking about going on the diet but im not stout i want to loose about 10kg but dont want loose skin does it go in time ?
@lumyn I never thought I was exceptionally blessed in that department either, and count myself as blessed that my wife still finds me attractive daily.
@lumyn Well, I would suggest being healthy and living to your 40 is a gift, but these are just opinions. For me to obsess daily about things I can’t change (without depleting kid’s college funds or the finishing the basement fund) just does not seem wise.
If your looks mean that much to you or your sanity, then by all means do something about it. The people in my life (kids, wife, friends) don’t care. Those who may care have never once said anything to me. I wish you peace with your looks.
Then again I wasn’t attractive either at my previous weight. Haha. I can’t win. Got a terrible roll in this life.
Speak for yourself. I’m a 25 year ancient woman who’s lost a excellent 150 lbs. I am so goddamn disgusting it’s unbelievable. I don’t delight in my life at all. I don’t. I torture myself to keep the damn weight off and for what? To be as equally aesthetically unpleasing as before? I’d rather die at 40 and be attractive than live longer and look like this. Sorry.
@Armacalypse You have no thought what you are talking about… I know what stout is and I know what loose skin is. Sheesh.
That’s not just loose skin, you still have stout on your belly.
Fantastic work man!
I am heartened to hear that this video and my thoughts resonated so well with you. You know what it is more about confidence and accepting one’s self and less about the pecularities or foibles everybody’s body. Excellent job!
Believe me I know about excuses… I lived and thought them for many years before finally being convinced myself. Nothing tastes quite as sweet or feels as excellent as being fit and thin. At some point, being model pretty matters less than being able to play for hours with my kids or enjoying my life with my wife.
You are welcome… I just hope others can see that self-sabotage only derails them from achieving their goal.
thanks for doing this, it takes an excuse away from people
Thanks so much for posting this!!! This was one HUGE dread that i’ve had! I’ve been losing weight for some time now and after seeing ur video I’m not as nervous! Congrats on your weight loss! I’m 23 and I use to weigh 300, I now weigh (still losing) 198! If my stomach in the end is how yours is i’ll have no problem taking my shirt off in public at the beach!! Thanks again for the post!!
Congrats on the weight loss! Thanks for being so honest!
whoah, I do some Aerobics, yoga and some weights training to make myself lean as well. can’t see myself doing a marathon though hehe but I wish i could
creepy. but very honest.
I exercised starting one month into the diet and have eventually worked up to running marathons, biking 30-40 miles at a time, and doing weight lifting.
Did you exercise during all this weight loss or just lose weight from your Atkins diet alone?
The more I read about dieting, the more I’m convinced that muscle loss can be prevented. The reason why you probably lost a lot of msucle Brushfour was because you didn’t eat enough protein.
One study I read had two groups of people who were placed on 500 calorie diets. One group would have their calories from only protein(125 grams) and the other group would have a mix of carbs and protein. At the end of the study, they discrovered that the higher protein group lost NO muscle.