loose skin and not feeling sexy
 

I've lost about 100 pounds now, with the help of Fitday.com. Which is great, but now I am covered in rippling loose flesh and feel uglier than I did at 235Lbs. It is so incredibly depressing. The doctor tells me that there is no coverage in Alberta for any "tucking" or removal of the extra skin. My boobs went from a DD to an A cup and I'm sure you can imagine how yucky they look now. I'm way to poor to afford surgery and certainly couldn't take the time off work to recover and have no family to help with the kids even if I could somehow come up with the money. I'm feeling very discouraged and depressed.

Ericalise,
Congratulations on your hard work and losing weight. You should be very proud of yourself--as I'm sure you are.

I'm sorry to hear about you not feeling sexy even though you've lost the weight. It is really a hard thing to deal with. How long have you been this thin? Sometimes it takes a year or so for the skin to shrink a bit. Put on lots of moisturizer. Try to tone up with weights if you haven't done so already. Remember that for most of the year, esp in Alberta, no one wears shorts or short sleeves so everyone will just see you as being thin. Also, you are so much healthier and you probably feel better in terms of energy and overall life. That is sexy. You are sexy because of you. Did you feel sexy when you were at your heaviest? Maybe not, but you probably still were! Try to use positive self talk. Try to list all of the positives that have come from losing weight. Stay positive and remember, you are sexy, sexy comes from within.

Also, just to keep things in perspective, at a certain age everyone is saggy, right?

I guarantee you look better now and are a lot healthier, regardless of your physical appearance. Be proud of your accomplishments!

congrats on the 100 pounds gone!!!!

Ericalise
 

Hi- I just read your post and wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

I am trying to lose a lot of weight again and hoping this time it will stick as a lifestyle change.

A few years ago I lost nearly 50 pds and have a small bone structure. When I got down to around 136. I looked in the mirror naked and nearly fainted. I could not believe the skin on my stomach and the way it looked! I said out loud "I should have just stayed fat!"
I went to a plastic surgeon for a tummy tuck consultation.
The surgeon told me that I had the "curse". Some women after having children and not being fit have this drooping saggy belly -called the "skirt"-that cannot be repaired unless you have surgery to remove the excess. He also went on to tell me that he could make my stomach as flat as I wanted with a scar of course and the total cost around 10,000. (Major Surgery with risks as well) I did not have this done because of the cost.
alone.
I know exactly how you feel because not everyone's skin has the same elasticity.
I think about it all the time. Now that I have gained the weight back plus some and now that I am committed to making my weight loss goals a lifestyle change-the surgery is still stuck in my mind because I know how it is going to look when all is said and done.
But this is true that I know that if I never have the surgery-I will feel better, have a lot more energy and will live longer! Right now I don't feel good in or out of clothes. I have to do this for health....and try as best as I can to let go of the rest.
I know this does not help much- I just wanted you to know that you are not alone.
Good luck to you :)

You are not alone. You might want to check out the 100 Plus Women's Thread. Looks like they start up a new thread each month so there aren't very many entries in the new one for June yet. I just read through parts of the one for May, and there's some amazing stuff in there. I'm sure many of these women have faced the same loose skin problem. One of the entries lead me to an interesting blog: Diary of a Shrinking Tubba Bubba - this woman has lost 171 pounds and still has over 100 to go. There's lots of support available to you out there.

Thank you for the support. You are right, I do have to focus more on health and less on appearance. I really wish that I had never let things get so far out of hand. I'm 37 and this is the first time in my life that I'm seriously considering food as a means of fueling my body (and trying to provide the best "fuel" for my family); instead of treatig eating like a passtime or recreational sport, never really pausing to check out the label or concern myself with healthy potion size. My son has severe autism and has recently tested positive for gluten/caesin intolerance and I've been madly adjusting his diet as a result. I'll try to be less selfish and focus on him and my daughter instead of how I look in the mirror. Hopefully the weight loss will help me live longer to provide care for my boy.

Look to the Brightside
 

The brightside is you have lost the weight you desired to lose and is healthier then you may have been before. Now, a new challenge the loose skin. Find out what you can do to tighten and tone, you may not be perfect but who is. Life is full of challenges and this is just your new one. And lastly remember, if you had the will to do the hard part this part will come a little easier.

I can feel your pain, too. I am one of those women who got LOTS of stretch marks. I've had three kids; I've gained 45 lbs with each one, no matter how healthy I ate. I am only 5'2" with a very short waist. All my babies were normal 8 lbs babies, except for my boy, who was 10lbs!!! My stomach was and is the yuckiest think on this earth. After each one, It literally folds over with so much skin. I can say that it DOES shrink, I'm still waiting to see if it will ALL shrink. My youngest is 2.5 yrs. I remember crying after my first vision of my post-baby body. I would like to say that it can compare to your reaction. The shock wears off and like everyone else said, YOU ARE HEALTHY. Your focus will change. But I agree, it sucks. As for the boobies, just get a really good bra and wear it all the time. :)

Erica,

You surely are not alone. I have 3 children and my son is also Autistic. It's hard because I have a daughter who has her own disability as well. But the skin sagging is normal and not a curse (like srd's doctor said). I think of it as my trophy for having 3 beautiful babies. Although it looks like a car peeled out (burned rubber) on my tummy I'm ok with it. My boyfriend that I have now has never complained about it either. What normal mommy has no saggy skin and stretch marks?

Congratulations on your weight loss!