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Toning up Excess Skin by working out

Ashcole88

Ashcole88

Member
I am thinking about having bariatric surgery to lose about 100-150lbs but I am a little concerned about the excess skin I will have after losing weight. I see people talking about getting skin removed through surgery. I was wondering if any one who's had the surgery has had success in toning up the loose skin by working out? I don't really want to go through another surgery to remove the excess skin. Please help....
 
I have not exercised to tighten skin, but from what I was told by my surgeon and a plastic surgeon is that exercising will only help so much. It will not make the majority of the excess skin go away. However, the PS recommended some weight lifting for a while before surgery only because of the inactivity experienced after surgery and increased muscle loss. But she’s the only one I’ve ever heard say that.
 
Welcome to the group! I agree with 3mom that it will probably only do so much BUT I do think the younger you are, the better your results will be. So, not sure where you fall in the age category. If like me you are older, the important thing is to do this for your health and not worry about the lose skin.
 
Hello and welcome. Exercise can certainly help but not cure, loose skin. Your personal elasticity will play a role in how much skin you have loose. But you will have loose skin whether you exercise or not. You would have to fill every excess inch of skin with muscle, so you would actually have to weigh more than you do now, since muscle weighs more than fat.

If you want a perfectly smooth body, you'll have to have plastic surgery. However, I suggest you first take a good long look in the mirror, naked. Do you have a perfect body now? At least after WLS you'll have a healthy one. The rest is just cosmetic. Some people are fat, some people are thin, some people are cute, some people are ugly. We all have to live with what we've got in the end. OR have it surgically corrected. The choice is always yours.
 
Thank y'all for the responses!! I've been trying to do some research on the pros and cons before actually making my decision on the surgery. I have a friend who just had the surgery done in January but wanted to get some feed back from people who have had it done for a while.

I am 33 years old and have not been diagnosed with any health issues (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.) but it all runs in my family. I wanted to get my weight under control before it does happen so this is the main reason for me getting the surgery. I've heard the excess skin can cause rashes/irritation and back problems due to it weighing you down so that was my main concern. I was wondering if lifting weights before surgery would help any so that answers some of my questions. Do y'all have any other helpful tips, advice, what to do's or not to do's, or experiences (good or bad)?
 
I WISH I'd had my bypass at 33 lol But I had no health issues at that age and honestly, felt pretty good. I had my bypass at 50, when I had developed diabetes, high blood pressure & cholesterol, Barretts Esophagus due to extreme GERD, and had to take about 5 Aleve a day just to get through the joint pain. I went to Italy in 2018 and had to skip part of the Vatican tour because I was so sore, I just could not imagine taking another step. I sat on the steps outside and cried.

Now? I feel amazing. A M A Z I N G!! And have no health issues. We went on a cross country road trip last year and I walked EVERYWHERE!! For HOURS!! In the heat of the desert, the thin air in the Rockies, everywhere. No problem. My feet, hips, knees .. none of it hurt. And not for nothing, I looked cute as hell while doing it lol Although I did send my cousin a video of my arm flab flapping in the breeze o_O

I don't necessarily love every part of my body that has loose skin. That being said, I have no issues with rashes and the only irritation I have is that my knees ended up with loose skin. WTF?!? I still look better naked at 160 than I did at 264. Although, I married a man smart enough to say I was sexy either way lol If I ever change my mind about my body, or end up with rashes and infections and such, I'll look into surgery. I had it to change my body and my life once. I would certainly be willing to consider it again.
 
So much depends on your skin, and what your expectations are for how loose you can deal with. Some people have great elasticity, or perhaps were not as large for as long. I can say that I could not deal with the flapping that happened every time I put a shirt on, or with having to tuck my stomach into my pants. I skin removed surgically; it is not for everyone, but I would not change my decision. I may go back to get my thighs done later this year.
 
Ashcole88 said:
Thank y'all for the responses!! I've been trying to do some research on the pros and cons before actually making my decision on the surgery. I have a friend who just had the surgery done in January but wanted to get some feed back from people who have had it done for a while.

I am 33 years old and have not been diagnosed with any health issues (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.) but it all runs in my family. I wanted to get my weight under control before it does happen so this is the main reason for me getting the surgery. I've heard the excess skin can cause rashes/irritation and back problems due to it weighing you down so that was my main concern. I was wondering if lifting weights before surgery would help any so that answers some of my questions. Do y'all have any other helpful tips, advice, what to do's or not to do's, or experiences (good or bad)?
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Well, all the extra stuff you have now is also bad for your back. the belly is dragging you down and if you are not feeling your pains yet, it is just a matter of time. All the weight you have is also bead for the joints etc. Rashes not going to give you a heart attack or diabetes. All that is manageable. You are 33, so likely your skin will rebound much better than someone in their 50s. I just had mine done 04/28. I am 44. I also have none of the major health issues, but plenty of family history and I want to be healthy to be able to care for my family. I know I will have skin issues to deal with, but there is nothing that tighter leggings and compression t-shirts cannot solve. Skin will be there, but the fat in that skin will be gone. 2 years down the road if medically needed, I can look into plastic surgery. Do not postpone because of this fear. All the best.
 
My surgeon explained it like this. Our skin is attached to our body by a bunch of rubber bands. When we gain weight to the point of obesity, we break those rubber bands. They cannot regrow or repair themselves. So when we lose weight, the skin sags because the rubber bands are gone. Exercise cannot fix sagging skin.

There is a bariatric surgeon, Dr. Vuong, who explains this on YouTube.
 
suzannethemom said:
My surgeon explained it like this. Our skin is attached to our body by a bunch of rubber bands. When we gain weight to the point of obesity, we break those rubber bands. They cannot regrow or repair themselves. So when we lose weight, the skin sags because the rubber bands are gone. Exercise cannot fix sagging skin.

There is a bariatric surgeon, Dr. Vuong, who explains this on YouTube.
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Correct, muscle building can help "fill it in" but everyone will have some level of sagging skin no matter what.
 
suzannethemom said:
My surgeon explained it like this. Our skin is attached to our body by a bunch of rubber bands. When we gain weight to the point of obesity, we break those rubber bands. They cannot regrow or repair themselves. So when we lose weight, the skin sags because the rubber bands are gone. Exercise cannot fix sagging skin.

There is a bariatric surgeon, Dr. Vuong, who explains this on YouTube.
Click to expand...

this makes perfect sense. Good explanation
 
suzannethemom said:
My surgeon explained it like this. Our skin is attached to our body by a bunch of rubber bands. When we gain weight to the point of obesity, we break those rubber bands. They cannot regrow or repair themselves. So when we lose weight, the skin sags because the rubber bands are gone. Exercise cannot fix sagging skin.

There is a bariatric surgeon, Dr. Vuong, who explains this on YouTube.
Click to expand...
I was gonna say the same thing! Dr. Vuong also says that skin doesn't have muscle so you can't tone it.
 
eladams2015 said:
So much depends on your skin, and what your expectations are for how loose you can deal with. Some people have great elasticity, or perhaps were not as large for as long. I can say that I could not deal with the flapping that happened every time I put a shirt on, or with having to tuck my stomach into my pants. I skin removed surgically; it is not for everyone, but I would not change my decision. I may go back to get my thighs done later this year.
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Does Insurance cover any of that or straight out of pocket?
 
Rhondab71 said:
Does Insurance cover any of that or straight out of pocket?
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Mine was straight out of pocket. It is very challenging to get insurance coverage and takes a lot of time with doctors showing either skin infections from folds and/or issues with mobility due to the skin; even then they are not going to approve any aesthetic in nature, just the basic to provide mobility or get rid of folds. That can create its own issues. I personally went to Mexico to get my surgery done which was about 25-30% of the cost compared to the US.
 
eladams2015 said:
Mine was straight out of pocket. It is very challenging to get insurance coverage and takes a lot of time with doctors showing either skin infections from folds and/or issues with mobility due to the skin; even then they are not going to approve any aesthetic in nature, just the basic to provide mobility or get rid of folds. That can create its own issues. I personally went to Mexico to get my surgery done which was about 25-30% of the cost compared to the US.
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Hi! Can I ask the name of the surgery center you went to in Mexico? And if anyone else out there has done their skin surgery in Mexico please chime in! I am planning ahead by learning more about skin surgery now.
Thanks! Marie
 
Marie Favorini said:
Hi! Can I ask the name of the surgery center you went to in Mexico? And if anyone else out there has done their skin surgery in Mexico please chime in! I am planning ahead by learning more about skin surgery now.
Thanks! Marie
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I used Dr. Luis Suarez at CER Hospital in Tijuana. He does not have as much of a social media presence as some of the others - he is more focused on the actual surgery & patients. LOVED him and his entire staff. Cleanest hospital I have ever stepped foot in.
 
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