How can you tell between loose skin and fat?

[ragefury]

First off I just want to say hello to everyone. This is my first post. I haven't done my stats yet, so I'll type them in now... I just turned 35 this month, am 5'6, and currently weigh at 156lbs... Last year however, this was dramatically different... Literally last year at my heaviest i was 193lbs, and at 5'6 that's pretty fat... I was diagnosed with gout and was prescribed medicine that I had an extreme allergic reaction to. Was hospitalized for almost two weeks... Any way, after that I had changed my eating and exercising habbits. Now I am just so addicted to working out, that my appearance has become my primary motivation and health has become secondary...

My question is, by losing almost 40lbs in a little less than a year (considering my frame), is the flesh I'm able to pinch on my sides and gut fat or loose skin?... and how can I tell the difference, and if its loose skin how does that get tightened up?

[ljimd]

It's fat.

[discdoggie]

Post a pic.

[Whiskeyjack]

Welcome and sincere grats on your progress so far!

[ragefury]

Welcome and sincere grats on your progress so far!

Thanks!

[GirLInterrupted]

Probably fat guessing by the amount you have lost. Skin does not really loosen up, maybe a tad. I agree you need to post a pic.

I'm usually pretty private by how much weight I lost, but 5 years ago I lost 135lbs. That gave me some excess skin . I had surgery to remove some of it about 4 years ago.

[latebloomingmom]

remember that pinch and inch commercial for special K? well? You lost 40 lbs in less then a year and some of it may be that your skin has not tightened up yet but if there is substance to what you are pinching and it does not feel like say, your kidney or liver then its probably still fat.

[latebloomingmom]

Probably fat guessing by the amount you have lost. Skin does not really loosen up, maybe a tad. I agree you need to post a pic.

I'm usually pretty private by how much weight I lost, but 5 years ago I lost 135lbs. That gave me some excess skin . I had surgery to remove some of it about 4 years ago.

Fantastic job girl on the weight loss, I am in awe!!!

[induced_drag]

Actual skin if very thin when you pinch it (fold it over on itself). If when you pinch, there is any more then 1/4" between your fingers, that is fat.

Congrats on the weight loss. There are many people on the forum that have experience with heavy wight loss that might help shed more light on the extra skin issue.

[JerryB]

Skin fold measurements can be used to determine your level of subcutaneous fat.

[snakemau]

Im actually very interested on this, I'm in the same boat, last July (2010) I was 211lb, and by December I was 151lbs, so got rid of 60 lbs in about 5 months. I'm also 5'6" and 37 yrs. I would like to know if I have a bunch of loose skin or still fat.

[Whiskeyjack]

Fantastic job girl on the weight loss, I am in awe!!!

Me too.

[Getsum]

Gratz on your progress.

I'm down about 40lbs since October 2010 and haven't run into a loose skin problem, I do still have some fat around my gut to shed though. A few years ago, my boss lost around 200lbs on a low carb diet, no lifting or exercise and just diet. He had an obvious loose skin problem as he had folds of skin hanging around his hips. It's hard to say if yours is loose skin or just fat without a picture.

[Getsum]

Try searching google for loose skin and look under images.

[jdtemple]

I have loose skin after dropping nearly 120 lbs in 2 years a while back. I have even gained 23 lbs back, and it's still there.

One easy way to check is to take your shirt off, and get into the pushup position. Then, look down at your gut. If it's hanging off of you and wrinkly, you have loose skin.

I have kept the weight off for 3 1/2 years now, and the skin is still a problem.

What you need to do is give it some time to tighten up. As stated above, I don't believe you've lost enough weight that your skin won't tighten itself up.

[themyth2009]

I always blame loose skin.

[Brackneyc]

Mine is loose fat.

[bodyhard]

Lose skin is thin, fat has "feel" to it. Lose skin doesn't have bounce/elasticity, fat does.

[mrbigdude]

take a photo of it while pinching it and post for us to judge.

[tallred27]

An adults skin is only 2 mm thick. That is about || <- that thick.

So if you grab a chunk of your skin that seems to be loose and is much thicker than that. Then it is more than likely fat and not just loose skin.

If you grab really close together and near the surface of your skin you can actually feel the difference in your skin compared to feeling the fat.

Also when it is loose skin it feels different when you hold it than you do if it is a lot of fat there. Hard to explain the difference. If you can find a woman who just had a baby sometimes they have a lot of extra loose skin for a while. But she will more than likely not let you see it or touch it.

[ragefury]

Probably fat guessing by the amount you have lost. Skin does not really loosen up, maybe a tad. I agree you need to post a pic.

I'm usually pretty private by how much weight I lost, but 5 years ago I lost 135lbs. That gave me some excess skin . I had surgery to remove some of it about 4 years ago.

that is AMAZING!!! a real inspiration!

[ragefury]

remember that pinch and inch commercial for special K? well? You lost 40 lbs in less then a year and some of it may be that your skin has not tightened up yet but if there is substance to what you are pinching and it does not feel like say, your kidney or liver then its probably still fat.

hahaha!... yeah, but Special K ain't helping... smh...

[ragefury]

Actual skin if very thin when you pinch it (fold it over on itself). If when you pinch, there is any more then 1/4" between your fingers, that is fat.

Congrats on the weight loss. There are many people on the forum that have experience with heavy wight loss that might help shed more light on the extra skin issue.

Thank you!

[ragefury]

Gratz on your progress.

I'm down about 40lbs since October 2010 and haven't run into a loose skin problem, I do still have some fat around my gut to shed though. A few years ago, my boss lost around 200lbs on a low carb diet, no lifting or exercise and just diet. He had an obvious loose skin problem as he had folds of skin hanging around his hips. It's hard to say if yours is loose skin or just fat without a picture.

Thank you!

[pumped123]

If you can pull it over your head then it's loose skin.

[ragefury]

I have loose skin after dropping nearly 120 lbs in 2 years a while back. I have even gained 23 lbs back, and it's still there.

One easy way to check is to take your shirt off, and get into the pushup position. Then, look down at your gut. If it's hanging off of you and wrinkly, you have loose skin.

I have kept the weight off for 3 1/2 years now, and the skin is still a problem.

What you need to do is give it some time to tighten up. As stated above, I don't believe you've lost enough weight that your skin won't tighten itself up.

thanks for the info... i'm starting to realize that it is fat... : (

[ragefury]

I always blame loose skin.

Lol... yeah, i was hoping that would be it... but with all the info being provided... it's fat

[ragefury]

Mine is loose fat.

Hilarious!

[ragefury]

Lose skin is thin, fat has "feel" to it. Lose skin doesn't have bounce/elasticity, fat does.

oh yeah... this is fat...

[ragefury]

An adults skin is only 2 mm thick. That is about || <- that thick.

So if you grab a chunk of your skin that seems to be loose and is much thicker than that. Then it is more than likely fat and not just loose skin.

If you grab really close together and near the surface of your skin you can actually feel the difference in your skin compared to feeling the fat.

Also when it is loose skin it feels different when you hold it than you do if it is a lot of fat there. Hard to explain the difference. If you can find a woman who just had a baby sometimes they have a lot of extra loose skin for a while. But she will more than likely not let you see it or touch it.

thank you for this... the visual helped a lot