Help Me

[bgbb0818]

Hey guys..

So I am 25 years old and absolutely hate my body. I am a mom, my kiddo just turned 6. I dont want to get a tummy tuck just incase I have more. But I feel like I am wasting my young adulthood away not being able to be comfortable in my own skin. I used to be very athletic. I lost 70 pounds that I gained while pregnant (I was VERY sick). Is it even reasonable to think that lifting will help this look better? Can I build underneath it with a ton of work to tighten things and get rid of this damn flap? Please help me <3 and be kind Im already hard enough on my self..

To view images put a . Between b and c. It wouldint let me post links
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[SuffolkPunch]

Knowledge is power. Start by reading the sticky threads at the top of this forum (start with the "basics" thread). Also look in Workout Programs and Exercises. There is also a specific female bodybuilding section.

After doing that, if anything is not clear, let us know.

[Manzooka]

Hey bgbb0818. First of all grats on the 70 pound loss!

I started looking into the loose skin situation back when I was on my way to losing over 100 pounds. This is one of those topics that unscrupulous marketers like to BS about so I figured it was worth researching the straight dope on my own.

What I found is that loose skin is determined (perhaps obviously) by how big you were in a given area and how small you become in that area along with a few other factors like age and genetics. Losing weight slowly doesn't prevent loose skin, and losing weight quickly doesn't cause it (with the exception of the excess muscle loss that one might incur on a very low cal diet or after a gastric bypass as they drop weight rapidly). There are no pills, creams or ointments that will tighten loose skin over time, and your skin won't tighten on its own over a long period of time. Building muscle can help fill some under-the-skin real estate in some cases but take that bit of info with a large dose of realistic expectations, especially around the midsection where there won't be all that much muscle to fill.

As for "looking better" that's very much in the eye of the beholder, but anecdotally I know some people with loose skin who reported feeling less self conscious as they continued to lower their body fat percentage. They reasoned that because they had less fat under the skin their problem areas appeared flatter and more even despite the loose skin. But again, every body and situation is different and I'd encourage realistic expectations there as well.

Unfortunately, surgery remains the only real option for permanently removing loose skin, but you're smart to hold off if you plan to have more kids. Any doctor worth his or her salt would be sure to discuss that kind of information with you and ensure you've achieved a measure of physical stability before proceeding.

I hope some of this is helpful and that you don't find it demotivating. Knowledge is power and all that. For what its worth I think we're all 1000 times harder on ourselves that everyone else, except maybe the *******s but who gives a **** about them, right? Post or pm if you have any other questions or just want to discuss the subject.