loose skin or fat?

[drummindave]

I used to be pretty fat but lost a lot of weight and have been cutting the last bit of fat for a couple months. My waistline has shrunk, but it seems the amount of fat there has gone down very little. What's left is mostly around my belly, but what's wierd is I can see veins in my lower abs, then I have a litle pudge right above that that looks especially ugly when I sit. It's quite jiggly, I was wondering if anyone else experienced this, having good vascularity in one part of the abs, and a pudge in the other part. Would you say it is loose skin or just more stubborn fat I need to cut? I don't have much fat over most of the rest of my body, most of the rest is a little around my upper legs. I can also see veins in several other places, and the skin feels loose in a couple other areas as well. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Doobz]

It sounds like you have the same problem as me. What you described sounds exactly like what I have. I also lost a great deal of weight. I weighed 250 last year, and weigh 157 now. But yeah, it's pretty nasty. My 'pudge' stretches like rubber, it's pretty disgusting.

[GetImpact]

Its stubborn fat, legacy adipose cell structure (like microscopic deflated balloons) and loose skin. I have it too, and it is bothersome after all this effort.

You will probably have to remain lean for some time before that will work itself out. Kinda like your body is waiting for the famine to be over so it can stuff those fat cells with lard again. Only, you don't want to do that.

No worries. Do a clean bulk and cut again... maybe several times. By then things should be getting themselves in order.

If you were middle-aged like me, it tends to take a lot longer to correct itself. So, I have resigned myself not to expect "abs" until perhaps a year or so from now (if there are no slip-ups, of course).

[drummindave]

Yeah clean bulk is deffinately what I want to go for. I was planning on starting that when school started anyway, in a few weeks. I'm 16, 165 lbs, around 14% b/f I think. I still haven't gotten calipers and my gym doesn't have a machine to test it. I've seen simple online calculators, and based on my height (5'10"), weight, and waistline, they've given me 11 or 12% but that deffinately seems a little low. Oh well, I guess it may just be some time before I get some good abs. At least I can see them when I flex. I didn't loose as much weight as you, doobz, I've just gradually lost weight and grown taller. I think I was almost this same weight back in 5th grade, at the peak of my fatness. The summer before this one I lost a lot of weight and started lifting for the first time. The small gains I got were lucky, since I ate way too little, not knowing much about nutrition then. The result was a pretty good build but this stubborn ass belly. Been trying to get rid of it since then.

[GetImpact]

Oh well, I guess it may just be some time before I get some good abs. At least I can see them when I flex...

I'm probably around 15% also, but you wouldn't guess it based on the king-size sheet of loose, flabby skin I am wearing these days.

See:
http://www.getimpactnow.com/body/2005july24_biflex.jpg

I can grab a whole fistfull of it on my belly and bring my fingers almost together in the pinch. And when I am jumping rope... Good God!... it slides up and down like it is barely hanging on. Oh, the penalties you pay for going to Fat City!

Also, unlike many men, I have never had apparent vascularity even after years of training and attaining 6% body fat (in my younger years). Naturally thick waist to boot. Never had an aesthetically pleasing body here (I'd venture to say, even ugly), but I can sure pack on muscle and get up the stamina once I get going. The old body is pretty tough.

Keep training. You'll do fine. Can't be worse off than me in the appearance dept.