14 Mar Preventing Loose Skin After Losing Weight

If you are on a weight loss program and you are trying to lose a significant amount of weight, you may be feeling a bit concerned about possibly being left with loose skin after successfully losing weight.  Unfortunately, being left with lose skin is a very real possibility after a significant weight loss.  At the same time, if you keep a few general rules of thumb in mind as you develop your weight loss strategy, you can minimize the possibility of being left with excess skin after you lose weight.

Your skin is naturally elastic and can change along with your changing body size.  When a woman becomes pregnant, for example, her belly expands significantly and her skin is generally able to return to normal afterward.  Still, there are some factors that will impact how well your skin is able to bounce back after losing weight.  Namely, the amount of extra weight you are carrying, how long you have been overweight and your age will all contribute to how well your skin is able to return to normal.

To help your skin change with your changing body, it is also best to lose the weight slowly.  If you lose just 1 to 2 pounds per week, your skin will have a better chance of returning to normal.  Similarly, if you work on adding lean muscle to your body as you reduce your body fat, you will be able to more effectively reduce the appearance of loose skin.  You can do this by combining weight training with cardio exercises. 

By maintaining proper nutrition in your diet, your skin will also have a better chance of returning to normal.  Including essential fatty acids, which are found in flax seed oil and fish oil, will help with this process as well.

If you still find yourself with left over skin after losing weight, you may need to consider undergoing surgery.  Of course, you will need to discuss your options with your doctor in order to determine the route that is best for you.