Did/Do you work out?
But no, it won't help with excess skin. Skin doesn't exercise. (*grin*) It WILL give you better muscle tone so that your excess skin looks better (because the shape beneath it will be nicer), but it will still be there.
Didn't help at all with the skin, but after losing nearly 300 pounds, skin just wasn't going to bounce back! Took 20lbs off with skin for the belt lipectomy, another 5-7 with the upper body lift/arms, and per surgeons I have at least 5lbs each leg, if not 10lbs each leg of skin/fat to lose.
Ughish on the thigh skin, think 'saggy baggy elephant' legs.
Working out can help but it surely depends on how much you have to lose and how and where your fat was deposited!
Jill - revision - band to DS 3/10/05 Dr. Baltasar, Spain
440/140/149 hw/cw/gw - 5'5" -300lbs -- bmi 73.2 to 24.8 :) GOAL MET 10/26/10!!.... Even made 140 September 2012. Been ranging 4-6lbs from 144-146 since then. Back to 140 December 2012, hoping to see it again after I feel better and start working out.
IMHO it did help in a number of ways. First, my body fat was almost non existent so I was just healthier. I also lost at a very steady, constant pace and I credit that to working out. I lost 5 pounds a week for 5 months and never hit a plateau. I didn't hit the platuea until I quit smoking. I also feel it helped in the fact that when I did finally have plastic surgery I didn't have to deal with any kind of liposuction as some have to and my muscles were so toned that recovery from plastics was easier. For example, when you have a tummy tuck you really need your leg/thigh muscles to help stand up. By working out that became much easier.
Janet in Leesburg
DS 2/25/03
Hazem Elariny
-175
Exercise does not change skin. It changes muscle. You might look better under the loose skin, but that's all.
People who insist the exercise DID change their skin just had the genes to not have as much loose skin as some of us.
I did not do any kind of regular exercise routine after my surgery. I didn't start any focused type of workout stuff until less than a year ago.
I still workout only now I am running the pool and teaching between 1-2.5 hours per day of exercise classes.
There are so many scientific reasons to work out- increased health in all areas cardiovascular, lung capacity, bone loss prevention and one of my favorite the endorphins released in the brain that work to stabilize mood and enhance perceived well being.
As a physician I just do not understand why any of us given the chance at renewed health are not doing some form of aerobic cardiovascular workouts combined with weight building for increased muscle mass.
Ours choices were limited to us many times due to our morbid obesity once at goal work those physical barriers of fat have been removed. Hopefully our bones, muscles and ligaments did not sustain too much damage from carting our morbid obesity around. Even so there are exercise programs especially in the water that are non-weight bearing and protect the already damaged joints.
sorry if this comes off like sounding so strong, but for me not exercising is not medically sound advice for a healthy life!!!!
Amanda-DS October 2001
highest >350/342 start of wls journey/ 192 @8years
Amanda-DS October 2001
highest >350/342 start of wls journey/ 192 @8years