Skinny on the skin

I am fairly new here but have just scheduled surgery for 8/20 (2 weeks away, yikes) I'm super excited and nervous for surgery but have prepared to the best of my ability. The one lingering question that no one can really answer for me is about the left over skin after weight loss. I am 5/7, 233lbs and my weight is fairly distributed evenly over my whole body. I was wondering how much loose skin I will have or how bad it really is? My goal weight is 140 so that is 97 pounds of weight loss. 

Thanks Everyone?!! 

Nobody can answer that because it varies so much. There are lots of factors, including your weight, genetics, body composition, how long you've been obese, and how much you need to lose.

Thanks for the reply, it's really been nagging on me lately. Not that it really matters, just more curious then anything. 

Right, there are lots of variables.  I can tell you my experience.  I'm 5'6 and my highest weight was 272, 260 at surgery, now I'm maintaining between 140 and 145.  So, I lost more than you are planning on losing.  I'm going to be 37 next week, I had surgery 2 weeks before my 36th birthday.  My skin is yucky and I would like to have a tummy tuck, but it isn't unbearable by any means.  I wear a body shaper (the one I like is a flexee, I get it on Amazon.  http://smile.amazon.com/Maidenform-Flexees-Womens-Shapewear-Torsette/dp/B0055X1OAW/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1438714123&sr=8-9&keywords=flexee )  The body shaper really makes an incredible difference and if I can't ever afford a tummy tuck, I'll live.  The worst part however are my breasts.  They are droopy and saggy and just plain awful.  Hopefully I can get them fixed next summer.  But, they are awful for me, with a quality bra, no one else knows.  Hope this helps!

The only certainty is that you will have excess skin - pretty much can't escape that.  After years of being obese we actually grow extra skin to cover our bulk.  When we lose fat that skin has no where to go.  It doesn't "evaporate" or "snap back".  

If you're in your 20's or 30's and haven't been obese very long, and especially if you have more olive tone skin, thicker skin or oilier skin, then you'll have better results than someone like me:  in my 50's, overweight/obese all my adult life, fair/dry skin, post-menopausal...you get the sad, sorry picture, right?  

So you probably won't have the worst case of excess skin that's ever been seen but you probably won't go completely unscathed.  And you'll want to wait an entire year after hitting maintenance to really judge it.  I promise you (and I didn't believe this!) that during the first 12 months of maintenance everything left over starts to shift around and your body will look different at the exact same weight 12 months after maintenance than the day you hit goal weight.  Take your time to assess the situation and don't jump immediately into plastics. 

Awesome accomplishment!!

Varies too much to predict. In my case I had no noticable issues for the first 70 pound loss, but at 100 sag and 150 a lot. I am on a 6'2'' frame though and carried most of my weight in the stomach. You are blessed to have it be more distributed, as that may not be as big of an issue. Loose skin is far better than being super fat, so no worries either way!

Thanks Everyone! You have all been really helpful. Going into this surgery we are paying out of pocket for the entire thing and I was more curious what I was up against then anything. I have a few friends who have had the surgery and they are all so different. I just wanted to know what people on the board have experienced. 

I am new to the sleeve, had a lapband revision but lost 90 pounds with the band. I have been overweight/obese for most of my life and have some sagging skin but not bad.

One thing that has helped me is that I have lifted weights for years (the only exercise I enjoy.) I found that having a little muscle to replace the fat helped in keeping the sagging to a minimum and gives me a toned look especially in the arms. The only thing that is really bad on me are my legs, partly due to a botched liposuction and being heavy all my life.

So maybe give lifting weights a try...you might like it and I know for me it was a treat to see muscle emerge as the fat went away.

Good luck, keep us posted.....I had to be self pay for the sleeve portion and I will only be 4 weeks out tomorrow but don't regret it for a minute!!!

I'm 30, a pasty pale blonde haired white kid. 5'7" and my highest recorded weight was 315, but I've weighed more than that. I'm down 100lbs now with another 60-70 to go... and the skin ain't pretty. I started noticing sag at about 60 lbs down and it's gotten steadily worse as I've continued losing. Ive got bat wings starting, my breasts and lower stomach/mons are showing pronounced sag, but my thighs are definitely the worst. I carried most of my weight in my butt/legs (actually going to talk to my doctor about lipedema, I am beginning to suspect I may have this condition) and my thighs are BAD. I am sure things will be pretty gnarly once I'm at goal, but when I'm clothed and wearing Spanx or compression gear nobody is the wiser. I'm planning on pursuing plastics once I've maintained at goal for a year or two.