Loose skin & international travel (ie India) after 200lb weight loss?

Hello! I'm wondering if any of you folks who have had a massive weight loss could give me your thoughts/share your experiences with respect to loose skin. Specifically, does anyone have experience with traveling around a country like India (or another "difficult", not fully developed country) with loose skin? Or even traveling around "easy" places like Europe?

I'm wondering just how cumbersome, uncomfortable, etc. loose skin can be, and whether it would interfere with traveling.

I'm not concerned with how I'd look in shorts or short-sleeves or that sort of thing. I more concerned with issues like physical comfort (ie wearing shapewear on overnight trains and long car rides, and long plane rides too, for that matter) and hygiene (bucket showers and squat toilets).

How comfortable is shapewear generally? Does it feel hot and/or restricting? Is it suitable for wearing on long walks, easy hikes, longs days in cities sightseeing?

I'm planning a big trip to Europe and (hopefully) India & somewhere else in Asia once I reach my goal weight, burning up my hoard of FF miles. Originally I planned to have plastics done to remove loose skin before traveling, but due to future changes in my FF program, it looks like if I want to take this big trip, I may have to do it before getting plastics. If the skin is too much to deal with, I'll regretfully drop the idea of India.

I realize I'm probably getting a little ahead of myself here (I haven't even had WLS yet, though will be done before the year is out) but I'm trying to plan out my life for the next 2-3 years. I guess I'm a little obsessive and certainly anxious about coping with the oodles of loose skin I know I'm going to have

While I did have plastics, I traveled after massive weight loss with my extra skin- my son lived in Chicago so flew quite a few times... My biggest problem at the airport was the excess skin can come up as a shadow and they do a pat down..LOL. I would get "Do you have anything in your pocket?" No that would be my excess skin...

The issue of excess skin is going to be the same at home or in India. Everyone is different - different genetics, and situations. My Doctor posts on Instagram, and I am always amazed at how skin can look different. I thought mine was bad, but he posted one woman's photo (always with permission) who had lost much less weight than me, but her pannus hung mid thigh... but her arms and legs looked great.

There is no magic ball to tell you how you will look. Most people figure out a way to hide it and make it work.

Thanks, NYMom. That's funny about excess skin showing up as a shadow, I used to always used to get pulled aside for extra wanding, swabbing, patting, etc. when I was a normal weight, guess that won't change, lol. I'll be looking up your doctor's instagram, it really is amazing how different everyone is. Thanks for the encouraging words

Going through security is going to be humiliating, if you have to come through the US. They pat you down.

Shapewear is as comfortable or as uncomfortable as you want it to be. I have different kinds for different goals. Extra firm and firm are going to offer the most compression and will also be the hottest. Light shapewear which will be good enough to keep you from flopping is light and comfortable, it won't reshape you much but it will hold your skin comfortably.

Shapewear is really a trial and error thing, everyone has their preferences. The more you spend the more it does and the more comfortable it is. I like maidenform for cheap everyday wear (even though I don't wear shapewear every day anymore) and Mirclesuit for when I am dressed up or want the most compression with the most comfort.

You are going to need powder and wipes, Ihave found tgat since dropping weight has corrected my metabolic issues, I don't get the yeast smell, infections under my apron that I did when I was large.

The more weight I lose, the less my loose skin bothers me. I can just wear high waist panties like these https://www.victoriassecret.com/panties/shop-all-panties/raw -cut-high-waist-brief-sexy-smooth?ProductID=325682&Catalogue Type=OLS&search=true and they hold me emough.

If you are really down 200 pounds, you skin might not be as cumbersome as you think it will. I had more issues with it at 100 pounds down than I do at 180 pounds down.

Also you can always wear moisture wicking athletic apparel with compression.

Thanks, OutsideMatchInside. I'll be doing my best to avoid any transfers through the US anyways, due to all the extra security. I've often gotten patted down in the past here in Canada and various countries in Europe, as I always seem to trigger the beeper.

I've had numerous humiliations at the weight I'm at now (pap smears, too big for MRI) so getting my extra skin patted down at the airport doesn't worry me. I'll just be happy to be a healthy weight and to be traveling.

Your info about different shapewear is really helpful- I'm not familiar with the different brands, etc. so you've got me thinking and you've given me a place to start researching.

Makes sense about loose skin being less cumbersome the more weight you lose- I guess there would be less fat under the skin so it would be "thinner" and not take up as much room.

Thanks again for the info, this has been very helpful!

That is exactly it. The more you lose, the thinner it gets, the easier it is to manage. Also it isn't as heavy and that helps too.

I had a pap smear with year and it was so amazing it didn't hurt at all. Before I lose weight the whole thing was so painful. This time, painless. It was absolutely amazing I almost cried. It made me realize how much my fat was crushing all my organs, which made me a little sad too.

Another thing about shapewear, is depending on your body and how you carry your weight, you have to go for like a whole torso solution, or the fat/skin will just shift or bulge.

Like

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/maidenform-firm-control-o pen-bust-body-shaper-slip-2541?ID=397352&CategoryID=3144#fn= LINGERIE_TYPE%3DSlips%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D5%26ruleId%3D105|BS|B A%26slotId%3D4

Or

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/maidenform-firm-control-instant-slimmer-long-leg-open-bust-body-shaper-2556?ID=455100&CategoryID=225&tdp=cm_app~zMCOM-NAVAPP~xcm_zone~zPDP_ZONE_A~xcm_choiceId~zcidM05MAS-7da91e9e-fcf6-41c2-bd34-f87f0697653d%40H7%40customers%2Balso%2Bshopped%24225%24455100~xcm_pos~zPos3

I lost 200 pounds. Even though I had enough excess skin to warrant plastic surgery, it did not impede my movement in any way. Shapewear did hold it in place. I like Flexees brand much better than Spanx. Try a few to see what works for you.

I agree. I think Spanx are way over rated. They do nothing for me at all. The only benefit to spanx is that it is seamless but other than that, the hold is terrible.

I was just looking at the shapers and they were all for waist and thighs.... what about upper arms? what works better?

I had this great arm shaper but they don't make them anymore :( It was plus size anyway so it wouldn't work now.

I don't use anything in the summer, I just suffer.

I might try this one for the fall. http://a.co/bDeFDGj It would help with upper back fat/skin too.