Exercise and loose skin

I am interested in getting the gastric bypass and want to know any tips to avoid allot of excess skin, I need to loose about 180+ pounds and I am 34 my skin is very tight , but still curious? Pam

There really aren't any tips that can be given because the way your skin is going to react to the weight loss is both genetic, your age and how long you have been MO. For the most part someone with that amount of weight loss wil pretty much have a fair amount of excess skin. My husband lost just about that much, was almost 57 and had been MO for close to 15 years and he needed to have a panni. He actually needed to have a revision to his original panni because he lost more weight afterwards and had more saggy skin.  Both my dh and I had RNY and needed PS at about 2 years out. Christine

Hey Pam Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to avoid excess skin if you have the gastric bypass. Your skin simply won't be able to conform to your body due to the drastic weight loss that accompanies the surgery. Once you've had the surgery and you commit to a total lifestyle change that includes diet and exercise, you will lose a large amount of weight quickly and your skin isn't elastic enough to be able to be stretched as it is now and then shrink. You will either have to live with the excess skin, or get plastic surgery to remove it. That being said... If you change your diet and exercise regularly (most, if not all, days of the week) and don't have the surgery, your skin will be able to handle the change in your body composition and you may have a little loose skin, but I doubt even that. If the weight loss is slow and healthy (about 2 pounds per week), your skin is able to conform to the new body composition because of the built muscle from exercise and you won't have to deal with the excess skin as if you had the surgery.

I keep hearing the same thing about the excess skin and I just have to realize it will be inevitable that I will need to have PS in a few years.  I have to lose 256 pounds and I know my body won't be able to keep up with that.

I'm with you Pam, I asked the same question a few weeks ago.

Jamie

Your surgery is in August thats great....and your church is behind you that is also great... I guess you and I will have to wait to see how much needs to be cut off...LOL

Hi Pam, Unfortunately there is no way to get around the loose skin issue.   When you are that much overweight you will have some loose skin issues....now how much....well....that depends on how much your body will tighten up.   There is no way of telling the answer to that.   It doesn't matter which surgery that you have.....how slow that you loose the weight or any other thing that others might tell you.   It will happen....you will have some skin issues because of the skin being stretched out.    Tight or not....when the weight starts to come off...it will loosen up.    But don't let that make you not do something about your weight.   I suggest that you get on a exercise prograhm and walk also.  That will help with tightening up the skin to some degree.  I wish you lots of luck with your decisions. Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian