excess skin and working out

I'm at the beginning of my weight loss journey, I'm a little past half way and I started as a "Light Weight" with a BMI of 35.

This morning while swimming laps I was amused by the sensation I get from my loosening skin - it feels like my swim suit shoulder straps are sliding down my arm. It's just a wave of lose skin on the outside of my shoulders (not visible normally as it lays flat just fine when not floating in water!). I also feel like I have to "arrange" my butt on the bike seat or I'll trap a roll of skin...

What's your weird experience with extra skin while you work out?

My biggest problems are the bat wings. As in inches and inches hanging and flapping under toned arms. Did I mention that I fence - as in en garde? So all I hear is the flapping sound of the excess skin against my body? So, for the last three months, I've been using ace bandages to wrap my biceps to stop the flapping. I've found a wonderful place -- Body Helix https://bodyhelix.com/ - they are in NC - they make compression wraps for the bicep tricep area. OH. MY. GOD. Life changing. Not cheap, but life changing.

I also find I prefer work out bottoms with some compression - usually Nike or Fila with a high waist.

But the bat wing wraps are worth every damn penny.

I've just started to get those "slaps" of noise from my bat wings! It surprises me each time it happens... I'm going to look up the compression wraps for sure!

I hear ya Knitter215. I sometimes worry that I'm going to slap myself when I'm lifting weights. I don't know if this idea will help you or not, but cyclists who ride outdoors in cool weather (between the short sleeves of summer and the long sleeve, heavy fabric of winter) frequently wear arm warmers - Lycra (or some other compression fabric) sleeves that cover our arms below our short sleeve jerseys. You can get them in black, or in lots of fun patterns and colors. My favorite pair look like my arms are tattoo'd from shoulder to wrist. Maybe they wil help. They'll be cuter and easier to put on than your ace bandages, and MUCH less expensive than custom compression wraps.

Just a thought. Hope it helps. (Look for them in cyclist clothing stores & sites)

Karen

Karen - thanks, but those Lycra arm warmers do not provide enough compression for what I have - they don't stop the slapping. The Body Helix tricep sleeve works best for me. Since I work out 5-6 days a week and fence competitively, I don't mind paying the extra. I tried a pair of those from one of the sporting goods stores and it was a waste of 20 bucks.

I did a HIIT class at the gym tonight and my excess abdominal skin looked like it contained an alien life form as I jumped, etc. Even through my shirt, I could see it sloshing around. My bat wings also make funny clapping sounds when I run.

As soon as I get to goal, I'm going to see about getting the excess skin removed. If only this last 30lbs wasn't so hard to lose.

It's not so much weird as annoying, and the #1 reason I pursued reconstructive surgery. Jumping Jacks. OMG. I hate them, but I want to be able to do them, and I couldn't because of the excess abdominal skin. There isn't enough compression gear in the world to contain that :P

My weird moments are more visual than anything else. Doing push ups when the sun hits my arms at just the wrong angle so I see EVERY tiny crease, bulge, lump and wrinkle....my skin looks like lumpy cream of wheat! It's G.R.O.S.S. Or when I get going in some sort of harmonic rhythm (like burpees or ball slams) and my ass keeps going for a few beats after the rest of me stops. Yuck!

But you know what? I'll still take it over not being able to lean forward because I couldn't reach around my (basketball sized but now flat) stomach, or stretch my quads because there was too much me in the way of being able to grab my ankle to pull it up.