The aftermath of weight loss

[raz]

I'm just concerned about how much I can really affect the stretch marks and loose skin with just working out. I have them on my upper arms, under my thighs and around my abdominal and chest areas. There's a patch of loose skin right under my stomach, and I don't think I can do much about it. I looked at pictures of people online with loose skin in the same areas from weight loss, and I don't know if I want to lose 15-20 lbs in my stomach area after looking at those pictures.

I can't believe I'm so vain. :/ I feel like an ESFx. lol

 

[Phantonym]

I'm just concerned about how much I can really affect the stretch marks and loose skin with just working out.

I can't believe I'm so vain. :/ I feel like an ESFx. lol

First of all, congratulations on losing the weight!

But, sorry to disappoint you, the stretch marks you already have are there to stay. Exercising is ineffective against marks that have already appeared. However, they will fade into a lighter colour over time and become less noticeable.

Maybe you should consult a dermatologist who can suggest some possibilities on how to deal with them. There are some treatments available for improving the marks.

And hey, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy vanity. It's understandable that you're eager to improve your body.

Keep up the good work and good luck with your battles!

 

[raz]

First of all, congratulations on losing the weight!

But, sorry to disappoint you, the stretch marks you already have are there to stay. Exercising is ineffective against marks that have already appeared. However, they will fade into a lighter colour over time and become less noticeable.

Maybe you should consult a dermatologist who can suggest some possibilities on how to deal with them. There are some treatments available for improving the marks.

And hey, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy vanity. It's understandable that you're eager to improve your body.

Keep up the good work and good luck with your battles!

Sigh. Sounds like a losing battle then. So, apparently I can't really do anything about the cosmetic problems aside from surgery. This fucking sucks. I can continue to try to lose weight this Summer and see what happens to my stomach area with the loose skin, but after looking at pictures online, I'm just not sure if that seems like a good idea now. I'm starting to wonder if I just want to give up on it all then and just stay put where I am.

I just seem fucked either way and apparently my family can't see the emotional complications of surgery.

 

[Samvega]

Don't forget, cocoa butter!

 

[Phantonym]

Don't forget, cocoa butter!

To quote Wikipedia, the most accurate and reliable database on earth laugh:

"Though cocoa butter is an effective moisturizer, no research studies have shown its ability to either prevent stretchmarks, or to reduce their appearance once a stretchmark has already formed."

Link here - Stretch marks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But hey, cocoa butter smells wonderful and it's an excellent way to pamper yourself (even if you are a guy) and get those negative thoughts out of your head

Sigh. Sounds like a losing battle then. So, apparently I can't really do anything about the cosmetic problems aside from surgery. This fucking sucks. I can continue to try to lose weight this Summer and see what happens to my stomach area with the loose skin, but after looking at pictures online, I'm just not sure if that seems like a good idea now. I'm starting to wonder if I just want to give up on it all then and just stay put where I am.

I just seem fucked either way and apparently my family can't see the emotional complications of surgery.

raz, don't give up! I know it's very easy to give up when you think that things are not going exactly the way you want them to go.

And stop looking at pictures of other people! There's a different story to every body. Trust me, you'll only make yourself feel worse. Negativity will only make you think about giving up even more.

Here's an idea: maybe you should talk to some professional therapist. Somebody who has dealt with the weight loss issues before and who has a neutral stance in this issue and is able to help you see that things are not as negative as you might see them. It's worth giving a shot.

You're pretty young. And that's a definite plus. As long as you keep on working on your body, it will get better. Surgery should be the last thing on you mind right now. It might seem like an easy fix but it could do you more harm than good. You've already worked so hard for this. Keep on working out, it will make you feel better! Things will not change quickly in the near future but building muscle will make the proportions of your body better.

Love your body!

 

[raz]

I'm not giving up. I'm trying to keep in my plan of 2 workouts and 1 class a week. The soreness from my workouts is gone, but the class is still giving me a run for my money. It leaves soreness the whole weekend since I usually do it on Fridays. I guess it'll just take time. I came out of the class today with my upper arms shaking. That was a little weird. I just hope it gets better.

I'm trying to fine tune the class and get used to it, customizing weights and things. I got through it a lot easier today when I stopped using weights during squats and lunges. Probably by the time I get used to this routine, it'll be time to switch up. I doubt I'm anywhere near that, though. I think I should let my body adjust to this for a while first, haha. It shows how bad my upper legs are though, with the squats and lunges. I'm noticing that balance is getting easier as I'm gaining more leg muscle.

 

[EcK]

and apparently my family can't see the emotional complications of surgery.

Me neither?!

 

[Riva]

Me neither?!

me neither.

 

[raz]

It's just that the loose skin and stretch marks are an after effect of the weight I gained from my depression. If I can't get rid of them from strength and resistance training, then to me, my depression caused another permanent effect that I can't help on my own. After the crap of my depression, I just want to feel normal, and it seems like needing surgery makes me feel much less normal.

 

[raz]

Seems like there was a hole in my diet leading to my lack of fat loss. I found it and hopefully I can plug it up quickly. Miscalculated something I had been eating the last few weeks that was adding a considerable amount of calories.

 

[raz]

I'm still working on it. I'm wondering how often I should be changing weights to the next higher level. I've increased about 3/4 of the workouts I'm doing by 2.5-5 lbs already in the last month. Does it just take more time? I'm also noticing that my left arm is noticeably weaker than my right arm and it seems like it's holding back my progress because it takes longer to get stronger.

I also took my body fat percentage last Wednesday weighing in at 194 lbs. I came out 22%. I just took it again today and set it to 195 after weighing myself and it came out 21.1%. I changed to 194 and I got 20.8%. Heh.

 

[raz]

I've increased the weights on just about every workout I'm doing. However, when I try the handheld body fat analyzer tool, it's almost impossible to tell any progress on that. It fluctuates up, down and dead even.

I weigh myself when I go, but it's different times during the day sometimes. I started weighing myself in the morning when I woke up like I did when I lost the weight before. According to that, I've lost ~7-8 lbs. The scale at the gym says I've lost nothing and the body fat analyzer is just fubared.

I'm slowly increasing weights on the workouts, and the scale at home says I'm losing weight. Should I just ignore what the stuff at the gym is saying? I'm following weight watchers, and I'm pretty damn sure I'm eating my daily points correctly and I'm having a 16-18(~700 calories) treat once a week.

 

[wolfy]

An electronic BF analyzer measures your BF by measuring the speed a current goes through your body. So depending on how hydrated you are the result will fluctuate.

You could try measuring at the same time of the day. Or you could get a caliper test done once a month. That would be the best option, a caliper test.

You need to think in terms of body composition. Not body weight. Strength gains are caused by neural adaptation and extra muscle mass so that could be why your weight is stable.

What is your waist measurement doing?

 

[raz]

Haven't really measured my waist. Where is your waist actually located?

See, when I lost the weight before, I'd weigh myself once a week right after I woke up. That way there was no cause of unexpected fluctuations. I guess I should just keep on that and use that as my guide.

 

[Udog]

I usually weigh-in first thing in the morning during a work week. It minimizes variance, but at the price of making the body fat percentage analyzer on my scale almost worthless. (Because my body is dehydrated, so everything is high.)

Remember that if you are lifting, muscle weighs more than fat. If you are increasing your weights while still losing weight, it's likely a good sign. Just know that the increase in muscle mass will slow down how much weight you lose each week.

 

[raz]

Well, like, I went on vacation this week for 4 days, so I made sure I got in my workouts last weekend. I ended up missing a class this week because of the vacation and I stayed pretty damn close to my normal routine of eating even while on vacation. As soon as I got back Thursday night, I went to the gym Friday evening, and then tonight. I'm planning on going to my class again Monday. I wanted to go for some cardio tomorrow or maybe I'll find somewhere to go jogging.

I'm more of afraid of either losing muscle mass or gaining/maintaining fat levels. I had to adjust my lever seated leg curl weights tonight. My form was all wrong and it made me think I was capable of like 10-15 lbs more than I actually was. I was really just going too fast. It's been 8 weeks now of the lifting. The personal trainer said to talk to him about switching over to a different routine. I'll try talking to him next week.

 

[wolfy]

Haven't really measured my waist. Where is your waist actually located?

Around the level of your belly button.

 

[BallentineChen]

If you ask for lifting advice you're going to get endless replies, some strategies contradicting others. I've learned that it's very important to establish a good foundation in order to reduce wasted time. For that reason I'd recommend the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe.

Rather than focusing on isolation exercises (i.e. biceps, triceps, etc.), the book focuses on the core compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench-press, press, chin-ups, etc.). This book will teach go into exhaustive detail on proper form in order to prevent injury. It's used by coaches of athletes and is also used as a stepping stone for people introduced to bodybuilding.

It might seem a little intense from what I just described but my point was just to demonstrate its popular regard. You only need to devote 3 days a week as a novice.

I've also heard good things about P90x, but that program requires a much higher investment in time and effort than what your circumstances seem to allow. Also, P90x does not have as long a track record. Starting Strength is tried and true.