Well, I weighed in today and I'm down another 2 lbs. That makes 55.5 lbs. in 16 weeks. 16 straight weeks that I've been able to tally a loss. I really couldn't be more pleased! ;-)
So I spent some time on Google tonight looking up weight loss and loose skin because that's becoming an increasing issue for me, particularly in my abdomen and thighs.
Don't get me wrong. Getting healthy and feeling so much better is way more important to me than any loose skin issues I'm having. I don't ever see myself going the surgery route, but if there are steps I can take that will help lessen the effect of weight loss on my skin, why not do everything I can?
One of the suggestions that garnered consensus pretty much everywhere I looked was that it's important not to lose weight too quickly. The recommended pace of weight loss is a range of 1 to 3 lbs. per week.
Over the course of the last 16 weeks, my weight loss fell into this range for 10 of those weeks. The loss during the other six weeks was higher.
I'm thinking it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to hang out around the 2 lb. range for the rest of this journey. I've been pretty excited when the scale showed those 5 lbs. losses, but now I'm really asking myself, "what's the hurry?"
If I lose 2 lbs. a week between now and the end of April, I'll have lost a total of 103.5 lbs. I'm pretty sure that's going to be where I want to be, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
I think that would be absolutely fantastic, and I think that's the pace I'm going to try and settle into.
Another thing that I learned on Google is that keeping hydrated is another important strategy for combating loose skin. I know that's a big one that those of you who are participating in Allan's challenge have been concentrating on. My intake of fluids every day (water + other liquids + water in food) is well over 100 oz. so I feel pretty good about that.
Finally, I learned that exfoliating, using lotion, and toning exercises can also help, so I'll be adding those to my daily routine.
An so...onward and downward, friends!! Hope it's been a great week for you all...TGIF!
Good night and God bless...
Karyn, I am feeling kinda sheepish right now. I have done about the same pace of losing as you and so far, loose skin has not been a huge issue for me. I do work out a fair amount and my water intake is insane, so maybe that is the reason. The only somewhat trouble area I have is my lower abdomen and it has not been as bad as I anticipated it would be, so I to am hoping no surgery will be needed for that. My understanding is that the problem tends to be the deflated fat cells collapse when you lose weight and your water intake is what helps you keeps them from being too floppy by keeping them from collapsing all the way. as they beging to shrink, your skins elasticity is maintained by water in the cells.
ReplyDeleteso do you have a New Year Day goal? I have discovered that my last weigh day of the year happens to fall on New Years Eve! I don't have a specific number in mind yet, but I am hoping for somewhere in the 210's! That would be so exciting!