Post-Weight Loss Effects

Question
Hello. I'm an 18 year-old male and about 4 months ago I stuck to a strict diet of excessive excercise and low-calorie intake. I was very happy that I was able to lose about 30-40 lbs in a 3-4 month period. However, since then I have noticed that I have loose skin on my abdomen. I do not see loose skin anywhere else in my body, and I do believe that my stomach has gotten slightly tighter in the past four months, but NOT flat. There is still some loose skin there. IT is really bothering me and discouraging me because I do not really want to live the rest of my life with it, especially after all that hard work, but I have read that the ONLY way to lose that skin is through plastic surgery (abdominoplasty). I was wondering if this was true....or if there is anything I can do to get rid of the stubborn skin. I have maintained my weight and have no clue as to how to lose it or what to do. Are there certain excersises I can do? Any activities that will help? Or is plastic surgery the only way out? I would love your advice and expertise....

Answer
Weight loss that fast doesn't give skin a chance to adjust. At your age, the skin elasticity is still excellent, so it's only a matter of time. If you can swim - it will probably snap it back in a couple weeks (swimming is the #1 overall exercise).
Surgery is generally reserved for people who were obese, have reduced skin elasticity (usually twice your age or more) and have a weight loss of 20% or more of their body weight (ie: 250 lb man loses 50 lbs) in a short period of time.
You used the word "excessive" when referring to your exercise and that concerns me. Drastically reduced caloric intake with over-exercising is a form of bulimia (one doesn't have to 'purge' to be bulimic) and often accompanies anorexia. These disorders are not exclusive to women and the number of men 'brave enough' to admit to them is growing almost as fast as the waistlines of Americans.

 Weight loss that occurs the way you did it also doesn't usually stay off. In fact, within a month or two, the weight starts returning and it seems nothing you do will stop it. This is the body reacting to what it perceives as starvation (it's an instinctual, biological survival tactic). It will begin holding on to fat stores and burning muscle (which will slow your metabolism down), even using muscle to add to the fat. You'll also start retaining water (which is much worse in women).  As a result of your quick weight loss, 20% more weight is usually re-gained. So, that 250 lb man who loses 50 lbs will weigh 300 lbs inside of a year.  Diets CAUSE weight gain. No kidding.

That's why there's so many diets, tried so many times by so many people who seem to be overweight all the time in spite of them.

   Learn how to really get to your ideal weight AND stay there, without EVER dieting or taking products...and I give this information away (because I've been there, oh have I been there!)
  www.GetTheReal.info

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