Loose skin or fat?

Hi I'm 19 5'9 and weighing 135 lbs. I lost a lot of weight in one year by doing a diet only(I used to weight something like 190 when I was 12-17 ). I joined a gym a few weeks ago, and have been going 5x a week, I run 4 miles and then do weight training for 30 mins so I can start toning . I cant tell whether my stomach is fat or if its loose skin. When I'm up, I can see a small belly, but when I lean down, it starts sagging and its only in the center.This is kinda embarrasing but its driving me crazy
Will it ever go away? (pictures might be gross to some sry I guess)
 
Hey there! I saw the pictures and I honestly can't tell if it's fat or loose skin. You sound very slim at 5'9'' and 135 pounds (especially for a male) but I know that sometimes that won't matter. It can be VERY hard for guys to lose their stomach fat much in the same way it's hard for a female to lose their thigh fat. It's a curse of genetics I'm afraid.

It could be skin though :-/ Maybe someone here that has lost a fair amount of weight and has gone through the same thing will be able to tell you :)

~Nicole
 
kinda hard to tell by the pics, but it might be a combination of both. If you could, try to post some side pics or ones with better lighting. Is the rest of your body like that or just your stomach?
 
I have lost over 100lbs, and I saw the same thing. I know how you are feeling. What I am about to tell you may shock you!<----(I had to set the stage :))

Anyways, good news...it will go away(takes time). I had the exact same thing. What I have been doing to lose that is weight training, and a cut diet. This helps me keep my muscle while burning the fat away. It REALLY helps with what you pictured. Mine was way worse than that, now its almost all gone! Just keep up the good work. It will dissolve :)
 
I was in about the same boat, though i have less thrilling news. I went from ~310 to now, 190 lbs 9% bodyfat. I'm 6'1, male, 23. Loose skin similar to the pics, though worse, on the stomach and on the breast. Hate to tell you kid, but its a genetic luck thing. For some it goes away, for me and for the other majority of the unlucky, it doesn't.

Losing weight slower is said to help, as is building muscle, giving it time, cremes, supplements, and more. But losing slower is a forgone conclusion, and i'm already strong pretty damn tough, so that wont fix it short of bulking another 60 pounds of muscle.

Without luck, your choices are to endure it or have an abdominoplasty. Maybe the scar is less shame than the look. I don't have that answer myself, much less for another....so Good luck bud.
 
Well, i dont know much about loose skin, but im kind of worried about getting it myself. I was 240lbs and now im down to 162... took me 9 months to get this far, i still have a stomach and love handles. Im pretty worried about it being loose skin when the next 10lbs does come off. Is it true that loose skin goes away, or somewhat goes away with time? Anyone else with info on loose skin, or experiences with it would be amazing to read, for my sanity's sake. lol
 
You know I'm in the same boat. I'm 19 y/o and just recently lost lots of weight (60 lbs in 7 months) (155lbs, 6') When I'm up my stomach kind of bunches up around my belt a little, but when I bend over like that it's near identicle.

But because of advice of these forums, they suggested ab work, and it seems to be working. I've been doing only aorund two weeks of ab work and my stomach seems to be getting better.

I'm also doing weight training (and have been since around feb.) and I'm also still cutting.
 
Last edited:
mines a little bit more pudgy than thAT. I want my lower abs defined. Im doing cut eating and situps cardio and weight training., It seems to be working(a little bit) Its jsut my lower stomach stored all the fat an i have a combo of loose skin and fat there.

I went from 265 to 190 so im hoping abs workouts and cut eating will burn it so i can add muscle
 
i know all lol

Hey there buddy i saw your picture..im around your age and personally lost 80 lbs.. ive been researching for about 3 years and trying stuff out and its working...mine was never as bad as yours but i was never as muscleless..i ended at 160lbs...the skin has fat under it over the muscle...skin clings to muscle with fat in the way it cannot cling so the best option outside of surgery is to keep a controlled diet high in protein and low in fat and cals to burn fat while your muscle remains so when the fat goes away the muscle has a chance to grab the skin and then give it time...but definitely build some muscle..i had worse and mines not gone but i have not been under about 15 percent body fat yet..at your weight and height youll never make out you should probably end goal around low fat 150 -160lbs ...long time but best shot outside of surgery ..sorry if its offensive in any sort..have any questions write to markjacobacosta@aim.com
 
Last edited:
Hi I'm 19 5'9 and weighing 135 lbs. I lost a lot of weight in one year by doing a diet only(I used to weight something like 190 when I was 12-17 ). I joined a gym a few weeks ago, and have been going 5x a week, I run 4 miles and then do weight training for 30 mins so I can start toning . I cant tell whether my stomach is fat or if its loose skin. When I'm up, I can see a small belly, but when I lean down, it starts sagging and its only in the center.This is kinda embarrasing but its driving me crazy
Will it ever go away? (pictures might be gross to some sry I guess)


Hey don't worry about it I have the same thing I'm 5'10 and I used to be 6 feet and I got shorter cuz I'm anorexic and still suffer from it but ya I was 6 feet and I weighed 245 I went from 245 to 145 in like 6 months and I have a stomach when I stand up but it's not big it's just a little bit but when I go down like on all fours it hangs like yours so I went to the doctor and he said it flab which is skin that didn't retract to my body cuz I lost weight super fast so he said just keep working out but it's not 100% sure it will ever go back to normal so Im getting surgery to get it pulle back and ya I'm 17
 
Back
Top