KeithA

I was worried about the same thing. My wife lost a lot of weight and had some pretty loose skin, so much so that it folded over some. That was a couple of years ago and it seems to have righted itself. I've read that after fifty, which we both are, the skin starts to lose elasticity. As a preventative measure, I've been using some skin firming lotions. So far, so good, although I haven't a clue as to whether it can be attributed to the lotions I'm using. One thing is for sure: I have very soft, moist skin from using them. I tend to dry out easily and they surely help in this regard.

Ritz

If after all the weight loss is accomplished, you find that you still have a lot of loose skin, some places like the Shriner's Hospital will do the removal for free. They use the donated skin on burn victims. It doesn't look like I'll need to do it, but I had my concerns as well. A friend at church who also has lost a lot of weight told me about this. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Don Gwinn

Another good reason to lose it when you're 27. I remember thinking to myself last year when I started that "I'm 26 years old. There's no reason a 26-year-old man should be this miserable. What will I be like when I'm 40?"

KingTermite 

Consider yourself lucky for getting to it early enough. I'm turning 35 this month.....I wish I had "discovered" cycling 10 years ago. That was the catalyst that started this for me!!

Big Lug

I think that my knee is finally 100% but i am scared to start riding hard and running again?? But I can tell you one thing from all this weight training i am doing i can see a noticeable difference!

Ritz

Congrats on the knee Big Lug, build up slowly to avoid another problem. Don, you are indeed fortunate. To be able to recognize the need to change, while still young (relitively), is a huge blessing! I am 41 and I wish I had "Discovered Cycling" ten years ago... Make that twenty. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Ritz

Oh Yeah, I'm 277 as of this morning.

KingTermite 

Good job Ritz!! My latest was 325 last night.

I set a goal to get below 300 by New Year's Eve for my dad's wedding. If things keep up the way they have been, I should probably be down around 280 or so. I think 280 is a bit optimistic, but if I can at least get below 300 I'll be happy.

Ritz

Thanks for the kudos KT. I think with all the support that's on this board it would be hard not to lose weight! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Sakae Custom

Right now am 315 pounds at 6 foot 6, i lost about 20 pounds in the last 8 weeks on a lifting/cardio plan, i got a road bike a month ago, and i am going to ride it at college to comute from dorm to class, the dorm is about 2 miles away, so about 4 miles a day of bike riding will be added to the exercise plan.

Puppypaws

Your commute sounds perfect. Good luck.

Ritz

Hey KT. I saw a box with your logo on it at Sun-N-Ski today... Any relation?

KingTermite 

Are you sure it wasn't THIS logo? That is the logo I kinda based mine from.

Originally a friend on another forum found that logo for me and I was using it for a while....I had no idea it was an actual logo for a company. So I stopped....and got another online buddy to use that as sort of a base to create another, yet different one from.

Don Gwinn

I'm plateauing here, right at 292-295. I admit I've been a little lax lately, not enough to start gaining, but not so careful. I don't know that it would have mattered if I'd kept cycling hard, but I got sick Wednesday and really struggled to get home, so I didn't ride Thursday or yesterday. It's only been a week since I hit 293, so I'm not worried about it, but I'd rather get back to losing weight. I think I can be 275 by Christmas, which is about my football playing weight. I have put some muscle on since I started lifting again, too, so I'm not going to panic over the scale--but I still must be around 40% bodyfat, if I had to estimate.
(I figure if I were totally lean, I'd probably weigh about 180 based on muscle and bone and such. If I weigh roughly 300, that leaves 120 pounds of fat. 120/300=.4, or 40%.
I scared the heck out of myself a minute ago by dividing 120/180 instead of 120/300. That comes to 66.6%!
You know, I feel like I'm in such great shape, I have to look at a mirror or my clothes to realize that my body is still made up of at least 40% useless, jiggly fat. I can only wonder what it will feel like to be 275, 250, 225 or 200.

SandySwimmer

Don - you're doing so great. You can definitely reach your Christmas goals. I am working on about the same weight loss goal (I started a thread - 20 pounds by New Year's - resolution - to keep myself accountable).

Plateaus are frustrating, but not a bad thing. My weight loss ALWAYS follows with a plateau, but that's when the inches suddenly go down . . . during the plateaus. Although, it's also good that you are looking to see that you are on track with things. Don't be too hard on yourself when 'slips' happen. Just make sure you get back on track.

About the extra skin issue . . . strength training also helps this. It can be small weights at higher reps (doesn't have to be the throw your back out kind of weights). The best I have found are things that use my own body for resistance . . . arm circles (a minute each direction 3 times), plank (the 'up' part of the push-up and holding for one minute 3 times), crunches and side crunches, back lifts (on stomach where you lift your shoulders off the ground), lunges, squats. All good. It always seems 'hard' though because as you build muscle, it's heavier. Also, these I can do anywhere, when I'm traveling, etc. . . . and strength training really helps prevent overuse injuries. Mine skin adjusted as I went, but I have seen others who lose weight and their skin adjusts within 6 months after the weight loss. It adjusts, it just takes some patience.

keep going, keep going, keep going . . . go, go, go, go, go
Sandy

Don Gwinn

It makes sense. That's why my weight and my goal are in my signature here--accountability. Everybody here knows my goal now, and even though most would probably never notice if I stopped updating it, I feel like people are watching me.

Puppypaws

Don, sounds like you are hanging in there. I can't imagine trying to stick to a strict regimen when ill. I'm sure you'll keep making progress when you feel better.

Just checking in. I've been watching my calories. Logging them in on that fitnessjournal.org. exercised 5 days in the last 7. (Didn't when I was on-call, or today...was at a disaster shelter most of the day on the medical team...felt like exercise)

Last weekend started at 185, this morning 182. I am just thrilled not to be gaining. I might gain tomorrow though...going to a friend's for a dinner party. Then I'll get right back to the program.

Losers Unite!!

bransom

Don, I've always found my weightloss to start off steady but then begin to ratchet down — nothing for a week or two, then 3 or 4 pounds all at once, then nothing for a week or two, etc. It's frustrating but, in the end, the weight comes off so hang in there.

And, Puppypaws, dropping 3 for the week sounds like you're doing something right.

KingTermite 

321 this afternoon!

Don Gwinn

This morning I was 291.2.

If I can stay in that range for a few days, I'll update the weight in my signature.

Puppypaws

Don, you are on a roll!

I have to post a correction...I must have been a little dry for a couple of days. My digital scale now reads 183.5. It's a little tempramental..hard to zero. From now on I think I'll use my old fashioned scale I got from a clinic that was upgrading. That scale says 183 even...and its easy to zero.

Ritz

You are correct KT, I like yours considerably better. A "Kinder, Gentler," termite... So to speak.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Ritz

Unstopable! Incredible! Physicaly fit! I'm looking forward to that too! I'm down to 275 pounds today, and I'm shooting for 180 also, but I'll have to re-evaluate once I get there. I may actually want to get a little lighter. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Ritz

Congrats on everyone's weight loss! Plateaus are unfortunately, unavoidable. The good news, like others have said, they usually preceed more loss! Keep up the great work everyone! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

cheebahmunkey

this is what happened with me. I set a weight loss goal to be 160 pounds (I'm 5'8). Well, I'm currently around 138. I think you get so used to eating healthy and I know I got addicted to riding, you just keep burning and burning. Good luck Ritz and everyone else!