# Weight loss question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124 "2002-07-09T23:36:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/1 "2002-07-09T23:36:39Z")
I’ve lost about 80 pounds over the last couple of years. I _feel_ better, but I’m left with sag… My stomach, my thighs, my hips, and my breasts, all seem to have too much skin. Does this ever go away? Is there anything I can do to make it tighten up faster? Am I doomed to forever have more skin than I have me? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/2 "2002-07-10T00:02:18Z")
First off, congratulations on your weight loss. That’s quite an achievement. I’ve heard that it will go away after time, but that you will be saggy for a little while. You might try weightlifting to tighten up your muscles–that might help with the skin, although I make no promises. ---
**Author:** ![QueenAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d26b3c/32.png) [@QueenAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenAl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/3 "2002-07-10T00:06:45Z")
Well done on losing so much weight! The people that I’ve heard of losing large amounts of weights often then have surgery to remove the excess skin. That’s the only remedy I know of, so I hope it’s covered by your insurance plan. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/4 "2002-07-10T00:22:41Z")
[USA Today article on excess skin removal](http://www.usatoday.com/news/healthscience/health/diet/2002-05-09-gastric-band-sidebar.htm) But this seems to be more for people who use methods such as gastric bypass surgery and drop from 500 to 200 pounds. Now that’s a lot of extra skin. ---
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/5 "2002-07-10T20:24:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by QueenAl \* > \*\*Well done on losing so much weight! The people that I’ve heard of losing large amounts of weights often then have surgery to remove the excess skin. That’s the only remedy I know of, so I hope it’s covered by your insurance plan. \*\* Sadly, I don’t even _have_ an insurance plan, so I’m sure it isn’t covered under one. I guess for now I have to just hope ultrafilter is right. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/6 "2002-07-10T21:45:43Z")
It really depends on the amount of skin and how much the skin elasticity has been damaged by stretching. I have lost and gained significant amounts of weight over the years and other than some striations at areas of maximum expansion I really don’t have any “flappy” skin. If your skin is simply wrinkling slightly then workouts and time and may help to tighten it up but truly damaged skin (especially if you are female and older) is not going to “snap back” and needs to be removed surgically. ---
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/7 "2002-07-10T22:35:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*It really depends on the amount of skin and how much the skin elasticity has been damaged by stretching. I have lost and gained significant amounts of weight over the years and other than some striations at areas of maximum expansion I really don’t have any “flappy” skin. If your skin is simply wrinkling slightly then workouts and time and may help to tighten it up but truly damaged skin (especially if you are female and older) is not going to “snap back” and needs to be removed surgically. \*\* Well, most places it just wrinkles when I lean certain ways and like that. I think I’m just going to be stuck with saggy breasts unless I shell out for surgery, but I guess I’m hardly the first woman to have those. I’m only 20 though, and it isn’t big _flaps_ of skin, just a bit loose in spots… SO I’ll keep working out and hoping for now. Thanks everyone. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/8 "2002-07-10T22:41:13Z")
As young as you are, you should be fine. Just keep up the good work. ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/9 "2002-07-10T23:13:40Z")
Just let me add my congratulations, and all the best in keeping it off! As for saggy breasts, they will probably go that way once you breastfeed (if you tend to go that route) anyway, so don’t worry about it too much. But if you build up the chest muscles underneath, it can help. ---
**Author:** ![kirtibetai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@kirtibetai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirtibetai)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/10 "2002-07-10T23:25:29Z")
You could try the following: 1] Squeeze the juice of one whole fresh lemon in a glass of water (150 ml) and drink 4 such glasses of lime / water every day. 2] Take light massage on whole body with Corn Oil once a week 3] Put 50 gms of salt in your bath water every day You would take at least 2 years to see about 90% improvement in your skin condition i.e. removal of excess skin. ---
**Author:** ![Daikona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Daikona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daikona)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss-question/118124/11 "2002-07-11T22:57:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tsubaki \* > \*\*Just let me add my congratulations, and all the best in keeping it off! > > As for saggy breasts, they will probably go that way once you breastfeed (if you tend to go that route) anyway, so don’t worry about it too much. > > But if you build up the chest muscles underneath, it can help. \*\* I don’t even plan tp have children. I hate the little things. No offense to anyone who has them, I’m sure they’re very nice… But there will certainly be no breastfeeding going on here. 😛