How to prevent sagging skin after massive weight loss

By Amy Brantley

One of my biggest fears about weight loss was sagging skin. At my heaviest, I was up to 268 pounds. Thankfully, I have a large bone structure so it didn't look like I weighed that much, but I had gained most of my weight in my stomach. I was really worried that skin wouldn't go back to the way it was. This led me to seek out ways to ensure the skin remained as elastic as possible. Here are just a few tips to prevent sagging skin after massive weight loss.

Don't Wait

As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity. I remember how soft and thin my great grandmother's skin was. As a small child, I thought her skin was wonderfully smooth and can still remember the way it felt as she hugged me. Today, I know that her skin had lost much of its elasticity. I'm currently in my late 20s and my skin is incredibly elastic, but I know this won't last. In fact, the best time to lose weight is in your 20s. However, the skin will remain elastic for many years to come, especially if you take care of it.

Lose Slowly

You may envy those people on TV that lose 10 pounds per week, but you shouldn't. Losing that much weight per week will lead to sagging skin because the skin doesn't have time to catch up. It is recommended that you lose 1-2 pounds per week not only to stay healthy, but to ensure your skin shrinks along with you.

Eat a Diet That Promotes Elasticity

There are many foods you can eat to improve the elasticity of your skin. Two of the easiest places to start are foods high in Vitamin E and those that are high in omega 3 fatty acids. This includes a diet of fatty fish, such as salmon, and nuts, such as almonds. You may also choose to take supplements, but as with most vitamins and nutrients, it's best to get them from your food.

Exercise

Last, but not least, one reason skin appears to sag after weight loss is there isn't enough muscle definition. Throughout the weight loss process you should strive to complete at least 3 days of strength training per week along with 3 days of cardio.

You don't have to get a tummy tuck after massive weight loss. There are a number of tips and tricks that will keep your skin elastic and leave your body looking amazing.