Hello all,
About 3 years ago I lost about 100 pounds. I have been training to compete in a fitness show. My question is how much am I doing with lose skin vs excessive fat? I feel like the more I push my body to change nothing ever really changes. It has been super frustrating . I live in a small town so my resources have been limited.
Congratulations on your weight loss and athleticism. The excess skin does have fat attached to it but the majority is likely excess skin from when you were heavier. You are a good candidate for skin excision. On the trunk it would be abdominoplasty, on the arms brachioplasty, and on the thighs a thigh lift or lower body lift. Every case is unique. Seek a consultation with an ASPS surgeon in your area to plan out the process. It would not all be done at once. Hope this is helpful.
Without seeing pictures or an in-person evaluation, it is hard to give specific advice, but in many cases, it is loose skin that is the problem. This can be improved with skin removal. See examples. here: https://drgutowski.com/Before-After-Photos/Body
Thank you for sharing your question and congratulations on your your impressive weight loss! If you are competing and at a goal weight you are most likely battling loose skin which can be treated by diet and exercise alone. Seek out a series of in-person consultation to get the best advice on possible improvement.
With that much weight loss, loose skin is likely to be the main problem although you may still have areas with disproportionate amounts of fat. A skin excision procedure, possibly combined with liposuction would most likely be indicated. If you have limited resources where you live, consider a virtual consultation with a plastic surgeon to give you a more accurate idea of what your options are. Best of Luck Dr Harrell