I have lost all the baby weight (yay!!) but still have a lot of loose extra skin on my stomach and thighs.
What kind of exercises can I do to tighten up the skin? I don't want this pooch forever!
-
There are no exercises that I know of to tighten skin. It's not a muscle. But there are some creams that have collagen and caffeine in them that may help? You can work on toning underneath, to help give the skin something to cling to, though. If you have more muscle mass, the skin will be tighter
-
@blackbird: I've been using a collagen tightening cream and so far I haven't seen a difference
I did find this: http://www.ehow.com/how_4897241_tighten-loose-skin-after-pregnancy.html
I'm not sure if it works. I've been doing a lot of pilates to try and help but until recently I was still losing the fat and bloat of pregnancy, but now I'm pretty sure it's just saggy skin leftover.
-
With my first baby, I do remember that my skin tightened up eventually. Now that I am six months post second baby I keep wondering the same thing! I know that at some point my skin was better, but I can't remember when....
-
I think it just takes time...although my cousin still has some very loose skin after 15 years. Sometimes, i'm just not sure there are options besides surgery =\. Hopefully it gets there soon, though!
-
@Coco Bee: I vote that that link is a load of crap. It starts with telling you to do crunches and all the postpartum ab workouts I've seen say that you have to strengthen your transverse abdominals first, if you just do crunches you could end up getting a bigger poochy tummy because the muscles are all stretched out and messed up.
-
@blackbird: yeah everyone tells me it never goes away... but that's all coming from women who never work out. I do - so I'm wondering if just by working out it will restore itself? I'm hoping so anyway. Otherwise how do other moms get their stomachs looking fantastic? I know it's possible...
-
@Mrs. Superhero: hmmm good to know. I didn't know that.
-
@Coco Bee: o boy. i never work out and i'm scared this elasticity will never go away. eek!
-
@Coco Bee: My trainer friends told me to try getting some regular exercise, drink lots of water and eat healthy (lean proteins, lots of fresh veggies/fruit, light carbs). Those things combined will give the body what it needs to replenish and restore your skin and muscles back to its pre-baby look.
-
@Coco Bee: After DS I lost 60lbs. and my tummy never went back to normal. I had a little saggy skin that never would tighten and that is with running 1/2 marathons and exercising religiously 6 days per week. I also ate super healthy. Now I have gained a TON of weight with LO #2 and plan to loose it all again the same way I did before. I'm hoping to get a tummy tuck in the next few years to take care of the skin.
-
@Mrs.B: ugh that is so depressing.
Has anyone tried body wraps? I've heard they help. I've never done one though.
-
@CocoBee - Just wondering it you ever tried any of those compression wraps (i.e. Belly Bandit, etc) after you gave birth? I'm hoping that those will work for me in the future!
My BFF is a teeny-tiny girl and lost all her baby weight I think by month 3 pp, but even a year+ later, she still has a tiny pooch of saggy skin. BUT I know she never worked out or did anything.
I've heard about the collagen creams and wonder if taking the collagen supplements would help too? I've already been thinking about this stuff far in advance as you might tell (I'm 15 weeks).
-
Oh! AND CONGRATS on losing all the baby weight!!!
p.s. How long did that take? -
One of the fitness instructors at my gym had 4 boys and has abs of steel. I don't know how, but I guess it's possible!! It just might be some people's body types, you know? I think a little curve at the belly is a normal female shape, but just keep doing what you're doing and your body will find a happy healthy medium.
-
@jedeve: I'm trying to tell myself it's about being HEALTHY not what I look like... but we all know that no matter how healthy we are - we still wish we could look a certain way
@shopaholic: I didn't try any of those... I wanted to but I couldn't justify the $70+ for one of them... Then when I was ready to buy one (6 weeks pp), I read that you have to use them the first 8 weeks pp. Bummer.
lol that is great for planning in advance. If I had any idea how my stomach would look - I would have too haha!!
It took just over 6 months to lose it all. And that is WITH working out consistently. I am happy with the timeframe, my goal was 9 months- per the mantra "9 months in, 9 months out
and with hard work and persistence I beat my goal. Pretty psyched about it.I want to try one of those body wraps at the spa or nutrition centers. I've heard they can shave inches off.
-
@BabyBoecksMom: that's a really reasonable and healthy way to do it. Sounds like that may be the best way to go. And just be patient, I'm sure.
-
@Coco Bee: I love those wraps! I got 2 in my life....once the day before we left for our honeymoon and another when we went on our 1 yr anniversary trip. It does make things much tighter! It only lasts a week at the full results...but it kept its minimal results up to 10days maybe? You have to drink lots of water and lower your sodium for best results.
There are kits that you can do at home! -
@TurtleDoves: what kind did you get done? the plastic wrap kind, or seaweed, or something else? Do you recommend it?
-
I am 4.5 months post baby and my tummy is tight again. It just happened by itself, I did use mederma stretch mark therapy but not religiously I would only remember to use it every few days.
-
@Mrsbells: did it help with your stretch marks?
-
@Coco Bee: I don't know if it was seaweed necessarily; they called it a "mineral wrap" and it felt like papier mache. They wrap it around you in strips and I did it on my belly. I do recommend it
but it really is not long-term. If you have a vacation coming up, anniversary, husband's birthday;) or something like that then yes, I'd get it. My husband's bday is 5 months PP for me, so I plan to get it done that weekend so we might be able to have a romantic weekend without me feeling self-conscious.
-
Just wanted to see if anyone on this thread could post an update?
@Mrs.B: I am like you, I have lost the 30lbs I gained during pregnancy plus another 20 (working on the last 15 I would like to loose now). There is just so much skin (plus stretch marks) that I don't know if it will ever go back.
-
@T.H.O.U.: not a pleasant update!
I've lost all the weight (gained 30 lost about 32 although my weight fluctuates a good 3-4lbs now and again).
My stomach still has some jiggle. I could do more crunches and abs workouts, but I feel like I already do so many!! And I wore a belly band for the first 6 weeks or more and still will wear a compression tank sometimes. I think it either is not going away or will need lots of time, like a year. A year of good working out, not just 1 yr pp. I think I'll stick to the ab workouts- they can't hurt right?
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
23 comments