I’m going to be honest, after three babies sometimes I look in the mirror and just see flab. Just sagging flab. It’s all with good cause because I’m eternally grateful my body was able to create and grow three healthy babies – and if I’m being incredibly honest with myself, it’s more-so the loads of Oreos I eat than it is the babies. But nevertheless I don’t like my flabby body. And I’ve decided to do something about it. With that topic in mind I’m excited to announce that today we are lucky enough to have expert, Olivia Gillmore, chat with us about tightening up loose skin after weight loss.

{enter guest writer…}

For those who are overweight or obese, weight loss is, more often than not, on the list of goals. There’s nothing better than stepping on the scale and seeing that magic number go down, not to mention the immediate and long-term health benefits. However, there is one aspect of significant weight loss that is daunting to many of those embracing a leaner lifestyle: how to tighten up loose skin after weight loss. 

Loose skin occurs when the layer of fat cooperates with diet and exercise and shrinks, while the surface area of the skin stubbornly stays the same. Not everyone ends up with loose skin, and not everyone has the same amount. Factors such as age, amount of amount of weight lost, how quickly weight was lost, childbirth history, and genetics make everyone different.

Here are a few super effective and simple ways to tighten up loose skin after weight loss

1. Body Wraps

Body wraps are a popular way to battle loose skin from weight loss as well as from pregnancy and the aging process. Body wraps can temporarily tighten skin. For those who enjoy the full spa experience, there are plenty of salons and other businesses that will provide professional body wraps. However, a DIY body wrap may be just as effective, and the added benefits of low cost and at-home convenience make this an attractive option. Following is the recipe for the “Tight Skin, Skinny Jeans” wrap, which includes seven main steps. Visit DIY Experience if you want to read more tutorials on how to make body wraps at home.

Ingredients: 

• A loofah, body brush, or body scrub to exfoliate skin
• 1 cup bentonite powder (clay) – available from Amazon and other retailers
• 2 cups of green tea (or water)
• (Optional) 2 drops of diuretic essential oil
• Plastic Wrap
• Elastic Bandages

Step One: Exfoliate the skin to be wrapped. This can be done with a loofah, body brush, or with an exfoliating scrub. There are many retail scrubs and recipes for DIY scrubs available.

Step Two: Mix these ingredients together. To change the consistency, add more bentonite powder and tea. Note: Don’t use any metal bowls or instruments. Elements in the powder may react to the metal.

Step Three: Apply a thin layer of the mixture to areas to be wrapped. Resist the urge to slather it on thickly. The ingredients are highly effective, and a thin layer works well. Apply the mixture to one section at a time.

Step Four: After applying the mixture to a particular section, wrap that section with plastic wrap and/or elastic bandages. For best results, it’s recommended that elastic bandages and plastic wrap both be used. Problem areas should be wrapped firmly but not too tightly. The wrap should involve compression but not to the extent that it interferes with circulation or causes pain.

Step Five: It’s time to get warm. Snuggle under a blanket, put on a heavy robe, or use a heating pad. Sweating under the wrapped areas is part of the process. 

Step Six: To make the experience pleasant, relaxation is important. This is a great time to catch up on reading, listen to music, or binge watch a favorite show. After an hour, unwrap and take a room temperature shower. 

Step Seven: Complete the experience by moisturizing.

2. Creams and Lotions

Like body wraps, creams and lotions designed for skin tightening can be a temporary, soothing solution. Like most cosmetic products, the price point for these items runs the gamut from drugstore cheap to high-end expensive. Fortunately, there are tons of reviews readily available to help choose the right product at the right price. Also, creams and lotions can help with overall hydration and elasticity.

3. Fat Storage

What may appear to be loose skin is sometimes something quite different. It isn’t just the weight loss community who concern themselves with loose skin. Body builders also worry about areas that are not tightening up, and this particular fitness community has some notable observations. Everyone has areas where their bodies tend to store fat, and these areas are often slower to respond to healthy eating and exercise. Even if someone has reached his or her goal weight, continued fat burning, especially through exercise, may tighten some areas which were never actually loose skin. 

4. Work it Out

Exercise and building muscle mass will not actually tighten loose skin but building lean muscle will create definition that will minimize the appearance of loose skin. This type of exercise will also help sculpt overall body shape. Personal trainers can certainly help with this, and those who don’t belong to a gym can find the workouts they need on Livestrong, fitness blogs, and YouTube videos. 

5. Hydrate

H20. It is more powerful than most people realize. Hydrating is one of the most effective tricks to tightening up loose skin after weight loss. Skin elasticity may be determined by age and genetics, but there are steps to take to encourage skin to be as elastic and responsive as possible. The most important element that weight losers can employ is to drink enough water. Over the years, people have been advised to drink at least eight 8 ounces glasses of water a day. Drinking this amount is still a reasonable guideline, but it might be helpful to do a little math to get the right amount. Here is the formula Web MD recommends: At least half an ounce of water for each pound of body weight. So, a 150-pound individual would drink 75 to 150 ounces per day.

6. Healthy Food

Fortunately, for those looking to change their bodies and live a healthier lifestyle, there is less emphasis on “diets” and more focus on healthy eating than there was decades ago. Lean proteins are always critical for building up lean muscle mass. LiveStrong also lists a few other foods which may help tighten up loose skin, including citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, and even oysters. All of these foods contain a generous about of vitamin C, which triggers the production of collagen, a vital component in skin structure.

7. Supplements

Eating a healthy diet rich in vitamin C is the most helpful strategy for collagen production and skin elasticity. However, even with careful eating, people often wonder if they’re eating enough of the right foods to get the right levels of important vitamins. Many health food stores, as well as commercial sites on the Internet, sell supplements geared toward the weight loss communities. However, it’s best, and more economical, to keep it simple. Vitamins C will help produce collagen, and Vitamin E is known for promoting healthy skin. Both of these important vitamins are rich in antioxidants.

8. Sun Protection

Reducing your exposure to the sun’s UV rays is an absolute must if you’re trying to tighten up your skin. If you’re an active person, make sure to plan your strolls or runs for either early in the morning or later in the evening. You should also make sure to use a good sunscreen product that is broad spectrum, which will help protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays, both damaging for the collagen.

As you can see, there are many inexpensive ways to minimize loose skin or lessen the appearance of loose skin. Those battling their loose skin should exercise and improve muscle tone and continue to enjoy healthy food and a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is although excess skin can seem troublesome, the lifestyle and health benefits of weight loss are life changing.

{exit guest writer} 

Thank you so much Olivia for teaching us those amazing facts about tightening up loose skin after weight loss. I’m excited to put those into practice and see some amazingly toning results. 😀

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