How To Prevent Loose Skin After Weight Loss
Posted onHOW TO PREVENT LOOSE SKIN AFTER WEIGHT LOSS
As you gain weight, the skin of your body stretches in order to accommodate the extra fat. So it stands to reason that as you lose weight, especially in large amounts, you may have to deal with loose skin as a result of the weight loss. If you lose the extra fat you have accumulated too quickly, or if you don’t exercise while you lose the extra fat, the excess skin that has stretched out will have nowhere to go. However, there is good news. There are ways you can prevent loose skin while you’re trying to lose quite a bit of weight. Here are some tips that you can use in your weight loss endeavours to keep from having loose skin at the end of the weight loss.
DON’T LOSE WEIGHT TOO QUICKLY
If you lose weight too quickly, it can result in loose skin. You need to first change your way of thinking when it comes to how long it takes for you to lose weight. For example, if you try to lose 20kgs in just half a year, this is really too fast. If you try to lose this much weight too quickly, your skin won’t have enough time to adjust to your body’s new shape. An example of this happening is when a woman who is pregnant gives birth. The woman suddenly loses a large amount of mass from her stomach, however, her skin can’t keep up with the loss of that mass. This generally results in her having loose skin. Losing weight too fast can also increase the chances of you ending up in a cycle of yo-yo dieting, meaning that you will lose a lot of weight, then gain weight, then lose it again, and so. This is extremely bad for your skin, as it can lead to a loss of elasticity in your skin. As your skin loses elasticity, the likelihood of loose skin becomes greater.
To lessen the chance of loose skin, it’s recommended that you attempt to lose extra fat slowly and steadily, rather than trying to lose weight as quickly as you can, which can be tempting. A healthy amount of weight to lose per week is about one to two pounds. This also makes it more likely that you’ll keep the weight off. By losing extra fat slowly, you will be more likely to think of your newer healthy eating habits as more of a lifestyle change, instead of thinking of them as a diet. A lifestyle change is far more likely to continue long-term, rather than a diet. You will be more likely to stick to the changes you’ve made and have a better chance of keeping those pounds off in the future.
MAINTAIN MUSCLE MASS
If you try to lose weight by mere diet alone, a good portion of your weight loss may actually come from any muscle mass you may have. As a result, if you aren’t actively maintaining your muscle mass while you try to lose weight, you may find that you end up having loose skin. This is a fairly common side-effect you see in crash diets. With many diets that cause you to lose weight very quickly, your body is often deprived of various nutrients and vitamins, and maybe because you aren’t taking in enough daily calories, your body digests fibres of muscle in addition to the tissue of fat. This results in you losing muscle mass.
YOU MUST EXERCISE
So how do you make sure to maintain muscle mass while you try to lose weight? You need to perform regular exercise and practise healthy eating habits. Exercising for thirty minutes around five times a week offers a good amount of exercise to help you maintain your muscle mass while you try to lose weight. Try to perform a combination of exercises that tone muscle, such as pilates, yoga, or weight lifting, and cardiovascular exercises, such as running, aerobics, or dance.
HYDRATION AND AGE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS
Hydration is a significant factor in keeping your skin taut and supple. You can help your skin look its best by drinking plenty of water. Tightening creams and moisturizers can also help further hydrate your skin. If your skin is properly hydrated, it will retain its elasticity. This is key to preventing loose skin. Eating a well-balanced diet, of course, will also help keep your skin taut and healthy
It is also worthwhile to know that you should try to lose extra fat as early as you can. As people get older, their skin starts to become less elastic. If you put off losing weight, your body and skin may have a harder time snapping back into shape. The younger you are when losing weight, the easier time your skin has in bouncing back into good shape.
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