Extreme weight loss. What to do with my skin now?

Every person who has experienced “extreme” weight loss has in one way or another faced the problem of “excess skin”. After a large weight loss – no matter how gradual – the skin cannot always return to its original state and causes other unpleasant moments. It’s not just about aesthetics: the loose skin itself can weigh a lot, cause pain and make it difficult to exercise. In some cases, thinners manage to avoid this – if the skin is elastic enough, it gradually “shrinks”. However, when it comes to a really sharp weight loss, without surgical interventions can not do without. Lexi Reed, a 28-year-old American woman, uses her personal example to tell us how she lost 220 kilograms and solved the problem of sagging skin.

Double danger: overweight and extreme weight loss

In 2016, Lexi Reid, who was 25 years old at the time, weighed almost 220 kg. Doctors said that she would not live to 30, and Lexi herself almost believed it. At one point she realized that she could no longer fall asleep thinking that she might not wake up. Lexi started working on herself.

On New Year’s Day 2016, I set a goal for myself to lose weight. And it really changed my life,” she writes in her Instagram.

In the girl’s diet appeared healthy dishes – from eggs, chicken, fish and vegetables. However, there was also a place for the usual hamburgers. All ingredients were replaced with healthier alternatives – lean meat, gluten-free bread and sugar-free ketchup.

Lexi spends quite a bit of time in the gym every day. She combines cardio and strength training, gradually increasing the load under the careful control of the trainer. Classes are even more effective when they take place in a group and outdoors.

Over the next two years, thanks to a balanced diet and sports Lexi managed to lose more than 140 kg. All this – naturally, without “miracle” pills and surgery. As Reed explains in her account, she was largely helped by the Dietdebt online community, where people set weight loss goals and can earn money for achieving them.

When I first started, I didn’t know where it would lead. But I realized that if I hadn’t changed, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Lexi is losing weight with her husband Danny. Theirs is a classic love story – in the canon of romantic comedies for teenagers. They met in high school, fell in love, went to prom together, and got married a couple years later. Only their “happily ever after” weighed a half-ton. The couple decided to change for the better together and started with their lifestyle.

Our example once again proves that time doesn’t matter if you are willing and ready to change. Together we can accomplish anything!”

Lexi now runs an account with over 1.2 million followers. She is known online under the nickname @fatgirlfedup. The girl does not stop there – she continues to work on herself and inspires others.

How to solve the problem of “extra skin”?

Like most people who have lost so much weight, Lexi faced the problem of sagging and ugly skin. As the girl notes, she was overweight all her life, her skin was in such a stretched state for years and could not “tighten” to the new figure.

The greatest inconvenience to Lexi was the sagging belly: it interfered with training, tightened the skin on the back, did not allow to wear clothes to fit.

Unfortunately, doctors assured that it would not be possible to get rid of a problem of this magnitude on their own. Then Lexi decided to undergo surgical intervention. In the fall of 2018, she underwent surgery to remove sagging skin in the torso and back area. As a result of the 9-hour procedure, she had 7 kilograms of skin removed.

I always knew my skin would sag. But I never thought it would make me unable to work out the way I wanted to, give me neck pain and posture problems. I was afraid of the surgery, but I was even more afraid of the damage it would do to my health.”

Lexi doesn’t stop there. The girl told her followers that she plans to repeat the surgery soon – this time to get rid of excess skin on her arms, and later she is going to remove sagging tissues on her thighs as well.

Losing 140 pounds has not been easy for me: sagging skin all over my body, massive legs and drooping breasts. Even though I’ve already had a 360, I still have a lot of work to do… I know that great things take time, and I’ll be so happy when all my surgeries are over!”

However, in not so neglected cases, you can get rid of sagging tissues on your own. The main thing is a comprehensive approach, which should include:

• balanced nutrition;
• normalization of water balance;
• home cosmetic care (scrubs, wraps, self-massage, contrast shower);
• cosmetic procedures in salons.