Extreme Weight Loss: Aesthetic vs Health Aspect

My thoughts on this recent article

This Woman Lost 312 Pounds—but She Never Expected This Incredibly Painful Side Effect

One of the more common questions I have been asked about my 200 pound weight loss

"Do you have any loose skin?"

Before answering this question, I'd like to provide some thoughts. The same thoughts around the criticism I sometimes get about the time in which it took me to lose the weight on my own (200 pounds in 11 months).

What is more important, that I might have loose skin (or "lost weight too fast"), or the fact I no longer have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastric reflux...?

There are many ways in which to "lose weight" (Don't we really mean "reduce fat" on our bodies?). Some of them may be deemed risky, but in the end what matters most is not the "weight" we lose, but the health we gain.

And what I gained from this experience was more than just the mere "weight loss". I gained a new life. At one point I felt so hopeless to the point of wanting to end my life. It wasn't the weight itself that was depressing me, but it didn't help. I had become super morbidly obese because I didn't care about myself or my own life.. I had to create a better system for managing my stress and not using food for comfort.

Now, to get to the question of the day... Do you have any loose skin?...

Here's what VeryWell has to say in the article "How Do I Get Rid of Loose Skin after Weight Loss?"

Risk Factors for Loose Skin After Weight Loss

According to plastic surgery expert Natalie Kita, the main factors involved in your skin's elasticity include:

• Age: As you get older, your skin becomes less elastic.
• Genetics: Genes influence how much firmness your skin retains as you get older.
• How much weight you lose: When you lose a large of amount of weight in a short time, such as with weight loss surgery, your skin doesn't have time to shrink along with your body and may be permanently stretched if you're overweight for a long period of time.
• Sun exposure: Your past, present and future exposure to the sun can damage your skin.
• Nutrition and water intake: Your skin may not be as healthy or firm if you aren't getting balanced nutrition, vitamins, and minerals (especially Vitamins C & E) and staying hydrated.
• Smoking: Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin.

I have read that lifting weights may affect it as well. Who knows...

I have a little loose skin on the front of my abdomen, my chest, a negligible amount on my throat, arms and legs. For losing over 200 pounds in my 40s, I guess it's not too bad.

It took me a few years to finally feel comfortable walking around without a shirt. This past summer I finally posted pics of myself at the beach without a shirt. I tucked my little leftover tummy skin/fat into my shorts. I saw the pics afterwards, looked at the imperfections, and finally didn't care.

Yes, I could seek surgery to remove the little remaining skin, but that is not something I am willing to do. It doesn't bother me that much, nor is it anything that is life-threatening so why put my body through the procedure?

The struggle between focusing on the "aesthetic" aspect of my weight loss (which is the most apparent) and the health (both physical and mental) I gained is real, but I continue to remind myself that it doesn't matter in the long run. I'm not looking to become a model (from a physical sense), but continuing to be a role model for health to others. This way people can learn from my experiences and have some hope that they too can take charge of their lives and their health by focusing on the aspects that are within their control. It's about sustainability.

Taking care of you health is a personal choice and what motivates each of us to change our habits is different. In my experience it serves me better focus more on the non-aesthetic aspects.

#weightloss #extremeweightloss #biggestloser #diet #health #looseskin #health #nutrition #sustainability #lifestylemedicine #mikeinspiresme