I thought this was fat. I think it might be fat and loose skin. What do I do?

[LittleRebelGirl]

So I've lost 6st. Not for the first time. But my body doesn't look like it did when I lost weight previously.I'm 39 now. Maybe I've just fucked it. I didn't think I had loose skin. I thought it was fat, plus overhang from c/s. I'm 10st 13, 5ft 2. Bmi 27.8. I'm aiming for 9st 10.
I've been going to the gym for 7 months, overhauled my daily life to be far more active. I do 3 cardio sessions of 40 mins a week, and 3 x 1hr plus weight training using progressive overload. Obviously I'm in calorie deficit (and have been for 17 months). Keep protein as high as I can for my calories (low, I'm only 5ft 2 remember!).But my body looks like it hasn't been near a gym, and what the hell is that when I bend over? Everything just collapses downwards 🤮. See pics!
Help me! What can I do? Do I just need to get rid of the extra belly (and thigh, and arm!) fat and then just work harder to increase muscle mass? I know I've gained some muscle, I can feel it in my arms and legs. Absolutely not a muscle to be found abdominally however.
Should I still look this bad after 7 months of training religiously. I've used a PT for a few sessions to get to grips with it all, and feel confident with what I'm doing. But I don't think it's doing much. Any advice? Please!

You look great. Well done!

Isn't it strange how our bodies are all so different in how we store fat and body composition etc. I am the same height as you, weigh 8st4(ish) and you look SO much better than me! My stomach fat is really obvious when I'm standing (not even bending over!). It's really frustrating that I'm officially a 'healthy' weight but my clothes are saying different!

Well done on losing 6 stone and getting fit. You have a gorgeous figure as you are. Yes you do have some loose skin (like most of us) but that is so much better than being fat. I think just keep going, that’s it, keep doing what you are doing, lose another stone, keep working out. It’s just some fine tuning now.

I'm a size 6/8, always has been but my stomach is like that too. It's the 2 kids!

Well done on your weight loss.

You look lovely OP …
and I mean that!

Thanks 😊 for that comment. It's a real comfort to know that it happens to slim women too.

I think Op looks fabulous.
I'm down a stone 13st to 12st got a few more to go but I'm at my lightest since my last baby (7yo) and also noticing the belly is a bit squishy. I'm assuming it will tighten up a little bit at least

You look amazing OP so all credit to you for the weight loss and sticking to the gym regime.

I am a bit taller than you so weight probably isn't a good comparator but I have lost some weight recently and was very dedicated with my strength workouts but didn't actually start to see muscle definition appearing until I got down to a BMI of around 22.

Unfortunately, despite the fact my legs and arms have noticeable muscle definition and I can see obliques on my core I have still got those same handfuls of loose skin on my belly that you have. I think it is a hangover from pregnancy and I suspect PPs are correct that the only sure way to get rid of it is a tummy tuck. I have found however that good posture really helps make it less noticeable day to day.

I also try to hang on to the fact that all the workouts are massively beneficial to my health and giving me a better chance of a physically functional old age.

Do you do loaded abs workout? In the same way you have to use weights to make a bicep more visible, you have to use weights to increase abs size.
This will help with loose skin not in reducing it, but creating a scaffold behind it so it becomes more supported.

You look amazing op well done on losing so much weight x

You look fantastic

It's totally normal for a stomach to do that when you bend forwards after kids/weightloss

I'd kill for your figure!

God OP you've lost 6st! That's a huge amount, you look amazing. I'm 8 stone and wish I looked as good as you in underwear! You've got some loose skin on your tummy but it's just one of those things, probably a combination of pregnancy and losing weight. Be proud of yourself and your body, you look great.

You are drop dead gorgeous! Please try not to feel bad about your beautiful self!

You look amazing xx

You look great, well done! I'm 50+ and recently lost nearly 6 stone, from a size 20 to a 10. We actually look quite similar and I swear my sag is slowly resolving itself. I'm religious about omega 3 and oral collagen. I had two close c sections 14-ish years ago and my belly will never be like before, I have come to accept that. But overall I don't look that different from my 50+ friends who were always slim/fit. It sounds really naff but I try to be grateful for what I have rather than focus on little imperfections. Again really well done!

Congratulations on your weight loss OP you look amazing.

I am the same height as you and at 8st 10 still have that pouch, it will go if you keep at the weight loss, mine went at 7st 12 but so did my breasts, bum and cheeks so it’s always a compromise.

Even if you have loose skin the look can be improved by reducing the fat underneath (so my PT used to say)

P.S: Forgot to say I'm 5ft 3+ and around 8 stone 6, BMI has stabilized around 20-21, the pouch has def gone down from when I was your BMI, but as PP says my boobs & bum went too and face looking a tad gaunt now so pros and cons.

Might be worth reading up on fasting and autophagy to see if that’s of any interest to you.

(I too think you look fabulous and very inspiring!).

I've come back to reply to this so many times, but honestly - I don't know what to say. You've all been so lovely and kind. I was fully bracing myself for the "well, what did you expect for getting so fat in the first place" kind of comments.
So thank you for bringing more than one tear to my eye! I shall take the advice given and have a go at some of it! I'm also going to give my body a year post weight loss to see how it settles and with regular exercise before writing myself off as a bad job! Unfortunately I'd never be able to afford any sort of surgery, so I need to make the best of what I've got!

I've hit 10st 11 this week, so with 1 final stone to go, I'll have lost 7st 2, or 100lb, or 46kg. I could never have imagined coming this far... just got to get through the final hurdle now. 😊

You are doing absolutely amazing. Be super proud of yourself. Loosing weight is a hard thing to do.

Swimming might be the thing to help tone it up.

Loose skin, to some extent it will get better over time, I'd keep doing what you're doing for now. Well done in the weight loss so far!

Looks like a mixture of loose skin and fat, hopefully by time u hit yr goal weight u will have a better idea as the fat will pull the skin down.

I'm your weight and height and gave a CS overhang You look so much better than me, OP. I've lost about 10lbs and am just walking more. No gym/weights which is probably where I'm going wrong. That and being 61.

You look fantastic.

Wow, you look fantastic.

I am not sure what I was expecting to see with the pics, but certainly not your slim, smooth, unsaggy body.

I am 5ft and am around 8st 7lbs, BUT I STILL have an overhang from 2 sections.

Well done OP, you should be really proud of yourself x

and I am 59 any my oldest child is 27.

You look great OP, congrats on the 7st weight loss, that is such an achievement!!

Fasting works wonders on loose skin, lots of people have experienced great results with it. Check out Dr. Jason Fung on YouTube, he has loads of videos on the benefits of fasting.

I do intermittent fasting and find that works really well.

I'm taller than you and weigh a lot less than you but you have a much nicer figure than I do! Great waistline and legs.

I also have the tummy overhang - I never used to - I think if you had children, it just happens at a certain age that the stretched skin no longer has the elasticity to spring back into shape.