With a slower, more gradual weight loss, it's easier for a person's skin elasticity to sort of snap back into place, shrinking back down as the fat is lost. But when too much is lost too fast, the skin's elasticity doesn't have time to catch up. To get rid of the loose skin, exercise helps, a little.
The bottom line
For small to moderate amounts of weight loss, your skin will likely retract on its own. Natural home remedies may help too. However, more significant weight loss may need body-contouring surgery or other medical procedures to tighten or get rid of loose skin.
“In general, it can take anywhere from weeks to months—even years,” says Dr. Chen. If after one to two years skin is still loose, it may not get any tighter, she says.
But remember the fat cells do not disappear, if you will increase your calorie intake you will again gain weight. Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat.
Yes, fat can get “jiggly” before or during weight loss — BUT, it's a good sign, and there are ways to prevent it or make it better.
As against areas such as legs, face and arms, our stomach and abdominal regions possess beta cells that makes it difficult to reduce the fats easily and lose weight in these areas. However, as per research, belly fat is the most difficult to lose as the fat there is so much harder to break down.
The first stage of weight loss is when you tend to lose the most weight and begin to notice changes in your appearance and how your clothes fit. It usually happens within the first 4–6 weeks ( 1 ).
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
The correct answer is that fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it's lost as urine or sweat. If you lose 10 pounds of fat, precisely 8.4 pounds comes out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6 pounds turns into water.
Coming to the point, you will first lose “hard fat” (visceral fat) that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and later, you will burn soft fat (belly fat, thigh fat, back fat, etc.). Women accumulate fat cells around their belly area, hips, thighs and these areas are usually the last from.
"Losing weight rapidly doesn't give our skin adequate time to gradually contract and this results in loose, hanging skin," says Dr. Jacobs. So who can expect loose skin after weight loss? While it varies, mild weight loss (think: 20 pounds or less) typically doesn't lead to excess skin, Zuckerman says.
Body Contouring Surgery
The most effective way to tighten loose skin after weight loss is by going through medical or surgical treatment. Natural remedies do not work when there has been significant weight loss. Surgical treatment is often necessary to deal with loose skin after major or extreme weight loss.
If excess fat distends the skin for a long time, the skin can lose some of its ability to shrink with weight loss. Replacing that lost fat with muscle mass can lessen the appearance of loose skin.
Depending on the intensity and the consistency of your workout, it will take 4 to 8 weeks for your muscles to get toned.
What causes muscle stiffness? Muscle stiffness most commonly arises after the overuse of skeletal muscles, which tends to happen after a long period of minimal motion (e.g., after extended bed rest) or after engaging in new exercises. These actions can cause temporary damage to the muscle cells, leading to stiffness.
The most significant changes are feeling healthier overall and waking up feeling less sluggish. Some other signs of fat loss are: You'll see changes in your body composition. Losing pounds or losing inches is the primary sign you're burning fat.
However, in general, Dr. Ali explains, women tend to lose fat first from their lower body — the hips, buttocks and thighs (see ya, saddlebags). Men, on the other hand, tend to store more fat in the abdomen and will typically see the biggest difference there when they start to lose weight.
"Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about three and a half and four kilograms, or about eight and nine pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face.
While everyone loses weight differently, dropping as little as 3 to 5 pounds can show up on your face first, Eboli says.
In addition to an oily appearance, your urine might also have a milky white color. This is due to the presence of fat and protein in lymph fluid.
“There's no reason to weigh yourself more than once a week. With daily water fluctuations, body weight can change drastically on a day-to-day basis,” says Rachel Fine, registered dietitian and owner of To the Pointe Nutrition. “Weighing yourself at the same time on a weekly basis will give you a more accurate picture.”
Scientifically, you can start to see results and lose belly fat for yourself in something as little as 2 weeks time. That being said, even if the timeline might be short, cutting around inches off your waistline could require a lot of hard work and following the right balance of diet and workout.