How to prevent loose skin during weight loss?

Did you know skin is the largest organ in our body!?

Nearly 75% of our skin is made up of two types of protein fibers namely collagen & elastin. Collagen provides firmness and strength to the skin and also helps in holding everything up together. Elastin, on the other hand, as the name implies is elastic protein fibers and helps the skin to be elastic – i.e expand and retract as required

However, when a person is overweight, has excess fat or even during pregnancy, the skin is stretched for a longer duration. Just like an elastic rubber band that is stretched and held so for a longer duration may not come back to its original shape immediately, our skin (elastin fibers) also may not come back to the original position very soon.

Loose skin is especially more common among those who have reduced calorie intake, skips a meal and eats veggies instead, etc. It is also common among those who do excessive cardio to lose weight. This happens because of substantial muscle loss. When calories are reduced dramatically OR if there isn’t enough protein intake as required by the body, a person could lose muscles during weight loss. Such a weight loss can be highly unhealthy and may reflect on the body a loose skin and a lot of hair fall

Loose skin is more common when an obese person loses weight. However, it can be reduced considerably through the proper planning of the fitness routine. Including collagen-rich food with vit-C for collagen synthesis will help. Doing an adequate amount of resistance training and toning the body by building some lean mass (muscles) also will help in reducing the wrinkles and saggy skin. Drink at least 1 lt of water for every 25 kg of body weight. Food rich in omega 3 fatty acids also are claimed to help in reducing the skin wrinkle – however, only anecdotal evidence exists. A plethora of Vit D & E creams and oils are also available in the market, however, again, only anecdotal evidence exists for their effectiveness