What to do with loose skin around the Abs after Weight loss?

[whiteboyloser]

I have lost 55 pounds in 6 months. I am at a comfortable weight now. At heaviest i was 250, but at the beginning of this year was 230 and went down to 173 but presently i am 179. I workout 4 times a week with weights. During the day i have a physically demanding job so i don't bother with cardio. focus is towards bulking up and tightening up everything. I have this loose skin around abdominal area after loosing all the weight, and hoping someone can give me some advice on the best way to get rid of this loose flab. Surgery is not an option, something i will not consider as well as supplements i will not consider. Would like to hear real answers from someone that knows what they are talking about. I am willing to put in the hard work and doing it the right way.

[swanso5]

well it deopends how much of it is actually loose skin and how much is actually fat...if it's skin then surgery is the only way i think

either way post youer training and eating plan's and we'll see what we can make better anyway

[whiteboyloser]

eating habits are healthy, which helped me in losing over 50 pounds. I eat a big breakfast at 4:45 am before i head to work, bowl of bran flakes with banana and blueberries with a cup of coffee. At 7am i will have an apple or other fruit, then at 930am is company break time, i will have a Proadvantage Yoghurt with an apple, for lunch it varies, one day it can be a chicken breast with rice, or pasta, or rutabaga with tuna, etc.... Next break is at 3pm, i will have couple of tomatoes, at 5pm before i leave work i will have an apple, then when i arrive at home after 630pm, then i have dinner around 715pm, i will eat whatever the wife makes, either fish with vegetables, or soup, or chicken and potatoes, etc.....
workout schedule is 4 days a week, resistance training. job is physically demanding so i don't bother with setting days aside for cardio because i am looking to bulk up. I am at a comfortable weight of 180 pounds. I was told by an experienced 17 year Personal Trainer that i have is loose skin and that it will only go away with surgery. I am hoping to get it to shrink as much as possible, as i do keep up with resistance training.

[swanso5]

17yrs doesn't really make him good, there's plenty of crap PT's out there (not me though..)

diet can do with some work...a lot of carbs, not enough protein...go to diet section and read "read before posting..."

[DianaB]

Loose skin is a bitch and how much it shrinks is going to depend on the elasticity. Younger people are going to have an easier time with this, in general.
Make sure that you are staying in an anabolic condition throughout the day. The rapid weight loss has taken some of your pre-existing muscle as well as fat. If you are doing physically demanding labour throughout the day, consider using BCAA's to keep feeding your muscles amino acids. The time release tabs would be ideal for you. They will help your body from using proteins for energy and provide a nitrogen balance that also will help to burn off fat.
Under that loose skin there is a layer of fat for sure. Obviously you are not going to lose it all (unless you want to compete, and even then it's temporary) but the more you can rid yourself of, the tighter your skin will get. Just keep building and maintaining muscle.
Other than that, see a dermatologist for some collagen cream, it may help. I've learned to live with loose skin (from having kids), but it has definitely improved over time.