How do you get rid of that spare tire around your waistline after you've let the air out of it?

First off, congrats on loosing the fat and having such a great routine!
Unfortunately, if what you are talking about is just the excess skin left over from loosing weight, I don’t think there is a way to get rid of it short of surgery to remove it. Once skin stretches it looses some of it’s elasticity and that’s why we are left with excess skin when we loose a lot of weight after carrying it for an extended amount of time. Also (and I mean absolutely no respect by this) being older, you skin also looses some of it’s natural elasticity, so you kind of have the effect of getting older and of having the stretched skin working against you on that one.

I completely understand wanting to see those results, perhaps you should talk to your doctor to see what the surgery would entail for you.

@Seaofclouds Thanks for the suggestions, and for not meaning any respect. I’m quite conditioned to getting none of that. Been married for 35 years. :-)

But I am not going under the knife for what is nothing more than a cosmetic improvement. No way. I’ll just keep building up the routine and let the flaps fall where they may. :-)

@ETpro Shoot, I meant I mean no disrespect. :) Sorry about that. :)

@Seaofclouds Ha! I got a much heartier laugh out of it the way you actually wrote it. :-)

@ETpro Glad I could give you someone something to laugh at. :)

Hey @ETpro I was looking at that heavy hands site- how much weight have you lost (hope its not too nosy to ask) and is that a complete exercise system?

I guess I am reading this too literally – how on earth would one “let the air” out of a spare tire around their waist, when the ‘spare tire’ is made up of fat, plain and simple? If I could poke a needle in my side and watch the spare tire deflate, I would do it in a flash.

It will reduce unaided but slowly. Very slowly. You will not get the elasticity back that you once had without relying on things like Hyaluronic Acid but it will shrink. How many people in the old photos of concentration camp victims (unpleasant subject but valid as an example) did you see with huge folds of skin hanging off them? Many had dropped to a third of their original body weight but their skin had shrunk along with the weight loss. They were starved for several years in many cases – so it would not necessarily be a fast process. When I got cancer I dropped more than seventy-five pounds and had loose skin for a year or so, but it went. I have now put some – not all – of that weight back on and my skin is very tight with a good deal of elasticity restored. I am fifty-six.

@trailsillustrated I hit 195 at my worst and am now down to 160. I keep hoping I can start to gain some muscle mass with the free weights, but all I have done so far was slowly shed 35 pounds then stabilize. I think I am just starting to add on some upper body weight now.

I use 15 pound dumbbells now. Started with 2 pound and worked up. The exercises involve walking fast and simultaneously swinging the weights through a range of motions. I do separate sets of punches, presses (pushing the weights alternatively directly overhead) locomotive swings (through a small circle from straight down to waist high) and windmill swings that run each weight through the full range of motion of each arm. Those last ones are the real killers. 30 minutes of doing those is a serious aerobic workout.

@YARNLADY Figuratively speaking. It was fat that I let out of that old spare tire, and no magic needle helped me do that. It took a year of dedicated exercise.

@DarkScribe Thanks. That is encouraging. What is this acid? Is it dangerous?

@ETpro DarkScribe Thanks. That is encouraging. What is this acid? Is it dangerous?

Google Madonna and hyaluronic acid – it is a big part of what she uses to stay youthful. It accelerates the growth of cancer tumours as well as new skin cells – so if you have, or are at risk of cancer – it is BAD news. It does work though – it is fascinating to watch as it works very quickly – some women will used it before going to a party of other event. It is expensive when you go to a beauty salon, but can be sourced quite cheaply if you look in the right places. I use it for other things.

@DarkScribe Nuff said about that. Scratch that idea along with the scalpel.

I am 65 and in good shape. I have never been overweight but at times have been slightly heavier than I am now. I have found that my skin just doesn’t fit the way it used to and no amount of exercise is going to restore it to its original glory, end of story. And gravity takes its toll also. I always wonder if the hanging upside down routine really helps??? Even with the less than elastic skin, I reckon I look a lot better than the average 65 year old who doesn’t exercise. I believe in the use it or lose it theory!

Congratulations on managing to shrink those ab wall fat cells. They are among the most frustrating to lose and fat there also place you in a higher risk pool for cardiac disease.

I think you should continue doing what you’ve had results with so far. Continue being patient, and eventually your skin may retract.

Through nutrition and drinking plenty of water you may be able to speed things up a little. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies rich in vitamin C, as well as getting enough linoleic acid. Also, if you smoke – stop. It destroys vitamin C.

Limit your intake of soda and coffee, as well as your exposure to the sun. All 3 of these have a dehydrating effect on skin.

Vigourous massage to that area with lotions rich in anti-oxidants and natural oils such as Shea butter or avocado oil will also help. Find a formula suited for your skin that has ingredients known to stimulate circulation. I happen to like the products offered by Pangea Organics.

I don’t know if this will help but at the very least it won’t hurt. You can try massaging the areas daily to help with the blood flow to your skin. As we age a lot of our capillaries don’t have the same circulation it once did. I would think by massaging you can help increase the blood flow to the skin and this may give back some of its bounce.
If it doesn’t work, at the very least your body should enjoy the extra attention. But it does take time for you skin to bounce back.
You can also try a girdle around your waist only not to snug. Just snug enough to keep gravity from dragging the skin down all day long. I noticed after people get chin lifts, they use a kind of band to hold things in place till it heals. So again this is something that wouldn’t hurt and it will help you look nicer in your clothing in the meantime.
Short of these things. Surgery is your only other option.
Oh, and be sure to drink plenty of water and lotion up. Our skin also gets drier as we age and makes it less elastic. People also overlook sleep and its benefits. Proper sleep will aid with cell repair.

You can also try body scrub treatments. Some of the ones marketed toward combating cellulite would help tighten your skin. It’s also possible to make homemade scrubs, and if I’m not mistaken coffee grounds are effective in tightening skin.

@rooeytoo Exercise is definitely a key component. I am a firm believer in the maxim, It is better to wear out than rust out. Takes longer to wear out, too.

@mcbealer Thanks. Great suggestions. Never have smoked. Love fresh fruits and vegetables. But the coffee stays. Maybe I will use the grounds as a scrub, providing further justification for my several cup a day habit. :-)

@Pandora Great suggestions. Thanks.

Yeah, I don’t know that I could give up coffee altogether either. There does seem to be a connection between the cortisol in coffee and the body’s prepensity to store fat in the abdominal wall though.

Here are some simple coffee beauty recipes. You might want to try the cellulite buster one and the firming facial perk-up on your abs. Good luck!