I want to loose weight

[Anca1]

I noted a question about a girl who said she was 19 and was afraid of excess skin after a fast weight reduction. If only I was 19 .... I am 41 and have been overweight for at least 20 years. I am dead set on loosing this weight but I to fear the skin thing. I am afraid at my age my skin will not have the elasticity to rebound from such long term obesity. What can I do to help my skin?  Oh and one more thing, what can I do to build muscle mass and do muscles build later in life or are we subject to cellular memory?

[mullein]

if you go under a controlled diet from your doctor he will advise you regarding excess skin.. you wont build muscle but you will be able to tone it with exercise. swimming is also good for toning skin..you dont say how obese you are but if its seriouse get your doctor to refer you to a specialist and get it sorted on the nhs. the health benefits will outweigh the skin problem, and as you get older its possible you may gain even more weight so you are right to do something about it now.. i wish you the best of luck as its so difficult to loose weight you need loads of willpower, mullein 

[el duerino]

the key to building muscle is resistance. its hard for women because of their low testosterone levels, I am guessing but they also probably decrease slightly with time as in men. For the goals you describe, a simple program of bodyweight exercises will be more than sufficient. Calisthenics, if you will.

[eduiy]

I'm 27 and have been losing weight over the last 9 months. I've been doing this steadily and have lost a total of just over 3 stone - about 1.2lbs a week ish. If you lose weight this slowly you are far more likely to keep the weight off than if you go for a fast fix - plus your skin has time to adjust. My boobs started off at a size 38H and I've gone down to a 34F, which is amazing, but I must warn you that the skin on them seems to contract less well than other parts of the body - mine are now more saggy than they used to be, which means getting a good bra! I found the best way to lose wiehgt was to go with a friend who also needed to lose weight and we have been helping each other along the way. We go to weekly meetings with (I think) the largest weight loss club (trying not to mention it by name here) in the world. It is tough at times, but I am really beginning to see the benefits. Go for it!!

[krissy04]

I would have to say, since u are 41ur weight shud be more of the issue that excess skin. Try changing your diet, and exercise a lot..If your more concerned with loosing weight, i suggest more of a Cardio workout. But also,the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. So a bit of both(cardio+resistance training) would help out a lot. So once you loose the weight, and u start noticing excess skin, and if it bothers you, then you could go to the doctors and talk to him/her about the removal of the skin. That is if thats what you want.. But you can do it..its going to be hard but its totally worth it. You'll feel great, look great, and possibly live longer too. But if you do change ur diet dont be afriad to have some of those old fav foods you used to eat..its ok to eat them, but in moderation! you can do it ANCA1!!! i have faith! :)