I had serious health problems which kept me bedridden for two years, during which time I put on an additional 70 pounds.
But I recovered, and through a regimen of intense cardio training and strict dieting over a period of 9 months, I took that 70 pounds back off.
But although I’m now at my ideal weight (according to the Mayo Clinic website and WebMD), I still have some belly fat that seems extremely resistant to coming off.
Or so I thought. But by squeezing a fold of this “fat” in the palm of my hand, I note that it’s only about 3/4 of an inch thick, and seems to be getting slightly less thick with continued training.
Here’s what I think it REALLY is: a bit of belly fat, but mostly just a lot of very loose skin, I guess because that skin was stretched so far when I got so overweight.
So here are my questions: will my skin eventually shrink back so that it’s no longer loose? And if so, how long would that take?
Or is there any other way to get rid of it, short of surgery? I’m pretty sure my health care insurance won’t pay for any elective surgery.
Or could a doctor prescribe an appropriate procedure as NON-elective surgery, on the grounds that this condition is dangerous to my health?
By the way, I’m 65 years old, so a couple people have suggested that my skin may have lost the elasticity needed to shrink back to what it once was. And for what it’s worth, I recently started a full-body weight lifting regimen, in addition to my cardio training and continued dieting.
Besides the fact that I hate this loose skin, I’m also under considerable pressure to get rid of it. So ‘just getting used to it’ isn’t an option.
Thanks for any help.