Any who have lost 100+lbs?

[LoveLife]

Hey everyone..I hope this is the right place to ask this...basically I have been wondering about soemthing for awhile and thought I'd see if anyone here knew the answer...

I am wondering if anyone here has lost 100, 200, or even 300+ lbs. from being Raw?...I wanted to know how your skin looked afterwards?..I used to work at a gym and some of the people I trained had had gastric bypass and were trying to tone up b4 they had surgery to get rid of excess skin...now I know that if someone has to lose a lot of weight and they do it through SAD "healthy" diet and exercise..that they will have less problems with sagging skin than someone who gets gastric bypass done...but I am curious to see if losing it through RAW would make even more of a difference..and even if maybe u wouldn't need any corrective surgery if u lost weight thru Raw and exercise to tone...I know that u get more excess skin problems becuz u lose sooo fast with GB...and your body can't keep up..and heal the elasticity that u lost when u were overweight...and I know that many people lose fast in the beginning with Raw..especially if they have quite a bit to lose...and I wondered if it made your skin worse or if Raw could heal your skin just as fast as u lost your weight...

Well thanx for anyone who might be able to answer it..I plan on getting my personal training certificate and I think it would be an excellent thing to be able to tell people who need to lose a lot of weight and are thinking of going the GB route...i think an alternative would be awesome..besides SAD healthy food and exercise..thanx:D

[Morn]

I haven't lost 100 pounds yet but I am 3/4 to my goal. I need to lose 29 more pounds to reach that goal. Currently I have lost 71 pounds over the last 9 months (on a raw food diet) and my skin is amazingly doing pretty well. I still have weight to lose so I am not sure in the end what I will look like but so far so good. I have been exercising all along though so I am sure that is helping. You may want to contact Valerie and read some of her blog below. She was over 500 pounds when she began. She is on a green smoothie experiment and has lost over 90+ pounds. Also Lavender J has lost over 90 pounds (however not all on raw food - she lost a bunch of her weight before turning raw). But below is valerie's link. Good luck with your research. I am really interested in what you will learn.

http://greensmoothieexperiment.blogspot.com/

Oh and I also think the age of the person may play a significant role in your research.

[carolg]

Morn,
You look fabulous. May have told you that before, but you can stand to hear about your transformation again.

carolg

[SchoolOfRAWk]

If you go to www.rawreform.com you can look up Angela Stokes' story. She has chapters on this in her e-books, since she was very obese and lost over 100 lbs.

[Veganforlife]

Also, check out VWinters blog! She's just about there.

here's the link:
http://greensmoothieexperiment.blogspot.com/

[LoveLife]

Thanx u guys..I'll check those girls sites out:D ...

[MsNat71]

This is a great question. I have a significant amount of weight to lose and I have a concern about stretched out skin. I have checked the websites and would be interested in hearing what others have stated about this, thanks.

[Frecs]

I have lost over 100 pounds by eating a 100% raw vegan diet. I still have about 40 pounds to go before reaching my goal weight. I exercise between 1 and 2.5 hours a day 6 days a week (walking, weight training, cardio machines and occasional backpacking trips). At this point, I have batwings and sagging on my lower stomach. But, my naturopath says that the skin will tighten after I achieve my goal weight and no longer have all this excess fat under the skin. I hope so but even if it doesn't completely (probably due to all the stretch marks) I'm okay with that--a little sagging skin sure beats weighing over 300 pounds!!!

[the_lab_rat]

I only committed to raw foods about 2 weeks ago, so I can't say what effect being 100% raw would have. But between my heaviest and now, I've lost 50-60 pounds, 40 of those pounds on a high-raw vegan diet (I was vegan and ate a lot of fruits & veggies, but wasn't paying attention to exactly how much raw stuff I ate). I do have some sagging skin, mostly on my lower stomach and "saddlebags" and also around my knees and ankles. I also have tons of stretch marks, mostly on my hips, thighs and lower back. But I get stretch marks very easily, like just from gaining/losing 10 pounds. So perhaps being vegan helped somewhat with not getting even more of them? I know it improved the texture of my skin in general, so who knows.

[LearningDaily]

I lost 130 lbs 6 years ago. I did not do this with a raw diet, but wish I had. I didn't know it even existed.

I did have a little extra skin on my tummy, but nothing that really warranted corrective surgery. I will say that after losing weight that the following two years my skin continually shrunk back more and more. At least for me, my skin tried to repair itself long after the fat was gone.

[trinity082482]

I have lost over 80 lbs.

[Anastazia]

I have lost over 100 pounds by eating a 100% raw vegan diet. I still have about 40 pounds to go before reaching my goal weight. I exercise between 1 and 2.5 hours a day 6 days a week (walking, weight training, cardio machines and occasional backpacking trips). At this point, I have batwings and sagging on my lower stomach. But, my naturopath says that the skin will tighten after I achieve my goal weight and no longer have all this excess fat under the skin. I hope so but even if it doesn't completely (probably due to all the stretch marks) I'm okay with that--a little sagging skin sure beats weighing over 300 pounds!!!

Frecs! Nice to 'see' ya!!!:D You're here, too...I never knew...or forgot! (dumb FM brain fog!) & you're doing soooo great! Are you still with RFBC? & have you been 100% this whole time?!?!!!!:eek:

Do you have your before & so-far after pics posted anywhere, I'd love to see them!:D

I love your attitude, & you're so right! better to be healthy, & not carrying around all the extra weight, than to not have loose skin!

I'm so glad you've been doing so well sinse we met, & I'm impressed! Weigh to go!!!

~Anastazia~

[Anastazia]

What I've heard about this issue is that skin brushing (google for directions on how) really helps with this, & making sure you always drink enough water is supposed to make a big difference, as well.

And yes, exercise really helps tone you up, & I've also read it can take a few years, but eventually, your skin will tighten up quite a bit once the fat is gone....doing lots of strengthening work (especially on the abs) eventually tightens even the apron that can hang over when a LOT of weight has been lost.

I was watching 'Big Medicine" the other day, about a woman who got the surgery to tighten everything...the scars were HUGE!:eek: (from one hip to another, in front, sometimes they go all the way around! & deep, dark red! Even a good while after!)

... & seeing them cut the fat off & throw it away was so REPULSIVE!!!:( & they showed the veins going into the fat, that had to be cauterized...blech.

I don't care if it hangs down to my knees when I'm done, I'll just wear control top panties.:rolleyes:

~Anastazia~

[Stina]

Wasn't Angela Stokes taking MSM to help with the elasticity of her skin? So lots of cucumber juice would help to because of the silica, I'm thinking.
And you guys are awesome and inspiring!

[LoveLife]

I definately agree with Stina..u all are awesome and inspiring:D ...thank u all for writing back on here...I would say that most likely stretch marks will not heal..unless Raw does that somehow..but normally they don't...so aside from that...it's seems that Raw might heal more than just diet and exercise....when any of u who replied are done losing the weight thru Raw..PLEASE write me and tell me how everything went..if u can or remember...I think that it would be so awesome to have a story like that...to be able to help inspire others...I totally agree that the surgery for getting rid of excess skin leaves HORRIBLE and SCARY scars:eek: ...that is one of the main reasons I was hoping that Raw healed without having to do that....I think that would be an amazing encourager to go Raw instead of dieting and then surgery...

Thank u guys:)

[Stina]

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for something topical. Of course, there's MSM cream.

[Blazin'Jane]

What a great topic! i saw some of my grown children this weekend, and one of the sons-in-law remarked that I appeared to have lost some muscle tone. My thake on tis is that my muscle tone is fine, as I am still working out plenty(!), but that my skin is old and saggy. I am 66 and have lost 35 lbs --the first 30 in the first 3 mos. of RAW. So I'm hopeful that my skin, (mature as it is), will tighten up if I stay on a RAW diet. Is that a reasonable expectation??:o
I don't need to lose much more weight, and I commend all you who are losing the big 3 digit numbers!! I am inspired and humbled by your good work!

[Blazin'Jane]

Oooooo! Great idea about something topical! What is MSM cream? Is it helpful? are there other things that help??

[Anastazia]

I'll tell ya what...just cuz i know this worries many who have 100+ to lose, I'll take a picture of my tummy, legs & arms now (23lbs down from my highest weight of 398, so i will have lost 260-ish) & when i reach my goal weight 140ish, {I'm busty & muscular, but will see when i get there, may be less} & then a year later, I'll take more, & then another year later, & I'll share them here & with the raw community (on my blog, 4 sure) (I'll share the first set (before & after) when i reach my goal...maybe I'll take some half-way through...)

I need to be more consistant with skin brushing, & will continue increasing my exercise amount, & work on building muscle, & will try the MSM creme when i can afford it...AFTER i get Alissa's book & DVD!!! *grin*

& this gives me another reason to work hard on reaching my goals!
Maybe others will also do this who don't have as much to lose as me...this would be good for those starting out to see & know what to reasonably expect!
~Anastazia~

[Frecs]

Frecs! Nice to 'see' ya!!!:D You're here, too...I never knew...or forgot! (dumb FM brain fog!) & you're doing soooo great! Are you still with RFBC? & have you been 100% this whole time?!?!!!!:eek:

Do you have your before & so-far after pics posted anywhere, I'd love to see them!:D

I love your attitude, & you're so right! better to be healthy, & not carrying around all the extra weight, than to not have loose skin!

I'm so glad you've been doing so well sinse we met, & I'm impressed! Weigh to go!!!

~Anastazia~

Hi Anastazia! I pop in once in a while. I'm taking college courses working toward a nutrition degree so my time is limited...which is why I had to step out of RFBC. I don't know what I would have done without Carlene that first year--she was a real Godsend and still a dear friend of mine. I was strict 100% RAW vegan throughout that first year. This year, I've been more (gasp) 100% RAW lacto-vegetarian. Very recently I have experimented with some cooked foods and even some meat. The meat experiment was unsuccessful and it's back out. I'm still allowing some cooked but probably only about 10%. I'm working with a naturopath (named---Carleen!) because my weightloss stopped in January. She believes the problem is two-fold: my blood protein (especially albumin) was way to low, and my good cholesterol was also WAY too low. So, I'm working on getting the protein and fat intake up in a healthy way--still keeping with the vegetarian and HIGH raw path that has brought me so much health and well-being--to hopefully trigger my body back into fat-loss mode.

I don't currently have pics posted but I probably should. I have thought about doing a blog but well, time....

Oh, and I did the hike on the AT for my birthday! Did a weekend trip and had a BLAST! Next weekend, I'm doing another backpacking trip, not on the AT, and this time it looks like I'll be doing it alone. :-)

PS: I just created a blog at blogspot.com. I'll give out the link once I have something on there for you to see. :-)

[juicyraw]

But, my naturopath says that the skin will tighten after I achieve my goal weight and no longer have all this excess fat under the skin.

I read that on a body building site somewhere. The guy said the sagging is because you still have fat under the skin. Makes sense. He said he had never seen anyone get under 10% body fat and still have sagging skin.

If you've ever seen Biggest Losers, those really big guys got down to super low weights before the final weigh in. I saw pics of some of their bellies and there was no sagging skin. It was a little loose but not hanging.

I'm counting on this with 100+ to lose myself.

Way to go everyone on your losses! That is sooooo encouraging!

[vwinters]

I read that on a body building site somewhere. The guy said the sagging is because you still have fat under the skin. Makes sense. He said he had never seen anyone get under 10% body fat and still have sagging skin.

If you've ever seen Biggest Losers, those really big guys got down to super low weights before the final weigh in. I saw pics of some of their bellies and there was no sagging skin. It was a little loose but not hanging.

I'm counting on this with 100+ to lose myself.

Way to go everyone on your losses! That is sooooo encouraging!

I’ve also read that the skin sags badly if you’re still carrying around fat and when you get your body fat percentage really low everything tightens up on it’s own without surgery. I hope that’s true, but either way, it’s better then staying fat.
VW
http://www.tagworldresources.com/Tagworld-Graphics/Animated-Emoticons/bc4bbfa42aedac90618f0f638eb9f161.gif (http://www.tagworldresources.com/TagWorld-Graphics/Tagworld-Animated-Emoticons/TagWorld-Image-1245.aspx)

http://www.ketoforum.de/diet-ticker/pic/weight_loss/11398/.png (http://www.diaet-ticker.de)

[b_light]

I haven't lost 100 pounds (yet). I've lost about 50 though, and I haven't noticed any sagging skin. I am 24, and I imagine that makes a difference (and I haven't always been overweight). I think those things could possibly impact the skin issue also. My tummy itches though sometimes (could be unrelated--I had a baby in December).

I used to be with RFBC too, but not for very long. My midwife got nervous about raw food (she was a vegan herself) and protein and my chances of getting Gestational Diabetes, so I stopped. But I started back again this Easter and that's when I lost 50 pounds! I feel bad that I never said goodbye at RFBC, because I was new and nervous. I wish I had never left :(

[Frecs]

I haven't lost 100 pounds (yet). I've lost about 50 though, and I haven't noticed any sagging skin. I am 24, and I imagine that makes a difference (and I haven't always been overweight). I think those things could possibly impact the skin issue also. My tummy itches though sometimes (could be unrelated--I had a baby in December).

I used to be with RFBC too, but not for very long. My midwife got nervous about raw food (she was a vegan herself) and protein and my chances of getting Gestational Diabetes, so I stopped. But I started back again this Easter and that's when I lost 50 pounds! I feel bad that I never said goodbye at RFBC, because I was new and nervous. I wish I had never left :(

Well, I just erased a long paragraph that went against the company line on protein in a 100% vegan diet...don't want to start anything. ;-)

I think you could have, with wisdom and care, done the RFBC diet while pregnant without risk of gestational diabetes or lack of protein but I understand the desire to follow your midwife's advise and not take risks.

Congrats on the weightloss! Keep up the good work.

Anyone interested, check out my new blogspot: http://frecs.blogspot.com/

[lavendarJ]

I hope to hit a 100 pounds this month before my 1 year anniversary. It's just the last 10 pounds that I need to get to reach the 100 pound mark. When I first embraced raw, I had already lost a over 20 pounds (I wish I had printed out my journal from last year when I first started raw, I used to rack my weight and measurements and stuff there and was so busy that I didn't think to write it in my own journal) and I've lost the rest as a rawbie...so the great majority I have lost with raw.. I think my only problem area - to me anyway- is my tummy, I don't think it is flat yet, but I keep hearing that it is the last place to really see the results...Other than that, I'm striving to hang on the boobies and booty that I have left- disappearing acts I tell ya:D I didn't realize how helpful my booty was until I missed it..hurts like crazy sitting on a hard floor now; I have to keep readjusting myself. I never noticed it before-must have been my lovely cushions. The tradeoff for health-that's what I keep telling myself. As long as I don't go flat..I'm doing squats like crazy.

Hey Val! So nice to see ya on hear. I had been thinking of you. LOOK at you; I can see it in your avitar- health. Hooray for you girly girl http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_3_16.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZKxdm011YYUS).

[lavendarJ]

I just wanted to add that my arms and thighs seem to be snapping back on their own. My main thing now is rebuilding muscle. I feel like I lot every single shred of muscle. Working out, I can tell a difference in my arms now finally after some weeks.

[lavendarJ]

Frecs- just had to jump back on here one more time to say I just checked out your blog and it is absolutely great...HOORAY for you!