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I'm hoping that others, like myself, have dropped enough weight where they've had to deal with this issue.

Due to the PD, I've lost a good amount of weight (+50 lbs.) in the past four months. This has left me with a bit of "paunch" around the midsection. I've done a lot of reading online and have chalked this up to being "subcutaneous fluid" or "subcutaneous fat." It's essentially just skin, from what I can tell/feel/pinch. If it's not a last layer of fat, it's reportedly water that my body is holding onto.

I've read that drinking a lot of water helps to tighten up loose skin, but I've also read that it will "just snap back," as well as "...you can use Preparation H on it" (which I do NOT plan on doing). Another "solution" was to cut out all sodium which would cause water retention.

I'm not looking for a quick fix by any means; I'm curious to see if others have had this issue in the same manner, and if/how it was solved. No good results are ever quick/easy. :)

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I hope you get some good answers because I'm in a similar position. I'm ~120 lbs down though not on a paleo diet though I am transitioning to one. – ScottMGS May 15 2010 at 15:09

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This has a LOT to do with age (mostly) and genetics (almost equally important), both of which determine the elasticity of your skin. The more elastic it is, the better and the sooner it will snap back. If you are older and lost out on the genetic lottery when it comes to highly-elastic skin, you probably won't be as thrilled with your results as you would like.

There are other factors, like excess sun and wind exposure.

After losing 130 pounds and I am, um, a grandmother, I have some skin that just isn't going to "snap back," ever.

Having said that, ask me if I care :-). That's what clothes are for!

So, I guess you need to consider just how unhappy you are with your appearance. There's always plastic surgery somewhere down the road. Not an option I would care to pursue, but we are all different.

P.S. Preparation H: Ewwwwwww....truly, it may have a short (very short)-term "tightening" effect, if you can get past the odor, but I guarantee you, it won't last more than an hour or two, if that.

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I, too, realize that it's not all going to "go away" so I'm treating it like a battle scar and a reminder of what could be again should I go back to my old habits (or find worse new ones). – ScottMGS May 16 2010 at 2:33
I agree .... it is a friendly reminder at THAT :) !!! it is what is...all the matters is we now chose a much healthier lifestyle to take us to the next stage...I also feel the same way about the stretch marks – Michelle Jun 24 2010 at 1:48
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You may want to consider trying an aminophylline-based cream or gel. Aminophylline has been used to treat cellulite ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8833567 ), which is not exactly the same as the problem you're describing, but there are similarities. Cellulite is caused by a combination of subcutaneous fat, weak connective tissues, and fluid retention. Similarly, the "paunch" problem you're talking about probably has some etiological factors in common with cellulite, although the appearance is much different.

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Have you been exercising while losing weight? In my experience people who lose weight by eating well and exercising have better results and 50lbs is not that much, your skin should snap back. As previous posters have mentioned, age also plays a big role. If you're not exercising yet, start now, skin should react well to it, as well as some good moisturising for the effected area (shea butter, cacao butter), trying adding some essential oils into the butters as well (orange should work well)

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