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Dieters: How to Avoid Loose Skin Problems
By Janice Elizabeth Small
We lose weight to look great and feel good about our bodies.
And yet even when we lose a lot of weight and look great in our
clothes we can still feel unhappy at how our bodies look
undressed.
The problem?
Unwanted loose sagging skin left as a reminder of our former
shape. Here are the 5 keys to prevent loose sagging skin when
you undergo a weight loss program.
1. Lose weight slowly
Skin has remarkable powers of elasticity and yet it does not
snap back instantly into shape if you lose a lot of weight quickly
- anyone who has ever had a baby will tell you that one for free!
The more gradually you lose weight the easier it is for your skin
to keep pace with your new shape. You certainly didn't put on
all those pounds overnight - your skin had time to adapt so
don't try to get rid of them all at once either if you want your
skin to stay looking good.
Change your habits gradually so that you lose your weight bit
by bit and you're far less likely to have problems than someone
going on a crash diet and congratulating themselves on losing
100lbs in 6 months.
2. Eat nutrient rich foods
If your meals and snacks consist of junk food (even if you eat it
in smaller quantities than before) then you're unlikely to nourish
your skin properly and build up its strength.
Choose foods which are high in vitamins and minerals and low in
sugar, saturated fat and additives. Include foods high in
essential fatty acids such as avocados, olives, oily fish, nuts and
seeds and oils made from these and also ensure that you have
an adequate supply of lean protein.
3. Preserve your muscle tone
When you lose weight you may find that the skin becomes loose
because you have lost some of the underlying muscle which
supports it. If you lose more than a pound or two of weight a
week then it is very likely you're losing muscle tissue as well as
fat and without specific intense exercises to replace that muscle
your skin will sag.
In any case, no matter how fast you lose weight (and even just
to prevent age-related sagging) it is always helpful to do some
toning exercises for all parts of your body including your face to
keep skin firm if you care about looking good.
4. Keep skin hydrated
Drink plenty of water to keep skin healthy. If you drink wall to
wall fizzy drinks, coffee and tea skin suffers because these
drinks cause you to be more dehydrated than ever. And diet
drinks full of additives do not help your skin no matter how few
calories they contain. Only water and pure herbal teas will do
the trick.
You can add lemon or orange slices to your water and you can
have it at any temperature you like but drink enough - about 2
litres a day. That's about 8 glasses. If it helps try the rubber
band trick and put 8 bands on your wrist or around a pot or
bottle on your desk and remove one each drink of water you
have.
5. Lose weight sooner rather than later
Don't keep putting off your weight loss program. The older you
are and the longer you have been overweight the less elastic
and resilient your skin becomes and the more you need to stick
stringently to the other guidelines here to prevent skin
becoming too loose.
Also don't get too complacent about being able to eat all you
want and then lose weight later before you get hugely
overweight The constant yo-yo dieting stretching and then
loosening the skin will harm your skin's elasticity too.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
About the Author
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!
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| Some other articles by Janice Elizabeth Small | |
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