Is it loose skin or fat?

[maintenanceman 285]

This might be a silly question, but how can I tell if my saggy tummy is loose skin or fat? I'm 20 lbs away from my Ideal Body Weight (lost 73% of EBW), and I'm trying to figure out how much of that is loose skin vs. fat. When I pinch my saggy tummy, I don't feel a lot of subcutaneous fat. I'm a 50 year old man.

[kcuster83 1,504]

The only real way is to have a body fat scan.

My first go round at loosing weight with diet and exercise I lost 140 lbs and rushed into skin removal. I had a TON, it hung so low. If I laid it flat it was almost 11 inches! Long story short, it was only 7 lbs when it was removed..bummer.

[SpartanMaker 767]

Does it matter?

The truth is, it's likely both. Fat doesn't float around in our bodies (if it did, it would all eventually end up in our feet!), instead, it's attached to other things. As the largest organ in our bodies, skin is a great attachment point for fat, especially in the belly region.

Here are two other hard truths: One, a certain amount of body fat is healthy. In fact, without essential levels of fat, you would likely die when certain cellular functions stopped. Two, contrary to what some people think, it's impossible to target fat loss in specific areas. Where you store body fat is mostly genetic.

My point in all that is to explain that you really don't have much control over whether or not that "saggy tummy" is fat and skin, or just skin.

If you're otherwise healthy and happy with your both composition, you can think about plastic surgery to address the issue.

[SpartanMaker 767]

So re-reading my post above, I think my tone came across as a bit harsh. That was not my intention, so I apologize if that's how it's interpreted.

What I was trying to convey is that you can drive yourself crazy worrying about stuff like this. What really matters is (aside from your abdominal panniculus), are you are happy with your health and body composition right now? if so, then whether it's fat or skin is meaningless, just like a number on a scale is meaningless. On the other hand, if you're not happy with where you're at right now, then put together a plan to address it. For example, are you good with your overall amount of body fat, your muscle mass, your athletic ability, etc.?

In short, focus on the things you can change.

[Arabesque 7,198]

@SpartanMaker is correct. There will always be a layer of fat under your skin. It’s something we need. So even under the loose skin there will be some fat which is why it is hard to tell. How thick (dense) the skin is if you pinch it may give you a bit of an idea of how much fat is left in that area. And pinch different areas around your body to compare as we carry our larger deposits of fat in different areas of our body.

Have a chat with your surgeon or get a referral to a plastic surgeon & ask their opinion. If you are thinking about having the loose skin removed, they’ll likely advise to wait until your weight has been stable for a while.

If you are just curious as to how much fat you have left, yes a body fat or dexa scan is your best bet.

[catwoman7 11,210]

I agree with the person who mentioned a body scan.

if you really want to know, a DEXA scan will give you a lot of info. NOT the kind they do at medical clinics - that will only give you bone density. It's the kind you can get at a sports lab or one of those commercial outfits like DEXAfit. It gives you not only bone density, but also body composition - as in how much of your weight is fat vs muscle vs bone. The commercial places charge around $100-150 for a scan. Sports labs at universities are often cheaper.

I had one when I got to 146 lbs and wasn't sure if I should stop or keep going. According to the scan, I had 22% body fat, which is kind of lean for a woman, so the tech (and later, my PCP) said it was time to stop losing...I was at a really good weight (odd since I figured I could have lost another 10-20 lbs!)

Edited August 27, 2022 by catwoman7

[maintenanceman 285]

43 minutes ago, catwoman7 said:

I agree with the person who mentioned a body scan.

if you really want to know, a DEXA scan will give you a lot of info. NOT the kind they do at medical clinics - that will only give you bone density. It's the kind you can get at a sports lab or one of those commercial outfits like DEXAfit. It gives you not only bone density, but also body composition - as in how much of your weight is fat vs muscle vs bone. The commercial places charge around $100-150 for a scan. Sports labs at universities are often cheaper

This is a GREAT idea. Thank you!