Hey hows it going people. Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Joe Camara. I'm 19 years old and currently live a very active lifestlyle. Im a kid who can deal with criticism (and i prefer it) but i have problems with self confidence. Over the past year I have dropped from 218 pounds down to 147. To no suprise i look completley different but still feel a bit ashamed to go to the beach and take off my shirt..Im going to Florida in May and i have some final goals that i really want to strive for if they are possible.....heres me about a year and a half ago...Sorry that they are blurry..I only have real photos of my former self..that i had to transfer with a digital camera..


Year and a Half AGO:







and heres a couple of pictures of me today (about ten minutes ago)






now here is what concerns me...

this was taking March 19,2007.....





Since March 19 (about 2 weeks ago) Ive been running 3 miles in 21 minutes Mon-Friday..After that i continue by doing different types of ab and lower back work with 25 pound weights...is it a waste?


Well heres my dilema. I lost alot of weight in quite a short time. I cant decipher my stomach though. OVer the past few months ive dealt with the confusion between my abdominal area. Is it loose skin guys or the last couple layers of fat on me..My skin is scarred up and it pisses me off but im more concerned with tightening up what is left, if that is even possible...Anyone have any ideas or suggestions...Should i diet and work out......Am i going to need to go under the knife to correct my dilema or should i take a picture of what i look like a month from now to see what some of you think...Thanks and i look forward to meeting some of you guys!

Joe

Congratulations! You look great.

Don't worry about your tummy, it doesn't look bad at all ! My tummy is also my problem, but let me tell you, I'm far behind having yours! You shouldn't be worry about taking your shirt off. All you need to do is to understand you're not the big guy you were. Good luck and congratulations!

Wow man!

You look great! We are always our own hardest critics. I am down 36 pounds now, but I still see all 297 staring me in the eye when I look in the mirror. So I do understand that you might not see the difference, but it is definitely there. That little bit of belly sag looks pretty much exactly like most of my skinny as rake buddies back in the day that liked beer. That was a substatial weight loss you made and sadly it will take more time for the skin to come back than it took the weight to dissapear. But really man, in the meantime you have nothing to worry about. Forget about surgery, you certainly don't have massive hanging bits of extra skin. Keep doing what you have been doing and I am sure everything will come together in no time. You look like a perfectly normal and healthy guy, and following some more detailed advice and training on sculpting yourself, you are not far off from having whatever kind of body you want.

Not far off at all. Be patient and it will happen.

And while you are waiting, hit the beach! I can guarantee more people will notice the ribs than that little belly.

Knock em dead!

sirant

I think your adorable.

uh-huh He looks great without the shirt

Wtg on your weight loss!! you look great!!

Looks good to me

thanks guys...but its becoming a serious issue...i cant seem to get my mind off of it...im busting myself trying to crunch and "muscle" my way out of it, but im not to sure if its going to work...from a side few (sitting) my problem is a little more serious (not as bad as others im sure) but certainley enough to keep me thinking about correcting it the surgical way..

ugh why did i have to get fat...haha..

thanks again.

Well I always heard that when you are young these things correct themselves with time...Have read about it much online?

yeah i have...Im one of those impatient kids unfortunatley and years, doesnt seem worth it if i got the money (scars are what really concerns me)..everytime i see the flab while sitting i keep thinking its fat which ends up causing me to eat the wrong way...nothing but coffee,applesauce and grapes from 165 to 148...

Since the 19th i havent checked the scale and ive been trying to eat normal while working out...I feel like crap putting actual food in me again but im pretty sure im working it off with all of the running and ab work...who knows

Well, heres my take.

You are young, and you really dont have the hanging massive folds of extra skin that massively obese people have when they lose masive amounts of weight. (over 100 pounds) Those are the people who benefit most from surgery.

My mother did have that surgery when she lost 100 pounds and the doctor did it for free. But only because it was such a massive amount of skin to remove. Now, no doctor is going to offer you that same surgery for free because you simply are not in the same category. Your only surgery option will be a very highly priced plastic surgeon who will just do it for the money, not your benefit. My mother spent 2 weeks in the hospital recovering with tubes and drains poking out of her for some time to come. And she has a scar from one side of her stomach to the other side. It does not look attractive at all. Seriously, for a young guy like yourself, time is not an issue. I know vanity drives young people to do crazy things, but you really can get the same, or in fact better results by waiting a little bit first. Surgery is an extreme option and should not be considered as a "quick fix". 10 years from now you may be kicking yourself because of the nasty huge scar that really wasnt necessary. That quick fix now may haunt you the rest of your life. And having unnecessary surgery for anything is crazy at best, too many variables that could cause big problems later.

A big part of that belly is the fact you did this: "nothing but coffee,applesauce and grapes from 165 to 148..." Fast weight loss doesn't give the skin time to shrink at the same time as your fat. As a young guy who is now looking very fit, by incoporating some good healthy exercise you will blow that little extra off your belly in no time. Don't let simple vanity (especially if it is only a problem when you look at yourself sitting down) cause you to do something you may regret later. The easiest road is often the worst choice in the long run.

Think of all the fun things you could do with the big $$$ it would cost to get the surgery..... Think of the massive scar around that belly you want to show off..... Think of the pain and discomfort you will feel waiting to heal afterwards......

Is a little belly thats already on its way out worth all of that?

sirant

p.s. For the record, my mom eventually put all that 100 pounds back on, because she did it the "fast and easy" way. Now that scarring and pain was for nothing..... Too bad really.

Hi Joe136

First up congratulations on your weight loss. You must feel proud of achieving this.

And secondly with any fast weight loss you need to give your body at least a year for your skin to shrink back into shape, you do not have excessive skin hanging off you so give it time continue with your exercise and get some zinc cream and start taking some zinc tablets or a multivitamin which has zinc incorporated in them.

Don't be too hasty with surgery just yet and remember even if you went ahead with surgery you would need about the same amount time to recover and recuperate and then their are the scars and other complications that could arise as well.

ATB
Sam

Uh, seriously? I wouldn't be surprised if adding protein to your diet actually helped you build some muscle in your stomach.

No offence but it sounds like your trying to go anorexic...those people arent exactly ripped ya kno eat some meat! then workout! maybe you will see the results you want

I'll start off by saying i don't think you looked bad at all in your first picks. But understand that you wanted a healthy lifestyle. And you look great!

Skin is only as thick as the layer on the back of your palm. so if you pinch the back of your hand you'll know how thick your skin is. EVERYTHING else is fat.

I would suggest you read this book: bodyfatguide.com

I found it in one of these forums on this site and it has seriously changed my life.

It will basically teach you how to get rid of the fat and build the muscle. Which would require a special diet.. And I suggest you ask a professional personal trainer to get the fastest results.

How you feel about the way you look is mostly in your head not a reflection in the mirror.