Nordy says:

So there is a generally accepted rule that if you lose weight fast you end up with flappy skin everywhere but how much is to fast and what can i do to prevent the flappy skin (its nightmare creating material)?

Basically I am walking (which will lead to running once the walking stops hurting) and mountain biking, will going to the gym and doing toning stuff help the prevention?

How do they avoid it on biggest loser? the winners dont end up with flappy skin

HELP SAVE ME FROM FLAPPY SKIN (isnt that an awesome mental image for a monday)

 grant_me_wings says:

If you watch the Biggest Loser carefully, you will rarely see people wearing tank tops and holding their arms out, or wearing bikinis. You can wear tight clothes or body shapers to make loose skin look smooth. You can also have surgery, which I bet a lot of people do after being on that show.

Loose skin can happen after losing weight. It doesn't happen to everyone, and there's really no way to say who will get it. If you're young, you have a better chance of not getting it. There really is no magical way to avoid it, or we surely would all know just what to do to prevent it. If you've got only 30-40 pounds to lose, I wouldn't be too concerned about the skin... if you're looking to lose 80+ pounds, it becomes a concern. I've lost over 100 pounds, and I surely have loose skin, and I did "everything right" and lost weight slowly by healthy eating and lots of exercise.

You can either let your fear of skin issues prevent your weight loss, or you can decide to worry about it when it becomes a problem. And keep thinking... would you rather have the fat or the skin or surgical scars?

 Nordy says:

I think I will err on the Meh side of it, if I lose the weight (which will be over 100lb when I am happy) and end up with skin flaps then so be it.

 nalts says:

I'm no expert, but if you include weight resistance training you will tighten and tone your skin. Go check out the photos at www.bodyforlife.com and you'll see some amazing body transformations. No surgery at all.

 Tracker says:

I have lost 108 pounds and I have a fair amount of loose skin. It's partly genetics and age that decides how your skin bounces back. Weight training during your lose will help to minimize it but you still may end up with some. Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.
Quite a few of The Biggest Losers have extra skin or have had the surgery to remove it.

Me...right now I live with mine. Someday I want to have it removed I think cause it sucks running with it...compression city or I'm in pain. But then again, every day I have a reminder of what I have accomplished and why I never want to go back there again

 lucubratrix says:

Age can play a big role, too, as well as the other factors previous posters have mentioned.

But really, what it comes down to is that some people just have stretchier skin than others. This is why some people don't have any stretch marks, and some people have them everywhere. Not fair.

But, it's not a huge deal. I lost 80 lbs and I am very stretch-mark prone, suggesting that I don't have the most elastic skin. I do have some loose skin, but nothing too major that stops me from wearing a bikini, and it's not really noticeable except when I bend over. Ultimately, you spend 90% of your time wearing clothing that covers it. Lose the weight sensibly, eat right and drink plenty of water, exercise, and the rest is out of your control, so you might as well accept it!