"Why I Chose To Keep My Loose Skin After Weight Loss": One Woman Explains

Naomi Teeter admits she had been labouring under a misapprehension. "With every piece of skinless chicken breast I put into my mouth and every bicep curl I did, I believed I would look like that smiling, perfect fitness model on the cover of every mainstream fitness magazine. Boy, was I wrong," she says. For anyone who has a lot of weight to lose (or has already lost a lot of weight), loose skin is a legit concern. Teeter says she lost 150 pounds over the course of a year and did everything right, including lifting heavy weights which she believes saved her from even more loose skin. She says, "Because I allowed myself to have such high (false) hopes about my weight loss, I often felt more dissatisfied with my new 150-pound body than I was with the 300-pound body I once lived in. However, it wasn't my body's fault that it wasn't living up to my mind's flawed expectations." This feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction lead Teeter to research surgical options and possible payment plans. But she took her time, having read somewhere that it was best to maintain the weight loss for a year before having any surgery. After a few years of maintaining her loss, she delayed again as she and her new husband wanted to start a family. If you're trying to get pregnant, it isn't really the best time for a tummy tuck, right? As she continued on, she realized something. "I realized that if I had skin removal surgery, it would have ONLY been for the sake of vanity. My extra skin did not hold me back from enjoying any bit of my life," she explained. It has been six years since Teeter's initial weight loss and in that time she says,  "I've run two marathons, five half-marathons, and countless other races. I've climbed a mountain, jumped from an airplane, and worn a swimsuit in public... all without my loose skin being a hindrance. Excess skin is not hazardous to my health." Teeter has come to accept her new body without feeling what she describes as shame and disgust. She now works as a weight loss expert, health coach and nutritionist and says "Now, I want more than anything to continue being a good example for my clients and other women who are on weight loss journeys of their own. I stand for what is possible with weight loss that anyone can do (without dropping a small fortune on an elective surgery)." When weighing the pros and cons of surgery, she realized that the only real benefit would be fitting into smaller clothing sizes and looking smaller in photos. Two things Teeter says she doesn't need in order to be happy. As she says, the only time the loose skin is a problem is when she allows it to be one. For more of what Teeter has to say, head here. Are you inspired by this story? Isn't it time we love ourselves AND our bodies, flaws and all? Source: Huffington Post Photo credit: Naomi Teeter