Excess skin after weight loss

Q:  I posted this exact statement on the message boards (which

is why the post is written as if it were written to a 
group) and I only got one response. I just want to make 
sure what is and what is not true regarding this topic (I 
am still a student, so I don't really know a lot).

I use to be really big when I was a kid. During my teenage
years, I was fed up with the lifestyle I had and decided to
change my eating and exercise habits. I went from 5'2' and
187lbs at 15 years of age to (currently) 5'7' and 145lbs at
20 years of age. I currently go to the gym regularly and 
eat as healthy as possible (I took a Principles of Human
Nutrition at college which taught me a lot about eating
right and fell in love with the class). It took a lot of
work, but I managed it. These experiences are what inspired
me to become a dietitian! I want to help people who aspire
to a healthier lifestyle as I did.

My only complain about all this is that I am left with some
excess skin. Not a whole lot where it is extremely visible,
but more than enough to make me uncomfortable (especially 
in the abdominal region). Since I know many of you 
dietitians deal with people who have lost a lot of weight 
and/or have experience this, I come here to seek your 
expertise (I am highly skeptical at the things people say 
regarding health ever since my teacher, who was a 
Dietitian, debunked many of the myths 
surrounding "health".) My question to you is this:
Is there any way to reduce the amount of excess skin a
person has after losing lots of weigh

A:  Thank you for your question.  I congratulate you on being so responsible in changing your diet and lifestyle to improve your health.  Unfortunately, I have not "dealt" with many patients that have lost enough weight to have excess skin.  To my knowledge, the only way to get rid of it would be plastic surgery.  I don't know if simply doing more exercise to tone up would necessarily help.

I suggest you check with your doctor to find out if there is anything he/she would suggest.  My guess is his or her answer will be plastic surgery.

Best of luck!