I lost 74 pounds at 59 years old, but ended up with flabby bat wings that made me want to hide. Now, I wear sleeveless dresses with confidence.

Frankie Mae

Updated: July 18, 2026

5 minute read

When I lost so much weight in a year, my friends couldn’t understand why I was so sad and angry. But they didn’t know I was hiding crepey, loose skin that made my arms look like a flag. I was so close to surgery…

The reward nobody warns you about

I remember looking at sleeveless tops online, picturing myself wearing one next summer. But every year passed just the same, with me hiding in a sweater.

After years of feeling insecure, I reached my mid-50s, and decided I had to change something.


I wanted to feel good about my body again, and to stop hiding every summer.


So, I took up yoga and got a personal trainer at the gym.

 
“Some accountability will help,” said my friends.


And they were right.


I’d quit the gym a dozen times over the years. It was too easy to give up when it was just me and my mind.


But the coach and group classes made the difference.


Seeing so many women of all shapes and sizes on their own journey gave me confidence. We were in it together.


After a year, I had lost a lot of weight.


Everyone was amazed. The compliments kept coming.


I should have been happy.

 

You'd think losing over 70 pounds would put an end to feeling insecure about your body, right?


But I felt hollow.


Because every night, I’d stand on the scales, hoping the number would make me happy…


Only to turn and catch sight of my body in the mirror

My muscles were a size 8, but my skin was still a 14.


I first spotted it, when I was doing a plank in a sports bra. I noticed the skin was hanging down and wrinkly.


After that, I couldn’t unsee it…


Seemingly overnight the fat on my arms changed to a crepey disaster. I was mortified at the loose skin.


All I wanted to do was hide my arms, even during workouts.


All the confidence I felt at the gym and classes evaporated as I realized what happened to my body.


My arms were never like Michelle Obama’s, but after I lost 50+ pounds, the wings were really flapping.


I’m 59. I don’t care about being the best-looking woman in the room. I just wanted to wear pretty tops with short sleeves, and not to feel self-conscious.


Was that really too much to ask?

When I broke down at the gym, the truth about losing weight at my age spilled out.

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I had been putting on a brave face for a while.


Maybe if I lose another few pounds, the bat wings will get smaller…


I told myself that, but as every pound dropped off, the skin sagged further.


I felt skinny and fat at the same time. I felt less body confident now than I did at my heaviest.


Soon enough, people were picking up on my mood. The irritability. Short answers. My lack of patience.


They didn’t know I’d been down a rabbit hole on Reddit or that I was seriously considering surgery.

I already had researched clinics.


The number was saved in my phone, and I was plucking up the courage to make the call…


And then I cracked after a spin class.


I still remember how the harsh fluorescent light in the changing room hit my pale white skin. The long wrinkles running up my arm were so weird and crinkly, making me look so much older than I was.


The tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn’t keep the brave face act up.


I was blubbering so hard into my towel that I didn’t hear the door open.


“What’s the matter, dear?”


It was Kelly.

 
A retired nurse in my class. A lovely woman, with legs that I couldn’t believe for 70 years old.


As she sat beside me, I told her everything.


She listened.


It felt good to get things off my chest.


When I stopped, I saw a wry smile on her face.


“Is something funny?” I asked, defensively.


Shaking her head, she put her arm around me.


“I was where you were a few years back.”


Looking at her arms, I found that hard to believe.


She told me about her weight loss journey after menopause, and the tough realizations she had…

Most women trying to fix flabby arms after 50 go through the same three stages.

As Kelly and I chatted, I realized I had already followed in her footsteps for part of the journey so many women go on when battling with sagging skin…

Stage 1: Wasting hours at the gym


I spent almost a year with my personal trainer, and heard them say “You're stronger. Your arms look bigger and muscly!”


But these were the last words I wanted to hear.


I had beat the weight, but instead of nice, toned arms, I had saddle bags that droop and swing.

Because as it turns out, bat wings are a skin problem.

 

The gym was just stuffing muscle into the loose skin… making my arms look chunkier.
 

No amount of reps or salads was going to fix it.

 

Kelly had been down this road, but she also went to the next stage.

 

“What was that?” I asked, eager for anything that would help.

 

Stage 2: Wasting $4,200 on CoolSculpting

 

She tried the clinic to freeze the fat on her arms.

 

They said fixing the fat layer "typically improves the overall appearance." 

 

She believed them.

 

Session one: $1,400. Eight weeks later, same arms…

 

Session two: $1,400. Session three: $1,400.

 

$4,200 gone. Same arms.

 

"Why didn’t it work?” I asked.

 

The clinician said: "CoolSculpting targets fat cells. Your problem is clearly loose skin."

 

Kelly told me she sat in that parking lot for two hours.

 

She’d wasted $4,200 treating the wrong problem.

 

So, what else can you do?

 

Stage 3: Pay $12,000 to go under the knife?

This is where I was at that moment on my journey.

 

But I’d stalled, afraid to take the next step.

 

I’d read the horror stories.

 

Arm lifts for $12,000.

 

A raised, discolored scar down both arms. 6-8 weeks of painful recovery. Months you can't lift your arms over your head.

 

Needing your husband to help you get dressed.

 

And to help you in the bathroom…

 

“So, you did it?” I asked her.

 

I looked for the scars, but couldn’t see any.

 

She shook her head.

 

“No. I didn’t need to, and neither do you.”

 

She saw my confusion.

 

I didn’t get it. How did her arms look so good now?

The reason most solutions fail to correct loose arm skin after losing weight

That's why fat freezing doesn't work. It's not fat, it’s skin.

 

That's why so many women aren't happy with arm lifts, and end up hiding the scar.

 

Surgery cuts the loose skin. It doesn't restore the collagen that keeps disappearing every day.

 

I'd spent years fighting a war I was set up to lose.

 

The real problem was always the collagen.

 

Thankfully, Kelly found me that day in the changing room, or else I might have spent thousands.

 

Instead, I tried what worked for her…

 

At first, when she told me what it was, I almost laughed in her face.

 

“Compression sleeves?” I scoffed.

 

I was skeptical.

 

I’d seen the ads.

 

Also read plenty of mixed reviews online.

 

But as a nurse, Kelly was able to share details I couldn’t find on my late night digging on Reddit forums.

 

And that’s when I had to find out more about Armplify.

Why the Armplify Sleeve™ helps fix flabby arms when other sleeves don’t.

Most sleeves are cheap knock-offs you find on Amazon.

 

A few bucks for some neoprene wrap that makes you itch and sweat.

 

No wonder people give up on them after one use.

 

But Armplify takes a different approach. 

 

They use a non-electrical method called DermaTherm™ to target the exact problem I was facing. 

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This specialized thermal layer delivers gentle, targeted warmth directly to the loose, crepey skin on your upper arms. That warmth increases blood flow and activates natural collagen production in the deeper skin layers.

 

And unlike those awkward red light therapy devices that you have to hold, or hook up with cables and batteries, Armplify is easy to just wear and go about your business.

 

As the DermaTherm™ layer is non-electrical, it warms gradually and safely. So, you don’t have to worry about adjusting settings. 

 

There’s no heat to manage, no risk of burns or reactions.

 

I started wearing them for just 20 minutes a day, like Kelly did.

I barely noticed I was wearing it.

 

For the first few weeks, I was still skeptical.

But I knew something was happening when my daughter found me sunning myself in the garden.

"What did you do to your arms?"

 

I shrugged off her compliment, thinking she was just being sweet.

 

Inside, I felt a little giddy. 

 

This is me after the first month:

Kelly was right.

 

When I looked up compression sleeves before, all I saw were complaints about the size.

 

Read the reviews on Amazon, so many of them are negative. 

 

People dealing with sleeves that roll down or slide off.

 

Some pinch the skin.

 

Others cause allergic reactions.

 

This is why most sleeves fail, and why people never try them again.

 

Because the heat needs to be consistent.

 

It’s no good if the sleeve keeps falling off, or if it’s so uncomfortable that you stop wearing it every day.

 

Armplify solved these issues.

 

The adjustable velcro strap eliminates the rolling completely. 

 

It allows women of all sizes to adjust the fit to stay comfortably on your arm, without pinching or sliding.

 

It stays exactly where you put it, for the full 20 minutes, and longer.
 

And that’s how the DermaTherm can get to work properly. Day after day.

That’s why 20,000 women aged 50-85 have finally found the confidence to go sleeveless in summer.

After years of battling to get my weight off, I was so horrified to see how much loose skin I had.

 

I thought there was nothing that could be done.

 

Surgery was really looking like the only option.

 

But thanks to finding Kelly and Armplify, I dodged that bullet.

 

I no longer flap when I wave, the bat wings are completely gone.

 

For the first time in years, I can actually shop for dresses.

 

I can feel proud to take off my jackets.

 

If you lost weight but gained bat wings, I know how depressing that feels.

 

You swear you’ll never leave the house wearing anything that doesn't have at least a sleeve to the elbow.

 

I’ve been there.

 

But you don’t have to hide forever.

 

And you don’t need surgery.

 

Armplify can help you like it helped me and 20,000 other women.

 

Right now, they’re running a special offer.

 

I still can’t get over this price because I was close to dropping $12,000 on an arm lift.

 

Plus, I’ve been paying $150 for my gym membership every month.

 

But amazingly, you can get your pair of sleeves for under $69.

And if you don’t get the results you want?

You can send them back for a full refund, as every pair is backed with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

 

It’s a risk-free trial.

 

After years of losing weight, and still not being happy with my arms, I took the chance on Armplify because I thought I had nothing left to lose.

 

It turns out I was wrong…

 

I lost the batwings.

 

You might just do the same.

 

If you’re ready to find out, grab your pair today.

 

Order below, directly from Armplify's official website to take advantage of the 56% off sale and the full 60-day risk-free trial.

🇺🇸 SUMMER SALE 🇺🇸 

56% OFF

TRY IT RISK-FREE For 60 Days >>

Protected by 60-day risk-free trial.

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