Tummy tucks are a popular cosmetic surgery procedure that involves removing excess skin and fat from the abdominal area, as well as tightening the underlying muscles. While this surgery can produce dramatic results, it is also invasive, expensive, and requires a significant recovery period.
For those who are looking for a less invasive and more affordable alternative to a tummy tuck, there are a variety of options to consider. These range from non-surgical procedures like liposuction and coolsculpting to lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
In this blog, we will explore Alternative To A Tummy Tuck, Can I Lose Weight After a Tummy Tuck? and What Can I Expect During Abdominoplasty?
Alternative To A Tummy Tuck
Tummy tuck surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgeries in the United States. In fact, tummy tucks were the second most common plastic surgery in 2018. If you are considering a tummy tuck, it is important to know what to expect before and after surgery. Read on for some tips about what you can expect from your tummy tuck results.
- Weight Loss
One of the most common side effects of a tummy tuck is weight loss. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is that you will be less active during recovery, which means you will be eating less food and burning fewer calories than usual. As a result, your body goes into “starvation mode” and starts breaking down fat stores in order to fuel itself with energy instead of using glucose (sugar) as an energy source like it usually does when you are eating normally.
- Tighter Skin After Surgery
Another common side effect of having a tummy tuck is that your skin will become tighter after surgery, which can help improve the appearance of scars caused by pregnancy or weight gain/loss over time! This effect lasts anywhere from six months up until a year depending on how much fat was removed during
Alternative to a tummy tuck
At Nuance Cosmetic Surgery in Folsom, CA, we have a lot of people looking to correct lower back pain, remove excess abdominal skin, and improve the overall appearance of their abdomen. They are aware that a tummy tuck could dramatically improve their aesthetic and quality of life. But they also have several questions. Read on to discover everything you need to know about the Tummy Tuck procedure.
Can I Lose Weight After a Tummy Tuck?
You can absolutely lose weight after a tummy tuck. However, the amount of weight you will lose after this procedure, also known as abdominoplasty, depends on several factors. Some of these factors include how much excess skin you have, how much fat you need to be removed, the type of abdominoplasty you undergo, and how much weight you need to lose.
Excess Skin
Regarding weight loss after abdominoplasty, excess skin may be the most significant factor. If you have previously had a bariatric procedure, you can easily have 10 pounds of excess skin hanging from your abdomen. We have even seen clients lose 15 pounds of skin following abdominoplasty.
If you are seeking abdominoplasty to restore your stomach after an injury, pregnancy, natural weight loss, or age, you probably will only lose two to five pounds of excess skin after this procedure. However, losing excess skin can make exercise easier. This can spur significant weight loss after the procedure.
Excess Abdominal Fat
Another factor that plays a large role in determining how much weight you can lose after abdominoplasty is how much excess abdominal fat you have. During this procedure, excess abdominal fat is excised. Clients often have a couple of pounds of excess abdominal fat excised.
If you have a fair bit of excess abdominal fat, you may benefit from liposuction in addition to your abdominoplasty. With the help of liposuction, you can safely have up to 11 pounds of abdominal fat removed. Combined with the two to 15 pounds you can lose from excess skin, you’re looking at up to 28 pounds you can lose with abdominoplasty.
Type of Abdominoplasty
There are three types of tummy tuck you may undergo. A mini tuck only addresses loose skin and excess fat beneath the navel. If you undergo this procedure, you won’t lose as much weight as you would with a full tuck or an extended tuck. A full tuck addresses excess skin and fat found both below and above the navel.
With a full tuck, you will lose more weight than you would with a mini tuck because you probably have more excess skin and fat to be removed. Finally, the opportunity to lose the most weight after abdominoplasty is reserved for clients who choose an extended tuck. This type of abdominoplasty addresses the same issues as a full tuck but also your back, hips, and sides.
Overall Excess Body Fat
The fourth determining factor that affects how much weight you can lose after abdominoplasty is how much excess body fat you have to lose overall. Because excess skin removal makes exercise easier, you can lose as much fat as your body has in excess.
Typically, our clients have a couple of pounds of excess fat excised during the procedure. Then, they proceed to lose an additional eight pounds after the procedure. This is because a good candidate is at or near his or her goal weight. Therefore, he or she only has around 10 pounds of excess fat left to lose.
Can I Gain Weight After Abdominoplasty?
Unfortunately, it is possible to gain weight after abdominoplasty. Note, the procedure permanently removes fat cells from the abdomen and your body cannot replace them. However, not all fat cells are removed. If you consume excess calories after your procedure, the remaining fat cells in your abdomen may expand and negate the results of your procedure.
How Can I Maintain Weight After Abdominoplasty?
If you are already at your goal weight when you receive abdominoplasty, or you reach your goal weight after the procedure, you can maintain your goal weight with dedication. Weight maintenance, just like weight fluctuation, is nothing more than a numbers game. You simply need to consume only the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its weight.
Diet
Watching your diet carefully is the single most important thing you can do to help you maintain your ideal weight after abdominoplasty. You don’t have to give up bread or beer. But you need to make sure you’re making healthy choices most of the time. For instance, avoid processed foods and beverages as much as you can.
Exercise
If you can’t help but drink a soda every now and again, and it doesn’t fit into your daily calorie allowance, go for a jog to negate the extra calories. Whether you are trying to lose or maintain body fat, exercise is vital to your health, body fat percentage, and overall aesthetic. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate cardio weekly if you’re trying to maintain weight.
If you don’t have time to perform 150 minutes of cardio weekly, aim for an hour of high-intensity interval training or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio weekly. You should also try to perform resistance training three times per week to make weight maintenance easier.
3 Common Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid After Abdominoplasty
1. Focusing Only on the Stomach
Most of our clients want to lose more weight after their abdominoplasty. But they often make mistakes. The most common mistake we see is focusing only on the abdomen when they want to lose weight. There is nothing wrong with incorporating abdominal exercises, like crunches and sit-ups, in your workout routine.
These exercises, along with planks, bicycles, and leg lifts are great for toning your new sleek, svelte abdomen. But they burn hardly any calories at all. Depending on intensity level and body weight, the average person can only burn between three and nine calories per minute with these exercises.
2. Having Unrealistic Expectations
You may have 10 to 30 pounds of excess fat to lose after your abdominoplasty. You may feel inspired and motivated to complete your weight loss journey after your procedure. However, if you have unrealistic expectations about weight loss, you will not complete your weight loss journey. If you want to reach your goal weight too quickly, you may decrease calorie consumption excessively.
If you cut too much from your diet, you may stick to it for six months to a year. However, you need to make changes that are sustainable for the rest of your life. When you finally reach your goal weight, you want to be able to maintain your new body weight for life. Focus on eating more nutrient-dense foods to fuel your body and keep it full while minimizing processed foods.
3. Doing Too Much
Just as you can cut too much from your diet, you can add too much to your exercise routine too quickly after your procedure. Your motivation may be at an 11 out of 10, but your body can only push itself so far. Even after your body has recovered from your abdominoplasty, it still needs adequate recovery time between workouts.
To avoid derailing your fitness and weight loss goals, try to not target the same muscle groups two days in a row. Let’s say you focus on compound exercises, like deadlifts, power cleans, and weighted back squats, on Tuesday. You shouldn’t target your legs by performing hamstring curls, leg presses, and weighted toe raises on Wednesday.
What Can I Expect During Abdominoplasty?
During a full abdominoplasty, Dr. Kenneth T. Sumida, MD will make a discrete incision across your abdomen from one hipbone to the other. Then, he will contour your skin, fatty tissue, and muscle as necessary. To perform this procedure, your belly button will be moved. If you have excess skin or fat, that will be removed and the loose muscles are tightened.
During a partial abdominoplasty, your navel will most likely not be repositioned. The abdominal walls above the navel are not tightened. However, excess fat will be removed. This type of abdominoplasty will only take up to two hours.
How Should I Prepare for Abdominoplasty?
To prepare for abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, stop taking medications and supplements that can thin your blood, like NSAIDs and fish oil supplements. You should avoid these for at least three weeks pre-op. You should also stop consuming nicotine for six weeks of pre-op. During your initial consultation, we will provide you with a comprehensive list of what to avoid leading up to your procedure.
How Should I Prepare for My Recovery?
To prepare for your recovery, make sure you have someone to drive you to and from your procedure. You should also have someone to care for you for the first 24 hours post-op. This ensures all your mental energy can be spent focusing on adequate rest.
You should also make sure your home is clean and you have pre-made meals that are easy to reheat. The last thing you need to do after your procedure is to worry about cleaning your baseboards, doing the laundry, or cooking three times per day.
What Can I Expect During Liposuction?
There are several techniques available to clients seeking liposuction. The best method for you depends on where you are removing excess fat from, how much fat needs to be removed, and your personal preference. However, tiny incisions are always required so a cannula (fine tube) can be inserted. This cannula is attached to a medical-grade suction device.
Can Liposuction Treat Areas Besides My Stomach?
During your abdominoplasty, we can use liposuction to treat your abdomen. But we can also use it to remove excess fat from virtually any other part of your body. For instance, we often use this fat removal technique to remove excess fat from the:
- Inner thighs
- Outer thighs
- Lower back
- Flanks
- Hips
- Upper arms
- Underarms
- Knees
- Chin and neck
- Calves and ankles
- Chest
Learn More About Abdominoplasty Today
Are you sick and tired of the way your stomach looks and feels? Are you looking to lose a little weight but think you are a good candidate for a tummy tuck? If so, we welcome you to contact us at Nuance Cosmetic Surgery in Folsom, CA today to schedule your initial consultation. You may be surprised by how much weight you can lose after abdominoplasty and the confidence you will gain.
While it is absolutely possible to lose weight after abdominoplasty, the amount of weight you can expect to lose depends on the type of procedure performed, how much excess skin you have, how much excess abdominal fat you have, and how much overall fat you need to lose. If you try to lose weight after your procedure, make sustainable changes, and focus on your overall aesthetic.