Sometimes my liposuction patients mistakenly believe that surgery will instantly get them the look they want—all without having to work out or eat right. While this is a common misconception, the actual truth is simple: liposuction is a supplement to a healthy lifestyle.
Liposuction is a wonderful contouring treatment that can slim and sculpt the body, especially in those stubborn trouble spots. But exercise and traditional weight loss methods have their own perks and benefits. To understand how these two approaches complement each other, it’s helpful to understand the goals and limitations of each.
What Can Diet and Exercise Do?
Living a healthy lifestyle is the traditional way to lose weight and keep it off. Healthy foods in reasonable quantities prevent the intake of extra calories. Our bodies eliminate existing fat stores when activity levels increase, and we burn more calories than we take in. Eating a nutritious diet and exercising are imperative to physical and mental health and longevity.
This kind of balanced lifestyle should also be a prerequisite to plastic surgery. You should be in good health and within 10 to 15 pounds of your goal weight before having liposuction. This increases the odds that you’ll heal well and enjoy good results. You can learn more about preparing for plastic surgery in our related blog post.
How Can Liposuction Help?
Liposuction is not a fast way to a fit body. Instead, it helps get rid of stubborn trouble spots that resist healthy lifestyle changes. Treatment works on areas such as:
- Upper arms
- Chin
- Neck
- Abdomen
- Torso
- Hips
- Thighs
Liposuction can help make these areas slimmer and firmer. The surgery can create a more proportioned-looking body by getting rid of unsightly bulges. While liposuction is not a weight loss tool, it can add a finishing touch to your healthy lifestyle. It is not a permanent fix if you do not continue to eat right and stay active.
Liposuction can also be performed with other procedures, such as tummy tuck surgery, to enhance your body’s contours further.
Choosing What Is Best for You
Liposuction is for people who are fit and healthy but unable to achieve the look they want on their own. Genetics and other factors determine where fat is stored, so unwanted fat is sometimes inevitable. Surgical methods can be a great option for these patients.
Liposuction is also a surgical procedure that involves anesthesia, incisions, and the risks associated with any surgery. It may be a solution for stubborn fat, but it is not necessarily easy. This is another reason your surgeon wants you to be in good health before your surgery. You want to have a safe, healthy healing process after you leave the doctor’s office. (You can learn more about liposuction recovery from The Aesthetic Society.)
As our past patients demonstrate, liposuction can be a transformative procedure for toning your body and removing excess fat. While it isn’t a weight loss treatment, liposuction combined with a healthy lifestyle can create noticeable, flattering results.
If you want to learn more about your own liposuction options, request a one-on-one consultation. Contact us online or call (916) 929-1833.
How much for a consultation? I’m looking to have liposuction done.
The fee for an initial consultation with Dr. Yamahata is usually $100, which will be credited to the cost of your surgery if scheduled within 90 days. Please call our Sacramento office at (916) 929-1833 or our Roseville office at (916) 306-5826 to schedule your consultation.
I am in pretty good shape, but have a tummy I can not seem to get rid of. I work out a lot and have been the same weight for the last 10 years. I am thinking about having liposuction
Liposuction can be a great option for isolated fat that doesn’t respond to other measures. However, if the skin in the area is lax or loose, liposuction may not be the best choice. Liposuction is ideal when the skin is firm and elastic and will “snap back” to the slimmer contours. Pregnancy, aging, and weight fluctuations can cause the skin to stretch out and sag. If this is the case, you may be better suited for a tummy tuck. The best way to find out the best solution for you is by scheduling a consultation. Please call our Sacramento office at (916) 929-1833 or our Roseville office at (916) 306-5826 to make your appointment.