How to Lose Weight After Tummy Tuck?

The diet industry is a billion dollar business because people are constantly looking for the next best diet or easiest way to lose weight. First, it's never easy because in most of us will power is significantly lacking. Second, it doesn't take a fancy diet to lose weight. The fact is it's Calories In vs. Calories Out. It's really simple, if you take in less calories then burn in a day you'll lose weight. Okay I've recently lost 35lbs so I know I sound like a reformed smoker. First you... more

Hi! Your problem is almost universal. You are in very good company. 1) Diets don't work except in the very short term. So don't try to diet. Read the writings of Michael Pollan on healthy eating. See the link below from my web site about Pollan. 2) You will only exercise regularly if it brings you pleasure. So try to find an activity strenuous enough to make you sweat, that you really enjoy, and that you can do for 30 or 45 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week.

If you want to lose weight, you have to decrease your caloric intake. With exercise you might burn 300 to 600 calories an hour. You can counteract that by eating one too many doughnuts! Cut your caloric intake to less than 1500/day (high protein) and add some exercise to feel good. Hard to do, but you should be able to drop about a pound a week at that rate. That means you have to keep going for two and a half months to drop your ten pounds! Then you can return to about 2500 cal per day.... more

Obviously, the best option is to achieve long term control and this may best be done by consulting with a nutrionist. Many of my paitents find that weight watchers or jenny craig are excellent alternatives. Avoid fad diets, tablets, or pills as these are only short term solutions that are doomed to fail once your stop.

Nine months after a tummy tuck you can do any exercise or activity that you desire. Weight loss will need to be a stable and constant effort. Don't try to crash diet or starve. Try to figure out where you can live normally and maintain your weight. in a manner that fits your life style. Once your weight is stable you can then do some body contouring to get the fatty deposits taken care of. I hope this helps. Best Wishes Dr. Peterson

Miss Kitty, If the answer was simple, there wouldn't be a thousand diets and exercise programs out there.  You need to figure out what fits best into your lifestyle and stick to it.  Try a trainer for an exercise regimen.  Good luck!

Plastic surgery is usally very motivating and patients see the changes afterwards and usually want to keep going with their diet and exercise, but we all lapse and fall into bad habits and sometimes need a bit of help. Diet is really 2/3 of the issue with weight gain. Getting a nutrionist and finding out what you eat, how much, when, etc. is very important. Exercise is also important and getting a trainer is helpful in showing what kind of exercise will burn the calories, etc. Fixing those... more

In general, you should have established a healthy and stable lifestyle prior to body-contouring procedures like tummy tucks. Having the surgery and then trying to figure out how to maintain it is prone to disappointment. The surgery should be the reward for having achieved a fit and stable body. Of course it is not too late to do so but it will require your commitment to find a program of healthy diet and regular exercise and physical activities. You might have to assess your habits as well... more

At nine months post op, your body (and muscles) should be fully healed. At this point, you should focus on a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. I'm sure you paid a lot to have that tummy tuck and the last thing you want to do now is ruin things with a large weight gain!

Having had a tummy tuck makes no difference in weight loss options. Just increase your daily expendature of calories (cardio exercise), build lean muscle becasue it burns more fat (weight training), and decrease your caloric intake and modify it's composition to increase protein and decrease fat and carbohydrates. Good luck!!