Question
What's the best way to lose excess weight before a tummy tuck?
I have no children and yet I have this apron of a stomach. my concerns are that I can't seem to lose the weight to get these procedures done. what else can I do to loose this 60 lbs of mine. I exercise 3 times a week and eat healthy.
-47 and looking for a face, breast and thigh lift and a long awaited tummy tuck
Answers (2)
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1
September 29, 2008
The horse or the cart
Weight loss and plastic surgical procedures go han-in-hand, but not the way patients think. First of all, health and maximum individual fitness is the first priority of plastic surgery. This is not the same as ideal weight. The first thing you should do is make an honest assessment of what your lifestyle is as regards eating habits, exercise level, and daily activities. A fitness coach, nutritionist, or personal trainer, or your doctor can help you. Weight is less of an issue since different people with different constitution will weight different amounts. Once you have achieved a healthy and stable lifestyle, you can have a plastic surgeon assess whether or not you can achieve additional body-contouring improvements. One reality is that some people will not be good candidate for anything, or to put it another way, plastic surgery does not have a solution for every situation. However, usually there is some additonal improvement that can be gained if you are realistic in your expectations. Then you have to decide if that additional improvement is worth it.
As a final note, if you have a true "apron" or panniculus hanging below your pubis, there may be justification for doing a first-stage panniculectomy, not as a weight loss solution, but to "kick-start" you on your way to a healthy, stable lifestyle.
Good luck.
2
September 16, 2008
It is very frustrating to try to lose weight and not see results. This is true for all of us! But you are doing the right thing and waiting until you do lose the weight before having a tummy tuck.
Basically, if your calorie expenditure is greater than your intake, you WILL lose weight ideally at 1/2 to 1 lb per week. Perhaps you should work with a personal trainer and a nutritionist who can professionally evaluate your exercise and diet regimens and make some productive suggestions.
Also, sometimes picking a surgery date in the future and putting it on your calender can make it a reality and motivate a patient to lose the weight they should to receive their best and safest surgery result.
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The best way is to start off with a diet program that will cause you to lose weight fast. After you've lost some initial pounds you should be motivated to continue. Then it's time to ease off into a more gradual type of diet and exercise routine that will lead to long-term weight loss and a significant change in your lifestyle.