Exercise or Liposuction? (photo)

As an avid exerciser, I congratulate you on considering this as an option. In my view, liposuction is not a substitute for an active lifestyle and diet. You said that when you would vigorously exercise which tells me that you are not doing this right now. If you are exercising and are not seeing any improvement, then you should look at what you are eating and consider changing your diet. If you are exercising and eating properly and still aren't seeing improvement in your stomach and love handles, then liposuction is a valid option. The concern of prolonged swelling is really not a problem when done properly. The scars are pretty small and can be placed strategically so not to show much. Even the very fittest people sometimes cannot get the areas of concern to go away and liposuction is a reasonable consideration. In fact, these are my favorite cases in that they typically get fantastic results.  It can be done with tumescent technique and sedation or general anesthesia. I am pleased with my Smart Lipo Triplex system for this. All the best with your plans. 

Thank you for the pictures. Are you currently exercising rigorously? It is hard to tell whether you would benefit from liposuction because I don't know the amount of exercise you do at the moment, and if you are complementing your regimen with a calorie-wise diet that allows you to burn more calories than you consume. If you have been going at it for a while and have not noticed any improvement, then liposuction is definitely an option for you. You most likely won't be swollen if you have the procedure performed soon and if you follow your surgeon's care instructions.

 

However, I would recommend you try the exercise route first, since it seems that you are not quite sure about liposuction yet. Until you're absolutely sure, exercise for you is a better option.

  As a bodybuilder I can tell you that by continuing to diet down and increase energy expenditure you can achieve a reduction in overall body fat.  However, if you are not having any success after long term efforts, liposuction can be a useful adjunct.  You only need 2 tiny incisions below your pants line to perform liposuction of the abdomen and flanks.   If you decide to go ahead with the liposuction, find the board certified plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

I usually recommend a healthy lifestyle, exercise and weight loss first, prior to any consideration for body contouring.  Certainly, you would want to get down to or near your ideal weight in order to obtain the best results.  This lifestyle should consider after your surgical procedure in order to maintain the benefits obtained from this modality.  

I would try diet and exercise first, if you haven't done so already.  However, looking at your photos, it appears that you would be a good candidate for liposuction of your stated areas, as those aforementioned areas can be difficult to get rid of.  An evaluation by a plastic surgeon may help you decide what option(s) you may have to help you achieve your desires.  Hope that this helps!

Good luck!

Thank you for your question and the additional photos.  The areas you are concerned about, abdomen and flanks, are a common concern for both men and women.  Ultimately, the decision to have surgery must be made only after you have had a lengthy discussion regarding the risks and benefits of surgery with your surgeon.  I would suggest you have this discussion with a board certified plastic surgeon, as they have gone through rigorous training in the esthetic aspects of body contouring.  The photos that you included suggest the areas of your concern should be amendable to body sculpting with liposuction.  I would suggest you consider the procedure be performed with a laser-assisted liposuction device called Smartlipo Triplex.  This technique provides additional skin tightening along with the fat cell reduction.  You can certainly achieve excellent results with a structured diet and dedicated exercise regimen.  It is important to understand the fundamental differences between liposuction and exercise as it pertains to fat cells.  A fat cell is similar to a balloon.  Just like a balloon, fat cells are an expandable reservoir.  Instead of holding air, a fat cell stores fatty acids that have accumulated through food intake.  Dieting causes the release of the fatty acids within the fat cells. You can think of dieting like letting out the air in an intact balloon.  With liposuction, you are physically destroying and removing the fat cells.  You can think of liposuction like popping the balloon.  Once you have destroyed or removed the fat cell, the fat cell is gone for good just like if you popped a balloon.  Liposuction should be used to decrease the amount of fat cells in the areas that have an abundance of fat cells compared to the surrounding areas.  Regardless if liposuction is performed or not, diet and exercise is always required to achieve the best results.  I hope this helps.  Best wishes!

First of all, your shape is excellent.

If you worried about the recovery and scars from liposuction, you may want to investigate whether CoolSculpting would be a good option for you.  No scars, and very rapid recovery.  It does take 2-3 months to see the results, but it might just be the right option for you.

Liposuction is not a substitute for eating healthy and exercising.  It can however, accentuate all of the hard work you put in to looking your best.  If your weight is stable and you are not seeing further progress even with diet and exercise, liposuction may be a good option to help you achieve the look you want.  

This should not be an "either/or" type of question- exercise is the most important modality in question because it benefits your health in addition to your shape.  Liposuction can help in your contour and should be considered if the few persistent areas of fat don't improve with exercise.  Another excellent option for you is non-invasive CoolSculpting which is made for patients like you who want to improve local areas of fat but don't want significant swelling and down- time and don't want to take off from their activity schedule.  Check that out before making your decisions.

The answer is Yes to both.  It looks like you have reasonable definition of your abdominal and obliques with a little extra fat on the flanks.  Liposuction could further define these areas.  However, even with the liposuction, you will need to continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prolong your results.  There is no spot training with excercise, if you are looking for that "ripped'  look, it involves a lot of exercise, minimal carbs, and a single digit body fat percentage. (proper lighting and appropriately place oil helps!)  Some people are blessed with the genetics that allows them to look like they work out all of the time and some people are not.  The liposuction will allow your surgeon to thin the skin overlying your abdominal musculature and allow them to have more definition.

 

What you are proposing should be a long term strategy and not a temporary improvement.  Good luck with your endeavor.

If you are not certain about having liposuction, you should definitely wait and keep working out until you feel you are ready.  Don't jump into it until you are fully comfortable with the idea of surgery.  Your photos suggest that you would likely be a good liposuction candidate and would receive a nice result by summer.