Should I Be at my Goal Weight Before Having a Tummy Tuck?

For the best cosmetic results, I like for my patients to be near 10% of their ideal body weight before undergoing a tummy tuck. However, I also realize this is not possible in all individuals.  Many times weight loss has stagnated making it very difficult to be in that "ideal range". I have seen tummy tuck and liposuction be used as a catalyst for further weight reduction after the surgery. Because an individual looks and feels better, he or she is encoraged to keep the weight off and actually lose more weight. Occassionally, after this additional weight loss, other smaller procedures are possible to enhance the aesthetic results. Good Luck.

Generally speaking, it is best to attempt to approach your ideal goal weight before embarking on body contouring surgery such as a tummy tuck.  However, there may be a difference between your goal weight and an "ideal" weight that some doctor or nutritionist might suggest for you.  It is true that losing a lot of weight after a tummy tuck might result in some loosening of skin, which would detract from the surgical result.  And having a tummy tuck while still significantly overweight will  require more extensive surgery and may also detract from the result.  So I encourage my patients to lose as much weight as they can comfortably do without really struggling and try to reach a weight that they can maintain comfortably going forward.  Losing a lot of weight only to rebound up after the surgery is not good either.  You will be happiest with your surgical result if you lose some weight first (even if it isn't all that you might want) and can maintain that weight with a healthy lifestyle after surgery.

it  depends on what your goal weight is and whether you can reasonably obtain it.  I would say you should be at a reasonable weight and there is no need to starve yourself prior to a tummy tuck. More importantly is to avoid gaining weight after your surgery.  This can often be a problem with women who undergo tummy tucks especially since you will not be able to do much exercise for a few weeks after.