Tummy Tuck or Exercise? (photo)

Thank you for submitting your photos.  Exercise will definitely help you trim your waist but it will likely not get rid of the extra skin that you see in your photos.  The best way to get rid of that skin is with a tummy tuck.  A tummy tuck will also help tighten your six pack abdominal muscles and help you get rid of that last bit of unwanted fat.

A combination of exercise AND a tummy tuck will likely provide you with the best results. Exercise can decrease the fat in and on your tummy, and can tighten and flatten your muscles, but will not improve the loose or saggy skin. A tummy tuck will remove excess skin, leaving you with a tighter and smoother tummy, and can also help to flatten and tighten your muscles. I would recommend that you try to come as close to your ideal weight as possible (even if you don't actually reach it), then have a tummy tuck. I think you'll be very happy with that approach.

If one has truly redundant skin and has had children, exercise cannot fix a problem such as redundant skin. It is not possible to do so. A mini or full tummy tuck may be indicated, but one should consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with experience and expertise.

This is a great question and is best answered after a consultation to evaluate the condition of your skin and the firmness of your abdomen. Exercise is always beneficial to maintain health and to achieve your ideal body weight prior to surgery.  If your skin is very elastic and without stretch marks, liposuction may be sufficient to contour areas resistant to exercise.  If you have stretch marks and abdominal wall laxity, then abdominoplasty is the best procedure for you.  

I feel you would really get a nice result from a tummy tuck. Exercise will also help, but there will be a limit to how much improvement you can get with exercise alone.

Diet and exercise will help to a point, but may leave you with even more loose skin. If you want a flat tummy with a smaller waist, a tummy tuck with liposuction will give the best result. And exercise is a great way to maintain your shape and your health. Good luck.

Some of the issues you have with your abdomen will not go away with just diet and exercise, and you would be best served with a tummy tuck and some lipocontouring.

That being said, the patients who get the very best results are the ones who always watch what they eat, work out regularly and vigorously, and never stop.

Thank you for your question and pictures.

The answer is both!  I always recommend losing as much weight as possible in this type of scenario.  Losing the weight will help your overall results.  However, it will not remove the excess skin that you have nor will it tighten the rectus muscles back to where they should be to give you a flat tummy.  I typically will do liposuction in combination with my tummy tuck procedures to further sculpt the abdomen.  Good luck!

Brian Joseph MD FACS

Hello, thank you for your inquire. Exercise will always enhance our health and figure, but after pregnancies, the remaining extra skin and fat in the tummy area rarely responds good enough to exercise only.  The better choice will be a Full Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), in order to achieve, flatter abdomen, smaller waist,w/ tighten abdominal muscles. 

Best Wishes

After pregnancy excess skin of the abdominal wall is common. No amount of exercise is capable of shrinking skin even a small amount. Skin shrinking technology doesn't work. At present the only solution is excision which means an abdominoplasty.