33, Always Had Belly Pouch Despite Regular Exercise and Great Diet - Brooklyn, NY

I've always had a little belly pouch that has been a constant obsession of mine. I work out frequently and strenuously- eg, kick boxing, crossfit bootcamps, yoga, bikram yoga, running. I have a masters in Clinical Nutrition so I am hyper aware of my diet and nutritional intake. I've also tried all those laser "fat reducing" machines, tried a colonic, slimming wraps, roller massages, the works. Then after doing some more research I discovered that liposuction is probably the most reliable method to get the results I was looking for. So after spending all that money on snake oils, I bit the bullet and went to see Dr Sergey Voskin in Brooklyn based on some reviews I read, and felt comfortable with his abilities and knowledge of liposuction during the consultation, as well as his before and after client pictures. I also wanted to do my love handles because they always rested on top of my pants which gave me a muffin top, and hoping that the procedure would define a waist for me because I feel like my stomach looks like a flat billboard.

I got my liposuction done on Monday. The most difficult part was getting through the numbing process. The doctor filled my stomach and love handle area with the solution, the stretching of my skin and having all the shots pushed into me was very uncomfortable, but definitely wasn't the worst pain in the world. I would give it a 7 on a scale of 10. After a few minutes I was numb, and the rest of the procedure was painless. I wore some good headphones and played some of my favorite music while staring at the ceiling, which kept me sufficiently distracted as if nothing was happening, except getting a little pushed around. After we were done I was wrapped up in some maxi pads to absorb the fluid that would be leaking out from me for the next couple of days, and I was on my way.
Day 1: The first few hours will be totally fine because the numbing solution hasn't worn off. I decided to cook some dinner and tidy up my house, thinking that I should utilize the time before I get sore. Then when the tops of my thighs and pelvic area started to fill up with liquid, I realized I probably should've rested. So I finally went to lie down to lessen the pressure. I thought I definitely did something was wrong, but I read in the forum that this is normal.
Day 2: Much more sore than the previously day, but didn't need any pain killers. When I woke up I decided to complete a 24 hour fast (including the hours of night I just woke up from.) Fasting or even calorie restriction helps heal the body faster by focusing all the body's energy on recovery and rebuilding, rather than digesting (see below for more information). I had some tea and drank lots of water, and stayed in my bed all day. Later in the evening around 8pm, I ate a small portion of a healthy dinner (roasted vegetables and grass fed beef), and had a superfood smoothie. If you choose to fast, you should make sure that the calories you do ingest are full of vitamins and minerals so help the healing process. I felt really light and energetic, and my swelling went down a bit. When I went to shower at night before bed, I could already see a difference in my body shape from the liposuction, though the skin on my belly was very lumpy and saggy. Sleeping wasn't uncomfortable like it was the night before, I slept pretty well.
Day 3: Today I also decided to fast, so I just had some green tea and water. I don't have any pain, just a little bit of pulling in the area of incision if I move around too much, but I spent the day getting some things done around the house (I dont know how to relax!) The swelling has gone down some more. I'm actually going to leave my house tonight to go out for dinner. Despite all the pads and wrappings, my waist still looks normal in a dress.
Next Tuesday I have my follow up with my doctor so I will post the after pics then!

http://authoritynutrition.com/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/
There are many scientific studies on the effects of intermittent fasting, but here's a link to an article that does a good summary of the benefits. Of course, if you have any medical concerns you should check with your doctor first!

The swelling is down, but my stomach is still pretty lumpy. Some parts of it feel a little numb too, but it doesn't bother me, because I'm so excited with its flatness!! I'm still wearing my binders, even though they are loose now because my doctor said I should continue wearing them for at least another 2 weeks. I'll go buy a smaller size tomorrow. A week ago my stomach felt so loose that it was uncomfortable not to wear a corset, but now I can walk around for a bit without feeling like my skin is jiggling around. My openings haven't closed up yet, I keep them covered in bandaids because I've been reading that it helps the cells heal better and minimize scar formation if the cells are kept moist, making sure I use antibiotic gels and aloe to reduce the risk of infection.