44 Yrs Old with a Spare Tire. Chicago, IL

When I saw Dr. Mussat for a consultation I was feeling fat and middle-aged and freaked out about the prospect of an upcoming rendez-vous with an old flame who had not seen me in nearly a decade. I had gained 15-20 pounds during that time and needed to do something about it, but to be honest I had not seriously considered dieting because I was convinced I was incapable of being successful on any diet, given many past failures with them and what I assumed was a slowing metabolism. So I thought lipo would at least improve the appearance of my mid-section, even if I didn't expect dramatic results. After weighing me, Dr. Mussat ran my numbers through the BMI index and gently informed me that my BMI number was on the high end of the "overweight' category verging on "obese". She advised me to go on a diet in addition to getting liposuction. If my family or friends had told me I needed to lose weight I would have been offended, but for some reason the same message coming from a doctor carried far more weight (no pun intended!) and shocked me a bit. It was the wake-up call I needed. Dr. Mussat was the only one of 3 plastic surgeons I'd consulted who seemed concerned about my OVERALL health and well-being and long-term satisfaction with surgery, as opposed to simply giving me a good esthetic result in the short run. (For example, she strongly discouraged me from getting a tummy tuck (even though this would have made her more $$) on the grounds that it was too extreme a procedure for someone like me (I'd never had a baby)). So I decided to follow her advice on both counts: 1) I signed up for liposuction all around my midsection; and 2) I went on Weight Watchers the next day. 9 months later my body has dramatically transformed, to the point that I am simply amazed by my own success. I have dropped 31 lbs on WW, which, in combination with the liposuction (which itself was responsible for 9 of those lbs!), has given me a FAR more attractive, hourglass shape than I could ever have imagined was possible for me, especially at age 45. I feel younger, lighter, more confident and energetic, and getting dressed in the morning has gone from being a drag to a pleasure. I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Mussat both for her expertise as a plastic surgeon and her very sensible advice. I've discovered that eating healthily is not as difficult as I thought, and I feel strongly motivated to keep the weight off because I look so damned good now. I cannot recommend Dr. Mussat highly enough!