“Why should I lose weight before a mommy makeover if the procedure is supposed to give me a better body?” This is a common question I hear from patients who would like to restore a firmer, flatter tummy or lift sagging breasts following pregnancy. I understand where these patients are coming from, but the truth is that getting a “better body” has two components: being at a healthy body weight first, and then making changes to further improve your shape, if desired. This holds true not only for mommy makeovers, but for any breast or body contouring procedure.
Surgeries like tummy tuck and liposuction are contouring procedures, not weight loss procedures. They are meant to improve your shape and will yield far more satisfying results in patients who are close to their ideal body weight.
Additionally, your results will last longer if you reach a weight you are happy with before surgery and keep your weight stable afterwards. Significant weight loss after breast or body contouring can result in another round of sagging, excess skin, which are likely the very issues you had these procedures to correct in the first place.
Body contouring procedures are not weight loss procedures. If you are significantly above your ideal weight, losing weight before plastic surgery is imperative for your safety and satisfying results.
Most importantly, being significantly overweight increases risk of complications from surgery and anesthesia such as infection, bleeding, and circulation problems, and slows the healing process after surgery. Common obesity-related conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, further increase these risks. If any surgeon tells you it is fine to have cosmetic surgery despite these very real risks, there is a good chance they care more for their bottom line than your health and safety. Reputable plastic surgeons will not perform elective plastic surgery on a significantly overweight patient and instead will offer guidance on how to prepare your body for a safe surgery that achieves your desired results.
Quick fixes do not work. Make sustainable changes to your routine.
If you need to lose weight before plastic surgery, then you should get close to your ideal weight (within 15 pounds is a good goal for most patients) well before your procedure date.
Regular exercise is part of the equation, and our mild Arizona winters make this the perfect time of year to jumpstart your fitness routine. However, if you want to shed pounds in a reasonable amount of time (and keep them off), you need to pay attention to your diet too.
Eating fewer calories doesn’t necessarily mean drastic changes. In fact, highly restrictive fad diets are unsustainable and all but guaranteed to fail once you resume your normal eating habits. The healthiest and most effective way to lose weight is to make small, sustainable changes to your eating habits and shed pounds gradually.
Healthy weight loss tips that work
With this in mind, I was happy to come across these healthy lifestyle tips from SELF.com. I am generally not a fan of taking weight loss advice from popular magazines, which often over-promise results from “easy” diet tips. However, this article lists some realistic changes you can make to cut excess calories from your diet and lose weight in a healthy manner. For example, did you know that getting adequate sleep every night can help keep your appetite in check, or that turning off the TV during dinner and setting your fork down between bites have been shown to help people eat less?
I encourage you to read the full article, as I have made many of these recommendations to my own patients who have weight loss goals.
If you are considering a cosmetic procedure, I welcome you to contact me for a consultation at my Scottsdale or Mesa office. As a board certified plastic surgeon, I take patient health and safety seriously and am committed to providing lasting, natural improvements. During an honest, thorough discussion, I will help you understand whether plastic surgery is the right option for you to achieve your desired appearance.
Tags: scottsdale plastic surgeon, losing weight before cosmetic surgery, preparing for plastic surgery, healthy weight loss tipsCategorized in: Surgical Procedures