August 27, 2021
When people think liposuction, they think “fat be gone forever.” They’re not wrong. Liposuction is a procedure that removes fat cells from parts of the body where stubborn pockets of fat tend to persist no matter how much weight you’ve lost and no matter how much you continue to exercise.
Bulges around the abdomen, waist, thighs or back are areas where liposuction is often performed in order to contour and sculpt the body. Is the procedure permanent? Absolutely. Does this mean you’ll never gain weight in the treated area? Unfortunately, no.
We know. A lot of people get confused about this. How can liposuction be permanent if you can still gain weight after having had the procedure? Well, here’s the thing: the fat cells that are removed during your liposuction procedure are permanently removed. They will never come back. However, new fat cells can certainly grow where the old ones were if you don’t make efforts to maintain your liposuction results.
That being said, maintaining your liposuction results doesn’t have to be hard. It’s just a matter of maintaining your habits and lifestyle. Here are 5 ways you can ensure that your liposuction results will remain truly permanent.
For most people, this probably is the oldest and truest way to maintain a consistent body shape, whether you’ve had liposuction or not. But if you’ve had a liposuction procedure and you love your result, you most likely don’t want to undo it with eating habits that can cause weight fluctuations.
But this absolutely does not mean you need to eat less or skip meals. PLEASE DO NOT SKIP MEALS. Skipping meals will only make your body go into survival mode and store fat instead of keeping it off. And it probably won’t make you feel great, either.
So just focus on the good foods, fruits and veggies, healthy proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats, as opposed to saturated fat. Don’t completely deprive yourself, because that’s not ideal either, but generally keep items that are high in carbohydrates and sugar (and, you know, “junk food”) as something you consume in moderation.
Again, this doesn’t have to be excessive or extreme, but just maintain an active lifestyle. Walk when you can, instead of jumping in the car. Have a regular exercise routine, whether it’s jumping on the Peloton, taking a run, hitting the gym, or living room yoga with a virtual or YouTube instructor. There are tons of options out there but you get what we mean!
A lot of people believe that it’s possible to target certain areas of the body with specific exercise to prevent or reduce fat in those specific places, but unfortunately that’s just not the case. When you lose weight, you lose it everywhere. This is actually one of the reasons that the Brazilian Butt Lift, which combines liposuction with fat injections to the butt, is so popular. A lot of people are looking for more waist definition, but love the curves they already have around their butt and hips. While weight loss might help slim down the abdominal area, it would also diminish these very much wanted areas of fat at the same time.
In any case, the best advice is to get out there and do what you enjoy most, exercise-wise. It doesn’t mean your training needs to be intense or excessive, or that it needs to be expensive. Walking, biking, swimming, and doing yoga or Pilates are all forms of exercise that are great for burning fat and toning muscles, and are either totally free or won’t cost you a fortune.
Staying appropriately hydrated does so much for our bodies. It regulates so much, including your metabolism, your digestion, your nutrient intake and it can even help keep your appetite steady. Replacing high calorie drinks with water (including flavoured carbonated options like La Croix) is another easy option that helps contribute to tip #1.
Stress can be a huge contributor to unintentional weight gain, and this isn’t necessarily because you might be someone who eats more when they’re stressed. When our stress levels are high we actually produce more of a hormone called cortisol, which is known to produce belly fat, and if you’ve had liposuction in the area you definitely don’t want it coming back.
The great news is that all the other good things that you’re doing to maintain your liposuction results like staying active and participating in yoga classes, will keep your head clear and in a good place to keep those stress levels down.
But also remember to have fun and do what you love, whether it’s hanging with your friends and loved ones, or occasionally treating yourself to those lovely spa treatments. You doing you will regulate those stress levels and keep those hormonal imbalances in check.
Honestly, listening, talking to, and trusting your surgeon is possibly the best way you’re going to maintain those liposuction results, especially in those first weeks following your procedure.
This means taking it really easy for that first week post-op, wearing your compression garment for six weeks, not forging ahead with strenuous exercise too soon, massaging the treated areas to break up that scar tissue and decrease swelling, will all ensure that your results are flawless.
But also talking to your surgeon about the longer road ahead, discussing any of your concerns and asking for their best advice to maintain results in the long run will all help to make your liposuction treatment exactly what it should be: totally permanent.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.
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