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Tips for Staying Slim After Liposuction

Liposuction surgery remains one of the most sought-after cosmetic procedures in the U.S. because it can help create a sleeker physique and serve as a major boost to progress you’ve made on your body through nutrition and fitness. While it can be deeply satisfying to free yourself of hard-to-lose body fat, many people wonder how to keep their toned legs, arms, belly, hips, back, and chin for years after their surgery.

Can Fat Return After Liposuction?

The fat cells that are removed during liposuction are gone for good and won’t return to your body. Unfortunately, however, if you consume more energy (food) than you expend, your remaining fat cells will grow. That’s why the best tips for staying slim after liposuction involve creating and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. When our patients use their liposuction procedure as a starting point for a new relationship with food and exercise, they maintain a sculpted, trim figure for years.

It’s essential to make a distinction between a purely cosmetic procedure like liposuction and surgery such as a gastric bypass or lap-band, both of which have the goal of helping severely overweight patients improve their health by losing fat all over their bodies.

Instead, lipo is designed to help spot-tone specific “trouble zones,” where you may have pockets of stubborn body fat that don’t respond to diet and exercise. The best candidates for liposuction are healthy adults who are already at or very near their ideal weight, but who want to get rid of pockets of fat that they may be genetically predisposed to store in certain areas.

With this information in mind, read on to learn our top three tips for staying slim after liposuction.

1. Drink More Water

Many people are chronically dehydrated without realizing it. To combat this problem in your life, always keep a bottle or glass of water within arm’s reach. If you have trouble remembering to take periodic sips, set a timer on your phone or download one of the many apps that remind you to drink more water.

Choosing to drink water instead of a sugary, caffeinated beverage full of artificial flavors is a healthy way to maintain ideal body weight. Make sure to get at least 64 ounces of water (the equivalent of about two liters) per day, including an eight-ounce glass of water before each meal to help you feel fuller and reduce the amount you eat. You can also get hydration from your diet – plenty of foods, such as cucumbers and lettuce, have high water (and low calorie) content.

2. Work out Regularly

Most people who come to us seeking liposuction have already made significant progress in achieving their weight loss goals, but despite all their hard work, they still struggle to lose fat in regions like their “muffin top,” “love handles” or “saddlebags.” These people have already disciplined themselves to follow a regular fitness regimen, but need a little extra help making it to their goal appearance.

If your normal workout routine involves high-impact activities like running or CrossFit, or strenuous exercise such as lifting weights, we will ask that you refrain from strenuous exercise for four weeks while you recover. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get up and move. Indeed, gentle walks around the block can be a crucial element in your recovery because they will help improve your circulation. Just be careful not to overdo it. Once your four-week rest period is over, you can pick up where you left off in your exercise plan.

3. Add Activity Into Every Day

In addition to your normal workout habits, you should bump up your overall level of physical activity if you want to remain in good physical condition. Having an active lifestyle can avoid the sneaky weight gain that often accompanies sedentary habits. Ways to incorporate more activity into every day include the following.

  • Instead of calling or emailing a co-worker when you have a question about a project, walk over to their desk and ask them in person.
  • If you have a sedentary job, get up and walk around for a few minutes each hour.  This gives added bonuses of improved focus and reduced eye strain.
  • During TV commercials, stand up and jog in place, or do bodyweight exercises such as push-ups or tricep dips. Continue moving for the whole commercial break.
  • If you’re on the phone, stand up and walk around during the conversation.

Maintaining Lipo Results for Life

Staying slim after liposuction is well within your reach if you make smart choices. Contact us to learn more about how to get excellent results with lipo.