One of the most common misconceptions about liposuction surgery is that people get it to achieve healthy body weight. At The Maryland Institute of Plastic Surgery, however, we caution our potential liposuction patients that the procedure is best suited for people who are already in good physical shape and within their ideal body weight.
Why? The goal of liposuction is not to help you shed pounds, but to sculpt, shape, and tone specific areas of your body that have resisted your efforts to diet and exercise. With that in mind, here’s the skinny on why our board-certified plastic surgeons have achieved some of their best liposuction results on people who were already fit.
1. Spot Toning Doesn’t Work
By now, there is enough evidence to prove that spot toning is ineffective at providing the results you want. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, spot toning, also known as spot reduction, refers to the notion that you can lose weight or add muscle definition in one specific area, without affecting any other parts of your body.
For example, if you struggle with flabby upper arms, you might have enthusiastically taken up an exercise regimen that’s heavy on triceps-toning exercises such as kickbacks, dips, and lying dumbbell extensions. Despite months of effort, your upper arm fat remains. What gives?
Muscle definition is a balance between the growth of the muscle fibers and the layer of fat between your muscles and your skin. If you’ve been working diligently, your triceps probably are already nicely toned, but the fat is obscuring them. Removing that fat with liposuction can reveal the definition you have worked so hard for.
2. Nobody Can Control Where Their Body Gains Weight
Some factors that cause you to add pounds in specific zones are due to circumstances beyond your control, like age and hormones. You might be genetically inclined to store fatty deposits in areas of your body such as the belly, butt, and thighs, making it difficult to shed the weight without help. (Thanks, Mom!)
Even the hardest-working gym rat can still have problem areas such as love handles or muffin top. And once you accumulate these pockets of fat, it can be nearly impossible for you to lose them on your own. Liposuction will remove fat cells from areas where you cannot lose weight naturally, adding contour to spots where you need it most.
3. They Want a Confidence Boost
Even fit and healthy people can struggle with their self-esteem now and then. When you see other people working out or changing clothes at your gym, it’s natural to compare yourself to them. Your internal dialogue might sound something like this: “Ugh, why can’t my abs look as flat and defined as hers?”
Liposuction can help complement your fitness goals by removing your most stubborn, exercise-resistant pockets of body fat and helping contour an already slender physique. When you love the way you look, the morale boost can spill over into every other area of your life, giving you that unmistakable swagger that helps you feel as good on the inside as you look on the outside.
Are You Ready to Make a Change?
At The Maryland Institute for Plastic Surgery, our four experienced cosmetic surgeons work every day with women and men just like you who are otherwise healthy and fit, but who need a little bit of extra help achieving their aesthetic goals.
Liposuction surgery can be a life-changing experience for people who are willing to maintain their excellent results through consistent exercise and a healthy, balanced diet. We understand that surgically altering your body is a significant decision and not one you should make lightly. That’s why we invite you to contact us to schedule an in-person, confidential consultation at either our Baltimore or Columbia offices.
After evaluating you and talking with you about what you hope liposuction can help you achieve, we will be able to give you realistic expectations and help you understand what you will need to do after your surgery to heal successfully and stay slim and fit for years to come.