A tummy tuck, otherwise known as abdominoplasty, is one of the world’s most popular cosmetic procedures and is proudly offered at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO. It is usually sought to address cosmetic concerns, like loose, sagging abdominal skin or excess abdominal skin. However, it can also be used to address medical concerns, like ventral hernias and stress urinary incontinence.
People often look at before-and-after photos of tummy tuck recipients and wonder how much weight they can lose. This procedure indubitably results in weight loss, but the amount of weight you can expect to lose may surprise you. Bear in mind that abdominoplasty is not a weight loss procedure, it is a body contouring procedure. Regardless of how much weight you lose, your abdomen will look much better post-op. Here’s what you need to know.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With a Tummy Tuck?
A tummy tuck can result in a weight loss of approximately four pounds. If you opt for a mini truck, you can expect to lose around three pounds of excess skin and fat. If you opt for an extended tuck, you can expect to lose around five pounds of excess skin and fat.
Am I a Good Candidate for Abdominoplasty?
If you are in relatively good health, there is a good chance that you will qualify for abdominoplasty. However, we have to discuss your goals and evaluate your concerns to verify that this procedure will be effective for you. To reiterate, this procedure is usually used to lift and tighten loose, sagging skin and remove excess skin. If you’re worried about your abdominal skin, you’ll probably qualify. You can also qualify if you want to lose a bit of excess fat.
Another sign that you are a good abdominoplasty candidate is you are concerned about your abdominal muscles. Often, abdominal walls tear during pregnancy or childbirth, resulting in a lower abdominal pouch that will never go away, regardless of diet and exercise. This pouch will only disappear following surgery to repair the severely damaged abdominal walls.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction?
In some cases, it is possible to lose up to 11 pounds of fat with liposuction, but this amount of weight loss is not common. Your body mass index determines how much fat can be removed in a single lipo session safely, and most people can only have two to 10 pounds of fat removed at once.
Am I a Good Candidate for Liposuction?
You may be considered a good liposuction candidate if your body mass index does not exceed 29.9. If your BMI is 30 or greater, you may not be a good lipo candidate because this procedure, like abdominoplasty, is a body contouring procedure, not a weight loss procedure. It was not designed to help you lose weight. It is crucial that you are evaluated to determine whether you are a good fit for this procedure because you can’t have too much excess fat.
How Much Weight Can You Lose After Abdominoplasty?
You are free to lose as much weight as you want to after abdominoplasty. However, you may not want to focus on weight loss for a couple of months after your procedure. Depending on the scope of your procedure and how well you care for yourself afterward, your recovery may take between six and eight weeks. During this time, it is very important that you do not participate in vigorous activities.
One reason to consider putting off weight loss temporarily is that vigorous exercise speeds up the rate of weight loss significantly. You may feel frustrated by your rate of weight loss if you try to lose weight while spending most of your time sedentary as you recover. Another reason to consider putting weight loss on the back burner temporarily is that adequate nutrition is critical post-op, and you may struggle to get enough nutrients in a caloric deficit.
What Should You Eat After Your Procedure?
To summarize succinctly, you should eat foods in quantities that provide you with your recommended daily intake of all minerals, vitamins, soluble fiber, and protein. It is not ideal to get your RDI of micronutrients through nutritional supplements because they are not bioavailable. In other words, you won’t benefit as much as you would from getting your nutrients through whole foods.
To help you achieve adequate nutrition, you should try to eat at least one serving of fruits and one serving of vegetables with every meal. If you look at the nutrition content of the foods you eat during your recovery and find you’re struggling to get enough nutrients due to a lack of appetite, make smoothies. Smoothies are a great source of protein when they’re made with Greek or Icelandic yogurt, and can be packed with veggies, like:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Beets
What Is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?
The best exercise for weight loss is the exercise that you enjoy doing. You’ve probably heard that weight loss happens in the kitchen, and it’s true. It is impossible to exercise enough to balance your energy expenditure if you eat large portions of calorically dense foods regularly.
However, you can benefit greatly from exercising regularly to preserve muscle mass or build muscle mass. How much muscle you have is important because it takes 2.5 times the calories of fat to maintain. Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular exercises for weight loss.
Indoor Rowing
Indoor rowing is one of the safest, most effective exercises for weight loss. It is a low-impact activity. so it is easier on your joints than running. Since it’s so easy on your joints, you may find that you are able to row for longer than you could run. Even if you row at a low intensity, you will end up burning more calories than you would if you ran.
For reference, a 135-pound woman can burn between 214 and 519 calories per hour rowing, depending on the intensity of the workout. A 135-pound woman can burn 105 calories per mile running at a 10:00 minute per mile pace, but that pace is difficult to sustain for any meaningful amount of time for a lot of people.
Swimming
Swimming is another great way to lose weight due to its low-impact nature. A 135-pound woman can burn over 300 calories per hour, even when swimming at a moderate pace. If you want to work out as efficiently as possible, you should know that a 135-pound woman can burn 889 calories per hour using the butterfly stroke.
Walking
Walking may not burn as many calories per hour as indoor rowing or swimming, but it is still an ideal weight-loss tool. One great thing about walking is that it is easy on your joints, but that’s not all there is to love about going for a walk. This exercise is incredibly accessible. You don’t need to join a gym or buy expensive workout equipment. You just have to put on some comfy socks, lace up your favorite shoes, and walk.
It is important to keep in mind that small steps add up. Even if you don’t primarily walk to lose weight, you can speed up your weight loss by taking extra steps throughout your day. For example, you can walk to and from the bus stop instead of driving to the bus stop. You can walk to your neighborhood grocery store or park farther away from the grocery store than normal if you drive. If possible, walk at least five hours per week.
Schedule Your Tummy Tuck Consultation Today
Even though a tummy tuck is not a weight-loss procedure, you can expect to lose between three and five pounds of excess skin and fat depending on the scope of the procedure. If you want to lose even more weight, you should consider also getting liposuction, a procedure that can result in a weight loss of up to 11 pounds. In other words, if you get abdominoplasty and liposuction, you can expect to lose up to 16 pounds.
If you think abdominoplasty would help you improve your self-confidence and quality of life, we’re here for you. Drop us a line today at Boulder Plastic Surgery in Boulder, CO to schedule your initial abdominoplasty consultation. We’ll evaluate your concerns, discuss your goals, and assess your health to ensure this is the safest, most effective way for you to achieve your body goals.