Liposuction, often referred to as lipo, is considered by many to be the gold standard of fat removal. Even though it’s not a weight loss procedure, if you get lipo at East Bay Aesthetic Surgery in Pleasanton, CA, you will see weight loss on the scale. To help you determine whether this procedure is right for you, keep reading to learn more about it, including how much weight loss it can facilitate and who usually qualifies.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction?
Individual results vary, but you shouldn’t be surprised if you lose between three and five pounds after lipo. If you are overweight, depending on how much subcutaneous fat you have in your areas of concern, you may be able to have 10 to 11 pounds of fat removed safely. The higher your body mass is, the more weight can be removed safely in a single session. If you are at or near your goal weight already, you may only lose one or two pounds of fat.
How Long Will My Weight Loss Results Last?
To maintain your weight loss results after surgery, you will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which means a reasonable amount of exercise and a diet that avoids overindulgence in alcohol, toxic seed oils, and carbohydrates: particularly refined carbs and processed treats, like white bread, corn, and sugar-laden snacks and sodas.
It is worth noting, though, that the fat loss results are permanent. If you are at least 25 years of age, your body will not be able to produce more fat cells to replace the ones suctioned out during lipo.
How Much Weight Can I Lose After Lipo?
Don’t worry if lipo isn’t enough to take you through the finish line of your weight loss journey. You can still lose weight after your fat removal surgery. As a general rule, it is safe to lose a pound or two per week. However, there is no need to put any pressure on yourself to lose weight during the first six to eight weeks after surgery. During this time, you won’t be able to do any vigorous physical activity.
Since you won’t be able to burn a lot of extra calories during the first several weeks of your procedure, you may have trouble losing weight and getting all of the nutrients you need. You will have plenty of time to lose weight once you’re done recovering. If you start to feel stressed, take a minute to breathe. Remind yourself that stress increases cortisol levels, and cortisol increases abdominal fat. Worrying about weight loss will do you no good.
What Should I Eat After My Procedure?
After liposuction, you should make sure you eat plenty of protein and vitamin C. Protein is made up of amino acids, building blocks your skin needs to produce collagen, a protein that will facilitate healing in the incision sites. Vitamin C is also important for your skin’s production of collagen. Tropical fruits, citrus fruits, and cruciferous vegetables are great sources of vitamin C. Dark, leafy greens, and carrots are also very high in vitamin C.
If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you can get plenty of healthy, quality protein from seafood, free-range poultry, grass-fed red meat sources, and dairy from grass-fed animals.
How Can I Lose Weight After My Procedure?
After six to eight weeks post-op, you can create a caloric deficit in any way that works for you. If you love lifting weights and doing other resistance exercises, you can focus most of your attention on eating for muscle recovery and getting stronger. However, you should bear in mind a couple of rules of thumb. One general rule is that every adult should get at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous aerobic activity weekly.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC arrived at this number after years of research. Another rule of thumb is that you should get double the activity recommended for the adult population if you are trying to lose weight. Just bear in mind that exercise makes you hungry.
This is particularly an issue if you suddenly ramp up your exercise levels, which tells your body to eat more than normal to replace the extra expenditure of calories. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet, either. If you’re struggling with hunger, prioritize your diet, eat enough healthy fats and proteins to stay full, and exercise in moderation.
How Can I Maintain My Weight Post-Op?
A lot of the time, the hardest part of a weight loss journey is maintaining the end results. Some people relax their diet too much and gain the weight back. Others have trouble eating enough calories to not keep losing weight. Regardless of whether you find yourself feeling full very quickly when you eat or you find yourself reaching for calorie-dense foods and beverages too often, there is only one way to maintain your weight post-op.
You need to eat and drink the right amount of fuel for your body to not tap into energy stores or store extra energy at your current activity level. Also, remember that you may be able to gain around 10 pounds of fat before your ideal contours change. You don’t have to measure every bite you take.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?
Most adults with a body mass that falls within the normal weight or overweight range will qualify for liposuction. However, the only way to know for sure whether this fat removal procedure is right for you is to attend an initial consultation. Regardless of your weight, if there is not an inch of pinchable fat in an area of concern, there may not be enough excess subcutaneous fat for this procedure to be effective.
On the other hand, you may not be happy with the results of a single lipo session if you have a very large amount of excess subcutaneous fat. Generally, when lipo is used to target large areas, only around 26% of the localized subcutaneous fat cells. As a general rule, we look for candidates that are not obese. However, you may not qualify if you are overweight but more than 30 pounds from your ideal weight and have too much excess fat.
What Areas Can Fat Be Removed From?
You can get liposuction to remove excess subcutaneous fat from just about anywhere. It is not uncommon for men to seek this procedure to remove excess fat from their chest, flanks, abdomen, and lower back. Women also commonly seek this procedure to remove excess fat from the abdominal region. Moreover, depending on your goals and current contours, you may be able to use this procedure to remove excess fat from the:
- Bra line
- Buttocks
- Backs of the knees
- Underarms
- Submental region
- Upper arms
- Inner thighs
- Outer thighs
- Tops of the thighs
Can I Get This Procedure If I Want to Become Pregnant?
Yes, you may qualify for liposuction if you plan to get pregnant in the future. That said, to qualify for lipo, it is important that you have realistic expectations about the results. You should know that it is possible you will need a follow-up procedure in the future if you get pregnant.
To reiterate, this procedure only removes around a quarter of the fat cells in an area. It is possible to store excess energy in the remaining fat cells in your treated areas or elsewhere.
What Can I Expect During My Procedure?
You can expect to be sleeping peacefully during your procedure. Depending on many factors, you may be given general anesthesia or a combination of sedative and local anesthesia. Regardless, you should not expect to be awake during your surgery. Before your procedure begins, we will sanitize the targeted areas and administer your medication.
Find Out Today How You Can Achieve Your Desired Contours
You can generally expect to lose between three to 11 pounds after lipo depending on your body mass and body fat distribution. The more you weigh, the more pounds of fat can be removed safely in a single session. If you think this fat removal procedure is right for you, contact us today at East Bay Aesthetic Surgery in Pleasanton, CA and Danville, CA to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Eric P. Bachelor, MD.