Most of us know what it feels like to step onto a scale and not like the number we see. Being overweight can be a real blow to our self-confidence, prompting us to seek different weight loss solutions. The healthiest, most effective weight loss method is to combine smart nutrition with regular exercise. The question is, what can you do when diet and exercise are not enough?
There are a number of plastic surgery procedures that are commonly associated with weight loss. Bariatric surgery is one of the most effective solutions. But what about liposuction? While liposuction is an excellent option for body contouring, it is not actually intended to help you lose dramatic amounts of weight.
What is Liposuction?
Before we address the reason why liposuction is insufficient for weight loss, it may help to review what liposuction actually is.
Liposuction is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures in the entire country, and as such, it is very safe and routine. With this procedure, your surgeon will make a small incision, then remove unwanted or excess fat cells using suction techniques. Liposuction is intended to eliminate fat cells from one specific part of the body. Most of the time, this is the abdomen, buttocks, arms, legs, thighs, or hips.
Why Liposuction is Not Intended for Weight Loss
Liposuction can be a great option for achieving your desired body shape, but it is not intended to help you lose weight. In fact, most surgeons will not perform liposuction on you unless you already have a healthy, stable body weight.
There are a couple of reasons for this. One reason is that if you have liposuction but then put on a lot of weight, it can actually compromise your results. Liposuction reduces fat cells but does not eliminate them completely. Weight gain can cause those fat cells to grow and compound, potentially causing you to lose your beautiful surgical results.
But more to the point, liposuction simply is not meant to help you lose dramatic amounts of weight. Liposuction removes unwanted fat cells from your body, which can help you achieve a shapelier contour. However, fat cells are not very dense and contribute little to your overall body weight. As such, removing fat cells via liposuction will likely have minimal impact on the number you see on the scale. Some patients lose a pound or two, and it is not unheard of to lose as many as 10 pounds. Other patients do not lose any weight at all from their liposuction procedure but are still highly satisfied with their body contouring results.
Who are the Best Candidates for Liposuction?
Liposuction can be an excellent option for patients who wish to improve the appearance of a specific area of their body, not necessarily to lose weight or treat obesity.
The ideal candidates for liposuction:
- Are near their goal weight. (Specifically, we like candidates to be within 30 percent of what they want to weigh.)
- Have good, healthy habits in place, including sound nutrition and regular exercise.
- Have muscle tone and skin elasticity.
- Have spoken with their doctor and have realistic expectations about what liposuction can and cannot do.
If you are looking for ways to lose weight, there are options better suited than liposuction. Diet and exercise are the best ways to lose weight, but you may also benefit from procedures such as weight loss surgery. Your plastic surgeon can provide you with more information about the treatments that are most closely aligned with your goals.
Is Liposuction Right For You?
As you consider whether this procedure is right for you, learn about your liposuction options, benefits, and more from MP Plastic Surgery.
