Stubborn fat affects everyone, but not everyone responds to stubborn fat the same way. Some people just live with it; others take the necessary steps to remove it for good. At Aesthetic Surgical Arts in Overland Park, KS, we can help you take that step so that you can reach your body goals. We offer liposuction as a way to contour your body and get rid of stubborn fat for good.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction?
Liposuction is a procedure that directly removes fat from the body. It does result in weight loss, but you will notice a loss in inches, even more so. You will lose weight, but the best way to judge your results is on how you look, how your clothes fit, and the number on the measuring tape, not the scale. That being said, most patients lose an average of 5 pounds of fat from this procedure.
The FDA has approved liposuction to remove up to 11 pounds of fat which is equivalent to five liters. Technically, you can lose a maximum amount of 11 pounds of fat post-op, but that isn’t a standard that everyone who chooses this procedure should use as a standard. Just because lipo is FDA-cleared to remove 11 pounds of fat from the body, that doesn’t mean that everyone should lose that much.
The Importance of Your BMI
When we create your treatment plan, we will take different factors into account, including your BMI, your weight at the time of treatment, and your goals. BMI or body mass index is an important factor to consider before undergoing lipo. It is a scale that helps determine overall health based on your weight. It helps doctors determine general health and inform patients whether they are at risk of developing diseases due to being overweight or obese.
In relation to the population as a whole, your BMI gives you and your doctor a general way to compare body composition and size. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. Your BMI is something we may take into account in determining whether you are a candidate for treatment.
BMI and Liposuction
According to a recent study, individuals with a high BMI typically have a better outcome post-op than those with a lower one. It is not realistic, nor is it healthy, to strive to achieve a very low body fat percentage. Your body needs some fat; it just doesn’t need the stubborn fat that stands between you and your goals.
Much of the fat that your body needs for survival is not visible. The fat surrounding your cell membranes and your internal organs is not visible from the outside, nor can you touch it, but it is vital to your body. Additionally, your brain needs fat to function. Nearly 80 percent of brain tissue contains fat. Fat helps protect your body and helps regulate your hormones. Conversely, being underweight can lead to some serious health problems like infertility and disease.
Vital Fat vs. Stubborn Fat
There is a difference between essential fat and the stubborn fat that you just don’t need. That’s where liposuction comes in. It helps permanently illuminate this fat so that you can reach your aesthetic goals. Sometimes you can do everything possible, and everything right and still struggle with losing fat. No matter how hard you work out or how perfectly with you or your diet, some fat just can’t be lost.
All About Liposuction
How Often Is It Performed?
Who Is It Right For?
If you have stubborn fat that just won’t go away despite your diet and fitness efforts, you are most likely a candidate who will benefit from this treatment. However, some qualifiers will determine whether or not you’re the ideal candidate.
You Don’t Smoke or You’re Willing To Quit Smoking
Nicotine and elective surgeries do not pair well together. The best candidates for lipo are those who do not smoke or are willing to quit well before scheduling their procedure. Those who smoke will need to abstain from all forms of nicotine for at least six weeks before their scheduled appointment and for two weeks after.
There are many different ways to quit smoking for good, and doing so will be not only in the best interest of your health but also in the outcome of your treatment and results.
You Have Reached a Healthy Weight
It is essential that you reach your goal weight or at least what would be considered a healthy weight before you can schedule this procedure. The best candidates for lipo are within 30 percent of their goal weight. This is important because lipo is not designed to help you lose significant amounts of fat or weight. It is not a weight-loss procedure; it is a body contouring procedure meant to fine-tune what you have already worked so hard to achieve.
It is designed to help you contour your body and add definition to areas that have been unresponsive to diet and fitness. Skin elasticity and good muscle tone are other factors that come into play in determining the best candidates for this procedure. You must be within your goal weight before treatment because it doesn’t make sense, nor would you get the best results were you to try to lose a significant amount of weight post-op.
You Are Willing To Maintain Your Results
As an adult, you cannot grow new fat cells, but your current fat cells can expand if you gain weight. If that happens post-op, there’s no guarantee that they won’t expand within your treatment area and sabotage your results. Before you schedule this procedure, you must realize that your results depend on your commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
If you are not a disciplined person, you must develop the discipline to maintain a consistent workout routine and eat a healthy diet. Remember, realistic expectations are essential to your treatment and your results.
You Are in Good Health
Before you undergo any cosmetic treatment, you must be in good health. If you experience a severe illness before within two weeks of your appointment, contact our office to speak with one of our experts about rescheduling for a later date. You don’t want to tax your body by interrupting the healing process to then ask it to heal from another treatment.
During an initial consultation in our office, we will perform a health screening to ensure that you are in good health and are ready to experience this procedure. Good health will help your procedure go well and will promote a healthy recovery.
What Areas Can It Treat?
Liposuction can be performed anywhere on the body that has pinchable fat. Pinchabe fat is exactly how it sounds: fat that you can pinch between your pointer and your thumb. It will not effectively remove large areas of fat that qualify as non-pinchable. This treatment is FDA-approved to remove fat from the following areas of the body:
- Love handles
- The inner and outer thighs
- Breasts
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The banana roll
- Bra fat
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The lower back
- Upper and lower abdomen
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Arms
- Hips
- The face
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Neck
- Knees
- Ankles
Can I Treat More Than One Area at a Time?
The beauty of liposuction is that it’s not limited to one treatment area. You can address more than one area of the body during the same procedure. During your consultation, we can develop a treatment plan that will help target your stubborn fat, wherever that may be. Treating multiple areas of the body can be done as long as you understand that this treatment is meant to tighten and tone the body and not help you lose weight.
How Does It Work?
What Is the Recovery Process Like?
There is some downtime associated with this procedure, but your results will be well worth it. We may provide you with compression garments to promote healing, but the main directive is rest. Our staff will review any instructions regarding preparing your body before your appointment and caring for your body after the procedure is over.
Planning for Your Recovery
Planning ahead is an easy way to have a quick and healthy recovery. You will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment, and you should enlist help for a few days after your procedure. Plan your meals so that you don’t have to do any cooking once you arrive home. Find someone who can help you with household duties, childcare, and carpooling so that you can focus on your recovery, not on checking off items on your to-do list.
The more time you dedicate to rest and recovery, the quicker the healing process will be, and you will be able to enjoy your results that much sooner. We will provide you with a complete list of instructions on preparing for your recovery before your appointment arrives.
Taking the First Step
If you’ve been curious about liposuction, but now you’re sold, don’t wait any longer to experience all the benefits of this body contouring procedure. Reaching your ultimate body goals has never been so easy; it’s just an appointment away. Contact the experts at Aesthetic Surgical Arts in Overland, KS, and schedule your initial consultation to learn more about this procedure and how it can give you a new sense of confidence.
