Is Liposuction Permanent or Temporary?

Has your self-confidence tanked in recent years due to slow, steady weight gain? Have you tried everything under the sun to lose weight, including fad diets, weight loss shakes, and fat-blasting teas? Do you feel like you can’t sculpt your ideal contours on your own? If so, you may be a good candidate for liposuction at Tampa Bay Plastic Surgery.

Is Liposuction Permanent or Temporary?

Liposuction provides permanent results due to the unique nature of fat cells. Every other type of cell in your body can be regenerated, and some cells, like skin cells, are regenerated every month or so. On the other hand, your body stops being able to produce new fat cells by the time you reach the age of 25. However, you need to understand the scope of this procedure to have a solid understanding of what results you can realistically expect.

This liposuction procedure only removes a percentage of the fat cells in the treatment areas. The specific percentage of localized fat cells that will be removed depends on such factors as your body fat distribution, the goals you are trying to achieve, and the size of the areas targeted for treatment. For instance, up to 80% of fat cells can be removed from a small area. Closer to 26% of fat cells can be removed from a large area. The remaining fat cells in an area can still store fat.

How Can I Maintain the Results of My Procedure?

To maintain your improved contours, you need to balance what you eat and what you do. You will have some wiggle room to consume too many calories every now and again, especially if you make up for it by eating less or moving more the next day. However, it is important that you try to not gain more than 10 pounds of fat after your procedure.

Everyone stores fat differently based on their genetics, but most people store fat in one area at a time. Therefore, you will probably notice a change in your contours after only 10 pounds of fat gain. If you gain weight fairly evenly throughout your body, you may be able to gain over 10 pounds of fat without noticing a change in your contours. However, it is highly advisable to maintain your weight using some of the following tips.

Moderate Your Alcohol Intake

There is nothing wrong with coming home after a long day of work and enjoying a cold beer or glass of wine. However, if you consume alcohol, you should consume it in moderation. According to the AHA and CDC, men should consume no more than two units of alcohol daily, and women should consume no more than one unit of alcohol daily. This is excellent advice for your overall health and maintaining your weight.

A unit of alcohol contains as few as 96 calories if it is a single shot of liquor. However, beer and wine contain over 100 calories per unit due to the carbohydrates present in the beverages. Regardless, it isn’t hard to fit 152 to 304 calories of alcohol into your daily caloric budget if you eat filling foods that are low in calories throughout the day. Just make sure you remain hydrated so your workouts aren’t affected the day after you drink.

Go for a Swim

Swimming is another great way to maintain the results of your procedure. There are many reasons why swimming is great, including its versatility and efficiency. There are several ways you can swim so you never have to get bored. Also, switching up your swimming methods switches up the muscles you are using. Also, the efficiency of swimming cannot be overstated.

Regardless of the stroke you opt for, you are using almost every muscle in your body. Notably, you are using every major muscle in your body, including your abdomen, back, buttocks, quads, hamstrings, and deltoids. Whether you opt for long, slow sessions or shoot for a personal best, you are pushing your muscles to exhaustion when you swim. This will lead to muscle building if you eat enough protein after your workout.

Pump Some Iron

Lifting weights is another great way to maintain your ideal contours because it is a great way to build muscle. Building muscle is such a great way to maintain your ideal contours because it is 2.5 times more metabolically active than white fat. In other words, even while you sleep, your muscles burn 2.5 times more calories than your fat cells do. The more muscle tissue you have, the more you can eat while maintaining your ideal physique.

Whether you want to build muscle by doing a few sets of a few reps at a heavy weight or a few sets of a lot of reps at a low weight, it is possible to build muscle lifting weights. The only things that matter are that you use proper form, you use a spotter when necessary, you push your muscles to exhaustion, and you eat plenty of protein after your session.

An Additional Note

It is best practice to exercise your pushing and pulling muscles when you are building muscle. In other words, if you are focusing on toning your biceps, chest, or abs, you need to work on your triceps, lats, or middle and lower back, too. If you neglect to work the muscle that is opposite the muscle you are focusing on, you can hurt yourself. For example, if you focus only on your abs, you may end up with lower or middle back pain due to posture issues.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?

You must come in for an initial liposuction consultation to determine whether you are a good candidate for liposuction. During this initial consultation, several things will occur. For example, we need to review your health history to verify there are no medical conditions that may preclude you from this procedure. We will also discuss your current health and talk about all of the medications you are currently taking and have taken in the past couple of weeks.

Besides determining whether you are healthy enough to undergo this procedure, we will evaluate your areas of concern to verify that you could benefit from lipo. It is important that you have enough excess subcutaneous fat in your areas of concern, and it is important that there is not too much excess subcutaneous fat in your areas of concern. Here’s a closer look at some of the things we will look at.

Weight and Body Fat Distribution

We will consider your weight and body fat distribution when determining whether you are a good candidate for this procedure. As stated above, it is important that there is enough fat for removal but not too much fat in the areas you are targeting for treatment. To be considered a good candidate for this procedure, you should be no more than 30 pounds from your ideal weight.

It is important to be no further than 30 pounds from your goal weight because fat loss is like removing a sheet from a roll of paper towels. When the roll is new, removing a sheet doesn’t make a noticeable difference. When there are only a few sheets left, removing a sheet makes a very significant difference. Typically, we look for at least an inch of pinchable fat in an area of concern, but the smaller the area of concern is, the less excess fat can be in the area.

Family Planning

We will also talk to you about your family planning goals during your initial consultation. If you plan to become pregnant after your procedure, you will need to consider that pregnancy may result in fat gain. While some people shed their pregnancy weight easily, others struggle for years. It is possible that you will need a maintenance procedure in the future if you become pregnant.

Find Out Today Whether This Procedure Is Right for You

Although liposuction removes fat cells from your body permanently, the permanency of your new contours is up to you. If you consume too many calories after your procedure, the fat cells that remain in the treated areas may store excess energy. To learn more about this procedure, including what you can do to maintain your ideal contours, contact us today at Tampa Bay Plastic Surgery to schedule your initial consultation. We’ll see you soon.