Do you have excess abdominal fat that you just can’t budge? Do you wish it was possible to target regions of your body for fat removal? You probably know that you can’t spot-reduce fat regardless of what you eat or what type of exercise you do. However, with lipo at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA, you can target areas of your body for fat removal. Today, we’re looking at whether this procedure can provide you with a flat stomach.
Can You Get a Flat Stomach From Lipo?
Yes, it is possible to get a flat stomach from lipo. However, it is not a guarantee. This procedure can only remove around a third of the fat in a large targeted area, like the abdomen. Also, it is possible that the only way to achieve a flat stomach is receiving a tummy tuck. Sometimes, during pregnancy, the lower abdominal muscles become so damaged that they stick out, creating a “pouch.”
How Soon Can You See the Results From This Procedure?
You can expect to see the final results of your procedure after roughly one to three months post-op. Even though the excess fat cells are suctioned out of your body through a cannula at the time of your procedure, your skin needs time to adjust to your new contours. How quickly your skin adjusts to your new contours depends on the elasticity of your skin. To see your results as quickly as possible, focus on drinking lots of water and eating nutritiously.
How Long Do the Results of This Procedure Last?
The fat removal results of this procedure are permanent, but you will have to be conscious of your caloric intake if you want to keep your flat stomach. While removing roughly one-third of your abdominal fat may be enough to flatten your stomach, you should not forget the two-thirds of your abdominal fat that this operation leaves behind. These fat cells are unharmed by the procedure and fully capable of storing excess energy in a caloric surplus.
Therefore, it is imperative that you do a good job of maintaining your weight following your procedure. Steps you can take to maintain your weight include drinking plenty of water, eating plenty of protein, walking, and rowing indoors on an ergometer.
Drinking Plenty of Water
One of the easiest steps you can take to maintain your weight for the rest of your life is to ensure that you remain hydrated. A good rule of thumb is for women to drink around 64 ounces of hydrating fluids daily and men to drink double this amount. However, this varies significantly based on one’s weight, activity level, and diet.
You may need to drink more than the average person if you are more active. You may need to drink less than the average person if your diet contains a lot of foods that have a high water content, like fruits, most vegetables, and broth-based soup. Note, you should not count on your thirst to be a good indicator of hydration. People only feel thirsty after they have been dehydrated for quite a while. Also, thirst cues are often mistaken for hunger cues.
How Drinking Water Helps You Maintain Your Weight
Drinking enough water and other hydrating fluids, like black coffee and unsweetened tea, will help you maintain your weight for a couple of reasons. First, as stated above, people often feel thirsty but mistake their thirst cues for hunger cues. This causes them to consume more calories than they need to maintain their weight, resulting in fat gain. Second, hydration is crucial for the efficiency of your fat metabolism.
If you are dehydrated, your fat metabolism cannot operate as efficiently as it should, so you will burn less fat than you should. Also, people who are dehydrated often feel tired and consume sugary foods and drinks for a quick energy boost. This often results in excess calorie consumption. Additionally, water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea will help you feel full without taking up any room in your daily calorie budget so you can eat more food daily.
Eating Plenty of Protein
Eating plenty of protein is another great way to make weight maintenance easier. This is because protein is so satiating without being calorie-dense. Some people find healthy fats to be satiating, but dietary fat contains nine calories per gram while protein only contains four calories per gram. Like hydration needs, individual protein needs vary. However, sedentary women should aim to consume at least 46 grams of protein daily.
The average sedentary man typically needs to consume 56 grams of protein daily. If you’re trying to increase your muscle mass, you will need to eat more protein. However, even if you are sedentary and only consume around 50 to 60 grams of protein per day, there is a reduced chance that you will overeat because you will feel fuller for longer while consuming fewer calories than people with fat-laden diets.
Walking
Generally, you should get at least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise weekly for your health. If you are trying to lose weight, you should be getting at least five hours of moderate exercise weekly. If you don’t have time to get five hours of moderate exercise weekly, you should perform at least 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise. Walking is one of the best ways to get in the exercise you need for your health and boost your metabolism due to its accessibility.
As an added bonus, studies suggest that walking is a short-term appetite suppressant. Therefore, if you go on a 30-minute walk before dinner, you may consume fewer calories because you won’t have as much of an appetite.
Rowing Indoors
Walking is a great way to help you maintain your weight because it is accessible and may act as an appetite suppressant. However, it is by no means the most efficient way to boost your metabolism. For the ultimate calorie-torcher, you’ll want to join your nearest gym with an ergometer or purchase to keep in your home gym. Swimming is often regarded as an excellent way to burn calories quickly.
However, the average person only burns between 360 and 600 calories per hour swimming depending on the stroke and intensity. On the other hand, it is possible to burn 800 calories per hour on an ergometer. Also, indoor rowing, like swimming, is a low-impact activity so your joints will thank you if you opt for this calorie-burning method over running. Additionally, indoor rowing is simple once you get the hang of proper form. Here’s how to row properly.
The Catch
“The catch” is the first phase of indoor rowing. This phase starts with you sitting with your shins vertical. If your ankles aren’t flexible enough to allow for vertical shins, make sure your shins are as close to vertical as you can get them. You should be leaned forward at the hips with your extended arms parallel to the floor. Also, your back should be straight, and your head should be neutral.
The Drive
“The drive” is the second phase of indoor rowing. It involves pushing with your legs until they are fully extended. Once your legs are extended completely, you should lean backwards from your hips until your shoulders are aligned vertically with your hips.
The Finish
“The finish” is the third phase of indoor rowing. It involves leaning backwards from your hips until your back is at approximately a 45-degree angle. Then you should pull the handle to your ribcage with your lats. Finally, you should reverse the rowing processing to return to the catch.
Is a Tummy Tuck Right for Me?
During your initial consultation, Dr. Bruce Kadz will meet with, evaluate your abdominal region, and discuss your aesthetic goals. To reiterate, if you don’t have a lot of lower abdominal fat and you have severely damaged abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck is the only way to achieve the flat stomach you desire. Also, a tummy tuck may be required to achieve a flat stomach if you have excess skin or loose, sagging, wrinkled skin.
Schedule Your Initial Lipo Consultation Today
It is possible that lipo can give you the flat stomach you desire. However, if your lower abdominal muscles were injured and are now distended, a tummy tuck may be necessary in lieu of or in addition to a fat removal procedure. To find out how you can finally achieve the flat stomach you desire, contact us today at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule your initial body contouring consultation.
