How Many Sizes Do You Lose With a Tummy Tuck?

Do you feel self-conscious about loose skin hanging from your abdomen? Have you lost a great deal of weight but still feel unhappy because you now have excess abdominal skin? Do you wish you could lose a bit of belly fat? If so, you may be considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty. Today, our aesthetic experts at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA are looking at how many sizes you can lose post-op.

How Many Sizes Do You Lose With a Tummy Tuck?

You can generally expect to lose between two and three pants sizes following abdominoplasty. However, if you have a great deal of excess skin and you combine this procedure with liposuction, you may be able to lose four or more pants sizes. We can give you a better idea of how many pants sizes you can expect to lose during your initial consultation. Everyone has a different amount of excess abdominal skin and fat, so individual results vary.

How Much Weight Can You Lose With Abdominoplasty?

Typically, people lose around five pounds if they get a complete abdominoplasty. If they opt for a partial abdominoplasty, they can expect to lose no more than three pounds. If liposuction is added to a tuck, it is possible to lose closer to 15 pounds. This is because up to 11 pounds of excess fat can be removed safely during most liposuction procedures. The exact amount of fat that can be removed safely depends on one’s starting weight.

What Are the Different Types of Tummy Tuck? 

A complete abdominoplasty, sometimes referred to as a full tuck, is a body contouring procedure that involves improving the appearance of the upper and lower abdomen. This is accomplished by removing excess skin and tightening loose skin below and above the navel. A small amount of excess fat may also be excised during this procedure. An extended tuck is similar, but it also improves the contours of the back and hips.

A partial abdominoplasty, sometimes referred to as a mini tuck, is a body contouring procedure that involves improving the appearance of only the lower abdomen. This procedure may be ideal for you if you do not have concerns about your abdominal walls; the abdominal muscles themselves are only tightened during a full or extended tuck. A bit of excess fat can be excised, but it is not a fat removal procedure.

How Long Will My Procedure Take? 

It usually takes around 2.5 hours to perform a full tuck, not including the preparation time or the observation period required after the procedure. All told, if you want to improve the appearance of your upper and lower abdomen, you need to be in our office for roughly 3.5 hours. If you also need quite a bit of excess fat removed, your total appointment time may be closer to 4.5 hours.

We can give you a better idea of how long your procedure will take when you come in for your initial consultation and discuss all of your aesthetic goals. Sometimes, people find that they need other procedures, like an arm lift or liposuction to remove excess chest fat, to achieve their desired aesthetic.

How Long Will My Recovery Take?

You can expect most of your recovery to be complete within a week or two of your procedure. This is about how long you will need to take off from work, regardless of whether you get a full tuck, an extended tuck, or a tummy tuck combined with liposuction. How long you have to take off from work depends on how physically demanding your job is and whether your duties can be modified temporarily.

However, you should keep in mind that restrictions will be replaced on your usual activities for six to eight weeks. Specifically, you need to be prepared to take a couple of months off from lifting heavy weights or engaging in any other strenuous physical activity. The more you focus on your rest in the early stages of your recovery, the sooner you will be able to get back to doing what you love safely.

How Much Should I Drink During My Recovery Period?

A good goal to aim for is to drink at least 64 ounces of water and tea daily during your recovery period. However, you should adjust your fluid intake up or down depending on the color of your urine. It should be pale. If it is dark, try drinking more hydrating fluids or snack on a water-dense fruit or vegetable. If it is clear, you are overhydrating and should take a break from drinking for a while.

Should I Exercise After My Procedure?

The day after your procedure, you should start making a point to go for gentle walks. However, you should keep in mind while going on your gentle walks that your pulse should not be too elevated, and it is very important to rest whenever your body tells you that it needs rest. It may take a few days before you’re walking like you were before your procedure. Just be patient with yourself, and take as many breaks as you need to.

How Much Sleep Should I Try To Get? 

You should try to get nine hours of consecutive sleep each night during your recovery. Usually, adults need around 7.5 hours of sleep per night, but you need a lot more rest during your recovery period because your skin needs to heal itself after the incisions are made. Most of this healing takes place during the rapid eye movement stage of the sleep cycle.

Unfortunately, this is the final stage, and you have to complete all of the earlier stages to get there. If you wake up in the middle of the night, regardless of which stage you were in when you woke up, you have to start over at the first stage of the sleep cycle. If you find that you can’t sleep nine hours in a row, try to get 7.5 hours of consecutive sleep and take a 90-minute nap during the day.

What Should I Eat After My Procedure?

It isn’t just important that you eat fruits and veggies to stay hydrated during your recovery period. It is also important that you eat plenty of protein so your skin can produce enough collagen. Collagen is a protein that is responsible for many functions, including skin tightening and skin healing. Try to get between 50 and 60 grams of protein in your diet every day, and make sure you’re getting your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.

Protein consumption is crucial because protein is made up of amino acids. Your body can break down protein into usable components (amino acids) and use that material to build the type of protein it needs (collagen). However, you should keep in mind that your body also needs vitamin C to produce collagen. Also, you should make sure you are getting plenty of soluble fiber in your diet. Certain analgesics may affect bowel movements in some people.

Am I a Good Candidate for a Tummy Tuck?

If you are in fairly good health, there is a good chance that you will qualify for abdominoplasty. However, you must attend an initial evaluation to find out for sure whether this procedure is appropriate for you. If you suffer from certain medical conditions, including heart problems, lung problems, and bleeding disorders, you will not be considered a good candidate for abdominoplasty.

The best candidate for this procedure is an individual who is concerned about the appearance of their abdominal region and does not plan to become pregnant in the future. Often, this procedure is used to repair and tighten the abdominal walls after they have been damaged durign pregnancy or childbirth. A follow-up procedure may be necessary in the future if you become pregnant after getting a tuck.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today

Most people lose two to three pants sizes following a tummy tuck, but it is possible to lose four or more pants sizes. The number of sizes you can expect to lose following your procedure depends on many factors, including the amount of excess skin you have, the amount of excess fat you have, and whether you combine your abdominoplasty with liposuction. Drop us a line at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule an appointment and learn more.