Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is a body contouring procedure that removes saggy, excess skin from the stomach, tightens the underlying abdominal wall and leaves behind a firmer, flatter midsection. A tummy tuck is most effective when performed on a good candidate, and meeting and maintaining a healthy weight before surgery is part of what determines if it’s the right procedure for you. Although it may be tempting to do so, you shouldn’t crash diet before having your tummy tuck and here’s why.
A tummy tuck is a body contouring procedure designed to enhance your figure and remove sagging skin that distracts from the body you actually have. When the excess skin is removed during a tummy tuck, the remaining skin is reattached to complement your body’s underlying shape and liposuction is often included to further improve contours. For this reason, timing is incredibly important when deciding to have a tummy tuck. To ensure you’ll get the best results possible and that those results will last, wait until you’ve reached a weight you plan to maintain for years to come.
Plastic surgeons generally recommend you meet and maintain a healthy target weight for several months before moving forward with a tummy tuck. If you crash diet and participate in unhealthy weight loss methods to reach this goal, you haven’t really developed the self-discipline or healthy lifestyle habits that are necessary to avoid future weight gain. Reaching your weight loss by implementing a healthy diet and a consistent exercise regimen increases the likelihood that you’ll maintain your weight after your tummy tuck and enjoy your results for years to come.
