Liposuction, also referred to as lipo, is a cosmetic surgery procedure that is effective for people with stubborn fat pockets that don't respond to diet or exercise. Liposuction, which removes excess fat through suction, often is employed with skin tightening procedures such as a face-lift or tummy tuck. According to plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Bowden, the only way for fat to return is if you gain it back by eating more calories than you burn.
Step 1
Return to a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet to lose fat gained after liposuction. Since the body takes about four months to recover fully from the surgical procedure, make sure you eat a balanced diet that includes of plenty of protein for healing, between 30 and 40 grams per day. To lose fat, however, you must eat fewer calories than you burn.
Step 2
Eliminate junk food from your diet. The empty fat and carbohydrates found in fast food and snacks will cause additional fat that often appears in other parts of your body. Adults do not produce additional fat cells, but the fat cells that remain in your body after lipo can grow when filled with fat.
Step 3
Perform strength and resistance exercises in the area where the new fat seems to accumulate to fill out your skin with toned muscle, rather than fat. As you continue to burn more calories than you take in, the lean muscle mass can help you burn additional calories while contouring your body so you can avoid further lipo treatments.
Step 4
Add extra repetitions to the kinds of exercises that are approved by your doctor following the surgery. Continue with the low to moderate exercises and increase intensity as your doctor allows.
Tips and Warnings
- There are fewer fat cells in the areas that received the liposuction, so when you regain any weight, less of it deposits in that area. According to Dr. Bowden, many people incorrectly assume that fat automatically moves to other areas of the body after lipo, but new fat appears only when you overeat.
- Liposuction is not an effective weight loss technique, according to Dr. Drew Tuckman. Although it may take up a lot of space in your body, one liter of fat weighs only about two and a half pounds.
Things You'll Need
- Low-fat diet
- Strengthening exercises
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