After liposuction to tone and tighten stubborn fat pockets, you’ll likely feel motivated to find ways to maintain a stable body weight. Your newly sculpted physique has helped you regain confidence, wear revealing clothes you used to avoid, and establish a sense of pride as you finally show off your outstanding results. These are only a few reasons leading a healthy lifestyle after liposuction is so vital.

Liposuction is not a substitute for wholesome habits or a quick fix for losing a dramatic amount of weight. For safety reasons, qualified plastic surgeons can only remove a maximum of five liters of fat with this procedure. While the fat cells suctioned from your body can never return, don’t assume liposuction makes you immune to future weight gain. The remaining fat cells can still grow, obscuring your surgically contoured shape. Establishing a sensible routine after your procedure will maintain and improve your results.

This blog will recommend a few lifestyle choices you can make after liposuction, including dietary changes, activities, and habits that will strengthen and assist your body. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Himansu Shah at Signature Plastic Surgery & Dermatology in Henderson and Las Vegas, NV, has helped countless patients trim and shape the trouble spots where stubborn fat tends to accumulate. In addition, with his guidance and support, patients have had long-lasting results by educating themselves on how to care for their overall wellness.

What Should You Avoid After Liposuction?

After liposuction, your body may react differently to specific food groups, so avoiding foods that may irritate your digestive system or cause inflammation is essential to your health and recovery. The following are some foods you shouldn’t eat for the first two to three months after your procedure.

• Saturated or trans fats
• Sodium and sugar
• Processed meats like bacon or sausage
• Soda and energy drinks
• Fried foods
• Refined grains such as pasta and rice
• Alcoholic beverages
• Spicy foods

Instead, focus on incorporating lean proteins like fish, chicken, turkey, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats from avocado, almonds, yogurt, and cheese.

Here are some other things to steer clear of after liposuction.

• Long periods of rest: Especially in the first few days of healing, you’ll need to get up frequently and move around your home. Being stationary for too long can increase your risk of blood clots, cause your muscles to atrophy, lower your metabolism, and cause swelling.

• Dehydration: After surgery, don’t let yourself become dehydrated. Drink plenty of fluids to flush the anesthesia from your surgery out of your system. In addition, staying hydrated will help reduce your risk of excessive swelling and encourage digestion.

• Taking blood-thinning medications: Your risk of excessive bleeding after liposuction increases if you take blood-thinning medications before or in the week after your procedure. Dr. Shah will give you a list of prescriptions of safe pain relief medications to take to help ward off these effects.

How Do You Maintain Your Body After Liposuction?

Liposuction aims to help patients target unwanted fat that is unresponsive to diet and exercise. While it can safely help eliminate fat pockets, you can still gain weight afterward. To help you maintain your body after liposuction, follow these easy and practical tips.

• Regularly exercise: Once Dr. Shah clears you to resume your pre-surgery activity level, you’ll want to incorporate workouts back into your daily routine. The best way to stay in shape is to exercise at least 30 minutes or more daily. You can focus on cardio, weight training, or walking around your neighborhood. In whatever way you choose to exercise, activity is an essential part of your health and liposuction results.

• Eat balanced meals: You may have heard the adage “Abs come from the kitchen, not the gym.” It’s true – exercise can only get you so far if you’re not eating a healthy diet. So limit your sugar, carbohydrate, and saturated fat intake. Instead, fill your plate with high-protein and high-fiber items, like beans, legumes, and whole grains, and include vegetables and fruit with every meal or snack.

• Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of fresh water throughout the day can help maintain your energy levels, avoid hunger that leads to snacking, eliminate toxins, and keep your organs working at optimal levels. Keep a hydro flask close to hand after surgery and continue drinking water at regular intervals.

What Are the Do’s and Don’t’s After Liposuction?

DO

• Follow Dr. Shah’s post-operative instructions: Typically, recovery is relatively quick after liposuction. You can expect to start moving around as soon as Dr. Shah clears you to do so. Wear compression garments as instructed to help minimize swelling and encourage skin to conform to your body’s new contours.

• Ask questions: If you have a question before or after your procedure, don’t hesitate to ask. Dr. Shah is here to provide answers that will ultimately help you recover and achieve your ideal results.

• Research: The internet has a treasure trove of information to help you become better acquainted with your surgery. Read reputable articles or posts from recovered liposuction patients to help you build a toolbox of knowledge information that can support you through pre- and post-recovery.

DON’T

• Expect immediate results: For the first few weeks after liposuction, you can expect the treated areas to have some swelling. However, this will subside over the next month or so. Wearing compression garments will help reduce swelling and promote a quicker, smoother healing process.

• Rush the healing process: We understand the desire to jump back into your typical routine, but allowing your body to rest and recover is crucial. That is why we encourage patients to engage in light activities for the first week after their surgery by walking around their home or yard for no more than five to 10 minutes at a time. After the first two weeks, you can slowly start incorporating more strenuous activities into your routine.

• Have unrealistic expectations: Liposuction isn’t a shortcut to dramatic weight loss, but rather a helpful companion on your journey to wellness. For example, if you’ve reached your goal weight and are still struggling with stubborn fat, liposuction can target these specific areas.

What Is the Best Diet After Liposuction?

A post-liposuction diet doesn’t have to be overly restrictive. Instead of denying yourself the foods you enjoy, use moderation. The best advice is to ensure your daily meals include plenty of fresh produce and whole, unprocessed foods such as grains. When grocery shopping, stick to the store’s perimeter and avoid the center aisles, which is where you’ll find processed foods like chips, sweets, white bread, sugary or carbonated beverages, and artificial coffee creamers. Instead, stock your fridge and pantry with various nutritious options that make you feel full and energized.

After liposuction, you will do well to prepare most of your meals at home, where you can control the ingredients and portion sizes. If you decide to order takeout or delivery, choose restaurants that offer lighter options like salads and wraps.

What Are the Best Vitamins to Take After Liposuction?

Always consult your doctor before adding new vitamins or supplements into your routine to ensure you’re not wasting your time and money on something your body doesn’t need or that may affect any medications you’re taking.

However, many doctors recommend vitamins A and C, zinc, and vitamin B-complex, as these nutrients help support healthy cell growth, collagen formation, immune function, and moderate stress. They also provide more energy during the day and can help you get a better night of rest – all critical aspects to your recovery.

What Is the Fastest Way to Recover From Liposuction?

Though liposuction doesn’t require extensive incisions, it is still an invasive procedure and will need ample time to heal. Therefore, we recommend taking one to two weeks away from work and your usual daily activities. The fastest way to recover from your operation is to allow your body this time to rest.

When you feel comfortable doing so, getting up and about for leisurely walks will help promote blood flow, reducing swelling and facilitating the healing process. Some patients experience complications like blood clots after their surgery because they are too sedentary. Even though you shouldn’t overexert yourself, you should still move around.

Break away from bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking and other forms of nicotine damage your blood flow and can compromise your recovery, elevating your risk of infection.

You can also help reduce infection risk by keeping your incisions clean and dry. Change your dressings and bandages as instructed.

How to Keep Your Stomach Flat After Liposuction

To maintain your flat stomach after liposuction or even enhance abdominal definition, do tightening and toning workouts three to five times a week once cleared by your doctor. Pilates is an excellent way to tighten and tone your abdomen, as it uses small, repetitive moments to help give your muscles a leaner appearance.

Incorporate repetitive movements that engage your core, including sit-ups, crunches, mountain climbers, or toe touches. If you need help creating a fitness plan, talk to an instructor or join a class to find effective exercises you enjoy.

Learn More About Liposuction at Signature Plastic Surgery & Dermatology

It can be frustrating to do everything right with your diet and fitness plan and still not see the results you’ve worked so hard for. Unfortunately, procedures like liposuction are the only solution for fat that is unresponsive to healthy lifestyle choices. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Shah and his team of experts will conduct a thorough consultation with you, focusing on your areas of concern and how liposuction can help contour and shape your figure into one you feel confident in. For more information about this procedure and how it can benefit you, contact Signature Plastic Surgery & Dermatology by calling (702) 684-5502 or request a consultation through our website.