How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction?

Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures offered at Northstate Plastic Surgery Associates in Chico, CA. Colloquially referred to as lipo, this fat removal procedure has been used safely and effectively since the 70s to help people sculpt their ideal contours. To help you determine whether this procedure is right for you, today, we’re looking at what results you can expect from it, including how much weight loss you can expect.

How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction? 

You should not be surprised if you lose a few pounds of fat even though liposuction isn’t a weight loss procedure. Losing five pounds of fat is also not outside the realm of possibility. However, you should understand that several factors affect how much weight you can expect to lose. This fat removal procedure generally only removes around a quarter of the localized fat cells in a given area. The primary exception to this is when the targeted area is small.

For example, you can expect to lose around 25% of your abdominal fat cells with a single lipo session. However, you can generally expect to lose around 80% of the fat cells in your submental region. Another factor affecting how much fat lipo can remove is your body mass. We can only remove so much fat safely in a single session. If you are overweight, it is possible that we can safely and effectively remove around 10 or 11 pounds of fat.

How Much Weight Can I Lose After Surgery? 

It is possible to lose a significant amount of weight after lipo. However, you may not want to focus on weight loss during the first couple of months post-op. During the first six to eight weeks following your procedure, it is very important to focus on your recovery. You will need to hydrate and get enough nutrients in your diet. You may find it difficult to get all of the nutrients you need while eating at a caloric deficit.

What Should I Eat After My Procedure? 

During lipo, one or more incisions are made through which a cannula is inserted into the area of concern. The incisions are closed once some of the subcutaneous fat cells are removed from the area. However, your skin still needs to heal itself. This requires a number of critical ingredients, including vitamin C and amino acids. Therefore, your diet should be high in protein and vitamin C. Great foods to consider eating include: 

• Citrus fruits
• Tropical fruits
• Dairy products
• Legumes
• Lean meat
• Seafood

It is also very important for a speedy recovery to make sure you stay hydrated. Your hydration needs should be met by drinking regularly. However, if you feel like you’re drinking enough hydrating fluids but your urine is dark, you need to try to drink more. Alternatively, you need to incorporate more hydrating foods into your diet. Most fruits and a lot of vegetables are high in water. Eating broth-based soup can also increase your hydration significantly.

Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure? 

If you are at least 18 years of age and concerned about stubborn pockets of excess fat, there is a good chance you will qualify for liposuction. However, you need to come in for an initial consultation just to be sure. During this consultation, we will discuss your health, concerns, and goals thoroughly to verify this procedure will be both effective and safe for you.

Before you come in for your consultation, you should be prepared to talk about your entire medical history and current health. You should also be prepared to talk about all of the drugs and supplements you are currently taking. There are a number of important preparation steps you will need to take, and some of the most important steps are to stop taking certain drugs and supplements. If you can’t stop taking them temporarily, this procedure may not be safe for you.

Who Is This Procedure Not Effective for? 

This procedure is not recommended for individuals who are underweight or obese. Generally, we look for at least an inch of pinchable fat in a problem area. This equates to around five pounds of fat but can vary some based on the thickness of the skin and other factors. The best way to gauge how many inches of pinchable fat you have in an area of concern is to use fat calipers.

However, you should not despair if you use fat calipers and find that you do not have a whole inch of pinchable fat in your problem area. There is a chance that this procedure will be effective even if the area of concern is small.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today

It is not uncommon for three to five pounds of fat to be removed during liposuction. However, individual results vary significantly based on a wide range of factors, including the amount of subcutaneous fat you have in your areas of concern and your body mass. Contact us today at Northstate Plastic Surgery Associates in Chico, CA to schedule your initial consultation if you think this procedure is a good fit for you and your goals.