How to Lose Weight Before Surgery and Why It’s Important

When considering plastic surgery for aesthetic enhancement, being at a healthy weight is crucial. Whether your procedure is for facial rejuvenation or body contouring, your weight should be stable and within a few pounds of what’s ideal for your height, body type, and gender.

Don’t believe the myth that plastic surgery will help you shed a dramatic amount of weight. For safety reasons, there are limits to how much body fat a qualified surgeon will remove, even when performing procedures like liposuction. Instead, your physician may insist you lose a specified amount of weight before considering your candidacy. So, let’s look at how to lose the weight necessary before surgery and why It’s essential.

3 Simple Ways You Can Lose Weight Before Surgery

If your BMI exceeds 30, Dr. Mussat may instruct you to lose weight before scheduling plastic surgery. While doing so might seem overwhelming, it is possible with a few adjustments to your current lifestyle.

1. Develop a Healthy Diet and Exercise Routine

Let’s face it – fad diets don’t work. These typically demand imposing unhealthy, unrealistic restrictions on yourself, such as cutting out entire food groups that deprive your body of the essential energy and nutrients it needs to function. Though you may experience rapid weight loss, you can also weaken your immune system and put yourself through unnecessary stress.

Instead of putting yourself on a strict diet, change your lifestyle. Start eating lean proteins, fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead of processed foods. At the supermarket, keep your cart on the perimeter and avoid the aisles, which is where you’ll find all the foods that are full of excess sugar, sodium, and refined flour.

Also, implement a daily exercise routine you can stick to, including activities that don’t feel like a chore. Simple workouts like cardio and yoga help ease into a healthy routine.

2. Download Apps on Your Mobile Device

To stay more motivated, look for a mobile app with a built-in reward system to keep yourself accountable. Plenty of free fitness and nutrition apps will teach you the correct form to do various exercises and track your food intake, so you can make better choices. Many of these apps help you develop goals and enable you to reach your ideal weight before surgery.

3. Maintain a Support System

Ultimately, the decision to undergo aesthetic surgery is profoundly personal. However, having a support system with your family and friends is an excellent way to start your journey. You can also join a support group on social media.

The Importance of Pre-Surgery Weight Loss

Significantly overweight people are at a higher risk of life-threatening complications during and after surgery. Here are three health-related problems linked to obesity.

1. Poor Wound Healing

Your incisions require a healthy supply of blood and oxygen to correctly heal after surgery. Excess fat puts too much stress on your circulatory system, depriving you of essential nutrients for your recovery.

Excess fatty tissue may increase the time you spend in the operating room and the risk of infection, which may require revision surgery or more time in the hospital.

2. Anesthesia Complications

Excess fatty tissue makes it harder for your anesthesiologist to safely sedate you before surgery. They may have difficulty finding veins to use to deliver the anesthesia. Obesity can also make it harder to figure out the correct dosage.

3. Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Issues

If you are significantly overweight, your heart works harder to provide the blood and oxygen your body needs to survive. During surgery, the added stress of performing incisions and administering anesthesia increases your chances of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, angina, and high blood pressure. Obesity also elevates your risk of developing a blood clot that can enter your lungs.

Are You a Good Candidate for Plastic Surgery?

Contact Dr. Florence Mussat today to learn how to get your body ready for plastic surgery. Schedule a private consultation or call (312) 751-9000.