Previously, I discussed the differences between liposuction and tummy tucks in reducing fat cells and weight. Fat and weight return if you don’t also modify your lifestyle but with the added advantage of a different body shape as created by the artistic approach to your lipocontouring or skin excess removal.
Fat is created and stored by genetic and environmental signals. Interestingly, during caloric weight gain AND starvation, the hormone insulin converts excess calories from sugar and starch or fat and even protein into fat which is stored as an oil in cells. So, when fat (cells) are sucked out by liposuction or cut out with a tuck, they are permanently removed. After surgery your residual weight is your new weight….. for that moment. This is a great time to learn and integrate a new lifestyle of diet and exercise to reduce calories as new additional calories will be reformed in residual fat stores and your weight rises once again.
Protein, primarily sourced from beef, pork, ostrich, emu, tofu, fish and seafood stimulate another hormone called glucagon to convert protein into muscle. While fat is stored in subcutaneous and visceral fat cells, muscle stores protein. Fat is concentrated at 9 calories per gram of oil. Protein is used in every action of the body as a message or as a building material or scar for healing (collagen). Protein, while not a super effective energy source provides 4 calories per gram BUT stimulates glucagon to stop the breakdown of protein as energy and save it as muscle. Glucagon also reverses insulin metabolism so more sugar is available as the body’s energy source rather than protein.
So, by reducing your intake of sugars, such as fruits and starches (all white products: any rice, all breads, all potatoes, any pasta) and increasing your protein intake, your body has turned from a fat producing metabolism with insulin to a glucagon producing metabolism with protein. Add a little moderate exercise and you have stopped eating for that time as well as have stimulated energy loss. Many of our patients believe they eat a nutritious diet yet retain weight. Use a computer app or calorie book to realize that food they thought were good for them may in fact be laden with calories from sugar / starch and fat!
Proper nutrition and weight loss go hand-in-hand! The adage that says to maintain weight, calories in must equal calories out is good but not totally true. As you see, the type of calories in may come more concentrated or may stimulate a wrong metabolism. I do not aim to provide personal nor individual medical advice in any blog; you must see your personal physician but a higher protein, lower carbohydrate, minimal good fat, high density vitamin and mineral rich diet will optimize your health.
In general, each person needs an average of 50 calories per hour to maintain a sedentary metabolism. This come out to 1200 calories per day. If you are one not to exercise more than sleeping and sitting, this is all the calories you should consume to maintain your weight. In general, each person needs 50-70 grams of good protein to meet the daily needs of their metabolism; this comes to 200-280 calories a day depending on your base weight (ie, carrying no fat on your body).
If you exercise an hour of walking, you consume about 600 calories and therefore come up to 1800 calories needed to maintain your weight per day. Subtracting an average of 250 calories minimum in protein required gives you 1550 calories to eat during the day. Obviously, if you exercise more or have surgery, you will need more protein to repair the damage and this will be subtracted from the 1800 calories. If you exercise more or less, this energy consumption will be added or subtracted from total calories needed to maintain weight. If you choose to lose weight, you must consume less calories or exercise more!
The idea of walking or running or biking (cardio exercise) a full hour is sometimes overwhelming ! If you break it up into 15 minutes portions from the care to your office chair and back, this reduces your exercise time by half! Take another 15 minute walk at the cooler beginning and end of the day and you have easily accomplished a full hour of cardio!
There are many diets out there which will reduce weight! Unfortunately, none will keep you thin for life. This is your challenge and your challenge alone. I believe knowledge is power so let me spread a little on you. The U.S. government by law requires all foods to be labeled with enough information for you to make a personal and individual informed decision.
Food labels provide the calories per serving and protein per serving you eat. A daily diary will make you realize immediately why 50% of my patients go on to loose weight after body contouring surgery and the other half gain weight. It’s simple arithmetic!
Sorry y’all, you must still add a lifestyle modification to any surgical or non-surgical body shaping procedure to reduce calories and change your metabolism to optimize and meet your goals.
We’re happy to help in any way we can!
All the best!
Dean
