A friend of ours wants to have an abdominoplasty procedure done. When she first told us about this, all we could do was look at each other. Afterwards, when we were by ourselves and were able to discuss it more, I made the comment that I thought she was nuts to want to have anything done.

Why? Because she weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet and works out like a fiend every single day. How could she possibly need to have a tummy tuck? Well, I was wrong to jump to any conclusion like that. She explained at a later date that even though she works out like a fiend, she is still getting older and the skin around her middle is starting to get saggy. It is because she works out so diligently that she wants to continue to look her best.

Can’t blame a woman for that now can you?

The procedure she will have is called a mini-tuck where an incision is made, minimal liposuction performed if any is needed, and the skin tightened, then stitched closed. The belly button does not require relocation with a mini-tuck. A drain tube is inserted into the incision to drain excess fluid. The lower abdomen is then wrapped with a compression dressing. Pain control using a prescribed narcotic or, if the pain is minimal, then over the counter pain relievers may be used. Recovery time is 2-3 weeks with a mini-tuck.

So, I learned my lesson. I learned that even someone who is in great shape and has incredible muscle tone can still be in need of firmer skin in certain areas of her body.

I have another friend who had an abdominoplasty procedure after having two pregnancies which resulted in two very big babies, 10 lbs and 11 lbs, respectively. She lost all the baby weight but since both the babies had to be taken Cesarean and were so big to begin with she ended up with a lot of excess skin in that area and she was told the muscles of her abdomen would never recover.

Obviously, the procedure she had done was a full tummy tuck which involved “baseball stitching” the damaged muscles, removing any fat remaining with liposuction, stretching the skin taut, trimming off the excess, relocating the belly button and closing the incision. Drain tubes were inserted to help keep fluid from accumulating and aid recovery. The area is then wrapped tightly with a compression dressing to help support the muscles. A narcotic analgesic will be prescribed to control the pain and discomfort associated with the procedure. Recovery time is approximately six weeks with a full tummy tuck.

So, if you are looking for a toned, flat belly, check out board-certified plastic surgeons in your area and call for a consult. Ask what your options are and if they think you are a good candidate for surgery. You may find that you are making one of the smartest decisions you have ever made in your life. Just think, no more battle of the bulge!

Although not recommended as a substitute for a weight loss or diet regimen, an abdominoplasty procedure can help correct the problem areas left behind when all is said and done.

Tags: Abdominoplasty, Baby Weight, Baseball Stitching, Belly Button, candidate for surgery, Damag, Drain Tube, Excess Fluid, Excess Skin, Fiend, Firmer Skin, Great Shape, Healthy Diet, Incision, Incredible Muscle, Liposuction, Losing Weight, Lower Abdomen, Muscle Tone, Pain Relievers, Pregnancies, Recovery Time, Single Day, surgery, Tummy Tuck —

In the nearly eternal quest to lose weight, people seem willing to do just about anything. It has been that way ever since people felt societal pressure to lose weight, and is sure to continue for many years to come. They will submit themselves to food they don’t like, brutal exercise regimens, and the downright bizarre. But there’s one thing very few of them do, and it can greatly increase their odds of permanent weight loss. What is it? Documenting their progress with before and after photos.

Huh? Does that sound like a dumb idea to you? Don’t laugh. It can have a major psychological impact; before, during and after your weight loss. It has the same effect as writing down your goals. Just by doing this step, you will increase your odds of success.

Look at it this way, you will be working hard, eating right and exercising to lose weight. Before and after weight loss photos won’t make the weight come off, but they are another tool in your arsenal in the battle of the bulge.

If you have children, then you’ve heard comments from relatives who haven’t seen them for a while. They say, “oh, they’ve gotten so tall”, or something similar. That’s one of the reasons for doing before and after weight loss photos, it’s not always easy to see your own weight coming off because you see yourself every day. But when you can look back at the visual evidence, it’s a game changer. It’s motivational.

Here’s the best way to do it to maximize your results. Take a photo every so many days, but with no more than a week between. Try for the same pose, in the same clothes, in the same location in your house. This next part will be harder at first. Expose as much of your body as decency allows. If you’re a female a sports bra and shorts; if you’re a male then just a pair of shorts. You want to see the bigger picture (pardon the pun). And don’t forget to do one picture for each a front and side view.

Refer to the photos later to see how far you have come. Put them up in the trouble spots around your home. For example, on the door of your refrigerator to keep you from binging, or on your weight bench to encourage to do a few reps.

It’s up to you whether or not you will share them with anybody else. But there’s a good chance that your desire to share will increase with the number of pounds you lose. So, be sure to eat right, get moving and get healthy. And while your at it, go ahead and keep a visual record of your progress, you’ll be glad you did.

Tags: Arsenal, Battle Of The Bulge, Decency, Dumb Idea, Eating Habits, Eternal Quest, Exercise Regimens, Exercising To Lose Weight, food;, Huh, Laugh, Look At It This Way, Losing Weight, Odds, Pose, Psychological Impact, Pun, Relatives, Societal Pressure, Sports Bra, Trou, Visual Evidence, Weight Loss —

So, you want to lose weight. That’s wonderful news! Have you heard about the new diet that everybody’s doing? If so, forget about it. It won’t work…trust me. I got news for all of the charlatans promoting fad diets, they’re nonsense is doing more harm than good. Don’t worry, this isn’t just a rant against the hucksters out there, some real tips that actually work are coming up.

There is no question that the people who following them can some amazing results, often in a short amount of time. People than see how well others are doing on the latest fad diet, and decide to try it for themselves. Pretty soon the person who created the fad diet is filthy rich from selling the modern version of snake oil. Their fortune always seems to reach its peak at about the same time all of the dieters start packing on the pounds again. Okay…so, what does work? Let’s find out, shall we?

Fill up. You will never lose weight if you’re feeling hungry all the time. If you do, then when you get around the foods that temp you most, you won’t be able to control yourself. To combat this, practice what some people refer to as grazing. Instead of eating three big meals, spread out your eating in smaller mini-meals throughout the day. By doing this you won’t get too hungry, and as a bonus…your metabolic rate will remain higher.

Get moving. I’ll be honest with you, I never liked the word “exercise”. The very thought of it just sounds too much like work. So, I fooled myself into doing it by never referring to it as exercise. I call it “activity”, “movement” or say, “time to get moving”. Regardless of what you call it, you need to incorporate more movement into your daily routine. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to burn more calories than you take in. You can do this by reducing the calories in the foods you eat and by burning them off through some sort of movement. Simple.

Do it together. Finding a friend to lose weight with makes it so much more enjoyable. You’ll have somebody to eat at healthier restaurants with, and an exercise buddy. Even more importantly, you will be able to encourage each other when you don’t feel like doing what it takes. While the way to lose weight is simple, it’s not always easy and having somebody there when you need it most will greatly increase your chances of success. There will also be somebody that you will feel accountable to. Even if it’s never spoken, you don’t want to feel like you’re letting your friend down.

So, there you have it. It really isn’t that complicated. Stick with it. Make the changes mentioned above, and add a few more. Don’t follow what the newest fad diet says. It won’t work. Look for something that’s been around for at least a few years. That’s the way to do it. Just think about how great you will look and feel as those pounds start melting away.

Tags: Amount Of Time, Calories, Charlatans, Daily Routine, Diet Weight Loss, Dieters, Eating Habits, Fad Diet, Fad Diets, Feeling Hungry All The Time, Finding A Friend, Fortune, Healthy Diet, Hucksters, Latest Fad, Losing Weight, Metabolic Rate, Nonsense, Rant, Snake Oil, Wonderful News, Word Exercise, Work Trust —

Yuck! You feel fat! Maybe you just caught a peek of yourself in the mirror and weren’t happy with what you saw. Or, maybe it’s more serious. You had a doctor’s appointment and you were told you could die early as a result of how much you weigh. regardless of the reason, you are now at a point where you want to know how to lose weight. Even if you’ve tried dropping a few pounds before, this time you have to do it, anything else simply isn’t an option. That’s good! If that’s your attitude, then you are already well on your way to losing weight.

However, if you are looking for some of secret, or “latest diet breakthrough” then you will be let down. On the other hand, if you are only concerned about results and melting away that unsightly flab that has invaded the wrong parts of your body, then you’ll want to pay attention.

You should know, no matter how you feel now, it is entirely possible to lose weight. Notice I said “possible” and not “easy”. It may be easy for you, or it may not. But it is possible. My guess is that some of the techniques will sound a little goofy, but they worked. Besides, you have to stop worrying about what others think if you’re going to do well. For the record, none of what follows is theory. They are all things I did to drop 22 pounds in a few weeks. Use as many of them as you like and celebrate the victory of each pound coming off.

I’m about to use a word that I used to despise. I liked to watch TV and play around on the internet, in fact, I still do. Oh yeah! What is the word I’m referring to? Exercise.

If you are cringing at the very word, then we may have already zeroed in on part of your problem. Who likes to exercise? Sorry, it doesn’t matter. You have to engage in activities that put your metabolism into high gear, and that’s what exercise does. It’s not as bad as it sounds as you will see.

Just as the word “diet” conjures up negative images of torture and self-deprivation, so to does the word “exercise”. So call it something else. “Activities”, “play”, “fun”, “sports” or…”movement” are all good alternatives. Whatever it takes to get you to change your perception of it into something more positive.

You don’t need any fancy equipment, or any equipment at all to get started. Go for a walk around the block, climb up and down the stairs an extra time, run in place, lift large soup cans, work in the garden, anything and everything that is extra movement will burn extra calories. Even if you only burn a few, they will add up over time. Of course you can always jog, go to the gym or join a local amateur sports team if you like. Whatever you enjoy doing is fair game.

The final tip is to try to keep moving. At any given moment during the day you should be engaged in some kind of movement. Even something as inconsequential as twiddling your thumbs or tapping your foot. Sure, people may think you’re nervous about something. But, remember, you don’t care what they think anyway…you’ve got weight to lose! You can do it!

Tags: Appointment, Attitude, Calories, Diet Breakthrough, Exercise Plan, Fancy Equipment, Flab, Guess, Healthy Diet, Lose Weight, Losing Weight, Metabolism, Mirror, Negative Images, Peek, Somethin, Torture, Victory, Word Diet —