Gastric sleeve, liposuction, tummy tuck

As a fitness enthusiast, I always look to surgical procedures as a last resort before committing to diet and exercise but to avoid being narrow minded and never accepting the possibility that somebody might actually need it, I chose to do some research on the topic and share my thoughts.

What are they?

For those unfamiliar with the procedures, gastric sleeve is when the surgeon removes a portion of the stomach as well as the part that produces the hormone (ghrelin) that increases your appetite and seals it off to form a smaller, sleeve-like/banana shape stomach. Due to the removal of the hormone producer and smaller size of the stomach, patients tend to lose weight over time (60–70%) of their weight in the first 12–18 months, which in turn allows the body to slowly adjust from the fat loss rather than losing lots of weight and dealing with excess skin.

Talking about excess skin, a tummy tuck is a cosmetic procedure in which the surgeon removes excess skin, fat, and stretch marks from the abdomen and tightens with a suture. Areas of focus are usually around the lower abdominal/belly button area. The procedure is super common for anyone dealing with stubborn belly fat from pregnancy, significant weight changes, aging, etc.

Liposuction is the surgical procedure in which fat is removed from areas such as the belly, thighs, buttocks, back, arms, face, or hips and can be followed by tummy tucks or other surgical procedures.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’re familiar with those, I understand if people want to undergo those procedures. Working out and dieting doesn’t have the same results for everyone, especially if there are other underlying conditions. I want you to understand that these aren’t a get fit quick scheme. Some people might need these procedures to jumpstart their journey to a healthy lifestyle and they shouldn’t be frowned upon for that. At the end of the day, we all need to start our fitness journey one way or another. I imagine most people coming out from the procedures looking great and feeling good about themselves and through that, have the motivation to maintain their fabulous look. If that’s what it takes, then I support it 100%.