For some people who have lost a significant amount of weight, there remains stubborn abdominal fat that seems unresponsive to improved diet and exercise. In extreme cases, this area can feel heavier and make exercise more difficult. There are several strategies you can use to shed abdominal fat.
Try A Different Approach
Experimenting with your diet and exercise might be the key to shedding abdominal fat. If you lost the bulk of your weight using calorie restriction and cardio, it might be time to try alternative methods. For example, some people eat low-carb, especially since abdominal obesity is generally considered to be an indicator of insulin resistance. Since many types of carbs tend to spike insulin levels dramatically, reducing your overall carbs or only eating complex carbs might help moderate insulin levels. Some carbs you might want to eliminate include white potatoes, white rice, and sugar. You can eat non-starchy vegetables for your carb intake. Slower digesting carbs, such as sweet potatoes and steel-cut oats, might be incorporated in moderation. When working out, try to focus more on strength training by lifting heavier weights and focus less on cardio.
Consider Surgery
There are many factors that will influence whether a plastic surgeon will perform a panniculectomy. This surgery involves removing skin and fat from the lower abdomen and is less invasive than a "tummy tuck" where the underlying muscle is also tightened. Some surgeons might agree to perform the procedure if your remaining abdominal area is disproportionately larger than the rest of your body and you have not made further progress with diet and exercise. This is often considered a purely cosmetic procedure, even if you have a history of problems, such as rashes, caused by excess skin and fat in a single area. In this case, your insurance will not cover the procedure and you will have the pay for the procedure purely out-of-pocket.
Coolsculpting
Coolsculpting is a body contouring tool that can help remove fat in a specific area, especially when a healthy lifestyle has not helped. Unlike liposuction, which often has a lengthy recovery period, Coolsculpting has no down time. The targeted area is slightly pulling into a suctioning device and cooled to help encourage the death of subcutaneous fat cells. Since the results are not immediate, it might take months to see the full benefits. As the fat cells die, your body will eliminate them as waste. This type of procedure will not help loose skin, but it will help remove stubborn fat that might be weighing you down. You might also find your abdomen hangs down less when more fat is removed from the area, making exercise easier and skin irritation less of a concern. Since this non-invasive procedure will be less expensive than surgery, it might be easier to pay out-of-pocket.
For some people who have lost a significant amount of weight, their victory can be short-lived when they must contend with stubborn areas of fat. A combination of strategies might help you gain the abdominal region that matches the rest of your body. Are you ready to transform your body? Contact a business such as Countryside Dermatology & Laser Center.
