How to Get a Flat Tummy. Let’s Break Down Your Options:

If you are like many people, you may wonder how to get a flat tummy. Most people admire and desire a lean torso, toned-looking abdominal muscles, and a sculpted waistline.

When it comes to improving the appearance of your waistline, there is a wide range of options, including the classic diet and exercise. In addition, non-invasive cosmetic procedures like CoolSculpting® and CoolTone™ can further enhance and improve your hard work in the gym. Finally, cosmetic surgical procedures like liposuction and abdominoplasty can help with stubborn body fat that won’t shift through diet and exercise.

This article isn’t a substitute for advice from a cosmetic professional or plastic surgeon. The information is an overview of a few key techniques to help you get started with your research. Talking with a professional is the best way to navigate these intimate decisions and identify the best cosmetic procedures for your needs, lifestyle, and budget.

Strategies and Procedures for a Flatter Tummy

Today, there are more options than ever before for people who want to improve their appearance and physique. This overview includes a range of non-surgical and surgical cosmetic procedures.

Diet and Exercise

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Great abs start in the kitchen?” There is some truth to it since you can have strong abdominal muscles, but they will not look lean and defined if a layer of fat covers those abs. A lean midriff is an essential ingredient to a flat tummy.

Through dieting and nutrition, aim to reach your ideal weight range. You may need to reach the leaner end of your healthy range depending on your body type. Even if you opt for cosmetic procedures, most work best for people within 20 pounds of their ideal weight.

Good posture is also important since slouchy posture can make the belly look “poachier.” Strong core muscles, including the abs and back muscles, make good posture easier to maintain. Mind-body and technique-oriented exercises like dance, Pilates, and yoga help improve body awareness and develop the muscles involved in good posture.

Strategic use of strength training and aerobic exercise can support your weight loss goals, boost your metabolism and develop your muscles. Some people achieve a “flat tummy” by reaching their optimum weight and developing strong abdominal and back muscles.

Unfortunately, you can’t “spot reduce” through diet and exercise—genetics and hormones influence where your body retains and releases fat. Many people can reach their ideal weight, maintain great posture, and develop a strong core, yet they still have some roundness in their belly.

If your belly naturally retains more fat than you prefer, a couple of cosmetic procedures can also help.

CoolSculpting®

You can “spot reduce” with the help of CoolSculpting®. CoolSculpting® is an FDA-approved non-surgical cosmetic procedure that freezes and eliminates unwanted fat cells. The process permanently eliminates the fat cells, though it is still possible to gain weight and, along with it, new body fat, so weight management is key to maintaining the results.

CoolSculpting® is often used to decrease abdominal fat. It is less expensive and less invasive than liposuction but may not remove quite as much fat. The treatment kills around 20%-25% of fat cells within the treated area. Depending on your goals, you may want a course of two or three treatments.

CoolTone™

CoolTone™ is a cosmetic procedure that tones and strengthens targeted muscles. CoolTone™ is FDA-cleared to tone abdominal muscles and muscles elsewhere in the body.

CoolTone™ uses “Active Magnetic Pulse” to contract and strengthen the muscles. While you may strengthen your muscles through exercise, some muscle groups may lag or not gain strength as quickly as you would like. CoolTone™ speeds up the process.

It is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure.

Liposuction

Liposuction is another cosmetic procedure that helps you “spot reduce” by removing unwanted fat in specific body areas. Unlike CoolSculpting®, liposuction is a surgical procedure.

A surgeon inserts a saline solution through a cannula during an liposuction procedure and sucks the fat out. A liposuction cannula resembles a hypodermic needle and is tiny with an inside diameter of less than 2.2 mm.

The fat removal is highly targeted, so it addresses stubborn fat that diet and exercise cannot specifically target. Although the fat cells are permanently removed, the patient may still gain new body fat from overeating.

Lipo 360

Lipo 360 is a variation of liposuction where fat is removed from all around the midriff area, including the belly, waist, hips, and lower back. The results are a tighter-looking, more sculpted waist, and a flat tummy.

You may be a good candidate for liposuction, including Lipo 360, if:

• You are within 20 pounds of your ideal body weight.
• You are happy with your skin tone and don’t have saggy or excess skin around your abdomen.
• You just want to remove stubborn body fat where you naturally retain a little extra.

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure to remove excess fat and excess skin.

During the process, a surgeon makes a horizontal incision between the naval and public area around the “bikini area.” The surgeon removes excess fat and skin, then repairs the abdominal muscles and stitches them together. The result is a flatter-looking tummy. People also seek a tummy tuck for diastasis rectus repair.

An abdominoplasty is also an attractive option for people who have experienced a fast, significant weight loss through diet or surgery. Often the skin isn’t elastic enough to keep up with fast weight loss, so people often end up with excess loose skin that hides their results. During a tummy tuck, excess skin is removed, leaving tighter-looking skin, revealing the new muscle tone.

Next Step: Schedule a Consultation

Each of these procedures is ideal for some people but not others. Schedule a consultation to learn more about your options and to help you decide which might be right for you.