Can I Get a Flat Stomach Without Dieting?
Most people feel a desire to gain a flatter, more toned belly in order to enhance their silhouette and boost confidence, especially after pregnancy, weight changes, or the effects of aging. Unfortunately, the factors that often cause the stomach to bulge outward — such as reduced skin elasticity, stubborn fat buildup, and stretched out musculature — are not corrected with dieting and exercise alone. For this reason, Santa Barbara plastic surgeon Wesley Schooler, MD offers effective solutions for addressing exercise-resistant fat, loose skin, and weakened muscles that can’t be improved through a healthy lifestyle alone.
Subcutaneous Fat vs. Visceral Fat: Understanding the Difference
Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat are two distinct types of body fat — each of which differ in their location, function, and impact on one’s health. Subcutaneous fat lies just beneath the skin’s surface and is known as the soft, pinchable fat in areas like the abdomen, thighs, and arms. It serves as insulation and energy storage. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is stored deeper within the abdominal cavity, surrounding internal organs such as the liver, intestines, and pancreas. While subcutaneous fat can be removed through cosmetic procedures like liposuction, visceral fat typically requires lifestyle changes, such as an improved diet and regular exercise, to reduce. Understanding the difference between these two types of fat is important when considering the most effective body contouring treatments to flatten your stomach.
Treatments to Flatten the Belly
Surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures can be tailored to give you a smoother, slimmer, and more sculpted abdominal profile within the context of your individual goals. At Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center, options include:
- Tummy Tuck: Over time, factors like pregnancy, weight changes, or aging can stretch the skin and separate the abdominal muscles, leading to a protruding or sagging belly. During a tummy tuck, Dr. Schooler repairs and tightens these muscles, trims away loose skin, and may also reposition the belly button for a more natural look. The result is a firmer, flatter, and more toned abdominal profile. While not a weight loss procedure, a tummy tuck can significantly enhance your body contour, especially when combined with liposuction.
- Liposuction: Liposuction helps flatten the belly by removing stubborn fat deposits from beneath the skin. It specifically targets areas of fat that are resistant to dieting and exercise, especially around the lower abdomen, flanks, and waistline. During the procedure, a surgeon inserts a thin tube called a cannula through small incisions to break up and suction out excess fat, resulting in a slimmer and more contoured look. Unlike a tummy tuck, liposuction does not remove loose skin or tighten muscles, but it can be highly effective for patients with good skin elasticity who are looking to reduce localized fat and achieve a flatter belly.
- Mommy Makeover: For many patients, a dual approach to achieve both skin tightening and fat reduction can be ideal. More often than not, the belly bulges outward due to a combination of loose, crepey skin and excess fat. A Mommy Makeover offers an all-encompassing solution to address the skin, fat, and underlying musculature for a total transformation of your body contours. Needless to say, this treatment option can be very popular for Santa Barbara patients who want to improve changes caused by pregnancy and major weight loss.
- BodyTite®: While non-surgical treatments cannot achieve a dramatic transformation in your body contours, BodyTite® can be an effective minimally invasive approach to tightening loose abdominal skin. Treatment can also help reduce excess fat deposits in the belly, providing more comprehensive enhancement when compared to other non-surgical technologies. Dr. Schooler is among the only plastic surgeons in the Santa Barbara region who offers RF skin tightening and fat reduction with BodyTite®.
Body contouring procedures can be essential in mitigating the cosmetic effects of pregnancy, weight gain, and breastfeeding as you age. For more information on developing a custom treatment plan curated to achieve your desired results, don’t hesitate to contact our Santa Barbara practice today.