In the ongoing quest to get rid of belly fat and achieve a tight and toned midsection, thousands of discouraged dieters and fitness enthusiasts turn to liposuction as a way to banish those extra pounds.

Liposuction and other fat removal procedures can help you get rid of love handles or a stomach pooch, and some researchers suggest that a tighter waistline can also improve your health. 

But is a surgical procedure your only option for getting rid of belly fat, or is there a diet program or fitness regiment that can tighten and tone your waistline instead? If you’re searching for a way to slim down that midsection, a closer look at your options may help you make the right decision:  

Flat Abs with Abdominal Liposuction – What’s Really Involved

Abdominal liposuction has become one of the most popular fat removal procedures for both men and women, and is a simple way to target stubborn fatty deposits.  Your plastic surgeon will make a small incision in the abdomen and dissolve and extract the fat from the body.  There are now several methods and procedures available to break down and remove the fat from the body, and in most cases, side effects include mild bruising and swelling.     

Flat Abs with Your Diet

A well-balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight, but some people still struggle with extra weight around the waistline.  DiseaseProof.com reports that ‘the combination of fat and refined carbohydrates has an extremely powerful effect on driving the signals that promote fat accumulation on the body.” If your genetic disposition naturally causes fat accumulation around the waistline, the types of foods you eat each day could be sabotaging your goals. In his book, The Abs Diet (2004) David Zinczenko encourages people to follow an eating plan based on the 12 ‘Powerfoods’. The diet plan is a combination of whole grains, lean protein, fruits and vegetables that may reduce the risk of belly fat accumulation, according to his research. 

Food choices from The Abs Diet include:  

• Instant oatmeal
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
• Beans and legumes
• Almonds
• Whole-grain bread
• Turkey and other lean meats
• Raspberries  

Incorporating all of these foods into a weekly diet plan may be the first step towards weight loss and better health overall. Still, the author suggests a fitness program in conjunction with the diet is necessary to achieve lasting results.  

Flat Abs with Exercise – Is it Just a Myth?

Ab machines at the gym, the mantra of fitness gurus to add crunches to your daily routine, and infomercials promising the latest ‘ab solution’ may have you convinced that an exercise routine is all you need to get that six-pack. However, fitness experts explain that losing belly fat isn’t a result of toning or tightening that mid-section at all. If you want to reduce body fat around the waist, a combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training, and eating a healthy diet are the real keys to success. Abdominal training machines can strengthen and tone your muscles, but will not necessarily get rid of belly fat says Dr. Gabe Mirkin, MD, author of The Healthy Heart Miracle (Source:  drmirkin.com).

Excess abdominal fat is a stubborn problem for men and women of all ages, and a healthy diet combined with a well-rounded exercise routine can help reduce body fat overall. Still, abdominal liposuction and other fat removal procedures offer permanent solutions for toning down that waistline and achieving an optimal figure.  

Learn more about abdominal liposuction and other fat removal procedures in our information guide, or consult with a plastic surgeon in your area who can recommend the right procedure for your needs. When diet and exercise aren’t getting the results you need, liposuction or other plastic surgery procedures may be a valuable long-term solution.