Three contouring options for your post-quarantine body

You have learned how to make a sourdough starter, you are eating cake for breakfast and your local gym is shut down, so no workouts for you. While you may have heard about the "freshman 15" when you were in college, the "quarantine 15" is the same idea.

Reports from physicians across the country are showing that quarantine orders have contributed to changes in dietary and exercise habits and are causing people to gain weight. If quarantine has been hard on you, there's still plenty of time to get in shape in 2021, and some body contouring options that can help you feel your best in what we all hope is a more joyous and satisfying post-COVID world.

Change your dietary and exercise habits

Before considering any body contouring procedures, you want to break your quarantine habits. Get back to eating healthy and start a regular exercise routine. Even if restrictions are keeping your gym doors closed, you can get out for a daily walk or start an online exercise program you can do from home. Getting back into a healthy routine will help you lose any additional pounds, as well as help your body contouring results last longer.

Top three body contouring options

Body contouring, or body sculpting, involves surgical and non-surgical procedures that address the changes to your body after weight loss. This can include sagging abdominal skin, stubborn fat that resists dietary changes and exercise, as well as altering the shape of breasts. There are three body sculpting procedures in particular that can be ideal for addressing the quarantine 15 and giving you back the look you want.

Liposuction

Liposuction is a body contouring procedure that targets pockets of stubborn fat that refuse to drop no matter how many crunches you do. While lipo is not designed for weight loss, it is an ideal body contouring procedure for someone close to their ideal body weight and looking to remove unwanted fat. Liposuction is not limited to the abdominal area and can target fat in the thighs, hips and buttocks, upper arms, back, inner knees, chest, calves and ankles.

For your lipo procedure, you can expect to receive anesthesia. Your surgeon inserts a thin cannula through a small incision to loosen the excess fat. Once broken up, this fat is suctioned out of the body. After your procedure, you will likely wear a compression garment to help reduce swelling and compress your skin to the new contours created. While you may notice some immediate results, it can take several months for all the swelling to subside and your final results to show. Your liposuction results can be long-lasting if you maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.

Tummy tuck

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a surgical procedure that addresses sagging skin, weak muscles and pockets of fat in the abdominal area. With traditional tummy tucks, you leave the hospital with a drain in place to remove excess fluids that build up. A drainless tummy tuck avoids your body's lymphatic system, enabling you to naturally drain this fluid after your tummy tuck. In many cases, a drainless tummy tuck will also include liposuction.

With a tummy tuck, you can expect to take at least 2 weeks off from school or work for your recovery, but if you are working from home during quarantine, this is the perfect time. Once your swelling and tightness subside, you will see a flatter and firmer waistline and the body contours you were looking for. Just keep eating healthy and following a regular exercise routine and you can enjoy that slimmer waistline for years to come.

Mommy makeover

If you really want to address body changes and give yourself some new contours, a full mommy makeover may be the way to go. This personalized surgery combines a variety of different body contouring procedures, such as a tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, breast lift, and/or breast reduction. Your surgeon will discuss your goals and help you determine which procedures to include in your mommy makeover. Recovery times for a mommy makeover will vary depending on your general health and which procedures you include.

Good candidates for a mommy makeover will have completed their family with no plans for additional children, as childbirth could undo all the work your plastic surgeon does. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise program helps you keep your results for years to come.

Get your post-quarantine body ready for 2021

If the quarantine 15 has you stressed, now's the time to come up with a good plan to tone up and take charge of a more positive body image in the new year.