Diet After a Tummy Tuck

One of the biggest factors to consider when making the decision to move forward with a cosmetic procedure such as a tummy tuck is the recovery process. Taking proper care of yourself after any surgery is essential for proper healing. In the case of a cosmetic surgery, how you take care of yourself can also affect the final results.

What we put into our bodies in the postoperative periods is a major factor in recovery that can be easily overlooked, but contributes to the final results and success of surgery. Many patients want to know if there is a special diet that should be followed after a tummy tuck procedure to keep or improve their results. The simple answer is that dieting after any surgical procedure is not a good idea!

Other than continuing with a typical healthy diet, there is no “special diet” for tummy tuck patients. Depriving your body of vital calories can slow the healing process, and as always, getting too many calories will still cause you to gain weight just like it would before the surgery. Eating a healthy, properly balanced diet is essential for a timely recovery.

That being said, there are many foods that help the body during healing process. “Whole” foods (or unprocessed foods) are going to be much better for you during your surgical recovery. For instance eating a baked potato is going to be much better for you then having french fries. The baked potato is in its natural form without additional processing. Another example would be to eat an orange rather than drink orange juice.

Foods to Eat After Your Tummy Tuck

Here are some other great examples of foods that will help promote healing after a cosmetic surgery procedure:

• HIGH FIBER FOODS: Foods such as whole grain bread, fruits, vegetables, and certain cereals (check the labels) are great foods for after a surgery. Not only is fiber a healthy part of any diet, fiber helps prevent constipation which can often be a common side effect of surgery.
• LEAN PROTEIN: Protein is essential to the human body and lean proteins such as chicken, fish, turkey, and pork are great foods to provide energy and assist in the healing process. Avoid red meat. Red meat (such as steak) has protein but also has high levels of saturated fat and can contribute to constipation. If you are avoid meat, nuts, tofu, beans, and other vegetarian foods can provide with the necessary protein you’ll need.
• WHOLE GRAINS: Whole grains offer essential vitamins and minerals in addition to their fiber content. Choosing whole grain options over their refined “white” alternatives (such as bread and rice) can help assist you during your recovery process.
• WATER, WATER, WATER: It may seem like this goes without saying but many of us do not get enough water in a day. Water is one of the biggest things that help keep the human body going and it also has the wonderful side effect of flushing toxins from our body, which is great for the healing process. Drink lots and lots of water!

If you are finding yourself struggling to eat all your calories during the day, make snacking part of your recovery process. Small bites here and there can add up quickly. Not getting enough calories can slow the healing process.

To ensure the best possible results, make sure to treat your body right and give it the nutrients it needs. Don’t restrict yourself and don’t go overboard, and you’ll have a faster, easier recovery!