So, you are happy to be in good shape after liposuction  !You have got a new wardrobe and you are ready to flaunt your figure. But do you sometimes wonder if its going to last? Is fat going to come back?

Its common to hear things like – so and so eats a lot but does not put on weight, whereas I am forever on diet but do not lose weight. Whenever I have studied the lifestyle of slim people who do not diet, I found that they eat mostly at home and do not have taste for high calorie food like sweets, fried stuff , hotel food. They also tend to eat smaller quantities at a time. These people also tend to be active, even though they may not be actually setting aside time for exercise.

On the other hand overweight people, even though conscious about their weight and food intake, tend to overeat in terms of calories. They may diet for half a day but will take something extra high in calories towards evening . Or they will eat outside and the calorie count jumps. Overall they tend to consume more calories and fat/ sugar rich food. Since these habits are usually formed early in life these people have no idea how little the body actually needs. Its like how a rich man who spends Rs.5000/- for a dinner with family can not imagine how working class people can survive the whole month on that money and still be healthy. The whole mindset needs modification, and a good starting point is to actually begin counting the calories and stay within limits.

One hour of vigorous - say on treadmill or brisk walking is bare minimum need for people who hold desk jobs and for housewives who use servants. This is enough to maintain weight if your calorie count is right. Exercise alone without diet control will not help.

Its time to revise the basics and use the common sense. If you were within healthy weight range before liposuction and had the liposuction done just to improve your shape by removing some odd bulges- you don’t need to do anything special. Your food intake and energy expenditure was balanced to begin with. So just continue as usual and enjoy your good figure.

If you were 4-5 kgs overweight ,but maintaining at the same level 1 year prior to liposuction, you are likely to maintain the results if you continue with same diet and activity.

If you were say, 10 kilos overweight before liposuction, and your weight was not stable before surgery. Also you find it hard to count calories and you are too busy to exercise- then common sense dictates that you are at risk of putting on the weight again, unless you change your lifestyle. If you opted for liposuction because you did not have enough time to lose weight on your own, say before your engagement then at least change your lifestyle after liposuction.

So all of you who are worried about putting on weight after liposuction, here are some practical tips:

• Buy a book containing calorie count of common foods and count your calories everyday- till its imprinted    on your mind.
• At least half the quantity of food you consume should be fresh/boiled vegetables and fruit. You can   substitute one whole meal with these if you like.
• Buy low fat cookbook or gift that book to your mother/wife.
• Pack home cooked food.
• Limit eating outside to once a week.
• Find time for exercise. Join a gym if you have the starting trouble then you can do it on your own once   the habit has set in.
• Remember, developing obesity is a result of longstanding lifestyle defects. By making exercise and healthy eating an essential part of your daily living you can not only maintain but also improve on the results you got from liposuction.