If you’re considering getting a breast reduction and also planning to lose weight, you might be wondering which should come first, and understandably so. Very large breasts can make exercise and even exercise clothing uncomfortable, making it difficult to achieve fitness goals before breast reduction surgery.
On the other hand, you also want to get the most out of your breast reduction procedure. So which should come first: breast reduction or weight loss?
Aim to Get Close to Your Target Weight First
In most cases, our plastic surgeons recommend coming as close as you can to your target weight before a procedure like breast reduction. This is because losing a significant amount of weight after your surgery can result in volume loss and therefore loose skin in the breasts, which may require an additional procedure depending on the severity of the skin laxity.
By losing weight first, your plastic surgeon will be able to customize your breast reduction surgery based on your target weight to achieve long-lasting results that will remain in proportion and balance with the rest of your body.
Tips for Losing Weight Before Breast Reduction
That said, we understand that exercising with overly large breasts can pose some unique challenges, often making it difficult for women to achieve their weight loss goals before breast reduction surgery. A few tips to consider to help make weight loss easier include:
- Opting for low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, cycling or Pilates. These exercises put less strain on your back, shoulders and joints than high-impact exercises like running, jumping rope or HIIT exercises.
- Putting a greater emphasis on diet vs. exercise. Eating the right balance of nutrients and mastering portion control can do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to losing weight. So if exercise is uncomfortable, focus on consistently eating a healthy, balanced diet. Movement of any kind is beneficial to your body and mind, but you don’t need to run off weight – diet changes can have a profound impact.
- Consider a medically-supervised weight loss program that combines weight loss medications with nutritional recommendations and professional monitoring and goal tracking. Now for a limited time, patients who sign up for our medical weight management program for 6 months or more can save 20% on post-weight-loss plastic surgery, such as breast reduction and other procedures, with Dr. Drew Davis.
Getting Started with Breast Reduction Surgery
If you are struggling to lose weight and that is keeping you from moving forward with a life-changing procedure like breast reduction, please call our Folsom office at 916-983-9895 or get in touch online. Many women are under the impression that they need to wait until they’ve already hit their weight loss goals before scheduling a consultation for a breast reduction, but this is not the case.
In fact, it can be helpful for both you and your surgeon to discuss weight loss goals and timelines so you know exactly what to expect and plan for. Your consultation can also serve as an excellent opportunity to discuss weight loss challenges and obstacles with your surgeon and to see if medically-supervised weight management could be a good fit for you.
