Each person’s body type is unique, which means there are many ways of achieving a desired look. If you have the tendency to store fat disproportionately on the stomach, you likely may benefit from cosmetic surgery, such as a tummy tuck. The Philadelphia area’s Dr. Scott Chapin provides abdominoplasty (tummy tuck surgery) for patients who want to reduce excess fat or skin on the stomach or strengthen weakened abdominal muscles, but have been unable to achieve those results despite a healthy lifestyle.

He explains that in addition to fat on the front of the abdomen, patients are also often concerned about excess, resistant fat on their flanks or sides and lower back as well. One of the main body insecurities plenty of patients have is a “muffin top”—a slang term for fat on the lower belly, hips, and lower back that accumulates and spills out over the waistband of jeans at the front, sides, or back of your pants. Some people refer to this type of fat as “love handles” if it sits primarily on the flanks. No matter the specifics, the excess fat can affect your wardrobe choices, and many individuals are also bothered by the way it makes them look when exposed.

The culprit behind the problem is subcutaneous fat, which is the soft, pinchable and sits directly beneath the skin. This is the type of fat that is most abundant on the body, and it is notoriously difficult to burn—as opposed to hard, visceral belly fat that is metabolically active and usually easier to reduce through changes to the diet and exercising more.

With all of this in mind, a question many plastic surgeons get asked, “What form of plastic surgery will be best to slim down a muffin top?” The answer depends on what’s causing your excess bulk, but the best treatments to tackle this area are usually tummy tucks and liposuction.

Liposuction is ideal if you have some stubborn deposits of fat on the hips, waistline, and belly area, especially if this fat isn’t responding to exercise or dietary changes. 

On the other hand, if your bulges are caused by stretched, loose skin combined with fat or possibly loose abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck can address all of those concerns at the same time.

Patients can also have their tummy tuck combined with liposuction to optimize results if they want a more sculpted abdominal area, sides, and back—and to feel more confident in their skin.

In addition to cosmetic surgery, you can also use these other tips and tricks to slim down this area of the body and reduce a muffin top. 

Focus on Overall Health

Fixating on that one area of the body won’t usually be helpful. We can’t “spot reduce” fat from specific areas of the body without cosmetic surgery, because when we lose weight through a calorie deficit, we lose it evenly all over the body, so there’s no guarantee that your muffin top will get proportionately smaller. Not to mention, since a muffin top is mainly caused by fat accumulation, exercises that build the abdominal muscles won’t have a significant effect on the flanks. There aren’t any exercises that trim muffin top fat, but you can focus on the body as a whole. Reducing calories moderately, consuming more protein, and avoiding “hidden” sugar in foods can help get you into good shape. 

Strengthen Your Entire Core

As mentioned before, strengthening muscles won’t make a muffin top go away, but it will make your core area look better overall. It’s important to think of your abdominal area as 360 degrees around your body instead of just the front. Include more twisting exercises that work the obliques, glutes, and lower back into your routine, such as twisting mountain climbers, hip bridges, superman lifts, and cable trunk rotations. As muscles strengthen, you will likely find that increased activity to burn calories is easier and you carry yourself with better posture, which helps to give you an overall slimmer look.

The team at Chapin Aesthetics can answer more questions you have about liposuction, tummy tucks, and sculpting the belly area, flanks, and other parts of the body. Call 267.880.0810 or submit a contact form to request a consultation if you would like to meet with a plastic surgeon.