Tummy Tuck Talk!

Episode 8: Are You Truly Ready for a Tummy Tuck? What You Need to Know...

• Munira Hudani

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In this episode, we’re asking one of the most important — and often overlooked — questions before surgery: Are you really ready for a tummy tuck? Readiness isn’t just about picking a surgeon or saving up money. It’s about being mentally, physically, logistically, and emotionally prepared for what’s ahead.

We break down the four key areas of readiness to help you make an informed, confident decision about when the timing is truly right. This conversation will help you slow down, self-assess, and make choices that set you up for a smoother recovery and more satisfying results.

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

✨ The difference between wanting to feel better vs. expecting perfection — and why that distinction matters. 

✨ How to assess your mental readiness — identifying motivations, expectations, and potential emotional triggers. 

✨ What physical readiness looks like — from general strength to core strength to overall health and recovery capacity. 

✨ The logistical realities you need to plan for — support systems, childcare, work time off, and realistic healing time. 

✨ How to manage the emotional side of recovery — when comparison, regret, or impatience show up.

Readiness is about more than checking boxes — it’s about setting yourself up to thrive before, during, and after surgery. With reflection, preparation, and support, you can walk into this experience feeling grounded and confident in your decision.

Resources Mentioned: 

✨ Free Readiness Checklist — your complete guide to assessing mental, physical, emotional, and logistical readiness. Click here to download. 

✨ Tummy Tuck Core Rehab Program — rebuild strength and mobility safely post-op: https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/tummy-tuck-core-rehab 

✨ YouTube Video: What to Ask During Consultations — how to spot red flags and find the right surgeon: [Watch Here] 

✨ Follow @sulinu.nutrition for nutrition strategies to support your recovery.

Thanks for listening! 

— Munira & Lisa

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Lisa:

Welcome to Tummy Tuck talk. There's a lot. That goes into the decision to get a tummy tuck. One of the biggest questions we hear is, how do I know if I'm actually ready for it? Because let's be honest, it's not just about wanting flatter abs or tighter skin. There's a full spectrum of considerations that go into making this decision. And being ready means more than just booking a surgery date. To help you figure that out, we've broken the idea of readiness into three key categories. In this episode, we'll talk you through specific thoughtful questions to help you reflect and assess whether you are mentally ready, physically ready, and logistically ready. If you stick around until the end, we've got a bonus category that often gets overlooked, but it's just as important as the rest. By the time you finish this episode, you'll have a much clearer sense of what it really takes to prepare for this surgery, and whether now is the right time for you. Grab a coffee, get cozy, and let's dive in. Hi, I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer, pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a former tummy tuck patient.

Munira:

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist with a specialized interest in diastasis rectus abdominis and post op recovery. Together, we are bringing you the first podcast specifically on tummy tucks that takes you beyond the surgery table, giving you the real unfiltered truth about tummy tuck recovery, rehab, and returning to fitness with confidence.

Lisa:

Before we dive in just a quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Munira:

We are here to break down what no one else is talking about from navigating the highs and lows of recovery to practical tips for healing movement and feeling like yourself again. Whether you're preparing for surgery Or are deep in recovery. We've got you covered.

Lisa:

This is Tummy Tuck Talk! Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk, the podcast where aesthetics meet function, and fitness, and we explore how to get the most out of your tummy tuck journey. If this is your first time joining us, we're excited to have you here. And if you tune in before, welcome back. I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFitter and a pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and tummy tuck patient. Back in 2019, I had my surgery and let me tell you, there was so much I didn't know about recovery. Now I'm here to share the real deal, what works, what doesn't, and how to get back to doing the things you love safely and confidently.

Munira:

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist who helps patients rebuild their strength, function, and confidence after the surgery Together, Lisa and I are here to empower you with practical advice and clear guidance for every stage of your tummy tuck recovery.

Lisa:

Today we're diving into some big questions that women often ask themselves when considering the surgery, when is the right time to get surgery, and how do I know if I'm ready for surgery? So in this episode, we're unpacking exactly what you need to know to answer these big questions. Are you ready mentally? Are you ready physically? And are you ready logistically. We will explore what it takes to prepare for this surgery and be ready for all facets of the tummy tuck process. These are big questions, and honestly could be podcasts all on their own, but we wanted to put it all in one place as this is a conversation we have with our clients on a daily basis when they're not sure if it's the right time for them to go under the knife. So if you wanna feel empowered and more informed about the right time to get tummy tuck surgery, this episode is for you. So let's dive in.

Munira:

Okay. That was the perfect, I guess intro for this topic, Lisa. So when we're talking about being ready for surgery, we're not just talking about booking a date and showing up. Okay. Readiness goes deeper and it starts. Really, it starts with your mindset around the whole thing. And so some of the things we're gonna cover today, you may not have thought about and you may not have considered as part of your decision making process, but that's what we hope that you will, um, benefit from listening from this episode. So the first area we want to explore here is mental readiness. Again, this is a big one. So it's about doing the emotional and psychological work before surgery so that you're prepared for what comes afterwards'cause it may not be what you expect. There's a lot to unpack here. And so instead of just throwing a bunch of information at you, we thought it would be a bit more helpful to walk you through a series of questions that you can kind of reflect upon and get clarity on. And then we'll summarize all of these again at the end of the episode, so you don't have to just remember everything right now. Let's say if you're listening in the car or if you're kind of doing errands at the same time, you can. Either skip to the end of the episode when you're listening on replay, or we've also created a free PDF download that will guide you through these questions as well. So you'll have it in front of you, um, and you could just follow those questions and kind of work through this process to really know if you're ready for the surgery. You'll find that in our show notes. Okay, so let's kick this off with one of the most important questions we ask our clients or we tell our clients to ask themselves. The question is, do I really know why I want this surgery. So what is the driving force behind this decision? What is your, why have you actually sat down to get crystal clear on your motivation on getting the surgery? Generally, the motivation here boils down to two specific categories. Aesthetics and function. So aesthetics, meaning you don't like the way your stomach looks and functional reasons might be um, you, your core is contributing to your inability to perform certain activities or exercise, or you might be having areas of pain in your body that you believe are due to your core. And so getting the surgery may help with that. Okay, so what I like to do with my patients and clients is I like to have them. I like to ask them, and I want you to do this too, as you're listening, on a scale of one to a hundred, where one means not at all and a hundred means completely, how much of your motivation for getting the surgery is based on aesthetics. Okay? So just choose your number from one to a hundred and keep that in your mind. And then repeat this for function. How much of your motivation for getting the surgery is based on a function, whether that's you wanting to feel stronger in your core, you wanting to be able to do a certain activity, or reducing pain and discomfort in your body. Okay, so these are two separate categories, so they don't have to add up to a hundred, but each of them should have their own number from one to a hundred. So, doing this exercise, you might be thinking, okay, well why do I need to do this? Um, it's easy to just sort of skip over, but when you put numbers to what you're thinking about and, and when you're making decisions, it just helps you understand what you're doing, why you're doing it, especially if it's a, a very expensive surgery. And also because it just takes a lot of, um, preparation and recovery is not easy. So understanding why you're doing it can really help be motivation for you even afterwards in your recovery mode. Everyone's reasons are different. Generally, most people have aesthetic goals and some people have aesthetic and functional goals, but how important each one of these are to each person, it, that is what varies. So do this exercise to get clear on what's important for you and what your specific motivations are. It's also important because it can guide your expectations for afterwards and it can guide your recovery as well. So what I mean by this is if returning to long distance running is a primary reason for you to get the surgery, it's something that you can't really do right now and you feel like it's linked to your core, then recovery afterwards can be tailored to doing all the things that are necessary to build back your core and build back your body to be able to being able to run. So it's important to make that clear in your mind. So also, just going back to aesthetics for a second, there are things you can do, again, if you know in advance your primary reason for, um, getting the surgery as aesthetics, well then this will tailor what you're doing post-op, and you may be looking more into things like scar care, core strengthening, nutrition, things that can support the aesthetic component and help preserve all of that. Now another category here, it doesn't necessarily fall into aesthetics, but it might fall in more into the function, or we could just keep it separate as well, is getting the surgery because you have a hernia, you've been diagnosed with a hernia. So this is not an uncommon thing that we see in those that have diastasis. Um, but we think it's important that you're not rushing in to get a tummy tuck because of the hernia. There are kind of several reasons why getting a surgery for the hernia makes sense earlier rather than later. We'll talk about that in a, in a different episode, but essentially just know that a hernia on its own, unless it's symptomatic, unless it's giving you a lot of pain or you're noticing it's kind of getting stuck outside of I guess the belly belly button or wherever it happens to be, and you're not able to reduce it back in and it's painful. It's, it's symptomatic. That might be a reason for you to go and get the surgery done in addition to the tummy tuck and doing the both at the same time. So that can guide your decision as well.

Lisa:

Very, very good note. Um, and definitely take your time and like you said, we're gonna do a different, uh, podcast about this, but, and do a lot of research about how to repair the hernia, doing it with the tummy tuck, you know, timing of it all. Um, that's one thing I feel like sometimes people don't really take their time to really look into and kind of rush into one way or another. So really just get some different opinions and collect your data. Um before you make your decision. So going back to aesthetics, it's important to ask yourself this next question. Am I at risk for feeling worse about my body after surgery? First, you may be thinking, what the heck are you people talking about? Why would I feel worse? But this is where you have to feel, be really true to yourself and your personality. We're gonna challenge you a little bit. So do you tend to fixate on little or big imperfections in your body? Do you think the average person would be able to see part of you the same way you do or in your mind, is it more exaggerated? Because even if you do have an ad, abdomen that looks quote unquote better after surgery, right? There might be one particular part of that that you don't like, whether it's the belly button, the scar, or something else about it. So be honest with yourself. Are you prepared for that possibility? Is that something that will really bother you? Going a little further than that, what happens if your abdomen doesn't look at all like you had imagined after this surgery? Not just one part of it, but the whole abdomen. It can happen and some women are shocked by this, but it's real. And even with a great surgeon, the results might not match what's in your head. Your belly might not be totally flat all the time. You may not be okay with the scars, even though they said this is where the scars are gonna be, but then it's this huge scar and you're really struggling with it, or a number of other things. Like we said, the belly button is often something that bothers people. So one particular group of people who might run into this problem more than others are women who are on the fence who feel like I qualify, but I'm not that bad, but I'm not really happy with how I look right now. And then we find they often feel regret or disappointment afterwards all the time. This isn't always true, obviously, like women are often very happy with their surgeries, but it's very important to note here that many of them are not. So you can take your time, make your decisions, interview your surgeons, and really, really think about it. Um, so once you've taken an honest look at your expectations, thought through how you might feel if your results aren't exactly how you envisioned, there's one more critical question that comes next because it's one thing to ask Will I like the way I look? But the bigger, deeper question is, how do I feel about my body right now? So have you learn to appreciate your body, even if you don't love the way that it looks. And this is a tough challenge, guys. Um, I ended up getting there myself, but it took some time. Uh, this is hard because body image struggles are real. If you're still in a place where you hate your body, surgery probably won't fix that. When it's the right time and you're in the right head, space surgery can be amazing, but you have to check in with yourself first, especially mentally. So I really had to rebuild my relationship with my body before surgery, I was bitter. I was angry. I had a huge protruding belly. I was used to being a CrossFit regional level athlete and you know, controlling how I looked and how I worked out and how I did everything. And I didn't love the way I looked. But after getting really strong before surgery, I learned to respect what my body could do. I could do things physically and feel good about them, so I could move. I felt strong and I felt grateful. The mental shift was everything for me because post-surgery things might not look exactly as you pictured. So I ideally want you all to find that better head space that I found before you go into surgery. If you haven't done the mindset work before, things after surgery can end up feeling pretty devastating when you just aren't happy for any number of reasons.

Munira:

Yes, yes. It's so true, and it's. It's because when you're, you might be mentally prepared going in to the surgery, but being post-op is just a whole completely different experience and post-op emotions can catch you off guard. And so that's where there's another question that comes into play here, and the question to ask yourself is, do you have a plan in place to deal with that on an emotional and psychological level? So what Lisa was just talking about is, um, if you've learned to appreciate your body, even if you don't love the way it looks. So afterwards, even before have, do you have a plan in place to get to a, a space mentally and emotionally where you can love your body even if you don't love the way it looks? And as Lisa mentioned, it is possible. So, question, do you have a therapist that you can work with, um, to navigate this if your body isn't perfect after the surgery? So one phrase that we often will tell whoever we're working with is to expect better and not perfect. And this can really help shift your mindset regarding your expectations on what the surgery can do for you. If you just want write it down and you can post it somewhere to just remind you to expect better and not perfect, and that goes for before and afterwards. It can help you with both times in your life. Now, we do wanna just take a moment to say that we want the best for you, okay? We want you to have an amazing surgical outcome, and we want you to have the body that you, I imagined in your mind, and an easy recovery. It's just that after working with so many women who've had the surgery, we think it's important to bring up these issues in advance and because they are real possibilities of what can happen afterwards, and so we believe it's helpful to be informed with this information versus kind of being blindsided afterwards, after you've gone through all of that. So yeah. Going back to these questions, we know that these questions that we're getting you to ask yourself aren't easy, but it does help to go through them in advance and to have a plan in place, um, whether that's journaling or working with a therapist or just kind of using affirmations and written reminders of expecting better or not perfect. We think these types of things will make a huge difference in, in how you experience this tummy tuck journey. So the thing is, we want you to go into this with open eyes and just being grounded. We don't want you to just hope for change, but to just be truly prepared for all the possibilities inside and out.

Lisa:

And that brings us to the next big piece of the puzzle, physical readiness. Because being ready for the surgery isn't just about being ready emotionally, but physically as well. Since your body also needs to be in a good place to go through and recover from surgery. So the first question to ask yourself is, am I at a stable, healthy weight? Not just what the scale says, but how you got there. Did I have to crash diet or do something extreme to hit the number? Or I'm in a place where my eating habits and activity feel balanced and sustainable? Because the thing is, if your weight fluctuates a lot after surgery, especially in the first year, it can absolutely affect the look of your results. You've just invested time, money, energy, and your body in this huge process. If your results start, start to change because of something like weight gain, it can be very frustrating and even devastating to some people. This ties into another important aspect about being physically ready. Are my current nutrition habits supportive of recovery and healing? And even beyond that, do I understand how to use nutrition to help my body heal well after surgery? We have a great resource. Kylie over at Sulinu Nutrition does a phenomenal job. It is amazing. Go follow her account. She offers services, she offers supplements, um, all kinds of things. Check it out. But that would be a good way to educate yourself on what your body really needs to have a, you know, as good of a recovery as you can.

Munira:

Definitely, we will link her Instagram handle down in the show notes as well, so you can look for that there. And then still in the category of physical readiness. Let's move on to the fitness side of things. Okay. So physical readiness isn't just about weight or appearance, it's about your body's ability to, to handle the demands of surgery and the recovery. In those first few weeks, everything is going to be hard getting out of bed, going to the washroom, adjusting yourself in the chair, just repositioning, reaching for something, so you're not gonna be able to use your core because you'll be on restrictions in that way, which means you will need good upper body strength and lower body strength to help you move around. So if you don't have a good baseline level of strength, it can be way more physically demanding and draining in your recovery. So the question here, which we, I didn't ask yet, but the question if for this is, have you spent time building up your general strength before the surgery to aid in your recovery? This will really help you. Again, even just with walking. Walking is so important afterwards, but if you're weak to begin with, it's gonna make that task even more taxing on your body. So it'll take more effort and more energy, and we want that energy to go to healing. Not so much to just moving. So we recommend taking some time to build up your strength generally before the surgery. And then there's the, the topic of core strength. So we we're moving from general strength now more specifically to core strength. And let's just spend a minute here. Okay. So the question to ask is, have you done conservative management for your core first, for your diastasis, for your core. Uh, just have you worked on rebuilding strength in your abdomen? And the reason why you want to ask this of yourself or just reflect on, it's because you really don't know what your core can look like with strengthening alone unless you've done the work and it's general, generally recommended to go through a solid round of progressive strengthening where you've worked up to really challenging exercises and working all of your core muscles and not just the deep core and not just breathing, but you've really loaded your tissues. And for doing that for approximately 18 months or longer. So the thing is, some people will say, and the reason why it's that long, it's just because the connective tissue of your body takes a long time to rebuild and you, it takes approximately that much time to rebuild. So if you haven't spent that much time on your core, you may have cut yourself short in seeing whatever results may be possible for you. And what we often come across are people who say that they've been doing. Everything for a long time now, and nothing has worked. They've been doing exercises and when we go and kind of ask, okay, what have you been doing specifically? They'll say, oh, I, my exercise routine for my core involves bridges and lying on my back and sliding my heels out and some squats. Um, and the bird dog exercise, these are great, but they're not likely challenging your muscles like really difficult exercises are what we're talking about here are the ones that you need to kind of progress towards. So you might be surprised at how much better your core can look and feel without the surgery, and that's why it is recommended to do a round of conservative management first. And even if you still decide to get the surgery after doing that, you'll be going in with a stronger foundation so that can potentially set you up for an easier recovery. Now, I do wanna acknowledge here that some people will find themselves just not wanting to go through that process of conservative treatment and due to life circumstances or time constraints, or maybe fear of making diastasis worse, just for whatever reason, and in, in that case, you just wanna be clear in your own mind on if you're okay with not exhausting all conservative options first, and if you're okay with not knowing what those results would be, um, without the surgery. So we're not saying you have to do this, but we'd rather you feel like you have all the information'cause a lot of people are in a place where they do wanna, they wanna avoid surgery and they wanna see if they, they wanna see what they can do conservatively. So now let's move on to something of another category. So we've covered already mental readiness, we've covered physical readiness, and now we're moving on to number three, which is what we'll call logistics and life circumstances. So here we're gonna get into the real life logistics around the surgery.'cause surgery really doesn't happen in a vacuum, starting with your job. What kind of work do you do and how much time can you realistically take off? So we've seen a whole array of scenarios here in terms of time off and return to work post-surgery, and you know, we've seen nurses go back to work at two to three weeks post-op and they may have felt ready, but then they end up with swelling and exhaustion. So it's rough. You know, teachers and firefighters or anyone on your feet who, for your works, you, you really need to think this through and really take some time to plan for this. The thing is, people overestimate what their energy levels are like afterwards. You don't realize how taxing and fatiguing even the smallest tasks really are when your body is still in recovery mode and it just kind of hits you and, and just throws you off and, and you don't realize that you may have needed more time off than you took. So I just had a client who we were working preop preoperatively. And she was a teacher and she asked if she could potentially be ready after two weeks to go back to being able to teach for one hour in standing, um, at the two week mark. And you know, you might think, well, this doesn't seem like a lot, it's only one hour of standing, but you have to take into account all that goes into the working day, right? Like you're gonna. You're gonna get up, you're gonna get ready. You're gonna possibly prepare a lunch in the morning. You're gonna drive there or commute there somehow some way. And then you're gonna walk from wherever you were dropped off, or wherever you parked into the building, and then then go to work and then reverse the process to get home. You may not realize it, but this can be extremely draining at the two week mark, especially, I mean by two weeks, a lot of people are still in the process of building up just their walking tolerance to 10, 15 minutes, let alone stand for an hour. So again, will you be ready for that? Maybe it depends on how you're recovering. Can some people do it? Yes. Can everyone do it? No,

Lisa:

I definitely couldn't have done it.

Munira:

Yeah, so maybe like if you're sitting at a desk for an hour, that might be a little bit easier to, to work with. But yeah, it's, it's so different for every person. Um, you're just not gonna know how you're gonna feel, how your body's gonna recover, um, until you're in it. And so that's why we always recommend, if possible, take the take double the amount of time off. With the hopes of being able to go back earlier versus realizing you're gonna need more time, and then not having that option to add to your recovery.

Lisa:

Yeah, and I think it's good to note, I mean we're talking about like teaching and nursing and all that, but if you have an even more of a physical job like firefighter, you have to carry heavy stuff. And like just when you're cleared at six weeks to carry heavy stuff doesn't mean you can just all of a sudden carry a heavy ladder. Right? You gotta build up to so and, and no one really. Gives those specifics, but, and there's other physical jobs too, but really I don't, we don't want any of you guys in this pickle where you're just like doing something and you're not ready for it. And you're thrown off guard, right?

Munira:

Yeah, exactly.

Lisa:

So in terms of family life. There's a big question to ask yourself. Am I done having kids? Now I know all the surgeons will ask you this, right? Or most of'em. I couldn't imagine them not asking you, but let's just talk about it for a second.'cause it's an important con or, you know, consideration. It is totally possible to have a baby after you've had the surgery. And I know some people that has happened. Um, the surgery doesn't affect your ability to conceive or carry a pregnancy. And if you've had permanent internal sutures, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll come undone even if you get pregnant again. But pregnancy will stretch things. That's what pregnancy does, and it changes the shape and structure of your abdomen and those aesthetic results from your surgery might not hold up. So, it's not unsafe or wrong to have a tummy tuck if you're unsure about having more kids, but it's really about being informed and emotionally prepared. Are you okay with the possibility of needing revision later or that your results might not look the same if your body goes through pregnancy again? You know, it's a lot of recovery, a lot of money, a lot of everything to go through if you think you might want another baby, right? So this is where the timing really matters. If you're on the fence, even a little bit about growing your family, it might be worth waiting. But if you're confident you're done having kids, then it might feel like the right time to move forward. And speaking of kids, um, do you have enough support to be completely hands off for about two full weeks? Like truly hands off. This isn't just a suggestion. You know, a lot of times we give suggestions here. No, this we are serious. It's a requirement for safe healing. Okay, so think about the ages of your children. Are they still in the pick me up all day phase? If so, you'll need someone else to do all the lifting, cuddling, chasing you cannot risk straining your core or disrupting your sutures or affecting the closure in your scar area. It is not just, and it's not just kids, right? So if you have pets, you have a big dog that needs to be walked a few times a day, litter box scooping. If you have cats, I mean, any part of your daily routine that involves bending, lifting, twisting, being on your feet a lot. It needs to be delegated no matter what. Don't just say, oh, I'll just go clean the litter, but I won't do anything else. Or, oh, no, don't do it. We're being serious. That's why planning is so important. You need someone you trust to run the household while you rest, and not just someone who's willing to help, but someone who's going to hold you accountable if you try to do more than you should. And someone that you really trust. It's hard to give up control In the house I gave, I, I wrote like long documents for the person we hired to help us. She was great, but like, you know, my goodness, it was hard. Um, but that, that's what you need to do. You have to let it all go. so you'll also need them to support you physically, getting your meals, helping you, getting on and off the toilet, possibly for some time showering, taking you to your appointment. Driving those first couple weeks is a no-go cleaning up the house and getting you just wherever you need to be in those early days. So there needs to be a very solid support system, and that will make all the difference. I know for me, I was able to go just stay at my parents' house for two weeks and not even be in my own house. That was better for me. Um, it's really hard to just not jump up if you see a kid that's gonna fall off a couch, you know, even if someone else is there. Like we have these motherly instincts. It's very hard. I realize that's not an option for everybody, but we just wanna really keep hammering home the idea of you need to be totally. Out totally outta the house. Not, I mean, even if you're in the house, you have to be out of doing things in the house. So make sure you set yourself up well.

Munira:

Yes, definitely. So continuing along with this discussion of life circumstances and logistics for being ready to know if you're ready for the surgery. Another important aspect to this is choosing your surgeon, and this is something we talk about a lot because we think it's just so important to find the right surgeon for you. And so the question to ask yourself on this part, particular topic is have you done the required research? So by this we don't just mean looking up different surgeons on the internet. Mm-hmm. We mean actually meeting them and consulting with them. We are emphasizing that you consult with more than one surgeon. We'll always say that we really think it's one of the best things you can do if this is something you're actually serious about in getting a surgery. So what can happen is you can go into your first consult and be really excited and you just, you like the surgeon, you think you, it's a hit. They, um, make you feel comfortable, but you could also have the opposite experience where you're totally turned off and maybe you haven't, you didn't feel heard. Um, maybe the vibe was off or they rushed you, they didn't take your concern seriously. When that happens, it's easy to shut the whole thing down and say, no, maybe this just isn't for me. I'll do it next year, or something like that. Um,'cause you don't wanna go through that again. But don't let just one experience make the decision for you. It's just one data point. That's all you have. If you go for one consult, you have one data point and that's it. That's not enough for you to know if it's for enough for you to continue on and book in with that surgeon, because every surgeon has their own approach and that can impact everything from how the surgery is performed to what you're gonna look like physically and to what your recovery is gonna look like as well. You know, some surgeons have a very strong aesthetic focus. They might do tummy tucks every single week, and others might only do a handful a year. That will make a difference on potentially how you appear post-op, and also how confident you feel in that surgeon and if they're tailoring what they're doing to meet and match your body and your goals. So it's not just about credentials. That's what why we're saying, don't just go online and, and, and look up surgeons or only read reviews. Yes, these are important, but other things to consider are what is their post-op care, like, their communication style. You know, some surgeons are gonna see you the very next day. Other surgeons may not see you for a week or even longer. I've seen, um, someone who actually didn't have a follow up with their actual surgeon for 15 days post-op, and they were seeing the nurse instead. So you know what's important to you? What do you want in your recovery? Some surgeons are gonna give you their personal number. You can reach them directly afterwards, and others you'll just be going through either phone or email and you'll be chatting with a nurse. So follow up plans are gonna vary di uh, greatly between surgeons and surgeon offices, but also return to exercise guidelines are gonna vary a lot. Two, one surgeon might say no lifting for six weeks, and another one might tell you to hold off for three months or even six months. If fitness is something that is important to you, then you're gonna have a totally different recovery experience depending on who you go with. So again, don't just ask, are they qualified? Ask, do I trust them? Do I feel supported? Do I understand their approach and feel aligned with it? Um, and. Because again, you're not just choosing a surgeon, you're, you're choosing their entire support process post-op, so the staff, the com, the communication between the office and yourself, the follow-up protocols and the vibe of the clinic. All of that matters. So to make it easier, we have put together a free PDF checklist that covers the most important questions you should be asking during your consults. So this will be. It'll make the whole process so much easier'cause you can just take this in with you and, uh, you'll know what to ask and you'll get your data. Then you can make your decision. So you'll, you can just head on over to the show notes and you'll find it there. Now if you wanna go even deeper into this consultation, um, process with us, we also have a YouTube video as well where we break down what you should be talking, um, to your surgeons about. You know, what red flags to look out for and how to find the right fit. So that will be linked as well in the show notes. And then very important, after you've met with your surgeons, here's something very important. Have you spent time digesting all of the data from your consults? Okay. Have you, have you taken time to really compare, um, the pros and the cons and just kind of understand how they're different, how they're similar, and then more importantly, how those align with what you want. So it's a process. Don't settle, don't rush. It's your body and we, we know that you deserve to feel confident in the decision that you make and also confident in, um, the surgeon that you choose.

Lisa:

Yeah. I know for me, every consult I went through was so emotionally draining, um, that in order to digest all the information I got, I needed a little bit of time. Like I was so emotional for a little bit of time and that then later I'd have to look and be like, okay, what did they really say? Okay. And then I go the right. So it's, it is really just so you know, I mean, it is emotionally draining, but it's worth it because you wanna find the right surgeon. So I started really early in the process, like, I don't know. Seven months. Eight, eight months before I wanted surgery. Um,'cause I wanted the time to start con consulting and not feel rushed. And some surgeons have long bookings and, and all of this. So I didn't wanna feel like I found the surgeon I wanted and oh my God, now I gotta book next month. You know, because I knew I wasn't. I didn't wanna book yet. I wanted some more time to strengthen and do some things I was working on. So that was good for me. Um, spacing it like that. Even when I chose my surgeon, um, I still struggled with trusting him till about two or three months out till surgery. I think I booked him six months out. Um, I had trouble trusting anybody. So like some people are too trusting and they're like, oh, just go with this person. You know, we don't really recommend that. But I had troubles other ways. Um, just because I had gotten a lot of bad information about my diastasis and I was just kind of jaded and I was just like, oh my gosh, I can't trust anyone. Like this is really hard for me. Um, but I, you know, he was the right match for me. Um. For, for him. He was at the University of Michigan. He was the chief of plastic surgery. So my follow up eight days when I got my drains out was not with him. I would've liked that, but for me, I, he was my surgeon and I wanted him, so I was okay with seeing the nurse at eight days out. Right. For me, that was okay. I did okay with that. Um. That may not be right for you, and that's fine, but that's the kind of thing that Munira was talking about, juggling all those things and just figuring out what the right, what the right situation is for you, and making sure you find the right match for your doctor. So you don't wanna just brush off doing more consults, taking your time because it's uncomfortable and emotional, because you may end up regretting a, a decision that you make or you may just end up not doing it when really maybe surgery is for you and it would be a good thing. Right? So lots of things to consider. So the next piece is financial. Okay. Have you looked at the full financial picture? So surgery is very expensive. Um, often not covered by insurance. And so that's a big chunk of money, but it goes way beyond just the surgeon's fee. There's so many additional costs that can creep in before, after, and during surgery. So first of all, are you paying out of pocket? Are you using savings? Are you getting a loan? Are you opening a credit card? That stuff takes a while to prepare. Right? And then with the basics, taking time off work, how much is paid? How much is unpaid? Worst case, look at, oh my gosh, what if I have to take a whole extra month off of work?'cause recovery is going longer. How much would that cost? Um, and then paying for extra childcare, nannies, uh, pet care. Um, all of that kind of stuff. Are you paying someone to do that? So that's extra money. And then recovery supplies. So we've got compression garments. Those are not cheap abdominal binders. Um, sometimes you need a couple sizes'cause you don't know which size you're gonna use. I know the first one I got got all bloody like, you know, and you get another, so those aren't mostly really included in that bulk surgery fee. Scar creams, silicone strips, foam padding, other skincare products, all of that adds up. You may be paying for lymphatic drainage, massages, physical therapy, rehab appointments. If you wanna return to movement safely and restore your strength, you should be investing in those types of things. Um. You know, we've got a core rehab program, so all those things, right. Um, and then nutrition. So you should be, you should definitely be aware and intentional with your nutrition so you can heal in the best way possible. So making sure you're getting protein. I know one surgeon I interviewed a long time ago was saying how important that is, um, vitamins, collagen, anything like that. Right. And you know, the thing that nobody wants to think about but could be a possibility is if you need a revision down the road, so is that included in the surgeon's fee or is that an additional fee? What if you have complications with your scar? Something changes. What's covered, what's not, what's additional? Make sure you understand that and have that in a budget and. You're, when you're asking yourself if you're financially ready, it's not just, can I pay for the surgery itself, but can I have afford, afford to recover properly without cutting corners? Okay. We see this a lot of times people spend all this money on the surgery and then they're trying to like cut these wheel weird corners with recovery and it doesn't really make any sense or add up because you wanna preserve what you just paid all this money for. So planning ahead can make a big difference with all of the financials.

Munira:

Yeah. Um, the, it's just so important to have that factored in beforehand. Yes. You know, just, you'll, you'll go get your information on how much the surgery is gonna cost. Mm-hmm. And then just add, I like, I don't even know what to say in terms of what. Someone should add in on top of that for the recovery.

Lisa:

Right.

Munira:

Could certainly factor that in. It's not gonna be a couple hundred dollars. Nope. Um, think of at least another thousand, maybe. Sure. Or two.

Lisa:

Yeah. For

Munira:

post-op garments and scar care and, you know, silicone tapes and, um, nutritional supplements, like all of that stuff. So add it to the cost of surgery.

Lisa:

Right. And

Munira:

then make your decision. So don't just make your. Right. I mean, surgery cost.

Lisa:

Yeah. I mean, and maybe even more if you think about what, hey, if you're paying a full-time nanny for two weeks, like I get Oh,

Munira:

yes, yes, exactly. Then that's,

Lisa:

I mean, no, that's whole separate from even what the, what you're thinking, right? Yes. And then if you're having some issues, you wanna go see a, a physiotherapist or physical therapist. Right?

Munira:

Right.

Lisa:

Um, and that's very important, you know, or, or the lymph, if you're swelling and if you can get the lymphatic massages, like all that stuff like. You don't wanna skimp on all of that. You don't wanna feel like you have no money left to do, to take care of yourself after that, because you want the best results possible with your surgery after taking care of that, preserving it. So

Munira:

yeah, so just weigh, weigh the pros and cons of getting the surgery a little earlier, but not having all of the finances in place for post-op recovery versus. Having that, maybe waiting a little bit longer to save up a bit more so that you ha you're covered from kind of beginning to end. Yeah. So another thing to consider for, am I ready to get the surgery?

Lisa:

Yeah.

Munira:

Alright, so you've made it to, you know, almost the end of this, this episode. It's, it's was a very long and thorough, detailed episode, so congratulations for sticking it, sticking around till the end. Um, and so we're gonna finish off with one bonus category here. A very, very important one. It is the gut check category. So what does your gut say about the timing here? Does your gut say it is the right time for you to book in, or that you should wait? You know, based on everything we talked about, especially in just the the previous section, it is easy to get all in your head with this decision and kind of think about only logistics and coming at it only from a cognitive standpoint. But now you have to see what your gut says regarding timing. Here's the thing, you just sometimes are just not gonna know if it's the right time until your surgery is booked. You know, that's when people often will feel like once I, when I work with people who are pre-op or considering the surgery, and then they've, they've booked it in after we've had some time to talk and they've had some time to think. Then I ask them, okay, how do you feel now that you've booked the surgery? That's when they say, oh, I feel excited. Now I feel relieved. Um, you know, there's some nerves of course, for the unknown. Yeah. But they, they feel like it was the right decision. It's the right time for them. That's a good sign. And you know, but what if you book your surgery and you still don't feel comfortable with that decision? You have a lot of reservations still. Maybe that's a sign that you are rushing into it and, and maybe not taking enough time to really think things through. So, you know, use your gut to ultimately help you with the final decision.

Lisa:

Yeah, that's really great advice. Um, sometimes you really have to let yourself be in order to listen to your gut, right? So that's why we always say, just don't rush it.'cause something may pop up and you may be like, all right, I'm not gonna ignore this anymore. Maybe whatever that is, you know, you need to do whatever. Yeah. Different surgeon, different time. Wait, whatever. Right, exactly. All right. Long episode and you've reached the end. We had fun and we hope you did too. And I hope we were helpful. Um, this episode was all about readiness. It's not just about booking the surgery, but truly preparing yourself mentally, physically, and logistically. For everything a tummy tuck involves, we walked you through the three major pillars of readiness and shared key questions you must ask yourself before moving forward with surgery. Mental readiness. Do you know your true why aesthetic, functional, or both? Have you considered whether surgery will really help your relationship with your body? Are you emotionally prepared if the results don't match the perfect picture in your head? Have you learned to appreciate your body for what it can do, not just how it looks? And do you have a support in place like therapy to navigate post-op emotions? Our quote to remember, you'll hear us say this all the time, is expect better, not perfect.

Munira:

And then to recap the physical readiness category, the questions we asked you are, are you at a stable, healthy weight with sustainable habits? Is your nutritional, is, is your nutrition optimized for healing and recovery? Have you built a solid foundation of strength, especially in your, just in your body, but also your core to support your recovery? And have you explored conservative management? Enough before deciding on getting the surgery. So even if you decide to get the surgery going in strong is going to support you in your recovery.

Lisa:

And the third thing is the logistical readiness. So do you have enough time off of work to rest and recover fully? Are you truly done having kids or emotionally prepared for the potential impact of future pregnancies? Do you have a solid support system for those critical first two weeks? Someone who can help with meals, childcare, pet care, mobility, and hold you accountable to rest. Remember, healing can't be rushed. Set yourself up for success by planning ahead and choosing the right surgeon. I love talking about this'cause I had quite the road finding my surgeon, but have you met with multiple surgeons and asked the right questions? Do you feel heard, understood, and supported? Are there post-op protocols and communication style aligned with your lifestyle and your goals, and have you research their experience, results, and approach, especially if fitness or aesthetics or important to you? Don't forget to grab the free PDF consult checklist and check out our YouTube video in the show notes for deeper guidance on finding the right surgeon for you.

Munira:

And last but not least, the gut check. What does your gut say regarding the timing of the surgery? Does your gut think that it is the right time, or do you still need to wait a little bit longer? Okay. So that is a wrap on today's episode. Mm-hmm. It was a big one. Um, but we do hope that it gave you some clarity on what it actually means to be ready for a tummy tuck. Like there's a lot to think about, and I hope this gave you some. Direction on what you should be thinking about in making this decision. Okay, so. Like we mentioned, we have created a free PDF to go along with this guide because it was a lot of information. And, And that's a wrap for today's Tummy Tuck talk episode. It was all about empowering you through clarity. Knowing whether you're ready for a tummy tuck goes far beyond the desire for a flat stomach. It's about being fully prepared inside and out before and after. So we hope we give you that clarity and confidence on what you should be thinking about, um, on also whether that it's the right time for you. There's no one size fits all here, and you don't have to decide overnight. Just don't rush it. It's a big decision. You want to cover in your thought process if you're mentally ready, physically ready, logistically ready, and if you do that, then we hope that your experience will then will be better. If you're still unsure, go back. Take some time to journal. Take some time to think. Think through, maybe talk it over with some people that you're close with, or reach out to a trusted provider for help.

Lisa:

Yeah, replay this episode anytime you're looking for that gut feeling to help guide you, sometimes certain things can just reach, stand out, reach out to you, and you may find the answer you're looking for. So you deserve to feel strong in, informed, and confident in whatever path you choose. So if this episode resonated with you, we'd love for you to share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps us reach more women navigating this journey and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our upcoming episodes so you can stay informed and empowered to make the best choices for you. Thanks for spending time with us today. We're so glad you're here. Bye for now.

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Lisa Ryan, CF-L2, P&PA Coach, Former Tummy Tuck Patient

Host
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Munira Hudani, Physiotherapist

Host