We have all been there. That moment. Maybe it's the first trip to the pool in a long time, or maybe it's that morning trip to the shower, where we get a fleeting glimpse of ourselves in the mirror. We all hold a certain idea about how we look in our minds. Often, the way we view our looks is locked in at a particular moment in our lives, often when we are at our peak, in top shape and most styled.

However, in a flash, we are confronted with our bodies as they look. Years of working in an office or caring for kids has left us with little time for trips to the gym. Immediately, we see that gut that we can swear was not there the previous morning. So what can we do to make our internal body image look more like our external reality?

The first step, of course, is diet and exercise. There is no weight loss treatment that is as safe and effective as a balance of exercise and diet. However, even diet and exercise have their limits.

For some people, medical concerns can limit their ability to exercise, or can limit the types of food we can eat. For others, diet and exercise can effectively help them lose most of their excess weight, but they can never seem to lose that last little bit of weight that lingers on their stomach. For these people, the best solution may be a tummy tuck.

Not all bodies are alike, and not all tummy tucks are alike, either. A well-trained and professional plastic surgeon will tailor the procedure to your specific needs. Depending upon the location scale of the extra skin and fat deposits, the doctor may choose to perform a partial abdominoplasty, focusing on one particular area of the stomach. Using partial abdominoplasty, the doctor can simply resculpt your abdomen to create a new looking stomach with the minimal amount of effort.

Under conventional abdominoplasty, an incision is made in the abdomen. Then, your plastic surgeon will remove excess tissue and fat from the abdomen wall. The abdomen wall will then be tightened with sutures, along with the tissue separating the skin from the muscle. Finally, the surgeon closes the incision, taking measures to maximize healing while reducing the risk of scaring.

No matter what you may have heard, tummy tucks are not weight loss surgeries. Abdominoplasty is meant to augment and accentuate weight loss achieved through diet, exercise, or actual weight loss surgeries such as the lap band surgery.

To reduce the risk of complications, do your research and find the surgeon you can trust the most. Be upfront with your needs and desires in regards to your tummy tuck, and expect the same level of truthfulness from your surgeon. Do not hide any parts of your medical history from the surgeon, and listen carefully when they explain what the surgery and recovery will entail.

Your tummy tuck can help you achieve in a few hours what diet and exercise cannot. So as long as you keep your expectations realistic, this procedure will help you create the level of beauty you desire so you can look and feel your best and most confident.