Unfortunately, information found on the internet and magazines is often either incorrect or it is written in a way that is confusing to most people. In this case there is truth that many people can't get liposuction because they have other disease the preclude them from undergoing a major elective surgery. So here, "being in shape" means not having co-disease such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart valve disease, or liver disease. In other words patients need to be otherwise healthy besides their extra adipose tissue in order to undergo this operation. Since liposuction is an elective surgery which caries significant risks, it is only recommended if the surgeon feels there is a great change the surgery will go well. As far as weight loss is concerned, you will likely see better result from liposuction if you lose as much weight prior to the operation as possible. This way less fatty tissue is needed to be removed. I suggest you schedule an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon who does these procedures for a full consultation. He or she can tell you if you are eligible for the procedure and what measures you can take to insure that you get the best cosmetic results from the procedure. Good luck.