Maybe not this time. Back in November, as a mom blogger test subject, I had a procedure called “CoolSculpting” done. I am one of the ideal candidates for the process. Someone that isn’t really overweight, has the right amount of body fat percentage, and cannot seem to lose this baby fat around my midsection post C-section.Cronise credits his theory to watching Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps on TV, who at that time was consuming no less than 12,000 calories a day and yet remained fit and slender. “Then I found out it was the cool water that forced Phelp’s body to constantly fight to maintain its temperature,” he announced to an audience consisting mainly of health and medical experts. As is often the case with such “miracle” treatments and weight loss regimens, some of the claims are in fact based on hard science.
CoolSculpting is a reduction treatment that freezes fat cells. This controlled cold treatment lowers the temperature of fat cells of the target area, causing them to release the fat inside. From there, the released fat metabolizes and over days and weeks. Then, it gets flushed out of the body naturally. As a result, the fat cells shrink, giving your upper arms a thinner and more sculpted appearance.
It’s also not for women who are pregnant or for anyone who has had recent surgeries. It’s also not a good treatment for anyone with diseases of the lymphatic system. “While the results do begin to show shortly after treatment, this isn’t an instant fix, so if you need immediate changes, this might not be what you’re looking for,” Dr. Holman says.
Once the area is frozen you won’t feel a thing. Meanwhile, relax and read, check your email, or take a nap. Does CoolSculpting really work? This gentle and effective CoolSculpting treatment safely delivers precisely controlled cooling to target the fat cells underneath the skin. Treated fat cells become crystallized (frozen).
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is known as a thermogenic tissue. It burns fat to create heat, such as when the body is shivering. It is also much less abundant than white fat, which represents on average 20% of body weight in men and 25% of body weight in women. In order to mimic CoolSculpting at home, Kern suggests applying a cloth-covered ice pack on the skin for 30 minutes a day. Researchers have found that this technique is sufficient to activate three genetic markers linked to beige and brown fat.
It is highly possible someone else would have a stronger result. All human bodies are very different. Incidentally, I have also had people reach out to me about this article with the same results. However, this does not mean that it will not work for you, just that my results are similar to others, as is the case with most things in life. These types of procedures are specific to your body, and are improving and changing every single day. This is where you really have to decide if it is worth it for you.
And while CoolSculpting wasn’t painful in the physical sense, it has the potential to be painful on your pocket book, with absolutely nothing to show for it. Here is a photo of my body from November 2012, prior to the doctor appointment. And today, just over 4 months later, after 1 treatment of CoolSculpting, is my Before and After results.
Because every patient’s body is different, your treatment plan will be customized to fit your needs. Common treatment areas include inner and outer thighs and the front and sides of the abdomen. Your customized plan can allow treatment of more than one area of the body at one time. CoolSculpting is a relaxed procedure.
