Open any women-targeted magazine, and you’ll be likely to find ads for the next significant fad diet. The ketogenic diet, more often known as keto, has dominated the fad diet marketplace for the past few years, but it isn’t alone. Each year, people spend an average of $66 billion on diets. Unfortunately, most diets don’t work long-term. Even more disappointingly, fad diets can be harmful in the long run. As many as 95% of dieters regain the weight they lost within 1-5 years. Some even regain more.
This is because a fad diet is meant to be a short-term answer to a long-term problem. Most diets require restrictive steps which are not applicable over the long-term. After completing a diet, most dieters fall back into old habits. Additionally, restricting food intake through a diet can lead to food bingeing, purging, and other eating disorders – which are often more destructive than not dieting in the first place. Finally, it is quite possible to lead a healthy lifestyle and still have pockets of fat on the body. This is what is often referred to as stubborn fat. Fat accumulates on bodies in distinctly different ways, and therefore each person’s body will need targeted and specific fat removal options. So, if dieting doesn’t work, what are the possible alternatives for healthily losing stubborn fat?
CoolSculpting is a safe option for the removal of stubborn fat for people within 30 pounds of their ideal weight. It is a minimally invasive procedure that targets stubborn fat. It is not a weight loss solution, but it can help you get and maintain the body shape you want. Here’s more about how this works.
Weight Loss Vs. Fat Reduction
There is a genuine difference between weight loss and fat reduction. As we mentioned before, the CoolSculpting procedure is not a weight loss program. Weight loss typically implies that the person seeking weight loss is over 30 pounds more than their ideal weight and wants to be rid of that weight. Unfortunately, there are limited ways to get rid of that much gained weight – you can either lose it incrementally and sustainably over time using physical activity and sustainable calorie management programs (meaning without the help of a fad diet), or you can get weight loss surgery.
Fat reduction does get rid of fat cells. However, it cannot be accomplished on the same level as bariatric surgery or sustainable, long-term weight loss. Instead, it works to eliminate and reduce the size of already-existing pockets of fat in the body.
How it Works
The number and size of fat cells within your body are set early on in life. These fat cells determine the shape of your body, as well as how much fat accumulates on your body. As the body gains weight, these fat cells grow more significant to collect and store fat. The accumulation of fat in your fat cells causes the body to grow in undesirable shapes, and sometimes your best efforts at the gym or doing push-ups just don’t help shape your body the way you’d like it. For instance, few exercises target the fat cells under the chin. However, CoolSculpting can help rid that area of buildups of fat.
So, CoolSculpting targets areas that toning, exercise, and genetics won’t allow you to modify. The procedure, otherwise known as cryoliposis, freezes and kills fat cells to prevent the accumulation of fat. Over a few treatments and a few months, the body naturally gets rid of frozen and dead fat cells that have been targeted by cryoliposis.
The FDA has cleared CoolSculpting for use in nine different problem areas of the body, including:
- Under the jawline
- Under the chin
- The thigh area
- Abdominal areas
- Flanks
- Buttocks
- Bra fat area
- Upper arm
- Back fat
So, while this procedure is not for everyone, it is safe to use for anyone who qualifies.
What to Expect
It can be daunting to go into a treatment center to alter the way you look. You might be worried about how it will feel, the side effects, and other everyday things that are normal to think about concerning medical procedures. Here are some of the most common things you should know about CoolSculpting before you go into the center.
- The cost of CoolSculpting will vary per person based on how many procedures they need. Discuss this with your technician before starting the procedure.
- Most people who use CoolSculpting experience a 20% to 25% reduction in fat cells throughout their treatment.
- CoolSculpting is minimally invasive, but there can be some discomfort during the process. General discomfort symptoms have been reported as feeling like tugging, pinching, aching or cramping, stinging, pulling, or other sensations that deviate from the standard. These symptoms pass, as the treatment eventually numbs the area.
- There is no localized anesthesia or other forms of pain relief during the procedure because the procedure is only mildly uncomfortable. We suggest bringing along a nice book, or some work to keep you occupied (and to kill two birds with one stone!)
- After the procedure, a technician performs a massage on the treated area to ensure it heals well and increases the fat reduction process. Who doesn’t like a massage?
- Results vary from patient to patient. While you will notice a difference over the long term, you will likely need to go for multiple treatments. This doesn’t mean you’re not a candidate – it is merely a testament to how amazing and unique our bodies are.
- This treatment is only for those who have healthy eating habits and maintain an active lifestyle. It is solely to sculpt the body and provide relief from stubborn fat. If you don’t fit into these categories, then work with your doctor to find out the best way for you to get active and eat healthier.
Pittsburgh and Warrendale residents can give themselves the gift of stubborn fat removal through a CoolSculpting procedure by visiting Cosmetic Laser Centers of Pittsburgh. Learn more about the cost, effects, and amazing transformation stories here.