Today’s post is in partnership with CoolSculpting.  All opinions are 100% my own and I’m sharing my own personal experience about my CoolSculpting treatments…individual experiences may vary.

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

So what is CoolSculpting?!

“The CoolSculpting fat-freezing procedure is the only FDA-cleared,* non-surgical fat-reduction treatment that uses controlled cooling to eliminate stubborn fat that resists all efforts through diet and exercise. The results are proven, noticeable, and lasting—so you’ll look great from every angle.”  

When CoolSculpting approached me about partnering I immediately said YES YES YES!  To be honest, I had been giving CoolSculpting a lot of thought and had been spending a lot of time researching this body sculpting treatment.  Being a mom of 2, I have never seemed to be able to get rid of some stubborn belly fat and even though I follow a healthy eating and exercise plan, the belly fat just wouldn’t go away.  I was becoming more and more frustrated that I wasn’t seeing the results of all of my hard work.  I honestly wasn’t even sure if I would be a good candidate for CoolSculpting because there wasn’t much belly fat to treat but come to find out, I was the perfect candidate (YAY for me) and I had just the right amount of belly fat.

My consultation with Tammy at Dr. Beisman’s office went wonderfully and she reassured me that I was a great candidate and that I should be pleased with my results.  We talked in depth about my current lifestyle and how I try to maintain a balanced diet and workout schedule as well as what areas I would like to treat.  Tammy was very thorough in explaining the CoolSculpting treatment and in fact, she put together a treatment plan for me during our consultation.  We decided to treat my lower abdomen, flanks, love handles, and inner thighs.  She also explained what I should expect during the treatment and what to expect after the treatment was complete.  I left my consultation feeling confident in my decision to have CoolSculpting.  If you are considering having this done, I encourage you to find someone with years of experience as Tammy has and ensure that you are comfortable with your treatment plan before having the treatment done.

But you aren’t overweight…so why did you decide to have CoolSculpting?!

My decision to have CoolSculpting was based on my desire to sculpt the stubborn areas of my abdomen…the areas that diet and exercise weren’t improving as I would like for them to.  CoolSculpting is not a weight loss treatment…it is a treatment to help you sculpt your body and help break through stubborn fat.  I continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle and CoolSculpting was an opportunity to elevate the results I would like to see from all of my hard work.  I must confess, I’ve had a few “not so cool” moments over the years where I’ve worked out twice a day, consumed only juice for as long as a week, and have dieted many times trying my best to break through the stubborn belly fat.  CoolSculpting was a much “cooler” option than having to cut out EVERYTHING that I love!

My first treatment was scheduled two weeks after my consultation.  During that two weeks before being treated, I maintained my healthy eating and exercise routine.  The night before my scheduled treatment, I put together a little bag to take with me to Dr. Beisman’s office because I was going to be there for the majority of the day since we were going to be treating all areas as outlined in my treatment plan on the same day.  I packed my laptop, a book to read, some magazines, and a neck pillow.  Most offices will have a neck pillow and a nice warm blanket to drape over you during your treatment so you don’t need to take much.  I just wanted to keep myself busy while there!

The day of my treatment, I arrived in the morning and I was immediately greeted and taken back to the CoolSculpting room to get situated and to make myself at home.  I then had my “before” pictures taken and shortly after we got started with my first treatment areas…my lower abdomen and love handles.

What areas did you have treated and how long does it take?!

I had a total of 8 CoolSculpting cycles completed on the day of my treatment.  As I mentioned above, we started with one side of my lower abdomen and one side of my love handles.  The applicator was placed on the treatment areas and remained in position for a full hour.  Once those two areas were complete, we then moved to the opposite side of my lower abdomen and the opposite side of my love handles and again, the areas were treated for an hour.  Next we treated my flanks and each side was treated for a full hour.  After treating my flanks, we then treated my inner thighs and each thigh was treated for 35 minutes.  In between each cycle, the area must be massaged for 2 minutes to break up the fat cells.

During each treatment, I was very comfortable and covered up to remain warm.  Tammy, the nurse performing my treatment, ensured that I was as comfortable as possible every step of the way.

What did CoolSculpting feel like and does it hurt?!

This question is probably one of the most frequent questions that I have received already so I’d like to help you better understand, at least from my experience, what it felt like.  CoolSculpting is a fat freezing treatment so targeted fat cells are being frozen.  At first, once the applicator is placed on your skin and the applicator suctions to your skin, it feels a bit uncomfortable.  The freezing process starts and within about 5 minutes you become a bit numb to the freezing sensation.  I personally became much more comfortable after about the first 5 minutes.  Once your treatment is complete and the applicator is removed, your skin, nerves, etc are beginning to wake back up.  This is also when the treated area must be massaged to help break up the fat cells.  This “wake up” process was probably the most uncomfortable for me…it felt like a cramp but it subsided within just a few minutes.  Although somewhat uncomfortable, it was completely tolerable and I would 100% do it again!

What should I expect post treatment?!

I was rather sore post treatment and rested the evening of my treatment and the following day.  There is truly little to no “down time” after CoolSculpting but everyone’s body reacts differently and mine told me to rest.  The treated areas are a bit swollen immediately following the treatment and very tender to the touch.  They feel as if they have been bruised.  The treated areas will also be numb for about 2-3 weeks post treatment.  Each area will continue to be tender to the touch for a while as well but the tenderness and numbness will subside and you will feel completely normal afterwards.

Are results immediate and do they last?!

You will begin to see results within in as little as 6 weeks post treatment, with 12 weeks being the average timeframe of when you should expect to see full results.  I am several weeks in and I honestly feel like I am already seeing great results.  I feel and look leaner and I don’t have as much tummy budge!  I’m super excited to see my full results at 12 weeks and will be sharing another post with you once I have hit the 12 week mark!  Be sure to check back here as I will be keeping you informed with images of my full results as well!

Your results are long lasting but you do need to maintain a healthy lifestyle post CoolSculpting.  If you gain weight, your remaining fat cells will expand, but you will not see gain in the treated areas!

My overall first experience with CoolSculpting at Dr. Beisman’s office was amazing and I am beyond thrilled that I made the decision to move forward with it.  I recommend this treatment to anyone who is looking to sculpt their problem areas in order to enhance their figure.  I’ve been very pleased with my personal results up to this point!

If you are interested in CoolSculpting, I encourage you to learn more information here: https://www.CoolSculpting.com/what-is-CoolSculpting/fat-reduction-vs-weight-loss/.  Please feel free to ask me any questions, I am more than happy to answer!

Special thank you to CoolSculpting, Dr. Beisman, and Tammy for making my first CoolSculpting treatment so enjoyable!!!

As always, thank you for stopping by and I will see you back here real soon!