Last I left you I was having my “before” pictures taken at The Martin Center and setting my appointment for a treatment of CoolSculpting! If you missed it, you can catch up on that first appointment (and what to expect if you are having a consultation yourself) over at my first post CoolSculpting Consultation: The Martin Center.

Just to give you a reminder on what CoolSculpting is:

Procedures that use laser, sonic waves and even surgery to remove fat can actually destroy other tissue in the process by burning, shattering or extracting non-fat cells. This requires downtime for your body to heal. Totally uncool. Fortunately, CoolSculpting doesn’t burn, shatter or extract any cells. Developed by Harvard scientists, our unique, FDA-cleared, patented procedure uses a targeted cooling process that kills the fat cells underneath the skin, literally freezing them to the point of elimination. Only fat cells are frozen. Your healthy skin cells remain, well, healthy. No knives. No suction hoses. No needles. No scars. Once crystallized, the fat cells die and are naturally eliminated from your body. In a few months, boom: say hello to a new you.

To put it simply, I was going to have my fat frozen off.

Neat, right?

Keep in mind that this procedure is not to help you lose weight but to target areas of fat in your body like your love handles or stomach pooch (often left behind by pregnancy) and help rid that one area of hard to get fat. You can look at my first post for more information being a candidate.

Even though I have been to my consultation, seen a video, and googled like a mad woman, I still was pretty nervous. I had all sorts of questions.

• How would it feel?
• Would it hurt?
• Are they lying to me?
• Would I be curled in bed in 6 days regretting this?
• Would I be bruised and battered?
• Worse still, would I be able to function during the day with my 14 month and 7 year old?

Cool Sculpting Review

To ease my (emotional) pain I invited my friend Lynsey to come down and basically go with me and hold my hand. I also asked her to hold my video camera cause I can tell you all day long, but showing you is so much easier. Once we arrived at The Martin Center I was ushered to a very nice room where a nurse verified that no way would I fit in the “large” (truth be told, I breathed a sigh of relief) and talked about what she was going to do. Then I had to strip down and put a spa towel around my waist. The gel from the pad that goes ony our bdoy is much like ultrasound gel and its gooey so if you leave anything on below your belly button you basically are gonna leave with wet pants. In this office they had a shower in the room I was in, so I just stepped in there and changed.

Then I laid on the bed and the nurse helped me get comfortable with pillows before we started. This resulted in some fabulous bed head hair you will see in the later video.

Here is what happened..

 

How I felt:

1) The first 5 minutes is the hardest. I have to say it went quick because the nurse and Lynsey kept me chatting. It nearly encompassed most of this video. Its hard to explain the feeling of the actual cold. Its like a cold that is so cold its hot and tingly. My stomach isn’t overly sensitive or perhaps that area of the body doesn’t carry a ton of nerves because it was bearable. The worst part was the actual WEIGHT of the machine on you. It is supported by the boppy but its awkward.

2) At one point Lynsey asked me if I could fall asleep and I said I could. It becomes monotonous and I was able to start tuning it out pretty well. Bring an iPhone or iPad or something and you will be fine.

3) Although you are supposed to completely numb out, I would say about 25 minutes in I started feeling it again…but again it was fine.

Then came time to remove the machine.

Here is what happened:

 

They massage your stomach out and it’s so numb and cold that what you feel is VERY weird. VERY WEIRD.

I don’t know that I could define that it was painful but it was super uncomfortable. After she was done I got dressed and in about an hour or two the cold completely went away and I started feeling my stomach again. Lynsey and I went out to eat for lunch (counterproductive, I know) and it was fine.

It’s been 2 days since I had the procedure and my stomach is pretty sore if I push on it but not noticeable unless I do. It feels kinda like I did a few days of hard ab workouts…that kind of sore.

Was CoolSculpting worth it? I will update you on any progress I see!

~trisha

Disclaimer: I received complimentary treatment from CoolSculpting.