CoolSculpting For My Stomach – Part 1
Hi there! My name is Taylor and I’m a 23 year old professional. When I’m not at work, I’m hanging out with my family or exploring Milwaukee with my three roommates and built-in best friends. I have a pretty typical life for a young twenty-something; learning to navigate the whole “adulting” thing while trying to better myself along the way. I’ll be writing a series of blog posts so I can take you with me on my Quintessa journey, so stay tuned- there’s more to come.
I’m guessing that I’m not the only one that has heard of CoolSculpting on the radio or seen it on Pinterest. Freeze your fat away? My first thought was that this was another fad beauty treatment that was too good to be true. It sounded like something along the lines of a teatox cleanse, or one of those ridiculously uncomfortable waist-trainers.
I first heard of freezing your fat to target those notorious “problem areas” with CoolSculpting at Quintessa’s open house. At the event, there was a demonstration where someone was actually getting the CoolSculpting procedure done right in front of us! It was really cool to watch and I was amazed at how relaxed the demonstrator was while receiving it. It definitely looked a lot less scary than what I was expecting and the before and after pictures they showed looked incredible.
Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical at first- I mean those pictures could have been photoshopped, right?! But after seeing the live demonstration, my interest peaked. Since then, I’ve wanted to know more about CoolSculpting for my stomach and if it could work for me.
Why CoolSculpting
So why CoolSculpting? Truthfully, I think we all have aspects of our figure that we just don’t love and feel self conscious about when we look in the mirror. For me, this area has has always been my lower stomach, what I not-so-lovingly call my stomach “pudge”.
About a year ago, I gained some weight, and I mean more than just a few pounds of extra holiday cookies. I felt like my self-esteem had hit rock bottom. We’ve all been there for various reasons- maybe it’s a breakup, new job, stress or a family tragedy. For me, it was all of the above.
I started piling on layers of clothes to hide the fact that I was not feeling confident in my own skin. After having a good cry in the J. Crew fitting room one day, I was ready to feel confident again and take back control of my body and self-esteem.
My Healthier Lifestyle
To achieve a healthier lifestyle and mindset, I started eating foods that nourished my body and began incorporating more activity and exercise into my daily routine. Everyone knows the way to sustain a healthy physique and, in turn, a healthy self-confidence, is to make conscious exercise and eating changes. Not only did I lose even more weight than I had initially gained, but I also became a healthier and happier person.
Unfortunately though, no matter how many crunches I did or how many chia seed smoothies I drank, I still couldn’t seem to lose my stomach pudge. Ever since I can remember, my stomach has been a problem area and a source of insecurity. I got to the point where I felt like I had tried every remedy known to man, and still, I couldn’t get rid of my stomach pudge.
I’ve done workout programs, strict eating challenges and yoga classes but nothing seemed to target that area, and that area alone. I just didn’t quite feel like I could wear the form fitting dresses that my friends were wearing or feel completely carefree and confident in a bikini, despite my healthy lifestyle changes. All of these factors made me feel like CoolSculpting on my stomach could be something that worked for me.
Why Quintessa
I decided that I want to get rid of my dreaded stomach pudge once and for all. I’d already come this far! I remembered the demonstration I saw of Quintessa’s CoolSculpting and did a little research. After learning that the Quintessa experts offer completely free consultation appointments, I decided, what do I have to lose? I booked my consultation appointment, and am excited about the prospects of finally reaching my body goals. I’ll be sure to share my consultation experience in the next post!
CoolSculpting For My Stomach – Part 2
After making my CoolSculpting consultation appointment at Quintessa, I was a healthy combination of anxious and excited. I couldn’t wait to learn more about CoolSculpting and was excited that it could potentially give my self confidence a boost. I was still a little skeptical about the concept of literally freezing my body and was wondering how does CoolSculpting work, but I figured I really didn’t have anything to lose by going to a free consultation. You can a read more about my decision to make an appointment in my last blog post.
[es-embed url=https://instagr.am/p/BRbNZqRgKcY/ size=medium align=right description=true] I was picturing a room a lot like my doctor’s office with a bunch of weird, scary looking medical devices and those bright white lights that are unbelievably unflattering. Now would be a good time to mention that I am deathly afraid of the doctor, needles and anything to do with hospitals. (I still make my mom come to all of my appointments). But I mustered up the courage to make the appointment. I knew that if I really wanted to make this change, I should at least make an effort to learn more about the CoolSculpting procedure.
My CoolSculpting Consultation
I’m happy to share that my consultation was nothing like going to the doctors office! It was warm, inviting and friendly. I got to Quintessa a few minutes before my appointment. I was greeted by a super nice receptionist who offered me refreshments and kindly showed me to the waiting area.
After a few minutes, Katelyn, Quintessa’s Certified CoolSculpting Expert, brought me to a stylish little room where her and I could chat alone. She explained the CoolSculpting procedure and how it works to target your most stubborn problem areas. Be sure to check out her Instagram to see her fun posts!
She then showed me some amazing before and after pictures of her patients, all of them having very impressive results. What I appreciated most about this meeting was that Katelyn was more than willing to answer my many, and I mean many, questions and spent time talking with me about my personal body insecurities and goals.
Are you like me and anticipate being seriously indecisive while trying to decide if CoolSculpting is for you? Are you wondering “how does CoolSculpting work”? Here are some of the questions I felt helped me understand the process the most. I’ll be sharing the answers from the expert in my next post!
My CoolSculpting Questions
- Will the area get lumpy or give me frost bite?
- How bad will this hurt?
- What are the CoolSculpting side effects?
- Does it feel like I’m being frozen?
- How many treatments do you need?
- What areas can you treat?
- Who is the best candidate for the treatment?
- And of course my biggest question… Does is work?
For the last part of the consultation, Katelyn examined the area that I wanted to treat to make sure I was a good candidate for CoolSculpting. I’m going to be honest, initially, that kind of freaked me out. I don’t even like my friends seeing me in a bikini, so having someone poke at my stomach was not my ideal scenario. But I must say, it didn’t bother me nearly as much as I expected! Rest assured- Katelyn didn’t point out my flaws, instead, she made me feel comfortable and accepted.
Overall, the session was very informative, personalized and an exciting consultation. It actually felt a lot like I was talking to a girlfriend! It sounds nerve-wracking to talk to a complete stranger about the parts of your body that you just don’t love, but Katelyn was so sweet and truly cared about making sure I felt comfortable. As I was leaving Quintessa, I realized how happy I was to have made the consultation appointment. I knew that I would have been kicking myself later if I didn’t.
Making My Decision
Although I was really excited after learning more about CoolSculpting, I was still very hesitant with my decision. Pretty much everyone that knows me would tell you I’m your typical “overthinker”. Making a decision about CoolSculpting was no different. Even though Katelyn answered all of my questions, I still exhaustively asked the opinions of my mom, roommates and my doctor. Even my mom, who is a nurse, told me I was way over thinking this, as usual. I then researched medical journals, the RealSelf website and read up on Quintessa’s CoolSculpting eBook. These all helped me to feel more informed and comfortable with making a decision.
Finally, after meeting with Katelyn and completing my vast, and almost obsessive, amount of research, I made a pros and cons list. Whether it’s about your job, a major purchase, or even where to go for dinner – when in doubt – make a list. If you’re an overthinker like I am, maybe this list can help you too.
My Pros and Cons List
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After reviewing my list, and a few more days of teetering back and forth between jumping in and chickening out, I realized that I still didn’t have much to lose! I thought back to why I booked a consultation in the first place, and knew that achieving my body goals was more important than a little pre-procedure jitters. I had worked so hard to change my lifestyle and had already seen such great progress. Losing momentum was the last thing I wanted. With the help of CoolSculpting, in addition to my lifestyle changes, I knew that I could finally reach my body and confidence goals. I was so excited at the prospect of being able to wear my little black dress without feeling like I have to suck in my stomach and feel comfortable taking pictures in my bikini while at the beach with friends.
CoolSculpting For My Stomach – Part 3
My last post was all about my CoolSculpting consultation at Quintessa! I shared the experience I had with Katelyn, who is Quintessa’s non-surgical body coordinator and Certified CoolSculpting Expert. Not only has she done CoolSculpting treatments for over 4 years and was trained at CoolSculpting University, she is super sweet, knowledgeable and easy to talk to. I really appreciated that she was more than willing to answer my many, and I mean many, questions and spent time talking with me about my personal body insecurities and goals. I really wanted to make sure this procedure was right for me and I kept thinking”Does CoolSculpting really work?” As promised, here are Katelyn’s answers to all of my questions!
Before the CoolSculpting Treatment
How many treatments do you need?
“Every patient is different which is why we provide a customized treatment plan at our one-on-one consultations. However, with every cycle that we apply, the treatment will reduce that area on average of 20%-25% per cycle.”
What areas can you treat?
“Essentially, if you can pinch an inch, it is a treatable area! 🙂 So pretty much everywhere!”
Who is the best candidate for the treatment?
“This treatment is made for patients who do not want a surgical procedure but want to see amazing results. Also patients who want a true and permanent sculpted body!”
During CoolSculpting
How bad will it hurt?
“I don’t call any of it painful or explain it as a treatment that hurts, more or less “uncomfortable.” You experience about 2 weeks of “weird” and “uncomfortable” feelings. It is just different, bizarre and something you don’t ever experience in your life until you experience CoolSculpting.”
Does it feel like I’m being frozen?
“The first 10- 15 minutes you do almost feel like you are being frozen! It feels as if you have an ice pack on the area and you are just slowly going numb. After that time frame, you do go completely numb and the discomfort does go away.”
After the CoolSculpting Treatment
Will the area get lumpy or give me frost bite?
“The area does not necessarily get lumpy and bumpy, but it will feel slightly swollen to the patient right after the treatment and that can last any where from 2 weeks- 1 month. Not many people notice the swelling but the patient can feel the difference. It will absolutely not give you frostbite! The treatment does not touch direct skin as there is a barrier between the applicator and the patients. Also, it gets just cold enough to freeze and kill the fat cells but not cold enough to freeze the skin.”
What are the CoolSculpting side effects?
“There are not long term side effects. In some rare occasions some of my patients experience the “uncomfortable” time for 1-2 months versus 2 weeks- 1 month but it does go away over time.”
And of course my biggest question… Does CoolSculpting really work?
“A lot of people ask me does CoolSculpting really work and my answer is YES! It works and it is permanent! This is not a temporary treatment- it is going to last you years! To see real results, check out our CoolSculpting before and after pictures!”
I hope that all of these answers from Katelyn helped you decide if CoolSculpting is right for you– I know they helped me make my decision!
CoolSculpting For My Stomach – Part 4
If you’ve read this far, you know how big of a decision it was for me to get CoolSculpting and how excited/nervous/jittery I was! During my drive to Quintessa to get CoolSculpting, I called everyone on my favorites list for moral support. Obviously everyone was at work, but it still stung when my mom didn’t answer! When I arrived, Katelyn, Quintessa’s CoolSculpting Expert, brought me into the CoolSculpting room, showed me the CoolSculpting machine and gave me the run down of my appointment. I stripped down to my bra and underwear, put on a robe, and was ready to get sculpted.
The CoolSculpting Before Pictures
Now let me tell you… this was probably the worst part of the whole appointment. I don’t know about you, but having 360 degree pictures taken of my body is pretty close to my worst nightmare. Not one part of me wanted to stand on a podium, under bright lights, to get pictures taken from every, single angle. But, to be fair, this is a really important part of the process. I walked into the photo room and stood on a podium while Katelyn snapped away with the camera. While the pictures were being taken, I remembered how much the before and after pictures influenced my decision to try CoolSculpting. After turning a few times for all of the pictures, it was over! Despite the uncomfortableness of the before pictures, I couldn’t wait to see what the after was going to look like.
The CoolSculpting Procedure
I’m going to be honest– I was shocked at how calm I was during the whole procedure. Remember when I said I was your typical “overthinker”? Well, I have to admit, I pictured myself running out of the room by this point. Shockingly, I wasn’t nervous– I felt at ease. Katelyn’s calm demeanor made me feel like this was going to be a breeze.
To start, Katelyn went ahead and put a really cold and really sticky gel pad on my stomach. She then put on the applicator (there’s a few different types depending on the area) and strapped it down to make sure it was secure. She then turned on the CoolSculpting machine which sucks in your skin and fat. For a second, I thought she didn’t actually turn it on because I didn’t really feel much of anything. It obviously felt a little cold; a lot like when you put an ice pack directly on your skin. The applicator was going to stay on for 45 minutes- that’s it!
The Waiting Time
I told myself I was going to catch up on some work emails while I was getting the procedure done, but let’s be real… Netflix sounded a lot better than reading an inbox full of emails. After Katelyn got me all set up with a blanket and a call button, she left me to watch some New Girl and told me to just hit the button if I needed anything.
After a little while, Katelyn came to check in on me and to make sure I was doing okay. At this point, the area being sculpted went completely numb. It wasn’t really a hurting feeling, it just felt different than normal and maybe a little uncomfortable. I felt very calm and almost relaxed while I was watching TV and scrolling through my phone. Katelyn continued to check in on me throughout the CoolSculpting procedure and before I knew it, the freezing time was up! I actually was shocked at how quickly the time went– it didn’t feel like it had taken very long at all!
The CoolSculpting Massage
Don’t be fooled– this was not your typical, relaxing massage. First, Katelyn removed the CoolSculpting applicator. If you’ve done your research, you’ve probably read that once the applicator is removed, the area looks like a hard stick of butter. Honestly, the thought of that really grossed me out. Luckily, my stomach didn’t look like butter at all thanks to new and improved applicators! After the applicator was removed, Katelyn then massaged the area for a few minutes. This kind of felt like of like someone was pressing on a bruise. According to all of the articles that I’d read, this message makes the treatment even more successful. It definitely wasn’t relaxing but it was worth it in my book!
After I was done, I was thankful I chose to wear my go-to leggings and comfy hoodie. I left Quintessa and drove myself home to take my Netflix binge to the couch.
My CoolSculpting Results: Before & After
Even though I dreaded the “before” photo session, it was so fulfilling to see the results. Here are my before photos:
Here are photos one month later:
Here are the “final” after photos:
