I am not fat, but I have always had issues with my not-so-flat belly. In my mind, there are 3 types of bellies in the world. The first of two extremes being the rock hard, washboard beaten abs, and the other being the super soft Winnie The Poo pooch. But the most punished of all abs would have to be my kind of abs – the neither fat-nor-nothing kind of abs.

The plague of the not-so-flat belly is very real. You see, if I had the abs of Victoria Secret babe Karlie Kloss, or Lily Aldrige, I would be able to pick any bodycon favourite and carry it off with style and with confidence. On the other hand, if I were Homer Simpson, wearing baggy clothes all the time would not draw strange looks because that is the norm for fat people – there is nothing to see.

Dealing with Problem Fat

In the land of nowhere, most people are generally both skinny and fat. They are skinny or slim but within the frame lurks fat. These are the ones that border on the right AND the wrong fit of the bodycon. Invariably, the right fit involves perfection of holding the belly in so that the small tummy pooch stays in (less than perfect tummy holding risks giving the game away and inviting rude belly stares).

I am one of these skinny fat.

Bridget Jones, the endearing thirty-something is a shambolic, neurotic, and a skinny fat.

Skinny fat people tend to find it difficult to tone or bulk up with simple exercise, at least this is the case for this particular skinny fat. Toning exercises do not help shave much fat off the skinny, because skinny fatties are actually not ugly-shaped, just problem-shaped.

What if you could go to your doctor and have stubborn fat removed from your problem areas without surgery?

Read More: A Cool Way to a Flatter Tummy

The Cool History

Fat cryolipolysis is the freezing of stubborn fat in the body to induce fat cell death, as a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction. The story of its discovery is as interesting as the treatment itself.

Dr Rox Anderson and Dr Dieter Manstein noted “popsicle panniculitis”, loss of cheek fat in children who had sucked on frozen popsicles. This discovery led to the concept of fat cryolipolysis, a technique of controlled cooling for fat destruction. More importantly, their research showed that fat tissue was more sensitive to cold than other body tissue, therefore fat could be “frozen” at a higher temperature without affecting skin, muscle, nerves, and blood. When fat cells are exposed to cold temperatures, they become permanently injured and gradually die. The body then removes these dying cells naturally over time, with absolutely no increase in cholesterol and other lipid levels. Results in studies further showed that a predictable 25% of fat in the abdomen was removed in the first and on subsequent repeat treatments.

Ice pops are amazing, not only because they taste great, but also because they led to the discovery of the phenomenon “popsicle panniculitis”, where the inventors of fat cryolipolysis noticed loss of cheek fat occurred after sucking on yummy frozen popsicles.

In 2010, Coolsculpting became the first treatment that became FDA-approved for killing fat cells in the flanks, and then for stomach fat in 2012. Coolsculpting can also now be performed on parts of the back, thighs, buttocks, arms, and now, on the hated double chin!              

… Fat could be “frozen” at a higher temperature without affecting skin, muscle, nerves, and blood. When fat cells are exposed to cold temperatures, they become permanently injured and gradually die. The body then removes these dying cells naturally over time, with absolutely no increase in cholesterol and other lipid levels.

The Cool Treatment: Coolsculpt or Z Lipo?

First, your doctor marks the areas to be treated and selects the appropriate applicator size to be used, before applying the Coolsculpting probe to the body. Once started, the fatty area of the body is sucked into the probe and cooling begins.

The cooling process is actually more comfortable than what most people expect. Coolsculpt offers continuous cooling right from the beginning, whereas other machines such as Z Lipo have a pre-cooling pulsating phase, which some say, is even more comfortable because it gives the body area time to get used to the cold.

If you thought Z Lipo was some cheap knockoff, that’s what it’s not. Z Lipo is made by Zimmer Aesthetics, which created the cooling technology that is used in Coolsculpting. In addition to the pre-cooling pulsating phase which Coolsculpt doesn’t have, it also has a post-cooling pulsating phase which aids in lymphatic drainage, and has been shown to increase the efficacy of the treatment. While the Coolsculpting cooling process is relatively painfree, the frozen fat (which funnily resembles a frozen butter stick) needs to be massaged by the therapist and this process usually carries varying degrees of discomfort for the patient. Z Lipo eliminates this because of the post-cooling pulsating phase, and this makes the post procedural manual lymphatic drainage massage that some clinics offer much more effective, because the patient is not in pain.

Read More: 5 Ways to Achieve the Perfect Hourglass Figure

Two Probes Are Better Than One

Each treatment (area) takes approximately an hour. Sounds quick, but trust me, treatments for areas as the flanks, arms, buttocks, inner thighs and even stomach requires bilateral sides to be treated, and the time taken adds up.

To overcome this, Z Lipo can double sculpt – treat 2 areas at the same time, allowing for maximal efficiency within the shortest time. This is a win-win, and encourages the patient to return for treatment of other areas earlier, maximising outcomes. But check with the clinic to ensure they have the resources to do this first. Results can be seen from 8 weeks and treatment can be repeated after that, if desired.

If you are the type who have trouble sitting down for longer than 60 minutes, look for a clinic which offers fat freezing for 2 areas at a time.

Z Lipo can double sculpt – treat 2 areas at the same time, allowing for maximal efficiency within the shortest time. This is a win-win, and encourages the patient to return for treatment of other areas earlier, maximising outcomes.

The Cool Results

If you are overweight and are looking for a miracle, try liposuction instead. Fat freezing is best for those looking for a cheat sheet to body sculpting, who are already near their ideal weight, for most visible results. That is because approximately 25% of pinchable fat is reduced per treatment, so you can easily see why people with too much body fat all over will not see as much results per treatment.

If you are within reach of your ideal weight, and have specific problem areas you wish to get rid of, Coolsculpting or Z Lipo will make a world of difference to your body shape.

Seeing is believing for this one! 

Slimmer tummy after 3 sessions.

– Meredith Law