Will CoolSculpting Help Me Lose Weight?

We all have areas on our bodies that tend to fluctuate in size with weight loss or weight gain. These problem areas never seem to completely disappear regardless of dedicating your efforts to a diet plan or vigorous exercise. Even healthy, active adults who maintain a healthy lifestyle aren’t immune to problem areas, and those are often the patients who benefit the most from CoolSculpting! CoolSculpting is the ideal fat-freezing solution; however, it isn’t designed to help you lose weight, and here’s why.

Weight Loss Vs. Fat Reduction

Patients are always surprised to learn that there is a difference between fat reduction and weight loss. The number of fat cells in our bodies becomes a set number at some point during your teenage years. Losing or gaining weight will not increase the number of fat cells in our bodies, but instead changes the size of the existing fat cells. As your body gains or loses weight, you are increasing or decreasing the size of the fat cells that already exist. Losing weight through diet or exercise decreases the size of the fat cells within your body. Losing weight will never make the fat cells disappear entirely, which is where the benefits of CoolSculpting begin.

How CoolSculpting Works

CoolSculpting is a fat reduction treatment that actually reduces the number of fat cells from the body, not the size of the fat cells. Throughout the CoolSculpting fat-freezing treatment, you will begin to see a reduction of fat cells in the specific treatment areas by as much as 20-25%. Fat cells are frozen during CoolSculpting and are then naturally processed and eliminated in the body. Unlike other weight loss treatments, CoolSculpting will not change the fat cells in untreated areas. Stubborn fat bulges that are left behind regardless of the amount of effort and energy from diet and exercise can finally be targeted and removed. CoolSculpting will leave behind a more sculpted version of your body. While you may not necessarily lose weight after CoolSculpting, you will look thinner, and your clothes will fit better by eliminating fatty problem areas.

The Basics of Fat Cell Physiology

The best way to understand why some problem areas don’t seem to budge regardless of diet or exercise is to understand the facts of fat. Gender, hormones, and genetics all determine how many fat cells you have and where on your body, those fat cells distribute themselves. For women, the body typically distributes a higher number of fat cells to the thighs, buttocks, and hips. Fat distribution allows for energy to be created and preserved in preparation for pregnancy. For men, the body tends to distribute more fat cells to the stomach, love handles, chin, and chest. Pre-dispositioned fat cells are also known to store more fat in some regions of the body, which causes “problem areas” to form.

Fat Cells After CoolSculpting

Unlike other fat-removal procedures, CoolSculpting will not change the size of the fat cells in untreated areas. The CoolSculpting method can reduce the number of fat cells in treated areas only. The treatment is effective because fat cells that no longer exist will not grow or shrink with weight loss or weight gain, meaning the areas on your body that typically store fat are no longer a host for fat cells. Through CoolSculpting fat-freezing, you will see a reduction of fat cells in the specific treatment areas by 20-25%. The fat cells that are frozen are naturally processed and eliminated, and they won’t migrate to other areas within your body.

CoolSculpting Isn’t a Quick-Fix For Weight Loss

CoolSculpting is an effective and safe way of removing unwanted fat when performed correctly. The treatment is not for everyone, nor is it a quick-fix for weight loss. The ideal patient is someone who is at a stable weight and has some persistent, stubborn areas of fat that do not respond to regular diet and exercise. Does freezing your fat with CoolSculpting sound like the ideal treatment for you? Contact Vein & Laser Institute today to schedule a complimentary consultation appointment to find out!