Spring is on its way, and soon we’ll tuck away the puffa and the UGGS. Next in the queue: tank tops, shorts, swimsuit, strappy beach dresses and a warm-weather urge to show some skin! To assure that the big reveal is “bomb” and not “Mom??!!!” (said in the voice of an indignant 15-year old micro influencer), let’s talk body contouring.
First, give yourself some love. We tend to view our weight, size and shape as moral issues. And while we’re all about eating right and shaking that groove-thang every day, it is a fact that not everyone can achieve that golden midlife J-Lo 8-pack through kombucha, kale, and crunches alone.
What the location of your fat tells you
Gender, genetics and hormones all contribute to how your body feels about fat. The neurochemicals surging through your bloodstream 24/7 have a mind of their own, and dictate where your body stores fat, and how quickly.
CORTISOL AND BELLY FAT
For instance, long-term high levels of the steroid hormone called cortisol is specifically linked with belly fat. Cortisol is a hormone that our adrenal glands release during stress. It’s casually referred to as the fight or flight hormone, and it came in handy when our ancestors were fleeing from saber-tooth cats.
The adrenaline-like jolt of energy delivered by a cortisol spike can be lifesaving. It’s what allows us to jump to our feet when the smoke-detector goes off at 4 AM, even though we’re in a deep sleep. Flooding our muscles and nerves with energy, this hormonal power-hit may give us what seems to be superhuman physical strength when we face an emergency.
However, today we experience constant stress, usually of less heroic varieties, from being cut off on the freeway to arguing with your accountant about this year’s taxes. This means that our cortisol levels are always elevated, even though we’re not being called upon to rescue a baby from a burning building. And this long-term chronic elevation can weaken our immune system over time.
Women have a specific LTR relationship with cortisol, and menopause makes it a stormy romance. Estrogen normally slows down the production of cortisol, and this contributes to the archetype of women being kinder, gentler, rounder and softer than their male counterparts. The natural decline of estrogen levels which occur starting in a woman’s 50s may not only change her mood, but also her silhouette: even uber-fit women begin to notice that their rock-hard abs are becoming fluffier than in years past.
Alcohol can also contribute, because booze triggers cortisol secretion.
INSULIN AND BACK FAT
“Love handles” or fat that collects around the waist are a common development, and these sugar-puffs signal an excess of insulin. Ditto for fat which clumps on the backs of the arms. Regulating your blood sugar is something to discuss with your health care team if you notice this tendency in yourself. This specific fat location suggests that your body may be coping with more glucose, produced when you eat carbohydrates, than your liver can convert into available energy – that’s where the pockets of extra fluff come from. Our bodies try so hard to serve us, and this is an example. Your liver is actually trying to help you by producing fat: this is the way that the glucose is directed out of the bloodstream, lowering your risk of diabetes. Lowering your carb intake may be helpful.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR TREATMENT
You’re already sacrificing pasta night for spaghetti straps. You’re racing your dog on longer, more challenging routes to fight that tummy-pooch. And just it’s not enough. Now what?
In one sentence, here’s the difference between the two treatments: Coolsculpting® reduces fat, and Emsculpt® Neo tones muscles. Both are FDA-cleared, non-surgical, and reasonably pain-free, according to our clients. There’s no bruising or downtime, unlike surgery. Typically, you’ll see results of both treatments are visible within a few weeks.
And here’s the really good news: yes, you can have both treatments! Not for the same appointment nach. But pairing both techniques may be the answer you’ve been looking for—let’s chat!
Remember that these are not weight-loss treatments. We recommend either or both options when you’re already at your target weight (yay, you!) or within 10-15 pounds, and simply can’t get those IG-ready, cut, ripped, slim contours you want through exercise and food choices alone. To maintain your results, of course you will need to continue to eat healthy, and bust a righteous sweat on the reg. We also suggest conscious stress management, to keep those cortisol levels low.
- CRYOLIPOLYSIS: Just looking to make fat disappear? That’s cold. We like it, and you sound like a great candidate for CoolSculpting. Cryolipolysis. That’s what the fat-freezing technique is called. This non-invasive technology takes your body temperature from 98.6º F all the way down to 14º F, destroying fat cells in the deep freeze. This happens by simply having the CoolSculpting wand deliver that icy blast right through your skin. Our clients agree that when, baby it’s cold inside, it spells the end for that teddy-bear tummy or double chin. The targeted fat cells shrink, shrivel, and, buh-byeee, are flushed out of your body.
- ELECTROMAGNETISM: Looking to sharpen up your muscle definition as the fluff melts off? EmSculpt® Neo uses electromagnetic technology to grow muscle fiber and increase muscle volume– no needles, knives or anesthesia. The way it works: the device induces supramaximal muscle contractions which force your muscles to use 100% of their capacity, versus the 40% you use during a workout. This makes EmSculpt® Neo a natural choice for carving epic biceps and triceps, abs, calves and glutes. Our clients are raving, and tell us that one treatment is like combining years of daily exercise into a flash!
Our team of skilled practitioners are obsessed with technology, and how it can make your dream body a daily reality for you to enjoy. It’s not like turning on a coffeemaker, and it’s more than just the machines that make these treatments life-changing. We constantly train, educate, research, upgrade, and fine-tune our skills, so that we can understand your goals and help you make the decisions that will exceed all of your body-contouring expectations!
Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
We can’t wait to see your photos on insta!
