At Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK, Dr. Webb often receives questions about body contouring. Over the years, it has become clear which questions are the most common. Today, we’d like to answer all of the most commonly asked questions about this fat removal treatment, including whether it works on belly fat.
15 FAQs About Body Contouring
1. Does Body Contouring Work on Belly Fat?
The abdominal region is the most common region we perform body contouring on. Other regions that can be treated with a non-invasive fat removal system include the inner and outer thighs, upper arms, underarms, neck and jowls, buttocks, hips, lower back, middle back, and chest.
There is, however, a caveat. It is important that you have enough fat to treat but not too much fat to treat. Confused? Don’t be. Schedule an initial consultation and we will assess your body fat distribution to determine if your trouble region can be treated effectively.
2. Can Someone Who Is Obese Use This Treatment to Reduce Belly Fat?
Unfortunately, we do not recommend this fat removal treatment for clients who are currently obese. There’s a good chance that your desired target region has so much fat that you won’t be satisfied with the results of treatment. To be a good candidate for fat removal treatment, you must have realistic expectations about the results.
3. What Results Can I Realistically Expect?
During your initial consultation, we will advise you regarding the results you can realistically expect. On average, treating smaller regions results in the removal of 80% of fat cells in the site. For instance, if you have your underarms, the backs of your knees, your jowls, or your neck treated, you can expect 80% of localized fat to be removed.
However, when you treat larger regions, such as your chest, lower back, sides or upper and lower abdomen, you will probably only see 20% to 25% of localized fat removed during your first treatment session.
4. How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
Only you can decide how many treatment sessions you will need for body contouring. . Clients who choose to treat smaller regions, like their underarms and knees, usually need only one treatment session. However, if you’re concerned about belly fat, you may need two, three, or four treatment sessions.
Another factor that determines how many treatment sessions you will need is how much time you have. Some clients don’t have a lot of time. It is easier to come in one day for their chest and another day to blast their belly fat. Again, this is something we can discuss during your initial consultation.
5. Can I Lose Half of My Belly Fat in Two Sessions?
Unfortunately, it is not realistic to expect a loss of half of your belly fat in only two treatment sessions. Many of our clients benefit from concrete examples of results to help them understand what to expect. Imagine you have 10 pounds of excess belly fat. Your first fat removal treatment removes 25% of localized fat (2.5 pounds). You now have 7.5 pounds of abdominal fat.
When you come in for your second treatment session, you lose another 25% of your belly fat. However, 25% of 7.5 pounds is only 1.875 pounds. You now have 5.625 pounds of belly fat. In other words, you lost 25% of existing fat deposits twice. But you “only” lost 43.75% of the fat you started with.
6. Are the Results Permanent?
The results of treatment are considered permanent. During the fat removal process, localized fat cells are killed. Over time, these dead fat cells are transported through your lymphatic system until they are processed by deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid is a chemical compound in your gut that usually processes dietary fat.
Like dietary fat, once processed, your dead fat cells will be flushed out of your body. Since adults can’t grow new fat cells, once the fat cells in your treatment region are killed and removed you will permanently have fewer fat cells in the area.
7. How Long Must I Wait Before I See the Results?
You will begin to see the results of your treatment within three weeks. However, depending on how much fat was removed in your first treatment session, you may find that you won’t see the final results of the treatment for six months.
To speed along the results of your treatment, follow the “Rule of 5.” Massage the treated region for five minutes at a time, five times per day, for five days after your treatment. This helps your lymphatic system move your dead fat cells along so it can be processed efficiently and effectively by your gut’s deoxycholic acid.
8. What Happens if I Gain Weight After Treatment?
Gaining weight after fat removal treatment is not much different from gaining weight before fat removal treatment. There’s no real way to tell where your body will pile on the pounds. For instance, if you receive fat removal treatment on your abdomen, you may gain abdominal fat when you gain weight or you may gain weight on your buttocks.
The primary difference between receiving treatment and not receiving treatment is how many fat cells remain in the treated region. Even if the remaining fat cells in your stomach expand, they can only expand so far. Therefore, your weight gain won’t be as noticeable in the treated region.
9. When Is the Best Time to Receive This Treatment?
The best time to receive fat removal treatment is when you are neither pregnant nor nursing and finished bearing children. While the FDA has approved fat removal treatment for adults for safety and efficacy, no research has been conducted on pregnant or nursing women.
We also recommend that clients are within 30 pounds of their goal weight before receiving treatment. If you have over 30 pounds to lose and achieve your goal weight in the future, you may end up with loose or excess skin due to the drastic nature of your weight loss. You may find that you have excess skin around your treated site and be dissatisfied with your body.
10. What Happens if I Get Pregnant After Fat Removal Treatment?
There is no risk to you or your fetus if you get pregnant after receiving fat removal treatment. We only recommend this treatment to clients who are done bearing children because there is no way to tell how pregnancy will affect your body. For instance, you may gain four pounds of fat in your abdomen and half a pound of fat in each of your upper arms.
Therefore, you may need “maintenance” treatments in the future to once more achieve your ideal aesthetic. While some women maintain their body fat percentage during pregnancy and others decrease their body fat percentage during pregnancy, we want our clients to be happy with the results of their fat removal treatment. We find it best to play it safe.
11. I Just Lost a Great Deal of Weight: Am I a Good Candidate for Fat Removal Treatments?
During your initial consultation, we will review your medical history and current health to determine if you are a good candidate for fat removal treatment. However, in general, we don’t usually recommend this treatment to clients who have just reached their goal weight and have “yo-yoed” in weight for several years.
Again, your satisfaction is our priority. There is nothing wrong with losing and gaining the same 10 pounds for several years. However, we want you to be confident in your ability to maintain your weight moving forward and enjoy the results of your treatment for decades to come.
12. How Can I Maintain the Results of My Treatment?
To maintain the results of your body contouring treatment, we strongly recommend that you do not gain or lose over 10 pounds. If you lose any more weight than this, you may find that you experience sagging skin. It can take anywhere from six to 24 months for your loose skin to “snap” back into place depending on your age, health, and lifestyle.
Some clients even find that their skin never returns to its proper position and they require a skin tightening treatment. Moreover, it is equally important to not gain too much weight after treatment. As you age, your metabolism slows, appetite increases, and muscle mass decreases. Decrease your appetite with CBD oil, increase muscle mass, and rev your metabolism.
13. Should I Focus on My Diet or Exercise for Weight Maintenance?
Weight maintenance, like weight gain or weight loss, is a simple arithmetic equation. To maintain your current body weight, you need to eat a “calorie neutral” diet. In other words, you need to consume exactly the number of calories your body burns for fuel in a given period. Most people recommend that you focus on diet rather than exercise.
This is because it’s easy for many people to consume so many calories that they can’t “out-exercise” them. However, with time, you should be able to eat healthy foods intuitively and maintain your weight without thinking about it. When you’re adequately hydrated, you can’t confuse dehydration for hunger signals. Eating intuitively should be your priority.
14. How Can I Eat Intuitively?
To eat intuitively, you must first stop your brain from craving unhealthy foods. Luckily, these foods are usually devoid of nutrients and dense in calories. Go “cold turkey” by eliminating processed foods from your diet. You can still eat store-bought bread and pasta, but steer clear of the sugar-laden breakfast cereals, protein shakes, and workout recovery bars.
Go without these foods for 40 days. This should be more than enough time for your body to stop craving these foods. Listen to your body when it sends out hunger signals. Do you crave a greasy burger or chicken fingers? Get some more iron in your diet with spinach, kale, grilled chicken, or black beans. When your brain craves an unhealthy food, give it the nutrients it needs.
15. How Can I Exercise for Weight Maintenance?
Exercising for weight maintenance however you want. If you enjoy a glass of wine or a couple of squares of chocolate, try HIIT exercises (high-intensity interval training).
If you find you’re not much of a big eater anymore, walk for exercise at least 2.5 hours a week to meet CDC and AHA health guidelines. Just be mindful that the most important thing is to be happy while making your body strong and healthy.
Discover How to Achieve Your Ideal Contours Today
Do you think you could benefit from body contouring? Are you ready to learn more? If so, contact us today at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK to schedule your initial consultation. We are more than happy to answer any and all further questions you have.