I had my fat frozen this week with 4 CoolSculpting treatments. I started with my upper and lower abs on Wednesday at the Epicenter Park Lane location in Dallas. Then I had my flanks, or love handles, frozen yesterday at the Epicenter Legacy location in Plano.

I’ll repost the detailed diagram I drew last month to explain it all better.

That cheeseburger is one I ate when I was eleven that’s been hanging out in my belly fat, refusing to let go no matter how many marathons I train for and run. To my understanding, that’s really what CoolSculpting is best for- those very stubborn pockets of fat on your abdomen, hips and back that won’t go away.

No, I’m not now suddenly 10 lbs lighter and 2 pants sizes smaller. That’s not how it works. I’ll gradually see results over the next 3-4 months as my body metabolizes the fat cells that were frozen and killed. I don’t expect to lose a substantial amount of weight from this alone. It’s not a weight loss procedure, but a “sculpting” procedure. So I do hope that as I ramp up my efforts to tone up the rest of this summer and start running more often, I’ll find it easier to get that flat tummy I’ve always strived for.

Though, while it may become flat, it will still have saggy skin and stretch marks. Yay motherhood!

So, I know what you all really want to know is how it felt and did it hurt.

On a comfort level, between 1 and 10, I was at about a 5. It wasn’t terrible, and I was able to sit through it while reading and watching TV. It didn’t make me cry, but I could definitely feel it, you know? I basically compare all levels of pain to childbirth, though, so it takes a lot for me to say something is painful these days.

The machine is like a sucker fish, and it sucks your fat in and compress it a bit, then it literally freezes it, while a layer of gel protects your skin. So the sensation is a lot like what it feels to be out in the snow with no gloves on. It gets a little sting-y at first, then it goes numb after about ten minutes. When they take it off, your fat is sort of congealed like a cold stick of butter, but then they massage it out and it goes back to normal pretty fast.

The best part of the whole experience was that I got to hang out in a private, quiet room on plush chairs, and watch TV and read magazines on my iPad that I’ve been meaning to download for over 6 months. The offices are like spas, and that’s an experience I rarely ever get. The staff at both locations were really friendly, and it was a light, fun atmosphere. Not at all “medical” feeling, which is what I was expecting. (Though their locations are very clean and professional.)

Today I’m a little sore and have slight bruising on my flanks. Basically, they just look l like giant hickeys, and that makes total sense. My stomach is a tiny bit numb and sore, but it’s not uncomfortable. These are all normal side effects that they prepared me for.

I took before pictures, but I’m not going to share them until I have after pictures to compare them to in a few months. I’m hoping I’ll start noticing results in a few weeks, and I’ll let you all know if/when I do.

I received CoolSculpting treatments for free in exchange for my honest reviews of the process. If you want to learn more about CoolSculpting, you can check out their website.