Weight loss is a tough row to hoe for everyone. Success takes a combination of determination, dedication, discipline, and self-control. That’s why it’s particularly frustrating when you get close to your goal, only to hit a roadblock made up of stubborn pockets of fat.
At the Kentucky Skin Cancer Center, Dr. Robert Skaggs is a board-certified dermatologist who cares for every aspect of your skin — including the fat stores hiding beneath it. If you have lumps and bumps that are ruining your silhouette, he can help contour your shape with CoolSculpting®. Here’s what you need to know.
What makes it so hard to shed the last 10 pounds?
Although the phrase “the last 10 pounds” is commonly used to refer to the plateau many dieters hit at the end of their weight-loss plan, it actually could be anywhere from 5-25 pounds. It can be a very frustrating reality to face given all the effort it took to get to this point. Here’s why it’s happening.
Your slimmer body burns fewer calories
Congratulations, you’ve lost weight! But your thinner body requires less fuel to maintain itself, so the healthy diet you’ve been following was good for the old you, but no more. Without another calorie adjustment, your body will just store what it doesn’t use right away.
Unrealistic expectations
If you’ve cut out all processed foods, refined sugars, and fats and are eating clean, good for you. But if you’ve taken it to the extreme, you’ve set yourself up to fail. Your “cheat” days undo all your hard work, your cravings increase, and, if you need to make adjustments to accommodate your thinner body, you have no room to cut out any more calories.
Your muscles are starving
When you cut your calorie intake significantly and add in exercise, you’ll definitely lose weight. But at a certain point, your muscles become fatigued — you’ve reduced their fuel and asked them to work even harder. So, they adjust and conserve energy. This means your workouts are less intense and your results slow down.
How to lose the last 10 pounds with CoolSculpting
A nutritious diet and rigorous exercise routine are critical to your overall health, and you should keep it up for the rest of your life. But if your efforts can’t get you past the final hurdle of those stubborn areas of fat, CoolSculpting can do it for you.
It’s important to understand that CoolSculpting is not a weight-loss program, but rather a contouring technique that tackles tough bulges and pockets of fat on your tummy, thighs, hips, arms, or even under your chin.
CoolSculpting is noninvasive and painless. You feel the cold sensation as Dr. Skaggs places the applicator on your skin, but the procedure does not penetrate your skin. The cold feeling soon gives way to a pleasant numbing, followed by some very slight tugging as Dr. Skaggs treats the area.
Underneath the surface of your skin, your fat cells (in the targeted area) are permanently destroyed by the freezing cold temperature. Over the next few weeks and months, your body flushes out those dead cells, leaving the area with up to 25% less fat than when you started.
Fair warning: this means that about 75% of your fat cells are still in there, so make sure you stay on that healthy diet exercise plan. As long as you don’t gain more weight, your new contours should stay smooth and bulge-free.
And to help you maintain strong, lean muscle mass, we also offer CoolTone™ muscle-sculpting, a great complement to your CoolSculpting treatment.
If you’ve had enough of the brick walls and plateaus of dieting, give us a call at either of our locations in Bowling Green, Kentucky or Franklin, Kentucky, to find out if you’re a good candidate for CoolSculpting.
