Since I wrote that initial post in late March, I lost seven pounds and then promptly gained it right back, then lost 10 and gained it right back after I sprained my ankle in early August. I'm happy to say that I'm now 12 lbs down and have kept it off for well over a month now! It's a small victory in the grand scheme of things {really a mere drop in the bucket in relation to the amount I'd ultimately like to shed}, but it's a victory nonetheless.
One thing that I've been very cognizant of however, is the shape and appearance of my belly. Pregnancy has literally stretched it beyond recognition and I've had a doctor confirm that not only will the skin around my stomach not bounce back, my abdominal muscles are detached, so to get the flat stomach of my youth {and dreams}, there may have to be some surgical intervention involved. I'll wait until I've come closer to my final weight loss goal before investigating those options further, but until then, I've come across a way to get my stomach closer to where I want it to be.
Bodies By Design Atlanta in Lawrenceville, GA offered me some services in exchange for review and I had my first visit last Tuesday. They offer several cosmetic and non surgical weight loss solutions like laser liposuction, infrared body wraps, ultrasonic cavitation, as well as a vibration plate sessions. I was able to enjoy 3 services last week: LaserLipo, the infrared body wrap, and a couple sessions on the vibration plate!
LaserLipo is is new technology using the power of FDA approved lasers to shrink unwanted fat and is great for anyone interested in body contouring or fat reduction. The completely painless procedure requires about 9, 30 minute sessions for best results, but you can see some improvement immediately. I, for example, lost 1.75 inches from around my stomach after the session! Results are long-term, as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle and watch your calorie intake, eating habits in general, and incorporate a regular exercise regimen. provided that your calorie intake, eating habits, and exercise routines are maintained. It's also super important that you exercise for at least 30 minutes a day the two days immediately after the treatment. This helps to facilitate the removal of the released fatty acids and glycerol from your body. A session on the vibration plate also helps with this, so I took advantage of that service as well.
Vibration plates can help you get more fit and lean. You stand on the platform, hold on to the handles, and the plate oscillates your body rapidly. According to experts, this type of movement is therapeutic to the body and offers a wide range of health benefits. I can tell you personally, the experience is quite unique, and thoroughly enjoyable, in an almost indescribable way. I told the lovely owner of the spa, Amie, that it reminded me of the scene in Talledega Nights, where Molly Shannon's character quite dramatically describes how much she enjoyed feeling the "vibrations" from the race track below. Now I'm not saying that I had the same reaction as her, but it is an experience I look forward to having again. While you won't see immediate results from this service, it does offer the following benefits:
The third treatment that I enjoyed was the infrared body wrap. Infrared rays penetrate 1.5 inches into the skin to help melt fat and release toxins by heating your body from the inside out. I had a 45 minute session {they are completely customizable-I had Amie turn up the heat 3 times so that I could really get a good sweat going}. You can actually burn up to 1400 calories in a 50-minute session and the best part is that the metabolism continues to work in overdrive for up to 36 hours after! The treatment also helps give you smoother skin, reduced appearance of cellulite, lessened joint pain, and an deep relaxation {I had to strongly resist the urge to take a nap}!
All in all my experience at Bodies By Design Atlanta has me super excited to go back. Not only were the services effective and enjoyable, the office is nice and inviting, and Amie is a gracious and accommodating host. There are stereos in every room, with hook ups for your personal electronic devices, pleasant mood lighting, and Wi Fi. In all honesty, I can't wait to see how regular treatments will help me towards my weight loss goals. Plus, it's nice to have the little bit of "me time" that these sessions allow me-I was able to enjoy a full two hours of quiet time that was not about anything other than me and my well being, and without fear of interruption from my kiddies. That on it's own may actually be the most valuable aspect of the trip for me. I'll be doing weekly updates about my sessions there, so if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment down below and I'll be sure to include the answer in the next post. And at some point, I hope to have the confidence to show you all some before and after pictures so that you can see the results. Next week, I'll also include photos of the office so that you can get a feel for the experience for yourself. I highly recommend checking the facility out if you live in the Atlanta area. Until next time...
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