I-Lipo: Update

So yesterday morning I had my first experience with i-lipo; a process that uses lasers to release fat from fat cells a targeted area to contour the body and to essentially make the body smaller. Basically i-lipo simulates what happens to fat when the body exercises but at an accelerated rate.

I had my appointment at Sara's Total Spa in Toronto at Yonge and Lawrence, and I have to say that I was a bit surprised when I entered the place and found it basically empty! I'm used to salons and spas bustling with people, but the pedicure stations were empty and I was really the only client that I could see - and it was 11:30 in the morning!

However, when it came time for me to follow Sara, the owner of the spa and the lady who was going to preform the procedure on me, I realized that all of the activity was taking place downstairs. It was like kicking an ants nest: you don't see much happening up top, but boy are they busy underneath! There was a room full of people - the estheticians and the "patients", as we were called. It seems like their business is largely based on the technology that they use, rather than the traditional mani's and pedi's.

At first I felt a bit taken a back, and a bit uncomfortable, I felt like this was a personal procedure, so to have it done like I was in an assembly line was at first not terribly appealing. Not to mention that Sara barked orders at me the whole time and didn't seem to see me as a paying client who was doing this for the first time. But, the room was divided by curtains and there were beds in each section, and I quickly realized that no one was ashamed to be getting i-lipo, so why should I be?

I lay down and another lady wrapped my midsection with a band and stuck these plastic "pads" into the band. Then she turned on the machine and she left me to read some magazines for the next 30 minutes or so (I don't really know how long I was actually in there). There was no pain or discomfort. If anything it just felt a bit warm.

Unfortunately this establishment didn't measure or weigh me beforehand, so it was hard to know what results I had achieved (or didn't), but I think that there was a difference... I was also a little miffed that I didn't get my initial consultation. When I originally phoned in about this treatment, Sara wouldn't tell me how many sessions I would need over the phone, she said that I really needed to come in for a free consultation to determine what would be best for my goals. Generally though she seemed to indicate that 6 sessions would be suitable for me. So where was that oh so important consultation?

Also, I felt like if I hadn't asked for any information about the session I wouldn't have gotten any. For instance, I asked what I should do following the procedure(playing a little dumb). I had read that you should exercise right after for about 30 minutes. If I hadn't done some research though, and known to ask, would she have told me? And, as a result of that conversation, she mentioned that I should drink tons of water, and in fact I should exercise for 45 minutes, doing cardio.

Following this, she then proceeded to tell me how effective another treatment was in conjunction with i-lipo, which sort of put me off. It was like test driving one car and having the salesperson talk up another model instead. I wanted to know what i-lipo was going to do for me: I wanted to hear how it was going to transform my body, or else why was I there and even bothering (not to mention paying!)?

Overall though, I am glad that I did this, and will continue the sessions for the next two weeks (I am doing 6 sessions). I think that I definitely notice a smoothness and a firmness to my midsection, and possibly something has been lost from that area. It will be interesting to see what happens following my second session tomorrow.

If anything it will get me consistently exercising for 45 minutes twice a week for the next 3 weeks. I also drank a TON of water, but I try to do that anyways. But it was definitely more than my usual 8 glasses a day, which I'm sure is only doing good things for my body.

Hopefully I'm on the road to looking a bit more like Kate and Pippa - but if not I've checked something out and I love to try new beauty products :)