“Zerona Has Zero Results on Love Handles, Waste of Money in Atlanta”

I put on 12 pounds between ages 48 and 50, so this year at age 51 I decided to treat myself to a safe procedure that would reduce the love handles I developed when I turned 50. I found a Zerona provider and took advantage of their end of year "sale" with $500 off their regular prices. I was measured and weighed before treatments, then measured and weighed again after my last (6th) session, then measured and weighed again a week later.

THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU ON THIS PROCEDURE. TAKE YOUR MONEY AND GO TO A CASINO INSTEAD. While my measurements indicated I lost over 6 inches *combined* from all the areas measured (neck, elbows, knees, hips, waist, thighs, braline), my clothes fit exactly the same. I was a size 6 before the sessions, and am STILL a size 6 and $2400 poorer. My size 4 clothes are still too snug. Nothing has changed, and when I look in the mirror I cannot see any changes there either. My body is exactly the same. My weight actually went up half a pound between the first session and the very last weigh-in. This was a total disapointment.

I am pursuing my options with this provider, which most likely do not involve getting my money back. The Zerona guarantee only covers a failure to lose 3 inches OVERALL, TOTAL. So, if you "lose" a quarter inch off every area they measure, which includes eblows, neck, knees, thighs, braline, hips and waist, they will consider that a "success" and you will not get any sympathy or refund.

This is a crapshoot, so just go to Vegas and throw your money away there having some fun instead.

Updated on Jan 8, 2010:

Just a note regarding expected outcome:  My expectations were very reasonable.  While the ads for Zerona say you can shrink 2 to 7 dress or pant sizes, my only hope was for just HALF a pant size.  I  am already a "full" size 6 at 129 lbs. but am happier when I am a loose size 6, or a comfortable size 4.  I am 5'4" and my best weight is 118 to 120.  (Perimenopause caused a gain of 12 lbs to 130, which has not changed in the past year despite exercise and modified diet).  I was not looking for anything drastic at all.  But what I got was $2400 of *nothing I can see or detect.*

Updated on Jan 10, 2010:

Here are my before and after photos.  The lighting in the "before" is not good, and the distance is not the same from the camera in each.  But I made a point of wearing the same undies for both photos.  I weighed in at 129.5 with the "before" and weighed 130 in the "after."  The "after" was taken a week after my last (6th) session.  On the day of the 6th session I weighed in at 128.5, this was Christmas Eve.  So my weight bumped during the very last week by half a pound from my starting point.  This was most likely water. 

At any rate, the measurements said I lost half an inch in my waist, and 1.5 inches from my hips.  I don't see it, I don't feel it, my clothes say nothing changed.  My doctor has offered 2 free lipodissolve sessions, since my main concern was my love handle areas on each side of my waistline - I had hoped to lose at least 1.5 inches from there.  So we will see what happens now.

Updated on Jan 15, 2010:

I have just now gotten the chance to see ALL my before and after photos and compare them side by side.  I still don't see any visible change to my body post Zerona from any angle. Even with the photos magnified....

 To clarify my opinion for women considering paying for this, I just want to point out the following:  1) I was not expecting dramatic results; 2) I did not want only one part of my body (love handles) made smaller, I wanted the overall shrinking effect Zerona advertised, just so my clothes would fit a little looser; 3) If someone had told me that I could give them $2400 and lose half an inch in my waist and 2 inches off my hips I would have told them "No thanks, that's not a big enough change for that amount of money."  When you are 51 and your waist is 33 inches at 130 pounds, half an inch loss is NOTHING and could be achieved with extra time in the gym in about a month. I should know, I have been working out steadily since I was 18.  I have never been thin, but I am in healthy shape and weighed 120 pounds until my hormones started to change 18 months ago.  4) If someone offered to GIVE me my own Zerona unit to use at home, I would take it and be grateful, and I would use it.  I DID feel something starting to happen after the 3rd session.  It is possible that with 6 more sessons, or more, I might (MIGHT) have seen the changes I initially hoped for.  But, based on the $2400 I spent and the fact that only 6-session packages were offered by the med spa I went to, I still have to stick with my original opinion, that for what I spent it was a waste of money for me.  So if anyone out there needs to make that decision, you need to ASK YOURSELF "How little of a change I am willing to accept if I spent X dollars for this?"  If your bottom line is something like "I gotta see 2 inches off my waist" or "I gotta lose one dress size" then you should understand that your requirements may not be met and you will be parting with a lot of money regardless.  If you have the cash to part with easily, then do it anyways.  If your cash is hard-earned and cannot be wasted, keep it in the bank.

Updated on Feb 11, 2010:

This is for the benefit of poster "Hooch" and anyone else who needs a little more objectivity.  Here are my before and after pics, SIDE VIEW, converted to black and white for better comparison.  I WILL concede that the flesh around the top of my hips and the top of my outer thighs looks slightly (very slightly) less "tumescent" or "full".  I cannot say, and have not said, that Zerona is a scam.  But if you have to use a magnifier to see a change, you didn't get what you paid for IMO. I did not drop even half a dress size after 6 sessions.

My experience just underscores the need for a *different type of treatment plan* than the standard offering - something more like a "win-win" for doctor AND patient, such as what another poster (a chiro) mentioned.  He owns his machine and will allow for enough sessions to help achieve satisfactory results for ONE price (bravo for him). With 6  MORE or 9 more sessions for me, perhaps a dress size reduction would have been possible. But then, do we even know that the results, if any, will not just be TEMPORARY?  

Updated on 2 Feb 2011:
Feb. 2011 - For the benefit of all, especially the many doubters who feel I lack credibility regarding exercise, nutrition and how to "maximize" my potential, I post a couple of "Pre-menopause" pics for you to enjoy. They are not that old. One is dated May, 2004,when I was 46. The other, wearing my favorite white jeans, in May of 2007, at the age of 48. Enjoy.