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CoolSculpting and weight loss: What's the maximum amount of weight can you lose from one session?

  • 1 year ago
Will results for one session of CoolSculpting show if a female and about 20 pounds overweight at 5'2"?

Doctor Answers 12

CoolSculpting is Not a Weight Loss Treatment

December 26th, 2014
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It's very important to remember that CoolSculpting is not a weight loss treatment. It's a non-surgical procedure that helps you sculpt areas of stubborn fat in the body when you're already at or close to a healthy ideal body weight. You will see better results if you are able to lose that excess weight through diet and exercise beforehand and use CoolSculpting to treat the stubborn areas that don't respond to these lifestyle changes, like love handles, bra bulge, and the area known as the "paunch." 

Web reference: http://www.theplasticsurgeryclinic.com/non-surgical-procedures/coolsculpting

Frank Lista, MD


Toronto Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 111 reviews

Coolsculpting and weight loss

November 4th, 2014
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Coolsculpting is not a weight loss device.  Coolsculpting is a fabulous procedure to reduce a bulge in a given area by 20 to 25%.  It will not make you lose weight.  However, by reducing the bulge you may feel like you have lost weight by feeling slimmer and having a smaller pant size.  For the best results please consult a board certified dermatologist with experience with coolsculpting.

Web reference: http://www.michelegreenmd.com/coolsculpting-nyc

Michele S. Green, MD

Michele S. Green, MD
New York Dermatologist
5.0 out of 5 stars 78 reviews

CoolSculpting and Weight loss

September 30th, 2014
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Thank you for your post. CoolSculpting is primarily a fat reduction treatment, not a weight loss treatment. The ideal candiate would be someone who has a problem area that diet and exercise just wont budge. The rule of thumb is about 20-40 % fat reduction in a given area. It is reccomended to measure patients rather than weighing them before and after CoolSculpting treatments. 20 pounds over weight all depends on what overweight means to you compared to your height. 

My advice would be to have a consultation to make sure that you are a good canidiate and make sure that before and after photos are taken. Photos are the best way to track your results and give you realistic expectations. 

Best of luck, "Dr. Joe".

Web reference: http://www.tcplasticsurgery.com/spa-services-/cool-sculpting-fat-reduction/

Joe Gryskiewicz, MD, FACS

Joe Gryskiewicz, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 278 reviews

Being happy with the results of your aesthetic care requires having rational goals

September 23rd, 2014
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Hi there-

Coolsculpting is safe, effective, and FDA approved for the reduction of areas of unwanted subcutaneous fat. It is not appropriate to use it as a weight loss tool, and in fact, doing so would almost assuredly result in an unhappy patient  who didn't achieve their goals. 

Your better bet is to improve your lifestyle- if after you've achieve the more fit you and your weight is stable you still have areas of unwanted fat Coolsculpting may be beneficial to help you maximize your shape- just don't expect it to result in weight loss.

Web reference: http://www.drarmandosoto.com/coolsculpting

Armando Soto, MD, FACS

Armando Soto, MD, FACS
Orlando Plastic Surgeon
4.8 out of 5 stars 159 reviews

Coolsculpting and weight loss

September 21st, 2014
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Coolsculpting is a procedure that selectively freezes fat cells to induce programmed cell death. While not a weight loss modality, per se, the fat loss may galvanize you to lose weight through standard methods.
Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS

Suzanne Kim Doud Galli, MD, PhD, FACS
Washington Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 6 reviews

Weight loss?

September 18th, 2014
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Coolsculpting is not for weight loss; it is for contouring.  Coolsculpting is an effective FDA non invasive treatment for excess fat. I have seen some impressive results with a series of 2-3 treatments. However, the results do vary from patient to patient. Remember, cool sculpting requires no surgery and it will generally yield at least 10-20% improvement each treatment. It will take up to 3 month to appreciate your final results after each treatment. However, you must understand that cool sculpting is NOT liposuction. Liposuction is a surgical procedure and will yield more definitive results. Please visit with a board certified PS to learn more about your options.

Dr. Basu
Houston, TX
C. Bob Basu, MD, FACS

C. Bob Basu, MD, FACS
Houston Plastic Surgeon
4.7 out of 5 stars 211 reviews

Body Sculpting and Weight Loss are not the Same

September 16th, 2014
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Thank you for your question. I am sure many other people have questions that are similar. CoolSculpting is not a weight loss procedure. CoolSculpting is a procedure that, as the name suggests "sculpts" specific areas of the body that seem to hold on to excess adipose tissue. A successful CoolSculpting treatment may not show any evidence of weight loss, no change in pounds but it will show the targeted areas are firmer, smaller, and more toned. It is important not to confuse body sculpting with weight loss. The best candidates for CoolSculpting are people that are currently healthy and participate in regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet but have specific areas of fat that are stubborn and will not go away no matter how many miles they run or how little they eat. If a patient chooses to lose weight with diet and exercise while undergoing CoolSculpting treatments, the two compliment each other. But they are not the same.  
Peter J. Capizzi, MD

Peter J. Capizzi, MD
Charlotte Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 87 reviews

CoolSculpting eliminates fat, does not cause weight loss

September 15th, 2014
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CoolSculpting will not necessarily cause you to lose weight. Although it freezes the fat and you eliminate the fat cells, your weight may barely change or not change at all, but your body shape/ look will be affected. It is not designed for weight loss, it is designed for fat elimination, which, believe it or not, is different than weight loss. This procedure is used to treat stubborn areas of fat on already healthy patients to improve body contouring.
Craig W. Colville, MD, FACS

Craig W. Colville, MD, FACS
Toledo Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 16 reviews

Weight Loss With CoolSculpting

September 12th, 2014
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CoolSculpting is not a weight loss treatment. It is more of a body sculpting procedure to treat areas of stubborn fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. After a CoolSculpting treatment, though you will not lose much weight, you will appear slimmer once these pockets of fat have reduced. If you are looking to lose a large amount of weight then this may not be the treatment for you, especially with just one session. You might want to consider dieting and exercise. If you reach the point to where only localized bulges of fat remain then you will be more happy with the results you can achieve with CoolSculpting. Hope this helps answer your question!

Web reference: http://www.zcosmetichealth.com/cosmetic-procedures-sherman-oaks/coolsculpting/

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS
Sherman Oaks General Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 10 reviews

CoolSculpting and weight loss: What's the maximum amount of weight can you lose from one session?

September 12th, 2014
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Thank you for your question.

CoolSculpting is a relatively new technology that allows physicians to treat patient's areas of unwanted fat by applying an applicator to cool the fatty tissue to a point were approximately 20% of the fat in that area will be removed by the body.  The technology is used to reduce the amount of fat in localized areas to help improve the body's contour.  Since fatty tissue does not weigh as much as skin, water, muscle and bone, the reduction typically doesn't change a person's weight.  

I hope this helps!

William J. Vinyard, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Palm Beach, Florida
William J. Vinyard, MD, FACS

William J. Vinyard, MD, FACS
Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 33 reviews

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.