40 Years Old, No Kids, Fit + Active with Stubborn Belly Fat - Marina Del Rey, CA

After months of careful and fastidious research, I decided to take the leap and get Coolsculpting done on my abdomen (sides and a large applicator on pouch). I was really pleased with Carla at Marina Plastic Surgery, and I ensured that I took the following precautions:

1. Go to a real doctor. Forget the medispas or shops shilling Coolsculpting on the cheap. This is my body and it's not something I want to go cheap on. I went to a reputable plastic surgeon (tons of great Yelp reviews and an official Coolsculpting partner). The office was in a medical center, so if anything happened, I felt safe.

2. Realize that this isn't a magic bullet. I did this to jump-start my lifestyle and confidence, but I have expectations that this won't dramatically change my body and I'll wake up with a six-pack. I was also the right candidate with weight +/- 10lbs of ideal weight.

The procedure:
-I've read so many complaints about the pain and I'm honestly baffled. A cool patch is applied to protect the skin and you feel uncomfortable for a few seconds. The pinch from the machine is tough, but again, it lasts a few minutes and then your whole area is numb.
-I've read about the tough massage after, but my doctor used ultrasound equipment (vs a manual massage), so it didn't hurt at all and I have very minimal bruising
-The most annoying part of the process is laying supine for the four hours it took to get the procedure done (large applicator, 2X on lower belly || left/ride side)
-I received a prescription for Percocet and Lidocaine 5% Patches (to apply for when the pain will inevitably hit

This morning I woke and it felt as if I did 1000 crunches. My abdomen is tender, swollen (the pics make me look bigger than I am because of said swelling) and it does hurt a little, but completely manageable.
I am going to spin class today, so we'll see how that goes. I'm keeping a healthy diet/exercise regimen, but will take breaks if I face any real pain (which I hear is coming in a few days).

I'll be posting pics of myself throughout my journey. Feel free to ask any questions.

I'm doing great! I took a full week off because I couldn't even fathom spin class while recovering. I didn't have ANY pain like others have described. My stomach was really sore and tender, and I'm only just starting to feel normal (the numbness is slowly fading). I did feel some itchiness and tickling feeling under my skin, but nothing disturbing. I had a considerable amount of swelling, which has gone done as you can see from the pictures.

If I sound like a broken record, believe me when I say this is important. Go to a REAL DOCTOR to get this done. This is your body, no place to save $. I saved up so I could see a doctor that had easy access to hospital (even if this procedure isn't invasive, you never know).

I'm excited to see my results, but realize I probably have to wait another 7-8 weeks,