Real and Honest CoolSculpting Review

I'm actually going back to my doctor this Friday for some more post-photos and hopefully a refund. I took some photos at 10 weeks after and compared to my pre-photos there was really zero difference. Maybe a centimeter or so, and I'm exactly the same weight I was when I had the procedure done. Now that it's been plenty of time, I can confidently say this was a complete waste of money for me.

Before I tried coolsculpting, I searched everywhere for real, honest reviews and didn't really come up with much. Here's mine as thoroughly as possible:
I had three areas on my abdomen done, and was fully prepared for the procedure to be somewhat painful. I'm a tough cookie, but the main thing that has struck me was the lack of brutal transparency in all the coolsculpting advertisements. They say no downtime and not much pain, but it's simply not true. Everything I'd seen or read about the procedure up until I had it done made it seem like a total breeze. Yes, you can return to work in a few days, but expect some serious discomfort for 3-4 days afterwards and numbness for 4+ weeks. Honestly, you're not going to WANT to go to work the very next day or the day after. You're functional, but moving quite slowly and there is mild stabbing pain every now and then. Do not expect to exercise for a week, probably 2 afterwards. Again, you won't want to anyway. I went for a moderately aggressive 45-min hike 2 weeks out, and it was a struggle. The procedure itself is tolerable, but definitely unpleasant. After a few minutes you go numb and it gets better. If you're sensitive to pain, you may not be able to handle it. It wasn't a big deal for me personally, but again, my tolerance for pain is moderately high. Some people say the "massage" afterwards is the worst part, and it's definitely no picnic. Also expect swelling for a few days afterwards as well, and of course, bruising for at least a week. Mine lasted almost 2. Stock up on that Arnica gel.
Ultimately, you probably need a few of these treatments done in order to see real results. That takes time (many months), and the cost probably works out being comparable (or more) to liposuction. I'm willing to bet that the results aren't nearly as dramatic as liposuction either. It's been about 8 weeks and while I do see a small difference (! hope it continues to improve, but I'm not expecting too much more honestly), it's really nothing vastly noticeable. Again you probably need multiple treatments done and that's just not feasible on my pocketbook.
Don't expect to loose any weight, and though I think it goes without saying, this is NOT any sort of weight loss or noticeable slimming solution. The applicators are very targeted, and only cover small areas of bulge at a time. Your bulge also needs to be pinchable for the machine to be able to suck it up inside. Personally, I have about 15-20lbs of weight that I want to lose, (maybe even 25 to be honest), but my bulging tummy has always been an issue even at my slimmest and I wanted to do something to help me kickstart. I figured I'd see an even slimmer stomach when I started to get closer to my goal weight. I haven't lost much so far (maybe 8lbs from eating lots of soup over the past several weeks), and also haven't been able to fully regain my exercise routine since my stomach was numb and uncomfortable for a while. I totally thought I'd be able to get Coolscuplting and then jump right back in for added noticeable results, but that just wasn't the case, so don't expect the same. And again, I have felt and seen a slightly flatter stomach but it's pretty minimal so far.
Ultimately, if you have money to burn and don't mind investing 6-8 months of 2-3 rounds of coolsculpting treatments, (they say you shouldn't have treatments any sooner than 12 weeks apart!), then it could be a good solution for you. If you have little pockets of bulge and are otherwise happy with your contours (and abhorr the thought of lipo) I'd also recommend it. It's definitely more of an investment of time, money, and personal sacrifice than you'd think from all the easy-breezy Ads that are out there. Personally, I think my money and efforts are better spent on a solid diet plan and then traditional lipo for my problem areas after that. Overall, I'd say Meh.