The other day I was invited to try a laser lipo and calorie-blasting sauna session (R500 a pop) at 3-in-1 Liposlim in Green Point.

The concept of laser lipo has been around for a while so I won’t bore you with too much detail but for those who aren’t familiar with it, it’s not at all like ‘regular/surgical’ lipo as it isn’t invasive at all. It involves strapping laser-emitting paddles to the bits you want to blitz and it doesn’t hurt a bit. The laser merely travels through your bod to make the walls of your fat cells temporarily permeable to drain their contents which are then excreted via your body the usual way. In this sense, it’s almost identical to the weight loss process you could trigger via diet and exercise but a much faster, easier and more targeted way of doing it.

If you’ve got lots of weight to lose, laser lipo isn’t your best bet. It’s ideal for someone who’s just a little way away from their goal silhouette and wants to get their fast.

Anyway, what makes 3-in-1 Liposlim’s offering different to other laser lipo clinics is that each 30 minute (laser) session includes 30 minutes in an infrared sauna. Using the sauna is important because, when the fat is drained from your cells, it floats around your body. You then need to burn it up and excrete it fast or your body simply reabsorbs it. This is why laser lipo clinics will tell you to go home and exercise after your treatment. But, thanks to 3-in-1 Lipo Laser’s two-part treatment, you can skip the treadmill and ‘sloth’ it up in the sauna, burning up to 600 calories in just 30 minutes.

As far as my treatment was concerned it involved hopping onto Amelia’s Inbody scanner (a super advanced scale I’ll talk more about later) to take my measurements. I then moved on to a quick laser lipo session targeting my stomach and sides before sliding into the sauna. I liked that my head could stick out the end so I didn’t sweat my make-up off. Also, the pad that you lie on vibrates to give you a nice, relaxing massage.

An hour later (30 mins laser lipo and 30 mins in the sauna) I was all done so I climbed onto Amelia’s Inbody scan once more and yep, I had lost a bit of fat on my tummy area. How quick and easy was that? Still, it’s important to know that, while anyone undergoing the treatment will enjoy a reduction in fat after their very first session, you’d need several of them for it to be visible. It’s much the same with diet and exercise. You won’t see the results of your efforts if you work out and/or eat a calorie deficit just one day a week. This is why it’s a good idea to buy a treatment package. The clinic offers several but if it’s slimming you’re after I’d opt for the Targeted Weight Loss package. (R2 250 for 10 x lipo laser sessions, 10 x sauna treatments and 4 x Inbody scans.)

But ja, let’s get back to chatting about that Inbody scanner. I was super impressed with it and feel it deserves a mention on their own. Essentially a super sophisticated scale, the level of detail it can give you is awesome – everything from the weight of each arm and leg, your body’s composition (fat, water, muscle etc) and it can even tell the difference between the type of fat you have, like the visceral kind that surrounds your organs in your belly area and is associated with obesity.

Anyway, when I had my first scan I was a run down train wreck so I didn’t expect wonderful numbers but they surprised Amelia ‘cos I while I looked slim and trim I was a lot more mush than muscle. ‘Right now you’re a classic example skinny fat’, she laughed, which is exactly right. (In my defense I was a burned out rag, had just gotten over a prolonged flu and hadn’t worked out in weeks while heavily overcommitted to several projects that nearly killed me.)

My first scan revealed some crappy stats and it was pretty eye-opening as to how quickly your body can ‘lose’ muscle. Determined to turn my bad report card around, I assured Amelia my weigh in came at the end of a killer project so things would improve naturally thanks to less stress (stress increases your body’s cortisol level which sees you hold on to fat), the time to eat more regular, better considered small meals (I’d been alternating between skipping several while too busy to eat with stuffing my face with comforting fast food that was easy to grab on the go) and exercise a minimum of four times a week. On top of this, I promised to implement two changes inspired by the scale – drinking a lot more water and eating more protein.

So, 22 days later, having looked after myself properly, I popped into the clinic for a new scan (they’re R250 each if bought as a stand alone but included as a before and after measurement if you buy a lipo session so I’d advise doing that) this morning and am pleased to discover my body can still bounce back as fast as it can go to pot. For example, my metabolic rate (metabolism) and muscle mass have increased while my BMI (body max index) and visceral fat level has dropped,  In fact, I’ve lost a total of 2kg of fat with 1,2kg of it coming off my belly and the rest from my arms and legs. What’s great about the scale is that it can tell exactly what bits of your bod are what. So it’s not like I’ve lost 1,5kg of fat and 0,5kg of water. When it says 2kg of fat is gone it means exactly that. Woop woop! I can also see that my protein and total body water levels have increased since my first scan but I’m still dehydrated so I need to keep chugging the water.

Anyway, if you’re keen on trying 3-in-1 Liposlim yourself you can find out more about the franchise online or get in touch with the Sea Point clinic on (021) 276 2029.

Happy slimming!

Love, love

Leigh