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Jun 02,2023
Do you feel confused about body shaping vs. weight loss? Unfortunately, like many, I initially believed that body shaping and weight loss were interchangeable terms. I assumed both involved losing weight and getting that perfect shape. After digging deeper, I realised there’s a difference between body shaping and weight loss. I decided to give both a try because I wanted to find the most effective approach to improving my health and well-being. Of course, I wanted to look good, as well.
Today, I will talk about what I have learned about what is body contouring and how it differs from weight loss. I will also shed light on why combining these two methods can be a more sustainable way to achieve your goals.
What I have learned from my experience is that body shaping involves using non-surgical and surgical treatments to target specific problem areas. A body shaping procedure is not directly a solution for weight loss, but it normally results in some amount of weight loss. The idea is to eliminate fat cells from specific body areas, including your upper arms, thighs, buttocks, and other areas of your body.
If you want body-shaping procedures to come into play, keep your body mass index below 30 or, at best, 25. According to the NHS (National Health Service), BMI between 30 and 39.9 and above is regarded as obesity or severe obesity. That means obese people are not ideal candidates. Body shaping procedures are beneficial for those who want:
The best treatment for you depends on your specific goals, lifestyle, any underlying health conditions, and more.
Weight loss is a physiological process that occurs as a result of an overall decrease in body weight, including water, bone, muscle, and fat loss through diet, exercise, and sometimes medical interventions (weight loss pills). A number of factors can affect weight fluctuations, including different amounts of food, sodium intake, dietary fibre and hormonal imbalance, and so on. Other factors include stress, sleep, and medications.
Fat loss, on the other hand, is more specific than weight loss. It involves losing weight while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. Simply put, fat loss is a result of the reduction in stored body fat.
Read more: 11 Proven Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss
So, what’s the difference?
Weight loss involves water and muscle loss, meaning it can be harmful for your health. However, fat loss decreases the risk of chronic diseases and helps you reduce muscle mass loss. Plus, unlike weight loss, you cannot measure fat loss using a weighing scale.
Weight loss and body shaping might sound similar but they differ from each other. Key differences include:
Weight loss leads you to a loss of stored fat from all over your body. This means you will likely lose weight from your entire body, including your arms, legs, torso, and face. Weight loss does not promise that you will be able to reshape your problem areas.
In contrast, body shaping using an ultrasonic cavitation machine gives you the freedom to decide which specific areas you want to target fat loss. Whether you want to enhance the shape of your buttocks, abdomen, arms, calves, or back, body shaping technology can help you target those specific areas.
Weight loss can be achieved through a combination of diet and exercise. However, there are various body shaping methods (from infrared sauna blankets to vacuum therapy machines) you can choose to target fat.
Unlike weight loss which reduces your overall body weight, body shaping involves making a specific area of your body look more toned and attractive. Body shaping results can include increased muscle tone, a more defined body shape, and boosted self-confidence. So, if you are after a more sculpted and visually appealing appearance, body shaping is for you.
However, weight loss can lead to a more significant reduction in total body weight, but may not address specific areas as effectively. A decreased body mass can reduce the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Weight loss is a slow process. It takes almost a week to shed only two pounds. On the other hand, non-invasive body shaping treatments may take several months to achieve desired results.
We already discussed that body shaping can be both invasive and non-invasive. By now you are probably excited to know how non-surgical body shaping treatments can change your life. Let’s take a closer look at each treatment and how they work:
It’s a cosmetic treatment that helps you reduce fat from stubborn body areas for healthy people. Studies revealed that it can destroy fat cells by 25% without causing any side effects. Repeat treatments can yield greater results with up to 40% decrease in fat cells in the treatment area.
CoolSculpting uses cooling technology to deliver targeted cooling to specific areas of your body. This causes the fat cells to freeze and die, which eventually leads to their elimination from the body
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LLLT is a popular technology used by a lipo laser machine that uses a relatively low light intensity that hits adipocytes (fat cells) and encourages them to release their lipid contents or fatty essence. As a result, fat cells become liquified, which then expelled by the body’s lymphatic system.
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Another minimally invasive cosmetic fat reduction procedure is radio frequency lipolysis. It combines traditional liposuction with radio frequency technology for effective and safe fat removal from specific body parts while minimising recovery time.
During the procedure, a small incision (the size of the incision is around 1 to 2 cm) is created. A radio frequency electrode is inserted through this incision into the fat beneath the skin. The electrode delivers radio frequency energy to target fat cells and liquify their contents.
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Read more: Non-Surgical Fat Removal Treatments
Surgical options are for those who want dramatic and immediate results. Popular surgical body-shaping procedures include:
It’s for those who have a stable weight but want to remove undesirable deposits of fat in specific parts of the body. The treatment is versatile, meaning you can treat many areas during the same procedure. It does not require much time to recover from the treatment. However, some risks can be there, including infection, or bruising.
Tummy tuck being a surgical procedure helps eliminate excess fat and repair weak muscles in the abdomen, resulting in a smoother and firmer appearance. It helps strengthen your abdominal muscles, decrease back pain, improve posture, reduce sagging, and more. However, it also comes with some risks, like bleeding, slow healing, swelling, scarring or skin discoloration.
Plastic surgery encompasses a vast range of treatments from facelifts, breast augmentation to rhinoplasty. The benefits include improved health and physical appearance, reduced signs of ageing, contoured body by removing excess skin . However, it’s a costly procedure and has potential risks such as allergic reactions, nerve damage, bleeding, infections, or breathing difficulties.
In the above, we have discussed the differences between the two approaches. That lays the foundation for deciding which procedure suits your needs better. Here you need to consider two factors to make a better choice.
Do you know what you want to achieve with body management? Do you understand that you cannot see changes overnight?
If you care more about a particular body part, such as getting more lifted and tightened buttocks, you need to choose body shaping treatments like vacuum therapy. In this case, it may not assist you in losing several pounds of weight. Conversely, you may lower your body mass index below 25, but nothing happens to specific body areas.
More importantly, these "miracles" take a while, sometimes weeks and even months, to occur. That is why it's clever of you to set realistic goals and expectations. Doing this can make your body management "campaign" sustainable.
You have a clear objective, and your expectation for the results is acceptable. Does that mean you can choose whatever procedure you like? The answer is no. You must take health conditions into account. The treatment solving the same problem that applies to others may not suit you.
Take non-invasive fat freezing as an example. Some contraindications may prevent you from taking a coolsculpting treatment: your targeted area has skin lesions like varicose veins or dermatitis or is extremely sensitive to coldness. Other health conditions include nerve disorders and inflammatory skin disorders.
Medical conditions like underactive thyroids (do not produce enough thyroid hormones), polycystic ovarian syndrome (causes a person to have irregular periods), and Cushing's disease (susceptible to high cortisol levels for an extended period) may impede your weight loss effort.
To promote body management, "cause" means you should know your body well. A wise move is to consult a medical professional to ensure safety.
Body shaping is a better option than weight loss when:
Body shaping or sculpting is not for everyone. Ideal candidates for body sculpting are:
The cost of body sculpting and weight loss varies depending on various factors, including the location you are in, specific treatments or programs, and your individual needs. Let’s breakdown the costs of these two options to help you understand which option is better:
Both invasive and non-invasive body sculpting treatments can vary significantly depending on the specific procedure and the number of sessions needed. Some common ranges are:
The cost of a medical weight loss program can vary depending on the contents of the program, its duration, the patient’s weight loss goals, and what’s covered by insurance. Medical programs can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on average.
The cost is based on the number of visits. For example, if you want to opt for a 12-week program with one session per week, it would cost you around $500. The cost can be higher if weight loss drugs are prescribed.
On the other hand, if you opt for a 12-week outpatient commercial weight loss program, it can cost anywhere from $108 for the least expensive nutrient-balanced hypocaloric diet program to $2120 for the most expensive very low-calorie diet program.
Injectable weight loss drugs without insurance can cost between $1000 to #2000 per month. However, insurance coverage can significantly reduce these costs.
Consult a healthcare professional to have a clear and specific idea of how much you can expect to pay for body contouring vs. weight loss programs.
Now let me clear out the question:- Does body contouring help lose weight? Body contouring procedures do not lead to significant weight loss. Instead, they are meant to contour and give your body a sculpted look. However, these treatments can complement your weight loss efforts by targeting specific problem areas and enhancing body shape.
It's not wise enough to rely on one approach while abandoning the other. These two strategies can precisely help you solve your problems. But it's not necessary to sever the ties during your pursuit. We need to adopt an integrated approach toward body management.
A common case is that we wish to make some body parts more sculpted and curved once we reach our weight-loss goals. Integrating healthy eating and exercise with body-shaping treatments is a smart move to help you walk closer to that target.
And it's important to approach weight loss and body shaping with realistic expectations. Do not overdo your weight loss and body-shaping goals, which should be set in a healthy manner that suits your needs and conditions. Setting your goals too high or low is detrimental to your overall happiness, discouraging you from taking more action to lose weight and contour your body.
Achieving healthy and stable body weight in a sustainable way requires a holistic approach to lifestyle changes. I think a healthy diet with essential nutrients and regular exercise can make a world of difference in your weight loss and body shaping journey. Cultivating healthy habits can contribute to sustainable weight loss, including:
Instead of solely relying on quick fixes and weight loss tips, shift your focus toward building sustainable healthy habits. If you are considering weight loss pills, or a fad diet, consult with a qualified professional to discuss if they are suitable for you.
Body shaping and weight loss are used interchangeably but they work in distinct ways and target different aspects of body composition. Weight loss involves a reduction in overall body weight and mass. However, body sculpting technologies result in fat loss without the risk of muscle mass loss.
Unlike weight loss, non-invasive body contouring machines target specific areas of your body to give you a toned appearance. Before choosing between body shaping and weight loss, make sure to determine your goals and consult a professional to explore which treatment option is right for you.
A: Invasive procedures like liposuction for body shaping take at least one hour, while non-invasive body sculpting procedures, such as fat freezing, take 30 minutes to one hour. It depends on the treatment you take.
The results are long-lasting whether you use surgical or non-surgical procedures for body contouring. The key is to incorporate a healthy and balanced diet and exercise for the pursuit. And have regular follow-up sessions for body shaping in place to maintain and extend its outcomes.
Two pounds is equal to 7,000 calories. That means you need to burn an extra 1,000 calories than you take every day. It's a challenging task.
Several factors affect the rate of weight loss: the food you eat, the amount of exercise you take, how your metabolism functions, and your starting body size, among others. Usually, it takes around 4 to 8 weeks to see changes in your body when you are in the first phase of weight loss.
There is no so-called " fastest way" to reduce weight. However, following some tips can help you lose weight quickly and sustainably. First, lessen your intake of refined carbohydrates. Second, eat quality protein, healthy fat, fruits, and vegetables. Third, get your body moved to burn more calories than you absorb.
It depends. If your goal is to reduce your risk of obesity related health problems, losing weight is good for you. However, if you are interested in improving your overall appearance and wellbeing, you may want to get in shape.
Yes, your body's natural shape and distribution of muscle and fat can influence how you lose weight. But it’s not the only factor. Healthy lifestyle habits are essential for achieving and maintaining your weight loss goals.
Losing body fat is more preferable than losing weight. While weight loss can include a reduction in muscle mass, fat loss specifically targets fat cells. This can help improve your health, reduce the risks of chronic diseases, and enhance your strength.
You might be losing muscle mass along with fat, which can lead to a decrease in overall weight without significant body fat reduction. Additionally, fluctuations in water weight can also impact the scale without affecting body composition.more calories than you absorb.
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