If this year’s hibernation and baking frenzy has seen you overindulge with stress eating and drinking, you are probably looking to diet and exercise to strip back extra pounds, fast. We looked to the latest and proven marriage of science and beauty to bring you two treatments that whilst controversial, deliver on the promise of rapid weight loss.
HCG Diet
Whilst this treatment is not for everyone, it is quite simply an astonishingly speedy and proven method to strip off stubborn fat fast. HCG human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced during pregnancy, that when injected into the subcutaneous fat of the belly, can help suppress appetite so you are able to follow a strict 500-800 calorie a day diet, during which time your body can metabolise its own fat storage as fuel.
The HCG Diet was first developed by Dr A.T.W. Simeons over 60 years ago and is administered in three phases. Phase one is loading (two days of calorie gorging which is way harder than you can imagine if you are not used to eating fatty foods and high-calorie diet); Phase 2 is when the magic happens (21-40 days of 500 calories and daily injections), Phase 3 Maintenance (you are weaned off the HCG injections and keep to a strict diet without sugar and starch. If you did 21 days on diets, you do 21 days on maintenance).
The HCG diet phase requires daily injections of the HCG hormone which is prescribed by a doctor and compounded by an authorised chemist based on your height, weight, and fat that needs to be shed. The diet is very specific and calorie-restricted. No fat at all is to be consumed and you are even advised to skip certain vitamin supplements and body creams that the body absorbs as fat. The good news however is that there is no restriction on raw fruits and vegetables. We were enthusiastically advised that ‘if you can juice it, you can eat it’ and that raw vegetables (not starch) and small portions of fresh fruits, particularly berries, are considered free foods. This resulted in significant uptake of fresh veggies and fruits in our daily intake.
The HCG injections, combined with the ultra-strict and specific low calorie, drinking at least two litres of water a day, an almost raw diet, allows the body to use its stored fat cells as fuel, resulting in rapid fat loss.
We had heard about this treatment for years, often used by celebrities in preparation for castings or a role and a diet favoured by men and women, but the daily injections were a bit off-putting. After speaking to Dr Baran from IV League Drips who specialises in this treatment, we were ready to give it a try.
Before you decry the method as unhealthy (yes this is not a suitable treatment for all and there are many side effects that should be discussed with your doctor) we found that the results were fast and fantastic. Our road-test resulted in a loss of 4 kg over 21 days, and most impressively from trouble areas like tummy, thighs, and bum.
We can confirm that the diet was not only easy to stick to, because there is no hunger pangs and blood sugar levels are evened out, but that the diet itself forces you to be mindful about portion control and may result in consuming more vegetables as raw veggies and a lot of fruits are all considered ‘free foods’ on the diet and can be consumed in unlimited quantities throughout the day. The upshot was losing the pesky COVID kilos and better skin and energy levels.
Expert Advice: Dr. Baran, consulting physician to IV League Drips advises that the raw food component of the HCG diet is something he encourages all clients to adopt into their regimes. According to Dr. Baran, increasing the raw food component of our diets results in the unblocking of the body’s filters and allows the liver to clean itself. Once the liver is cleansed, food is metabolised quickly and efficiently. “All cooked food rots” is his mantra. Raw foods retain their natural enzymes and boost energy, and do not turn into fat. He also advises “never mix a cooked starch and a cooked protein” and reminds us that the body treats legumes as starch. As a rule of thumb, he suggests that your plate should be 70% raw foods and 30% cooked to achieve and maintain the ideal and healthy body weight. Dr. Baran’s advice on boosting raw foods in our diet is less of a diet and more of a lifestyle change. “Once you accept this principle, it works with all cuisines and situations.”. Easy!
Cost: IV League Drips offer the HCG Diet for approximately $700 which is inclusive of your consultation with Dr Baran via zoom plus your 21 Day Compounded HCG vial. They provide details for the diet and all support during the process.
Book: IV League Drips
Cool Tech Fat Freezing
Body sculpting using fat freezing is not new, but the latest generation of treatment has taken this once enormously-uncomfortable treatment, and turned it into a fast and relatively painless lunchtime procedure for significant and permanent fat loss.
Cool Tech fat freezing technology literally freezes fat cells with cryoliplysis technology in one session. The treatment is non-invasive and whilst it can be uncomfortable when the suction and freezing steps are initially applied and also when the handpiece is removed, the skin quickly numbs from the cold and the treatment can be completed with minimal discomfort.
The treatment focuses on trouble spots and unwanted pockets of fat such as thighs, stomach, back, and arms. Some people can experience bruising or a tingling sensation for a week or so after the treatment but our road test treating the tummy and thigh area was painless and the first results visible after three weeks.
The body’s fat cells are vulnerable to temperature changes and as the fat cells are frozen in the treated area using the application of suction and cooling, the fat cells in the treated undergo a cell death which is later gradually eliminated by the body.
It’s important to say that this is not a treatment instead of good nutrition and exercise. Cool Tech and any other fat freezing is ideally for areas where you can pinch the fat and where you may need a little additional sculpting for stubborn spots that have not responded to diet and exercise.
We loved the very visible results and the expert technicians at North Shore Aesthetics precision application of the suction pads to ensure every last bit of fat was treated and the artful application of the treatment meant the areas treated were even and smooth. After four weeks, we could really see dresses and jeans fitting better. Depending on the amount of fat to reduce, it may be necessary to have another two treatments within 8-12 weeks.
Expert Advice: Anne from North Shore Aesthetics advises that it’s vitally important that this treatment is administered by experienced technicians as the fat freezing is permanent and an uneven application can mean uneven fat freezing which is very difficult to fix. She also advises her clients to be realistic about areas to be treated. Her mantra is: “If you can pinch it, we can freeze it!”.
Cost: Fat Freezing packages start at $1000 for two sessions and North Shore Aesthetics frequently have special offers.
Book: North Shore Aesthetics
