Halley Medical Aesthetics Archives

Active Slim Program – 5 Tips to Reduce Weight and Maintain It!

I hope you have been following my slimming journey with Halley Medical Aesthetics. If not, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to read all the posts on CoolSculpting and Active Slim Program which has helped me to sculpt slimmer thighs, reduce weight and get back my confidence.

Active Slim Program provides nutritional counseling and adds on meal replacement for healthy weight loss. I learnt the right ways to cut down my excessive weight to a healthy BMI, all thanks to Jean Tong, my nutritionist at Halley Medical Aesthetic.

So far my statistics have been satisfying. From the first visit to the last, below are some encouraging numbers, nothing drastic but steady and healthy numbers:

● Weight – reduce by 3kg over 6 months (without medication)
● Muscle weight – increase by 0.8%
● Body Fat – reduce by 3%
● Waistline – reduce 7cm

One may expect that weight loss is the obvious indicator of slimming success, but it would be more accurate to take in the holistic numbers like muscle weight, body fat and final BMI. In fact, from Active Slim program, my waistline actually decreases by a whopping 7cm, which I think is really amazing! I am happy that muscle weight has increased, body fat has decreased and hence I am not so bothered about my final weight. The truth is that my target weight falls short of 1 kg. However, 4 months after the program has ended, I am still able to maintain my weight 4 months ago, and I think this is an incredible feat to celebrate about!

Below are the ways that I want to share with everyone how I managed to reduce weight and most importantly, maintain the healthy weight!

1. Meal Planning

Here is how my typical day meals look like. This helps me to achieve a healthy diet of 10 CHO (Carbohydrate Exchange).

Breakfast at 730am: Half a cup of low-fat milk (I used to take Milo but it is high in sugar level compared to Low fat milk), 1 slice of wholemeal bread with cheese (no sugar-added jam)

Lunch at 12pm: Salad with 2 tbsp Quinoa with palm-sized chicken breast meat and bacon bits with 1 tbsp Yuzu Soya sauce at least twice a week, plus an Apple.

Mid-afternoon snack: one cup of red date with wolfberries drink or a cup of low-fat yogurt or a serving of fruit

Dinner at 7pm: 3 tbsp of mixed brown with white rice, one serving of stir fried vegetable, one palm size of stir fried or steamed fish, 1 palm size of steamed egg, 1 serving of orange or watermelon.

The above helps me to achieve the needed nutrients in a day. Choosing a healthy mid-afternoon snack is good to ensure that I am not too hungry to eat more than what I need for dinner.

For days that I do not take salad and choose to eat out with my colleagues, I will ensure that I walk more that day or cut down calorie snack for mid-afternoon snack.

2. Taking care not to take empty calories and it is OK to indulge in SINFUL Foods once in a while!

Jean told me that we should avoid empty calorie food such as desserts, sweets, food that has no nutritional value. However, in order to be able to sustain on the weight loss journey, it is also alright that we indulge in our favourite but sinful foods once in a while. It does not have to be a strictly boring diet. Sometimes, due to social reasons, it is perfectly alright to eat out of the normal meal foods.

3. Reading Labels

Do you know how to read labels and beware of how marketing tactics can mislead consumers?
Some food for thought:

Zero fat = healthy? Not really if it is high in sugar.

Trans fat free = healthy? Not really, one serving of the food can contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat, according to the law, and still be labeled trans-fat-free. In fact, there are healthy fats such as canola oil and olive oil, which taken in moderation, do no harm to our health.

Cholesterol = fats? NO, cholesterol is not a type of fats. There is good and bad cholesterol. Don’t be misled by labels that say Cholesterol free! In fact, we should aim to eat foods that provides high HDL (High-density Lipoproteins) cholesterol to get rid of bad cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. Foods with high HDL cholesterol includes fatty fish, olive oil, beans, whole grains, flax, nuts, chia seeds, avocado, soy-based products. We should take more of these!!

When you read labels, you should be comparing against the 100ml nutritional list instead of a per serving list. The highest composition will top the list. Hence, if you see sugar high on the list, it means that the product contains high sugar level.

Beware of different names that mean sugar, for example, fructose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup solids, galactose, carbitol, etc etc etc… 100 over names to represent sugar!

Try choosing the healthier choice labels, it helps in your decision to consume a healthier option. Take note that it doesn’t mean that the product is healthy, but rather it means that it is a healthier choice compared to another brand that does not carry the label. So, you can even see the label on ice-cream! It does not mean that ice-cream is healthy, but it may mean that this product contains a smaller percentage of unhealthy ingredients compared to another brand.

4. Exercise

We can’t avoid exercising when it comes to nutrition and healthy eating. We need to ensure that we have Calories Out after we consume Calories In! Otherwise all In and no Out, in no time, we will be growing in size! A rule of thumb is 150min of high intensity exercise level per week. I know, I know this is difficult. Well, we need to start somewhere. Perhaps start by brisk walking 2-3 times a week, add on swimming or light jogging. Certainly, it beats NOT EXERCISING at all, isn’t it?

5. Cut Down on Snacking

I find that removing unhealthy snacks from my work desk is very useful. No biscuits, no crackers, no titbits. There are no distractions for me to munch unnecessarily. I keep healthy snacks like fruits and low fat yogurt in my office. I drink plain water when I am thirsty. I try not to think of drinking coffee, milk tea or hot chocolate. If I really want to, I will add less or zero sugar to the tea or coffee. Such intentional lifestyle habits help in maintaining my weight.

So far, the above tips have served me very well. Occasionally, I gain 1 or 2 kg after an overseas trip. But as long as I keep to what Jean has taught me in the Active Slim Program, I am able to return to my weight quickly. I really benefited lots from this educational program. It helps me to be self-sustained in eating healthily, and even planning healthy meals for the family. I am glad that from now on, I have this blog post to show whoever wants to slim down the healthy way.

Thank you, Halley Medical Aesthetic, for the wonderful slimming journey and the chance to gain back my confidence in carrying myself!

Join me on my CoolSculpting Journey with the below posts!
1) Achieving Slimmer Thighs With CoolSculpting at Halley Medical Aesthetics
2) My CoolSculpting Journey – What to Expect on Day of Treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetics
3) Active Slim Program – Losing Weight by Nutritional Counseling at Halley Medical Aesthetics
4) My CoolSculpting Results of My Thighs

More information:
If you are interested in the Active Slim programme, please click here.
Price of Active Slim Programme – $800
Price of a box of Optifast of 7 sachets – $18.50

277 Orchard Road #03-15
Orchard Gateway Singapore 238858
T: 6737 8233
halley.com.sg
facebook.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
instagram.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com

My CoolSculpting Results Of My Thighs

Slimming is a nervous business. I was nervous when I decided to entrust my slimming journey to Halley Medical Aesthetics (I have not walked into an aesthetics clinic before!). I was nervous on my first visit of consultation due to shyness. And I was even more nervous on my last review to see the verdict!

But I really shouldn’t be because I can already feel the awesome effects of the CoolSculpting by Zeltiq before my last review was up! But still, there is always the element of anxiety on what the doctor will have to say.

If you have not been following my CoolSculpting journey, you may read my first consultation with Dr Terence Tan and what to expect on the CoolSculpting day.

A recap on what is CoolSculpting:

CoolSculpting by Zeltiq is a treatment to reduce stubborn fat bulges that may not respond to diet or exercise. It freezes and eliminates stubborn fat by delivering precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. These treated fat cells are crystallised (frozen), and then die.

Over time, your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted silhouette. Further, the sub-zero freezing does not damage the skin or surrounding tissue. The CoolSculpting effects are long term as the treated fat cells are gone for good. It takes as early as 3 weeks and mostly around 3-6 months to see the full slimming effect.

What happened after just 1 and only session of CoolSculpting?

First month

There was no obvious visual change in the appearance of my thighs after the first month. But I could feel that my jeans were slightly looser.

Then, there was a gradual transformation of my thighs from first to fourth month that increases my confidence by the weeks!

Now, I must add that the transformation that was happening has to be complemented by a healthy diet. Remember? I mentioned before that CoolSculpting has nothing to do with weight loss? It is to sculpt a slimmer silhouette.

There is no point to binge and consume calories freely while expecting that you maintain slimmer thighs. If you eat unhealthily and excessively, the fat cells grow in size and you will look bigger size. And these fat cells will reduce in size if you choose healthier eating options. I truly believe in the effectiveness of the Active Slim Programme that Dr Terence Tan prescribed for me. The nutritionist, Jean Tong, educated me on what constitutes to a healthy and sustainable diet. Without gaining knowledge on the right diet, I would not be able to see the positive results on the 4th month!

4 months later

I measured my thighs immediately when I came home on the day of CoolSculpting session. They measured 24 inches each. 4 months later, the measuring tape showed 21 inches. Whoa! That’s 3 inches or 8cm off each of my thighs! No wonder I can now slipped into my jeans so easily! My legs look better with shorts and dresses. And that is just my thighs.

After going through Active Slim Programme, I start choosing less calories options and reduce to occasional snacking for these months, my muffin tops are gone too! I have to put on belts to hold on my shorts as instead of squeezing out fats on the sides of my waist, they now slip to my hips! I really feel that I have got back my slimmer body that was forgotten with child-bearing years! To one ex-colleague, I replied when he commented that I looked slimmer, “You are just looking at the same me 10 years ago!”

I went back for a review session with Dr Terence Tan at the end of the 4th month. We went through our before and after photos together.

If you noticed, the After photos were taken slightly close up, nevertheless, you are able to spot the bigger thigh gap in the inner thigh, as well as, less bulge at the outer thighs.

If there is one thing that I regret, it must be not going to Halley Medical Aesthetics early enough. Now, friends remarked that I have slimmed down and some commented that I looked prettier than before. I guess my looks still stay the same, it is the confidence which exudes when I carry myself in a slimmer and lighter body that makes the glow.

Walking out from Halley Medical Aesthetics Clinic 4 months later, I regain the confidence of my self-image. Shopping for clothes now is a happy experience. I am also not afraid to stand near the camera when taking wefies! What I am going to do from now, is to maintain my healthy eating habits and exercise regularly to keep my figure and health in shape!

Join me on my CoolSculpting Journey with the below posts!

1) Achieving Slimmer Thighs With CoolSculpting at Halley Medical Aesthetics

2) My CoolSculpting Journey – What to Expect on Day of Treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetics

3) Active Slim Program – Losing Weight by Nutritional Counseling at Halley Medical Aesthetics

277 Orchard Road #03-15
Orchard Gateway Singapore 238858
T: 6737 8233
halley.com.sg
facebook.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
instagram.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com

Active Slim Program – Losing Weight by Nutritional Counseling at Halley Medical Aesthetics

Lately, many have observed that I have slimmed down. Usually the first sign is my face with my prominent high cheekbones that looked even more prominent. I start to enjoy looking at myself in the mirror especially the diminishing muffin tops. I can fit into pants comfortably and even my arms no longer look massive. And I even felt lighter on the whole! It really feels awesome to get back a slimmer silhouette and all clothes start to look better on me too!

I have Halley Medical Aesthetics to thank for the CoolSculpting treatment and the customised slimming programme, Active Slim. The 2 programmes complement each other perfectly. If you would recall my previous posts, CoolSculpting is for body contouring and fat reduction and not for reducing weight. But Active Slim will help to achieve the weight loss with nutritional counseling and meal replacement.

ACTIVE SLIM PROGRAMME

There is a total of 4 consultation sessions with Halley Medical Aesthetics nutritionist, Jean Tong, each lasting an hour. Each time we start with measuring my weight, waist line and blood pressure. The measurements on BMI, bone density, muscle weight will be recorded as well. Every session will be reviewed against previous measurements to check on my weight loss progress.

How much calories should one reduce to lose weight?

The General Rule of Thumb for weight loss is to cut down 500kCal per day to lose 0.45kg weight (body fat) per week. That totals up to about cutting 2kg weight per month.

My progress, however, is not a fast one because I chose to NOT take pills to aid my weight loss. Hence, I am depending on once-a-day meal replacement together with lots of mental persistence to stop snacking and not eat unnecessarily. I shed about 1kg per month.

UNDERSTANDING THE ENERGY BALANCE THEORY

On my first session, Jean asked about my 3 meals composition in a day and assessed my physical activity level. She went through the simple Energy Balance Theory:

To Lose Weight: Calories in (food) < Calories out (exercise)
To Gain Weight: Calories in (food) > Calories out (exercise)
To Maintain Weight: Calories in (food) = Calories out (exercise)

So, for weight loss to materialise, it looks simple but hard to achieve.

I needed to increase my activity levels to 150 min of more intense exercise from my current 60min a week jog/walk and 60min Pilates to help in my weight loss journey.

In fact, we should all aim to achieve the below exercise levels:

Lifestyle activity: Anytime, Anywhere (shopping, walking to mrt)
Aerobic activity: 3-5 times a week for optimal health and weight loss (running)
Strength activity: 2-3 times a week (Pilates, Yoga, endurance training)

EATING AND CHOOSING WISER FOOD OPTIONS

Jean wanted to know what I usually eat in a day. I find it rather embarrassing to recite what I have eaten to a nutritionist. I can feel myself going pink whenever unhealthy foods were mentioned. You can try recalling what you ate for breakfast, tea break, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner or worse, supper!

If you have been choosing healthy eating options, keep it up! But if you are eating unhealthy snacks and loading on sugars and empty calories, then it is time for you to choose wisely what foods that work healthily for you instead of piling on your weight without any nutritional value.

Jean was quick to identify healthier options to correct my usual eating habits. She suggested that I should:

– Switch to Low Fat Milk and Low Fat Natural Yogurt

– Drop dried fruits as they have high sugar content and opt for fresh fruits instead

– Change the way food is cooked by minimising fried foods and using boiled or steamed methods

– Change white rice to brown rice / Change white bread to wholemeal bread

– Increase fruits and vegetable intake

– Cut down sugary foods and drinks

For a quick way of choosing healthier options, I can start buying those products that have the Healthier Choice Label by Health Promotion Board.

PORTION SIZING AND CARBOHYDRATE

Jean introduced the magic numbers 3,6,9 to gauge the calories intake of a sized meal and how to plan a meal:

3 – 300 Calories (small, healthy meal)
6 – 600 Calories (small, unhealthy meal or large, healthy meal)
9 – 900 Calories (large unhealthy meal)

I can now plan my meal according to the Total Carbohydrates (CHO) that I consume for a day by referring to a CHO Exchange food list. I needed about a total of 10 CHO Exchange in a day. I should also try to eat small and frequent meals instead of just 3 big meals.

I learnt about eating the food groups in proportion and using portion sizing with the guide of a hand! It is so handy (pun intended) that it helps when I am gauging how much of the food pyramid that I will be consuming in a meal!

Do you know that green vegetable is zero calories? That means my twice a week Salad for lunch has much lesser calories than a bowl of dry wanton mee! I just need to add Quinoa to my salad for some Carbohydrates. We have always heard that low Carbs is the way to slim down, however, if we do not take enough Carbs, we may end up losing muscle weight and we will slim down looking haggard! So, it is still important to take sufficient Carbs for good health.

OPTIFAST – MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINK

Besides consciously eating and choosing healthier foods to eat and increasing exercise levels, Jean also recommended Optifast, a meal replacement drink by Nestlé, to me as part of the weight loss programme. It is the only meal replacement drink approved by Health Promotion Board and only meal replacement brand used in major hospitals. I am supposed to take this meal replacement once a day only. I can choose to replace any of my meals in a typical day.

So, for 2 months, I have been taking Optifast for most breakfasts 4-5 times a week. It works well for me to take Optifast only for weekday mornings and occasionally on Saturday mornings if I am running short of time. It is also a convenient healthier option to take Optifast on the go, knowing that it only has 160 Calories with all the vitamins and nutrients needed in one meal pre-packed in a satchet. It does not have fibre in it, hence, a fruit or small salad serving will complement Optifast perfectly.

Having a good and healthy breakfast is important. In fact, we may not get all the nutrition we need if we eat Chee Cheong Fan or Roti Prata with high sugar-laden Teh Tarik for breakfast. I have tried Optifast for lunch and I got hungry by mid-afternoon and all my mind could think of is to eat anything that I can find on my work desk, which are chocolates and biscuits. Thus, if you get yourself too hungry, chances are that you will snack on unhealthy foods. So, I have been keeping a fruit snack with me.

Because I take Optifast, I avoided the chance to eat unhealthy foods for breakfast. This helps in my weight loss regime greatly.

DIETING WITH OCCASIONAL INDULGENCE IS OK!

One thing that I am relieved about is that Jean acknowledges, at times, we still have our cravings and it is still alright to indulge in ice-cream and chocolates occasionally! And usually on weekends, my eating habits are different due to social factors. Weekends are for family to enjoy outside food or feasting for celebration. I am glad that Jean totally agrees with that too! I do not need to torture myself to strict dieting all the time! This helps to make the weight loss journey bearable and sustainable, which could really last a few months.

If you have not had a nutritional counseling by a nutritionist, I strongly urge you to arrange for one. To have an expert to guide me on nutrition and how to plan my meals will benefit me for a lifetime. Now, I can help plan healthy foods for my family and only choose to buy healthier products whenever I go for grocery shopping.

Stay tune for my post on the final verdict on Active Slim programme soon!

Join me on my CoolSculpting Journey with the below posts!

1) Achieving Slimmer Thighs With CoolSculpting at Halley Medical Aesthetics

2) My CoolSculpting Journey – What to Expect on Day of Treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetics

More information:

If you are interested in the Active Slim programme, please click here.
Price of Active Slim Programme – $800
Price of a box of Optifast of 7 satchets – $18.50

277 Orchard Road #03-15
Orchard Gateway Singapore 238858
T: 6737 8233
halley.com.sg
facebook.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
instagram.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com

My CoolSculpting Journey – What to Expect on Day of Treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetics

Among the things that I have done in my thirties, the decision to walk into Halley Medical Aesthetics to slim down my thighs must be the boldest of all. I am of a tall and bigger built than most ladies and because I am tall, the fats are kind of evenly distributed and thus, not too obvious on the outer appearance.

However, my thighs are the ones that bothered me constantly since they look really unglamorous with skirts and shorts. So, freezing my fat cells by CoolSculpting is the answer that I have been waiting for! And what is nice about doing CoolSculpting with Halley Medical Aesthetics is that not only am I able to shorten my treatment time due to the number of machines they have, I am able to receive weight loss counseling while waiting for my treatment to complete.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting by Zeltiq is a treatment to reduce stubborn fat bulges that may not respond to diet or exercise. It freezes and eliminates stubborn Fat by delivering precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. These treated fat cells are crystallised (frozen), and then die. Over time, your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted silhouette. Further, the sub-zero freezing does not damage the skin or surrounding tissue. The CoolSculpting effects are long term as the treated fat cells are gone for good. It takes as early as 3 weeks and mostly around 3-6 months to see the full slimming effect.

Here is my sharing on the day of treatment, what happens during the non-invasive treatment and how I feel after!

What to Bring Along on the Day of Treatment?

A book, mobile phone and a cardigan. The book and mobile phone are to kill time and cardigan to keep warm as it may take a few hours if you are doing multiple treatment areas at one go in an air conditioned room. I also wore a long skirt just in case any redness may show after treatment. This redness, however, will go away with time.

How Long is the Treatment?

I was told to expect a 4.5 hours block of time for the entire treatment because there would be 4 applicators to be applied, alternating with 2 sets on my outer thighs and inner thighs. This also includes the time taken for the doctor to determine the areas that require freezing, marking them out, and preparing me for the treatment.

What to Expect on the Day of Treatment?

On the day of the treatment, I was happy to see familiar faces again and I was more relaxed. Jean Tong, the CoolSculpting programme manager and nutritionist, took my weight, blood pressure and measurements before we proceeded to see Dr Terence Tan in his consultation room. After a brief consultation session on my recorded measurements and confirming the target areas to work on, we proceeded to the CoolSculpting room. Over there, the exact target areas were drawn on my thighs and 2 therapists helped to set up the CoolSculpting machines and apply the first 2 applicators.

Applicators Used and Time of Treatment

Do you know that Halley Medical Aesthetics is one of the few clinics in Singapore that uses 2 CoolSculpting machines at the same time (or DualSculpting), therefore cutting down the treatment time by half?!

In fact, I would be one of the first to use a new applicator named, CoolAdvantage that will shorten usual treatment time by almost 50% with increased comfort. Without this CoolAdvantage and DualSculpting capability, I would have to do one applicator after another, resulting in a treatment time of about 4.5 hours. But instead, I only spent about 2hours plus for the treatment!

The applicator that was used for my outer thighs was the CoolSmooth PRO, with a treatment time of approximately 1 hour and the one used for my inner thighs was CoolAdvantage which only took 35 minutes.

Before the applicator was positioned on my thighs, the therapist placed a gel pad on the treatment area which will protect my skin during the procedure. Upon application, I could feel a tugging suction on my thigh area as the fatty tissue was drawn into the applicator cup. There was an intense coldness, which gave way to numbness after 5-10 minutes. It felt like a cold ice pack was placed on my thighs.

After applying the CoolSmooth PRO applicator on my right outer thigh, they then proceeded to apply the CoolAdvantage applicator on my left inner thigh. Once they are done, the therapists made sure I was comfortable by propping cushions to support my legs and covered me with blanket to keep warmth.

Soon, I was used to the cold and the suction feeling and was able to read my book. It is kinda cool to know that I could relax while getting fat cells destroyed in comfort. Also, no sweat needed to achieve slimmer thighs, it is THAT easy! As there was no invasive procedures and medication, I felt safe and did not worry if there would be any side effects because there would be totally none.

The CoolAdvantage applicator on the inner thigh was soon completed after 35min. The therapist came over to remove the applicator and massaged on the applied area. She kneaded and moved in circular motions for a few minutes. There was some slight discomfort but it was bearable. This step is very important as it helps to break down the crystallised fat cells and improve the fat reduction. Only when the treatment was done for the right outer thigh can they switch over: CoolSmooth Pro on my left outer thigh and CoolAdvantage on my right inner thigh.

How did I feel at the end of the treatment and weeks after?

At the end of the treatment, I felt a tingling sensation for the treated areas as my thighs were trying to get used to the numbness. The discomfort lasted for about 5 minutes and was gone. I was able to walk around and went about changing into my clothes. There were no obvious signs that I had just done a CoolSculpting treatment at all except for some mild redness on the treated areas, which went away totally the next day.

For the first 2 weeks, I only felt numbness at the treated areas. It felt weird whenever I touched the areas as though they were not my flesh. Other than this sensation, there was nothing different with my thighs except that I was starting to feel that my pants and jeans were no longer as tight as they used to be!

By the 4th week, I could fit into my pants and jeans easily and comfortably! In fact, on the appearance, they already look slimmer than before! And we are talking about just 4 weeks and ONE treatment! In fact, one treatment is sufficient to achieve the slimmer thighs I wanted! Yeah! It is encouraging to see the obvious difference and I am surely looking forward to seeing the full results!

Active Slim Programme

During the treatment, Jean introduced a weight loss programme to me to complement CoolSculpting. As I mentioned in my first post, I preferred to lose weight without using weight loss medications. So the team at Halley Medical Aesthetics customised a programme called “Active Slim”, which is now a standard item on their menu, for me that only invoivled nutrition counseling and meal replacements. Jean prescribed me Optifast, a meal replacement by Nestlé to help in my weight loss to reach my ideal BMI, as CoolSculpting helps in a slimmer silhouette and not weight loss. Optifast is the only meal replacement drink approved by Health Promotion Board and only meal replacement brand used in major hospitals.

I was initially rather skeptical about taking meal replacement, as I am one who enjoys eating and has a strong philosophy of not slimming by diet means. But Jean assured me that I only needed to take it once a day and it contains all the recommended vitamins and minerals needed with total calories count of only 160kCal. I could supplement that replaced meal with a fruit or small serving of salad for the fibre intake.

As I usually take a quick breakfast with a piece of bread and jam and a glass of milk, perhaps taking Optifast is a better choice as it gives me the nutrients I needed in the form of tasty strawberry milk. I could prevent myself from eating junk breakfast like roti prata or chee cheong fun.

So, making the RIGHT CHOICES when it comes to eating is important to help me stay healthy. What’s more, I get a slimmer body in return! Isn’t that wonderful?

Furthermore, taking meal replacement is not forever. Once I reach my targeted weight and BMI, I will just need to eat as per normal but choose my food options wisely to maintain my weight from then on. Considering all these factors, I was willing to give it a try.

Stay tune for the next post on Active Slim and CoolSculpting Results!

Follow me on my CoolSculpting Journey! Read about my CoolSculpting Consultation post here!

277 Orchard Road #03-15
Orchard Gateway Singapore 238858
T: 6737 8233
halley.com.sg
facebook.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
instagram.com/halleymedicalaesthetics
blog.halleymedicalaesthetics.com

Achieving Slimmer Thighs with CoolSculpting at Halley Medical Aesthetics

Since my first born, I have piled up 10kg over the 12 years! There was a period of time, where my weight increased steadily till I hit my highest of 14kg above my pre-pregnancy weight and it did not seem to be stopping.

In fact, my BMI had been tipping to the unhealthy range and it worried me greatly. As a result, I tried to exercise more regularly by jogging 2 to 3 times a week, mixed with brisk walking, but the result was disappointing. My weight increased slightly and I learnt that perhaps some are fats converted to muscle weight. It seems that exercising also maintains my weight unless I run excessively which will be bad for my already aching knees.

Not only that, I find that I cannot fit into my pants which I bought 3 years ago and hooking up shorts require a deep breath in prior. So, is there really no way to go back to pre-pregnancy state without poking needles and swallowing pills?

That’s when I come across Halley Medical Aesthetics to start my slimming journey with CoolSculpting, a non-invasive way of achieving a slimmer silhouette.

My First Consultation Visit

Hally Medica Aesthetics

On my first visit to Halley Medical Aesthetics, I was a little nervous. After all, I have never walked into any clinics for slimming purpose. I was not too sure what to expect on the first consultation visit. The clinic is located at Level 3 of Orchard Gateway, which is very accessible by train with the nearest station at Somerset MRT. The moment I pushed through the tall glass door of the clinic, I was greeted by the friendly receptionists. The atmosphere was well, definitely not like a General Practitioner Clinic, but more of a spa setting with warm lights and lush armchairs.

Shortly, I was greeted by the nutritionist, Jean Tong. She brought me to a room to take my weight and measurements. Her pleasant demeanour certainly helped to soothe my anxiety. After that, we proceeded to see Dr. Terence Tan, who is the medical director of Halley Medical Aesthetics. As I knew that I was not going to some sleazy beauty spas with non-certified machines to do my treatment, seeing an experienced doctor certainly made first-time customers like me feel at ease.

Dr Terence Tan

Dr. Terence Tan was all smiles when we exchanged greetings. Well, I certainly needed a friendly and good-humoured doctor like him to feel relaxed. He asked about my concerned areas. I told him my wish to slim my thighs down as I love to wear short skirts and dresses. My tummy area is flabby but it does not bother me more than my fat thighs.

Consultation

After he took a look at my weight and BMI measurements, he suggested that I needed to work on my weight along with CoolSculpting. For best results, it would be ideal to bring down my weight fast and follow by maintenance with good diet along with the amazing effects of CoolSculpting.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting machines

Dr. Terence Tan went on to explain how CoolSculpting works. The CoolSculpting system by Zeltiq is designed to reduce stubborn fat bulges in specific areas that do not respond to diet or spot exercise. It requires no surgery and no downtime. The CoolSculpting procedure freezes and eliminates stubborn Fat by delivering precisely controlled cooling to gently and effectively target the fat cells underneath the skin. These treated fat cells are crystallised (frozen), and then die.

Over time, your body naturally processes the dead fat cells and eliminates these dead cells, leaving a more sculpted silhouette. Further, the sub-zero freezing does not damage the skin or surrounding tissue. The CoolSculpting effects are long term as the treated fat cells are gone for good. The number of fat cells reduced by CoolSculpting in treated areas is approximately 20 to 25%.

We Stop Producing Fat Cells After Age of 5

Love Your Body

Everyone stops producing fat cells when they hit the age of 5. If you have children under 5, please do not overfeed them to prevent their body from producing excessive number of fat cells. After the age of 5, any increase in weight and overflowing muffin top can be due to the growing size of the fixed number of fat cells within our body. If we overeat or take in too much unhealthy foods, the fat cells INCREASE and if we keep to a good diet, the fat cells DECREASE in size. Thus, CoolSculpting helps here as there are lesser fat cells in our body to grow fat.

Sounds good right?

It puts my mind at ease that CoolSculpting is the only FDA-cleared non-surgical fat-reduction treatment. One thing to clarify is that Fat Reduction is different from Weight Loss. CoolSculpting DOES NOT reduce weight, it reduces the number of fat cells. Hence, a good diet and exercising are still important for overall good health and maintenance of a slim silhouette after a CoolSculpting procedure.

Dr. Terence Tan and Jean also emphasised on keeping a good diet and lifestyle changes that go hand in hand with CoolSculpting treatment. In fact, most people will be motivated to change to a good lifestyle and careful with food options after they have finally achieved the slim silhouette they longed for! No one would want to go back to the previous unflattering body shape after much slimming efforts. I am pretty sure I will be sticking religiously to a good diet plan and exercising to keep a good health in check.

Deciding Which Target Areas For Treatment

After the consultation, I was ushered into another room that Halley Medical Aesthetics has dedicated to CoolSculpting. Jean drew several outlines of the unflattering areas of my thighs and tummy. Doctor then came in shortly after to discuss with me on which areas to target for my treatment and that set the decision on the actual treatment for the next visit.

Measurement

Halley Medical Aesthetics’ weight loss programmes usually comes with 3 prescribed weight loss medications but I wasn’t comfortable with that. So Dr. Terence Tan, who was totally understanding about my decision, customised another slimming alternative for me which involved nutrition counseling with Jean. Yes, the no-medication way. Stay tune for the next post on the actual CoolSculpting treatment and, my experience and thoughts on it!

Halley Medical Aesthetics
248 River Valley Road #01-01
Singapore 238302
Tel: 6737 8233
www.halley.com.sg
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