Read our findings below.
Plus, you can visit ELLE's diet guide for more weight loss tips and ideas.
From quick fix body wraps to the latest liposuction treatments and hypnotism techniques, we've reviewed the latest, newest ways to loose weight.
Read our findings below.
Plus, you can visit ELLE's diet guide for more weight loss tips and ideas.
Price: around £2000
Stockist: Smartlipo MPX
Best for: effective fat reduction at a price.
At its launch Cynosure Smartlipo MPX was touted in the beauty pages as a lunchtime treatment and the non-evasive alternative to Liposuction - the jury is still out on this relatively new to the U.K procedure.
How it works:
Stubborn areas of fat and cellulite that don’t budge even after dieting and exercise plague most women, Cynosure Smartlipo MPX which works with laser technology, is designed specifically for these areas of fat and is reported to work particularly well on love handles, thighs, stomachs and fat ankles.
The area to be treated is anaesthetised (by flooding the area with liquid anaesthetic which is inserted by a large cannula needle) and a laser is then used – again this involves a rather large needle – to poke around the area, ‘zapping’ fat cells and liquefying them. The laser is hot enough to break the cell walls and liquidise fat but not hot enough to be harmful in any other way and the procedure is painless. The liquid fat is then processed by the body via the liver, exiting the body gradually over the following 3- 6 months. Because the fat is broken down in the liver, the procedure is best used to target small areas and would not be safe or suitable for anyone wanting to remove a larger amount of stored fat.
As the body cannot renew fat cells - after adolescence we stop acquiring them – the fat should not return to this area. However this is not a licence to go out and gorge yourself on junk food – you can still gain weight if you don’t stick to sensible eating, it will simply get stored somewhere else in the body.
The verdict:
Cynosure Smartlipo MPX does remove fat – we tested it on the inner and back of thighs. It also has less downtime than liposuction as it only requires a local anaesthetic and there is absolutely no bruising or scarring. But it’s still a fairly brutal procedure that leaves you groggy and wobbly for a few days, not to mention a little low from the drugs and anaesthetic (in addition to anaesthetic you’ll be given sedative tranquilisers like Temazepan/ Xanax). You need a couple off days of work and it can then take up to nine months to really see the effects, so if you’re looking for immediate results you may want to consider traditional liposuction.
In addition the problem with targeting specific areas of fat with laser technology is that it’s quite difficult to see where the fat removal will start and end, and in some cases you could end up with a less natural look than you expected at first - although this should even out onece the fat has been dispersed and processed throught hte liver over time. For example on inner thighs we saw almost a dented effect where the fat removal stopped and started - this later disappeared.
If you’re in it for the long term and are prepared to wait for results - it could be an effective and painful procedure worth considering.
Always go to a recommended surgeon.
Elle tested smart lipo with Dr Ayogubi at the Hurlingham Clinic, from £1000
Price: Price on request
Stockist: Marisa Peer
Best for: great results
Fed up with fad diets and uncontrollable cravings? Then Marisa Peer’s hypnotherapy could be the kick start you need. Now globally famous and with a celebrity fan list that includes royalty and rock stars, Marisa Peer changed her own life and eating habits with this plan. Along with her high-profile clients, she is physical proof that anyone can loose weight, get fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle forever.
Marissa believes that just as we might learn negative eating habits during childhood - babies don’t eat when they’re tired or upset and children always leave food on their plates and don’t overeat when very young, she tells us - we can reverse these habits as adults. She tackles weight issues by focusing on the mind, our relationship with food and hypnotherapy, rewiring the brain to put a stop to the triggers that cause overeating and junk food bingeing for good.
Her book is full of useful, repetitive exercises that train the brain to think about food in a whole new way (you’ll never drink milk again!) and helps to give you positive mind power and the self belief that you can loose weight and keep it off together.
Sounds too good to be true? It kind of is! But anyone who is prone to yo-yo dieting, comfort eating and habitual eating will recognise the patient examples in her book and will definitely benefit from paying Marissa a visit. If you can’t afford a personal one to one, her book and CD are available to help and include hypnotherapy exercises that should get you started on the road to your ideal weight.
During a hypnotherapy session with Marisa you will discuss your personal goals and try to fathom what has stopped you from losing weight in the past. Generally, all clients will be encouraged to give up wheat, dairy, artificial and processed foods (including diet products and drinks) and all junk food as she explains the benefits of eating food in its natural state
The foundation of this diet is, of course, hypnotherapy and once you have discussed your relationship with food and your goals, Marisa 'puts you under'. Here you'll again talk through your past relationship with food and be shown a way out of negative eating patterns. You'll be encouraged to think of yourself as how you want to look and be told repetitively that eating cakes and sweets will not help you get there.
After just one session you will simply not want to eat the food which in the past has made you put on weight and if you ever feel yourself slipping into old habits can whip out the book or listen to Marissa’s CD.
Pros
No real dieting or will power necessary. The hypnotherapy equips you with the encouragement you need not to over eat, eat food that makes you put on weight or break your new healthy eating regime.
Cons
Marissa Peer is based in London, but she does have a book which comes with a hypnotherapy CD - but you'll have to get yourself under.
Celeb fans
Everyone from celebrities and businessmen athletes and royals, but Marissa does not disclose who any of her patients are.
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