If you've never heard of Cold Laser Therapy (CLT), then I'm about to tell you about something that you have always wanted, but never knew existed. CLT can be used for a variety of problems, such as inflammatory conditions, but at Life Spa 360, they focus on fat reduction and body contouring.

I had my initial consultation and first treatment on Monday using LumiSlim at Life Spa 360, and I wanted to fill you in on the process and the results that I'm already seeing. 

*Deep breath* Here's what I'm working with. These are the before pictures that Dr. Burkhart at Life Spa 360 took during out initial consultation:

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In addition to the photos, Dr. Burkhart also took some measurements including my height and my weight (I was happy to see that I actually weigh less than I have in a number of years). We also discussed my desired goals to identify which treatment would be best for me and customized a treatment plan tailored based upon my specific needs.

The thing with losing weight is that no matter how hard you try, there are still those pockets of fat that you just can't seem to get rid of. That's where LumiSlim comes in. You can target specific areas of your body where you have that stubborn fat that just won't go away.

The areas that are generally treated with LumiSlim are upper/middle/lower abdominals, waist, flanks, back, chest, upper arms, love handles, and thighs. I opted to work on my lower abdominals, those pesky love handles and my upper thighs. Dr. Burkhart also took measurements of those so that we can adequately track my progress as we continue treatment.

Next was the easy part. The nice thing about Lumislim is that it's completely non-invasive and actually pretty relaxing. You lay down on a table (comfortably), they attach CLT pads on your skin and direct the light at the target areas, and then two smaller pads on your lymphatic zone (you also get to wear some sweet protective glasses because no one wants a laser accidentally zapping their eye). Then, you just lay there relaxing (you can nap, play 2048 on your phone for the 100th time, scroll Facebook for a while, whatever you want) for 15 minutes per zone.  Simple, right?

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Well, it's when the LumiSlim treatment itself is over that you have to put some work in. LumiSlim releases fat from fat cells in your body, but you have to make sure that you get active once they've been released in order for your body to burn that fat (instead of just re-absorbing it), so there are a couple of different things that you can do.

Following your treatment, you will either do a 30-40 minute workout OR, spend about 10 minutes on Life Spa 360's "Vibe Plate". Either of these things will jump start the fat burning process. The "Vibe Plate" isn't exactly effortless, though, if that's what you're thinking. There are a series of exercises to do while using it that will help the process along even more.

That's the thing with LumiSlim - it's going to help you with the areas of your body that you've been having problems with, but it's not going to work like magic, there's a little bit of work that needs to be put in on your end as well. You have to have a proper diet, or the procedure will work, but the results aren't going to stick. And you can't just go through the entire treatment process and then go back to a life of not exercising, either. LumiSlim will get you to where you want to be, but you have to work to maintain that look that you've achieved.

The average loss in inches through the course of LumiSlim treatment is 12.25 inches. The maximum reduction in a target zone recorded in 9 sessions is 23 inches, and those results are found in people who make minor lifestyle changes.

I'll be going in for my second LumiSlim treatment this afternoon and I'm super excited. I'll be keeping you updated on my progress over the next few weeks so be sure to keep checking back to see how things are going!

If you'd like to book a consultation, or just ask some more questions about the service, call Dr. Burkhart at 616-863-1020.

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