CoolSculpting is a body contouring treatment that can result in some weight loss. CONTRAVE® is an FDA-approved weight loss medication that can result in a lot of weight loss. If you are struggling to lose weight and sculpt your desired contours, combining CoolSculpting with CONTRAVE® may be right for you. Keep reading to discover if both of these options are a good fit for you.  

Can You Lose Weight With CoolSculpting and CONTRAVE® at the Same Time? 

You may be able to lose weight with CoolSculpting and CONTRAVE® at the same time. CONTRAVE® is a prescription drug with a primary indication of an initial BMI of 30. You also may be a good fit for this medication if you have a BMI of at least 27 and suffer from at least one weight-related comorbidity, like:

Unfortunately, having a BMI of 30 or greater is a contraindication for CoolSculpting. In other words, if you’re obese, you can take CONTRAVE®, but you may not be deemed a good fit for CoolSculpting. Generally, to qualify for both CoolSculpting and CONTRAVE® at the same time, you must be overweight and have a controlled comorbidity, like diabetes or high blood pressure, but not be obese.

What If I Qualify for CONTRAVE But Not CoolSculpting? 

If you qualify for CONTRAVE due to obesity, you will need to take the drug while dieting and exercising until you are no longer obese. Then you may be considered a good CoolSculpting candidate.

How Much Weight Can You Lose By Combining CoolSculpting With CONTRAVE®?

By combining CoolSculpting with CONTRAVE®, you can lose roughly 5% to 15% of your body weight, plus two to five pounds. The former is a body contouring treatment that was not designed to facilitate weight loss. Therefore, you can only expect to lose between two and five pounds of fat with CoolSculpting.

On the other hand, CONTRAVE® was designed to help people lose weight in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise. You can reasonably expect to lose at least 10% of your starting body weight.

What Can I Expect While Taking CONTRAVE®

During your first week on CONTRAVE®, you will take a pill every morning. This pill contains 8 mg of naltrexone and 90 mg of bupropion. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that helps to reduce cravings and euphoric feelings when eating carbohydrates. Bupropion inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. Together, these medications make appetite control easier than it has ever been.

During the second week on CONTRAVE®, you will take one pill every morning and one pill every evening. Your dosage will be increased again the third week you are on the drug. You can expect to take two pills every morning and one pill every evening. During the fourth week, your dosage will be increased again. You will need to take two pills every morning and two pills every evening moving forward.

Can I Take My Medication With Meals? 

Yes, you can take your medication with breakfast and dinner. Just make sure that your meal is low in fat. If you are having such foods as cheese, peanut butter, avocados, or eggs with your meal, wait to take your medication. Also, remember that you should never take more than two pills at one time, and the pills should be swallowed whole.

What Can I Expect During CoolSculpting? 

You can expect your CoolSculpting treatment sessions to be quick and painless. At first, you will be able to feel the CoolSculpting device tugging at the fat underneath your skin. This sensation will not cause you any pain or other discomfort. Within five to 10 minutes of your session starting, your skin will have gradually cooled to the point of numbness.

All told, you can generally expect your treatment session to take only 35 minutes to complete. This depends heavily on the amount of excess fat in the targeted area and the size of the targeted area, though. Also, depending on the number of areas you are targeting in a single session, your treatment may take closer to an hour to complete.

Do I Need to Make Preparations Beforehand? 

There are certain guidelines you will need to follow before treatment. For example, you will need to protect your skin from damage by avoiding cosmetic treatments and skin care products that can cause pain, inflammation, or other side effects.

It is also important that you don’t take certain medications for a short time before your treatment. For instance, fish oil and vitamin E supplements should not be taken, and you should also not take blood thinners or other drugs that cause blood thinning, like MAOIs. Furthermore, it is highly advisable that you be hydrated and well-nourished when you come in for your appointment.

What Can I Expect After Treatment? 

There is no downtime following this treatment due to its non-invasive nature. You are free to return to work or attend to any other obligations you may have. You should not expect to see your final results right away, though. Often, a course of treatments is required to achieve optimal results. Even when only one session is required, it may take one to three months to see your desired results.

How Many Sessions Will I Need? 

You will probably need five or six treatment sessions per area of concern to achieve your desired results. We can give you a better idea of how many sessions you can expect to need during your initial consultation.

What Can I Do to See My Final Results Faster? 

To see your final CoolSculpting results faster, you need to make sure that you maximize the efficiency of your body’s waste removal system. During this treatment, fat cells are frozen to death, but they are not removed from your body. Rather, your body’s waste removal system recognizes them as waste, eliminating them slowly and steadily over the course of several weeks or months.

If you’re interested in seeing your final results as quickly as possible, minimize the processed foods and beverages you consume until your final results are apparent. The fewer processed foods you eat, the more effort your lymphatic system will be able to direct energy toward flushing out the dead fat cells. You can also help yourself see your final results faster by: 

How Long Can I Expect My Results to Last? 

You can expect your CoolSculpting results to last a lifetime. Once your lymphatic system flushes out your dead fat cells, your body will not grow any new ones to replace the ones that are gone.

If you combine CoolSculpting with Contrave®, you can lose up to 15% of your body weight plus five pounds. If you are already close to your ideal weight, though, you may only be able to lose five percent of your body weight plus a couple of pounds. To find out if you can benefit from combining CoolSculpting and Contrave® and you’re in the Indian Harbour Beach or West Melbourne area contact The Refinery Medspa & Wellness and Skin & Body by The Refinery by using our simple online form. Alternatively, you can also call us at 321-341-3321 to reach us in West Melbourne, FL, or call us at 321-428-3004 to reach us in Indian Harbour Beach, FL. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for our latest deals and specials & events!