Say BYE BYE to Belly Fat with UltraShape #UltraYou #UltraShape

A few months ago, I was offered the opportunity to participate in a sponsored campaign with UltraShape, which is a FDA-cleared, non-surgical body-shaping procedure that uses pulsed, focused ultrasound technology to selectively and permanently destroy stubborn fat in the stomach region. Basically, it's like lipo but without the whole nasty surgery part. When I was asked to work on this campaign, I was a little bit overweight and really wanted to use this procedure to help me kickstart my getting back into shape...and then my husband asked me for a divorce. Yeah...that sucked. So I went from being a happy wife who wanted to get back into shape - I had let myself go quite a bit due to travel, being lazy and well, being generally content - to a desperate, hysterically sobbing mess of a woman who looked into the mirror every day and thought to herself, "I am old and used up and no one will ever want me again." Hey, divorce made me go crazy, okay?

That was a little over three months ago, and SO MUCH has happened since then.

Where do I begin? I had my first UltraShape session in late June, right before my husband moved out. My second UltraShape session was a few weeks later, and I could actually already see results when I walked into the office that second time. BIG RESULTS. I had gone through a few very tough weeks, what with my life falling apart and all, and each day I would look in the mirror and give myself verbal pep talks: YOU CAN DO THIS. You are strong. You are going to survive...you know, the usual soon-to-be-a-divorcee pep talk. When I went to take a photo after the second session, I was getting into a bikini in Mexico and I realized that I saw a big difference and that felt so good!! I actually felt confident again...something I hadn't felt in a bikini in a very long time!

You know who else saw a big difference? My husband. We began "dating" a few weeks after he moved out. Suddenly he didn't find me quite so unattractive, imagine that?! While I think it was more due to him not seeing me every day than the few pounds I lost in the interim, it still felt good to have him oggling me again. And let me tell you, there was a lot of oggling. It was like we were newlyweds again, which is pretty messed up if you think about the entire situation.

It was one of those "Let's date without expectations and see what happens" deals. Of course, I knew what I wanted to happen: I wanted him to realize that he had made the biggest mistake of his life and come home. Long story short - that didn't happen. Nothing happened. We dated for two months and then I came to understand that he was having his proverbial cake and eating it too, and that is over now. He enjoyed being with me and was happy dating me...but he was HAPPIER being single with the prospect of dating other people.

I am kind of back to square one, and I guess NOW is when my healing will really begin. While I know that overall, dating him and holding onto the hope of reconciliation was a big mistake, it has served one purpose: it's a little easier to let go now. It's not the sudden shock that I felt back in June when he first told me he was leaving the marriage. And? I'm 20 pounds lighter and in a MUCH better place emotionally than I was back then.

Between my dieting and exercise, I'd lost a total of 7 pounds by the time my last UltraShape appointment rolled around last month. Seven pounds doesn't seem like a lot on the scale, but when you've been building muscle and toning - and getting rid of your belly pooch because of UltraShape - it really does make a huge difference. Guess how many inches I lost on my belly flab? TWO!!!! I am not talking about my waist, which we all know shrinks with weight loss; I am talking about that stubborn little pooch on my lower stomach that usually never goes away, no matter what I do! Awesome, right?

These are my official before and after shots from the UltraShape technician. She allowed me to snap a picture of the monitor as she was logging my progress.

I had a total of three UltraShape sessions and lost two inches. It isn't just about inches, though. My stomach is smoother! I am SO happy with my results! My technician told me that people will generally see a result just from the sessions alone, but the fact that I was dieting and exercising as well really helped to give my stomach a better appearance overall. I laughed because in those internet weight-loss ads, you never believe the advertisement because the before photo is always pale white and the after is super tan...yeah, that's me. I spent all summer traveling the Caribbean - I swear it's really me!

How does UltraShape work?

UltraShape ultrasound energy destroys the walls of fat cells in your body, releasing the fat in the form of triglycerides. The triglycerides are then processed through the liver and eliminated from the body naturally. The surrounding tissue, nerves, and muscle are left unharmed.

After you and your physician determine the exact treatment area, a specially designed belt will be wrapped around your abdomen and a soothing gel will be applied onto your skin.

A trained UltraShape technician will glide the UltraShape transducer over the treatment area, gently delivering painless ultrasound pulses.

When I lifted my blouse so that my technician could begin measuring and photographing me, she said "YOU ARE SO TINY!" and boy, did that feel good! I still have about ten pounds to go before I hit my overall weight loss goal, but to tell you the truth, I feel pretty freaking hot right now. Every time I am out somewhere and a guy cranes his neck to do a double take, I think to myself, "That's right. You still got it." It's a really good feeling, all things considered.

If you are dealing with a little tummy pooch and want an easy way to get rid of it without going under the knife, I personally recommend UltraShape. I KNOW that it works because it worked for me. As long as you keep your timely appointments and follow instructions (not alcohol for 72 hours after each session and drink lots of water to flush the fat out), this procedure delivers.