CoolSculpting: We’ve all heard of it and probably have a fairly good idea of why so many people are opting for it as a body-sculpting solution. It is the No. 1 non-surgical fat reduction procedure with more than 7 million CoolSculpting treatments performed worldwide. Translation? It’s pretty darn popular.

Needless to say, when I started working at AESTHETICS 360° a little more than a year ago, I was familiar with CoolSculpting. I have a few friends who have tried it, and even before I started working in the industry I liked to stay on top of the latest trends in the world of aesthetics. CoolSculpting uses controlled cooling to target, freeze and kill fat cells in the treated area. In the weeks that follow, the body naturally processes the fat and eliminates the dead cells. And once those fat cells are gone, they’re gone for good.

Even though I was intrigued by this concept, CoolSculpting isn’t something I ever thought I would actually try (or that I thought would have such a positive impact on my life).

Why not try it, you ask? Well, I can be a bit of a baby when it comes to aesthetics treatments. Although I have used Botox for years and have also tried Kybella and have lip filler, those are all injectables. I don’t love needles but they don’t exactly scare me either when I’m getting a few pokes to achieve something I want, like more voluminous lips, a reduction in chin fat or fewer wrinkles. This was a little different. The idea of an applicator being applied to my skin that would literally freeze away my fat cells was, well, a little scary. However, it was something I really wanted, and for good reason.

Here’s why: No matter how much I work out (and trust me, it’s a lot) or how well I eat (and trust me, it’s pretty darn good), I had never been able to shed a layer of fat that lived rent free on my body for years. I’ve didn’t have an overly “flabby” midsection but it was never really as flat as I wanted it to be, either. There literally weren’t enough burpees, planks or Keto diets in the world to make it happen. (And boy did I try.)

A pretty cool perk of working at A360? Complimentary staff treatments! So when my girl Suzy (who, along with Aaron, make up the dynamic duo of clinical aestheticians at A360) chatted with be about CoolSculpting my midsection, I threw caution to the wind and said, “Yes!”

At A360, we believe in full transparency. That’s something that’s always been important in my life, and I feel blessed to work for a medical spa with the same mindset. So, in the interest of full transparency, the morning of the treatment I was scared. But Suzy did an amazing job of prepping me for exactly what the treatment would entail, what the sensations would feel like, how long it would last and what I should expect after the treatment.

When I changed into the super-fashionable CoolSculpting shorts (think high school gym class) Suzy marked off the areas of my upper and lower abs where the applicators would be placed. Because I would be dual sculpted (two applicators applied at one time), I would only need two cycles. And since I didn’t have a lot of fat to freeze away, I’d most likely only need one treatment. After I got comfy on our CoolSculpting bed — which is actually very comfortable — Suzy placed the applicators and the suction began. It’s definitely an odd sensation feeling your skin get sucked into the applicator — but definitely not painful. In fact, throughout the two 35-minute cycles I wasn’t even uncomfortable. I worked on my laptop, sipped on tea, ate a Kind bar and took a selfie, of course.

It was definitely interesting thinking about what was happening — controlled cooling literally freezing away my fat. And even though it was a bit cold at first, within a few minutes I was completely used to it. Comfortable, in fact. Once the cycle was complete, Suzy removed the applicators. At this point, the areas need to be immediately massaged to ensure maximum results. The thorough massage helps to break down the treated fat cells to speed up the elimination process — and can improve results by 68 percent. For me, this was a little painful. Nothing I couldn’t handle, but not as comfortable as the rest of the treatment. Luckily, it only last 2 minutes. (Every individual’s experience varies with this, with many people not feeling any discomfort at all.)

This process was repeated one more time in the other area of my abdominals. And then it was done. Just like that. Back to work. No downtime, and I even worked out the very next day. I did have some bruising from the applicators that went away within the first few days, but even that was minimal.

After the first 30 days, I started noticing a difference. Not a huge difference, but my stomach just seemed to “move” less, if you know what I mean. After 60 days, I started seeing abdominal definition (all those planks were doing something after all, I just couldn’t see it!). And now, at 90 days, I feel so great about my abs that I live in cropped tees. At 43 years old. That’s what I call winning.