UPDATE: I’ve concluded that this procedure does not work—my feeling is that any weight loss that people experience comes from the supplement, Curva (NOT the Zerona sessions themselves). To read the full series of posts on my experience, see here: a Q&A with Dr. Mulholland, the pre-treatment measurements and photos, my first two sessions, the mid-treatment measurements, post-treatment measurements and then final measurements. As per the post below, I then started a second round of (six) treatments, but once again did not experience any changes. I believe that LipoSonix sounds more promising.
Time for another Zerona update! Zerona is, if you’re just joining us, a new fat-burning laser treatment that I’m testing out at SpaMedica in Toronto. (All the details about it are in this Q&A I did with medical director Dr. Stephen Mulholland, and you can also read up about my first couple of sessions and my most recent measurements.)
Anyway! Last time I posted about Zerona, I’d just had the final (sixth) session, which involves both the treatment itself and an encounter with the scales and measuring tape.
After that, the very last step happens a week or so later, when you just come in for one final weigh-in and get measured from head to toe. AND you get photos taken—always my favourite part! (Just kidding. And no, that’s not me in the photo above… we actually get to wear a white, high-waisted paper thong, which is MUCH more flattering. Ha!)
Anyway, here’s how I fared:
Overall, I actually GAINED weight (uh, five or six pounds—eek!), which is a mystery to me and can only be explained (as I said last time) by possible menstrual cycle fluctuations. It’s either that or I’m drinking so much water to flush out the fat that it’s actually water weight. Hmmm…
However, I’m told that it’s not the number on the scale that Zerona really changes—it’s the inches you lose. And I did lose some: 1.5 inches around my waist and 0.2 or 0.3 around my neck. (Why am I losing weight off my neck when my thighs are crying out for a smaller circumference? No fair.)
So the bad news? I was one of the few people who don’t lose the guaranteed minimum number of inches, which is 3.
But did you hear me say “guarantee”? YES. That’s the good news: Zerona will actually let you repeat the treatments, at no additional charge, if you don’t lose the 3 inches (or more).
So guess what I’m doing starting tomorrow? You guessed it—I’m starting the entire cycle all over again. I think it’s great that Zerona offers this to all their patients. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend $3,000 on the treatments and walk away with no guarantee of the results! So I’m thrilled to be giving my poor thighs another chance. And of course, I’ll keep you all posted on what changes I see the second time around!
And now… just because… I’m going to leave you with this, which I can’t get out of my head every time I say the word “Zerona.” I blame The Chic Storm.
Tags: Dr. Stephen Mulholland, SpaMedica, Zerona
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oh wow…i am glad i read all these posts…i was wondering if i could use this product in my spa…but i cannot afford to have poor results! How do products like these get PR on shows like “the Doctor show” …however their test subject had positive results….
1.5 inches off the waist, I would say is good for some people. so you cant honestly say it doesnt work.
Yeah, OWNER! You’re just pushing your product, cuz you own the machine and want to sell treatments!
It’s total BS, LIKE EVERYONE SAYS. I ran 2 miles every couple days, consume less than 1,000 calories day, drank tons of water, no booze. 15 treatments later at $1500, NO INCH LOSS AND NO REFUND!
I am a personal trainer in a gym that does Zerona procedures. I have heard many of my clients complaining that it does not work. This alarmed me so I went to the inquire about the procedure from my fellow co-workers and zerona specialists. They all came to the same conclusion, that it was a huge scam and weight loss only occurred due to the change in diet and little exercise the patients receive after the treatment. I have seen enough people waste their money, please stay away!
I just had my last treatment this morning and lost a total of 16 inches and 4 pounds. Even the tech taking my measurements kept saying how good I did. I am so happy and would do it again in a heartbeat. I still have to finish the curva so should continue seeing results for up to a month.
I was not fat. I was, what some people call “skinny fat.” 6’2″ male, 175 lbs. Pretty good weight…but I had a small spare tire. All the way around my midsection was a layer of fat. Stubborn fat that wouldn’t go away. I exercised, lifted weights, ran, P90X, and I ate very well. 175 was the lowest I could get to (from 190 lbs and 12 months of exercise). Even after losing the 15lbs, I was still wearing a 34 waist. The fat just wouldn’t go away. I signed up for 6 Zerona sessions through an online coupon site. When I went in, the doctor was shocked that I would want treatment. “You’re so thin!” he said. Yes, but….and I showed him my “layer.” It was not a bad layer…but I wanted abs…or something close to it, at least. I wanted the traditional “hot look.” No more love handles. He said that the procedure wasn’t for everyone and that it may not work, but if I was willing to take the chance, I could…or he’d refund what I already paid. No pressure. I took the chance.
And I’m glad I did. I continued my same exercise regimen, continued to eat the same, took the Curva along with a multi vitamin, fish oil, CLA, and Sesamin (all of which, minus the Curva, I took before the procedure). I lost a total of 9 1/2 inches in 4 weeks. I bought all new pants and shirts (from a L or XL shirt to a M, 34 waist pants to a 32). I could almost see abs (and now, with continuing my regimen, I CAN see abs).
This is definitely not a procedure for everyone. I almost didn’t do it because of all of the negative reviews out there, but…I had some extra money and I was desperate to shed the tire. Don’t mean to offend, but if you’re fat…don’t try it. If you think you’re even close to “fat,” don’t try it. The literature should say “If you need to lose a couple of inches TO BE WHAT THE GENERAL POPULATION WOULD CONSIDER SKINNY,” give it a shot.
I did 9 treatments and they said they have a money back guarantee, which they did not stand up to. I was doing only my back (I had a tummy tuck and was left with a tire in the back only) and they said I would lose 5 inches at the least. Well, what they didn’t tell me was that they were going to measure just above my belly button to just below my hips in 4 different places, REALLY??? 4 different places?? Yea, that added up to 5. Not to mention on the measurement sheet, the girl crossed out the section that was marked “thigh” and wrote in 1 inch. When I questioned it, she said “Oh, thats really your lower abs, we just mark it there” Sure. TOTAL SCAM. I am now in the process of getting back my money, even if it takes me to small claims. I went in to this carefully as I tried the Velashape machine, costing me $1000, and it did not work. I specifically asked if there was a money back guarantee as if it did not work I wanted my money back so I could do Lipo. They failed to tell me that the 5 inches would not be where I wanted. Not to mention they also wanted me to “lose weight”, 4lbs to be exact. He also said to do 15 minutes of jumping jacks along with drinking a ton of water and yes the curva pills. That alone would have made me lose weight without the laser. Not Shit I was gonna lose an inch or two. And if the laser was the reason for me getting smaller, why did I go from a “B” cup bra, to a “A”?? That laser never did touch my boobs. I was strictly doing my back fat. SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!
I thought I had done my research prior to taking the zerona treatments. The sites I went to all talked about the success of Zerona. And the endorsement from “The Doctors” really impressed me. I had 9 treatments. I am 60, 5’3, 120 pounds. Prior to Zerona treatments, I did 5 days a week of cadio / yoga. I also had to stop the niacin, fish oils, and other supplements I was taking in order to take curva. My diet is excellent; no sugar, carbs from vegetables and fruit, about 1200 calories a day, fish, lots of purified water. I did not need to loose weight but there were love handles, extra fat on butt and thighs and tummy. I lost no inches. They told me it was because I really did not have the fat to loose. If they knew it wasn’t going to work, they should have told me that on day 1 instead of saying how excited I would be with the “new” me withing a few weeks. The compliment did not change the fact that the fat is there and I am two sizes bigger than I was a year ago. They would not refund my money and I am too embarrassed to do anything further. I looked at the paperwork and it says nothing about the guarantee; but I was told about the 3″ guarantee verbally. Very sad and frustrated about this $2000+ scam.
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