Have you been stressing over trying to lose weight? Maybe the answer is to just “chill out.” But, by that I don’t mean to just stop worrying about it, maybe your answer is ice pack weight loss.

Ice therapy is a “hot” new idea in weight loss. According to its advocates, simply strapping an ice-pack to a fatty area like the thighs or stomach, for just 30 minutes can burn away hard-to-shift calories. Of course, ice-packs have been known to bring down inflammation and prevent swelling in sports injuries, but now scientists have shown they could also help people lose weight.

Fat Freezing

The cold compress works by triggering the body into turning flabby white fat into calorie-burning “beige” fat. Humans have two types of fat tissue. White fat is the type of fat we associate with chubby stomachs and hips and which circulates in the blood to fuel muscle.

Alternatively, brown fat is used by the body to generate heat. The colder you become, the more brown fat disappears. Now scientists have discovered that when white fat gets very cold it can turn into a kind of brown fat, which researchers have dubbed “beige.” And, they found that beige fat can burn away to generate heat, in response to cold.

This is why we crave high-fat food in the cold winter months.

Using ice therapy at home, with ice packs or various products such as “brown fat garments” can be an effective way in aiding in stubborn weight loss. Across Europe, ice pack weight loss clinics have been operating for years.

But, “ice therapy,” should not be confused with CoolSculpting, which is an actual FDA approved medical weight loss procedure. CoolSculpting – technically known as cryolipolysis — uses controlled cooling to freeze belly fat, “love handles,” and fat of the inner and outer thighs. It can also be used to reduce fat on the upper arms and to reduce the size of a double chin.

What is CoolSculpting?

CoolSculpting is an in-office procedure, done by a doctor, without anesthesia. During the procedure, specific fat bulges are identified and targeted by your physician. The fat will then be gently pulled into “cooling panels” which remove heat from the cells. This causes the fat cells to die over a period of a few weeks. Most patients begin to see results in three weeks, but it may take up to two months to see the full effects of the procedure.

The Best Cold Therapy Weight Loss

Do any of these “fat freezing” methods really work? Neither the at-home, nor in-office procedures should be seen as a miracle weight loss cure, or as a substitute for eating right and exercising. Nor are they likely to be of much help for severely obese people.

But, they can be a “cool” way to get rid of those few extra bags and bulges that you just can’t seem to lose no matter how much you diet or exercise.

Take a look at this example from Sharper Image. There is even a vest by a company called The Cold Shoulder.

Have you heard of ice therapy for weight loss? Have you or anyone you know used it? What were the results? Please reply in the comments below!