Paula Jackson used to work out regularly.
But when family needs took over, she stopped.
Once she started again, exercise toned-up some areas, but not her waistline.
"That midsection wasn't changing as fast as I wanted," Paula said.
Barbara Johnson says a medication left her with a muffin-top that wouldn't budge.
"That actually put 25 pounds on me - and I can't get it off," says Barbara.
Each decided to try different devices that both promise to reduce those spots.
Barbara went for a treatment with Zeltiq, which uses extreme cold.
Dr. Susan Hughes of Cherry Hill, New Jersey," It literally kills the fat cells, and they slowly die off, and get absorbed into the bloodstream."
Paula went for treatments with Exilis. It uses radiofrequency energy to heat trouble spots.
Dr. Paul Glat of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, says, "It gets in there and melts the fat, and also will tighten up the collagen in the skin."
Paula says Exilis treatments feel warm, and relaxing.
"It's almost like you're getting a massage," she says with a smile.
Dr. Paul Glat says Exilis has temperature monitors, to keep the skin from getting too hot during the 30 to 60 minute treatments.
He says it takes 4 to 6 treatments, about 10 to 14 days apart, to get the best effect.
"When they get the full 6 treatments, that's when they start to see an inch or two go away," he says.
"My clothes started to become loose, and then at the 4th treatment, we did a measurement, and I had lost an inch and a half," she says.
At the end of her treatments, Paula's middle went from 34 to 31 inches.
Exilis can also be used for tightening sagging facial areas.
Kitty Pierce says she never like the way she looked. In fact, she "PhotoShopped" her own picture for years.
"I've always had the neck, where, you know, it starts at the face, and goes down to the neck," she told us.
After liposuction, she had sagging skin. So she went for Exilis treatments, she was happy.
As for Barbara and the Zeltiq treatment, Dr. Hughes says just one session is needed.
So before, Barbara was measured, and marked.
Then the vacuum head was put on the target spot, and the Zeltiq was powered up.
Dr. Hughes says, "It will suck up the fat like this, turn the refrigerant on, and get cold."
Barbara adds, "It feels like somebody pinching your skin."
About an hour later, the freezing was done, and the machine came off.
"Ooh, it's really cold," says Barbara as she touches her skin.
2 months later, Barbara's muffin top went from 34 inches to 31 inches.
The price for the Zeltiq and Exilis is about the same - about $1500.
The final results for each take 3 to 4 months.
However, other weight loss experts we spoke with are not as impressed. They say fat cells are very hard to destroy, without removing them, as in liposuction. When they are "destroyed," the contents don't just get absorbed into the bloodstream or swept out by the kidneys. They say that fat material has to be metabolized, burned up by the body.
They say there is no quick fix to losing fat. It takes diet, exercise and hard work.
