You may remember the article I shared earlier this year titled, Bikini Body Countdown with Advanced Skin and Body Solutions. I shared my truth about my struggle getting back into a bikini after having twins. It was a vulnerable share about disappointment after not achieving my bounce-back body as quickly as I had after my first pregnancy. Fortunately, through trial-and-error and lots of research, I was introduced to my dream-team at Advanced Skin and Body Solutions, who continue making ALL my body goals come to life.
I realize that in the grand scheme of life, wanting to get back to being “bikini-ready” might sound like a trivial issue to be battling. However, when I started this platform, I vowed to be an open book about overcoming all obstacles related to my mommyhood journey in hopes it would provide other mamas resources, solutions, and encouragement. By obstacles I mean this: anything and everything that gets in the way of me becoming the VERY BEST version of myself.
I heard this powerful Oprah quote the other day that echoed my philosophy and articulated too perfectly why I believe this quest of becoming the best version of ourselves is SO IMPORTANT!
“You will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal, and there really is only ONE, and that is this: to fulfill the highest, most truthful expression of yourself, as a human being. You want to MAX out your humanity by using your energy to lift yourself up, your family, and the people around you.
Theologian Howard Thurman said it best, don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come ALIVE and then go do that! Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Do yourself and everyone around you (your littles included) a favor and read that a second time. Then hit copy and paste and plaster this quote somewhere visible so you can have this as your daily reminder of why you should never ever feel guilty for doing what you need to do to show up as the BEST YOU! Ultimately, if you take the time to curate that energy and your purpose, you will then show up for your family on FIRE and be able to elevate their energy too. I’m pretty sure there’s no better gift you could give those you love!
So, next time you tell your husband, “Be right back babe! I’m going to go meditate, get a fresh mani … thanks so much for watching our cuties.” If he grumbles… just copy and paste the above quote to his inbox and I guarantee he will gladly rise to the challenge.
For me, as mentioned in my Countdown article, having a healthy, toned body that makes me feel confident in a two-piece is a big part of my best version of me – this list is different for everyone and that’s also important to recognize. As for my body goals, I blame my 15-year career as a model for this because for so long being able to look “amazing” in a bikini was such a big part of my identity. It was how I was picked for campaigns, how I made a living, and where I received positive affirmation from the world around me. But fast-forward a few years, as a mother of 3, for the first time in my life it became something that I wanted to do for “me”.
This journey has been so challenging after a twin pregnancy, but thankfully it led me to my dream-team at Advanced Skin and Body Solutions. Not only did my girls at ASBS give me a killer, non-surgical regimen of how to reboot my body (my stomach in particular, which was my biggest area of concern), but they helped me recognize the beauty in the journey to achieving my goals. They also helped me learn to let go of the need to be perfect in every moment and instead celebrate the PROGRESS! Because if I’m being totally honest, I’m not there yet, in terms of my ideal bikini body goals, but I’m close and I’m so proud of all the changes and progress I’ve made.
Without further ado, here’s the scoop on what I did to revitalize my CORE:
Step 1.) Radio Frequency Micro-Needling on my stomach – hyper focused around my bellybutton and lower stomach area, where my skin looks the most damaged.
The state-of-the-art device used by Advanced Skin & Body Solutions is called the Intensif by Endymed. It combines both a “mechanical and a thermal controlled injury” to the skin to stimulate the production of new, healthy collagen. The Intensif handpiece is unique because it uses non-insulated, gold-plated needles which provide efficient delivery throughout the entire column of dermal tissue. This results in even, consistent, and controlled energy flow for safer and more effective radio frequency delivery.
It's a great option to help rejuvenate and reduce the appearance of various skin issues: acne scars, stretch marks, fine lines and wrinkles, and skin texture (which seemed to be the most damaged by pregnancy). Most people typically require a series of 3-6 treatments with 4-6 weeks in between each treatment, followed by maintenance treatments a few times per year. The recovery after each treatment includes a few days of redness/inflammation followed by about a week of dryness and skin recovery. For me, my recovery time has improved after each subsequent treatment, and I was honestly blown away by the noticeable difference in my skin texture after the first treatment!
Step 2.) CoolSculpting on targeted areas of my abdomen. Post-twins, this was the area on my body I felt were holding onto stubborn fat.
CoolScultping was developed by Harvard scientists (hmmm... I may have picked the wrong Harvard guy... JK hubby!) and it is the ONLY FDA-approved cold-based, nonsurgical fat reduction treatment available. It’s recommended to treat those stubborn fat patches that are slow to respond to diet and exercise. The best part – there’s no downtime and it really works. Obviously, going to a Medical Spa that is accredited and trained properly will boost your result. For the record, Advanced Skin and Body Solutions is the number ONE Cool Sculpting provider in the country. So, if you’re going to go anywhere, you might as well go with the BEST.
Here’s how it works: its proven technology freezes and kills targeted fat cells. The technical term for this is “cryolipolysis”. Once your fat cells are frozen, your body will naturally expel your dead fat cells with your body's normal waste cycles (i.e., when you sweat or use the restroom, etc.) in the weeks and months following your treatment. There’s a 20-25% fat reduction in each treatment area. These results take anywhere from 1-3 months to appear. My other FAVORITE fact about CoolSculpting is that the results are permanent! Bye-bye fat cells, see ya never.
Step 4.) Emsculpt Neo on my ABS to bring them back to LIFE and enhance muscle tone.
Honestly, when this procedure was first described to me, it sounded too good to be true. The Neo is a revolutionary machine that delivers both heat and magnetic energy for increased muscle tone, while simultaneously boosting fat loss. It’s my new favorite way to work out – who knew you could build muscle while laying down, say what!?! It’s also very quick, 30-minutes per cycle and there’s no downtime or pre-treatment preparations required.
They say in one session you get 20,000 muscle contractions. This equates to about 2,000 crunches in 30 mins, which as you can imagine really expedites muscle growth and overall tone. It works the best when combined with a consistent gym routine + a healthy, intentional eating plan. Most people are encouraged to do 4-8 treatments and each treatment must be performed less than a week apart for optimal results. The most exciting part about the NEO is that the results are instantly noticeable and they continue to increase for up to 90 days after your last session.
You may remember me sharing this, but after the twin’s birth I discovered I had a 7.5 cm tear in my abdominal muscles, also known as diastasis recti (a separation in my abdomen). With consistent physical therapy, I corrected my separation to 3.5 cm and then was able to start my Emscult Neo series, which is another amazing treatment option for women with this diagnosis. The Neo has been proven to help heal diastasis and speed up the recovery of your abdomen wall coming back together.
I can’t believe the noticeable difference in my core after the combination of these treatments! What a journey it has been, and I have learned so much along the way. As always, I’ll continue sharing my quest for BECOMING the best version of me. I have a feeling it will be the “journey of a lifetime” and I wouldn’t have it another way. I’m so grateful to have my Advanced Skin and Body dream-team by my side, cheering me on, and guiding me along the way.
If any of these treatments sounds intriguing to you, you can visit them in Bellevue, Washington. Before any procedure they offer complementary consultations – the perfect opportunity to get questions answered and have them craft your game plan to achieving your ultimate body goals.
Enjoy the journey to BECOMING.
Photos by the talented: Jennifer Hochstadt
