Putting a weight-loss gizmo to the test

Author: Claire Pryde

FIND it hard enough to get motivated to go to the gym in summer, so in winter - forget it.
And since at this time of year I also tend to over-indulge in naughty food, I was after a quick fix.
Of course weight loss experts are quick to point out there's no such thing.

"We know there's no easy way to lose weight. We¡¯ve seen that from long-term weight loss programs on the television, it requires serious commitment," said Susie Burrell from the Dieticians Association of Australia.

"If it sounds too good to be true it probably is, so don't waste your money. Make sure you've tried your basic lifestyle changes first before you commit large amounts of money to programs."
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But being determined to shed a couple of kilos and being rather stubborn, I was undeterred.

I considered body wraps and endermologie - a treatment in which mechanical rollers and suction are applied to your body.

However just lying about and getting long-lasting results did seem too good to be true, and that's why I was drawn to Hypoxi.

Hypoxi - costing around $65-per-session - is basically an exercise bike inside a compression chamber and it "acknowledges that you have to exercise to lose weight," says Ariana Hendry, Managing Director of Hypoxi Australia.

"But at the same time you really have to have good strong blood supply in order to lose weight in the right areas."

Hypoxi couples gentle exercise with vacuum technology to accelerate your body's circulation in those targeted areas where most people find it difficult to lose those stubborn kilos - namely hips, buttocks and thighs.¡±
At my first session, a consultant measured me then fitted me with a heart-rate monitor and a thermometer.
Watch Claire's work-out here
After climbing into the large chamber that resembled a kind of scanning machine, I made sure my pedalling revolutions stayed above 55-per-minute, but you don¡¯t have to be particularly fit to manage that. I hardly broke a sweat.

During the half-hour session the air is sucked out of the chamber every few minutes, which felt a bit odd, but you get used to it.

It's recommended you go three times a week for a month.

"After 12 sessions most clients will see a significant centimetre reduction, and by significant I mean anywhere between 20 to 30cm worth of total circumference loss," said Ariana Hendry.

You're encouraged to eat a balanced diet and avoid carbohydrates and strenuous exercise for 4 to 6 hours after each treatment.
No payin' - no gain
"The thing with a rigid program, particularly when you pay quite a lot of money for it, is that you're much more likely to be compliant," said Susie Burrell

"It's difficult to tell if the effect is actually the treatment or whether it's the actual mix of diet and exercise that's contributing ultimately to weight loss.'

Ariana Hendry saids the reality is you're doing some level of physical activity and you have turned your attention to your diet "but the difference is that hypoxi has the ability to target where your body metabolises the fat" during the treatment.

"Some women when they diet and exercise have no trouble losing weight from their torso, breasts or face. With hypoxi they will lose weight in those areas that are challenging them the most," she said.

To really put Hypoxi to the test I decided I'd still allow myself the odd treat and I wouldn¡¯t turn down the chance to eat out.
One month on ...

In four weeks I¡¯ve lost two kilos and more than 20cm in total.

I¡¯m 5cm smaller around by bottom and my thighs, and I don¡¯t seem to have lost anything off my top half.

Susie Burrell said there's an explanation for that.

"Women will generally be storing fat on the lower half of their body, so if you're quite lean already, particularly in the top half of your body, and then you lose weight, of course you're going to lose it where you've got it," she said.

"So if that's on your legs, your thighs and your bum, then of course they're going to be slightly smaller. It¡¯s how they measure it and the way it redistributes, so it's not as clear cut as may be summarised by people working in such clinics."
Well, I'm happy with the results. But will I be able to keep it off?

"All things being equal if you can maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle after you leave us, there's no reason why the fat would redeposit in the areas targeted by the treatment," says Ariana Hendry.

I'm going to go back to exercising just twice a week and eating the odd treat and hope for the best.
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