In the past month or so, I have embarked on a programme with Absolute Slimming, a company that specialises in cupping-based treatments for fast and lasting weight loss. The reason I joined this was not so much to lose weight (although who really says no to losing extra pounds), but really because I was piqued by the claims they made, namely:
- Guaranteed weight loss
- Toning and shaping of body
- Reduction of hormonally induced weight gain
- Reduction of appetite
What is Absolute Slimming
Through the usage of cupping treatments, the people at Absolute Slimming address the root of most weight problems by fixing your slowing metabolism. This is done by applying the cupping equipment on your acupoints, which boosts your metabolism and gives your body the energy it needs to burn visceral fat (fat between internal organs) and subcutaneous fat more efficiently. While most of us will find visceral fat familiar, many would have not heard of subcutaneous fat. Basically it is the fat in flabby areas, and the reduction of such usually results in toning and shrinking of your outward appearance.
How Did I Do It
For regular customers, it usually starts off with a non-obligatory session with one of their weight loss consultants, Doreen or Nikki. They will speak to you to find out your needs, medical condition, current diet, habits and problem areas. You’ll also be asked to fill up a form with some of your personal particulars such as current weight and height.
The programme I embarked on comprised eight sessions within a one-month period. In each week, I would have two sessions that consisted of one hour of cupping and guasha. It came as a huge relief for me when I found out the cupping methods used here do not involve the usage of fire, which is typically used by TCM Chinese sinsehs.
Each session usually begins with a few minutes of guasha. The therapists doing the guasha for me were extremely kind and would make sure that I was not hurting too much throughout the entire process. They would apply an odourless cooling cream on my body and then do the scrapping with a slim flat piece of guasha stone. The cream is actually home-made and contains several anti-cellulite herbs and essential oils that can help firm and tighten the skin.
After the guasha, the therapists would then move on to do cupping on specific parts on my body using small suction cups. While the process is definitely not painless, the pain is indeed bearable – read: ant bite.
The only thing that took some getting used to was how covered up I had to be during the entire month. The aftermath of each session left me with lots of marks on many visible areas of my body and if I did not want to get unwarranted stares, I had to always carry a jacket on me. In Singapore, this can honestly be quite a hassle.
The programme also required me to adhere to a certain diet during the time I underwent treatment. I was placed on a rather strict but not unreasonable diet. For breakfast, I was told to eat two eggs, two slices of wholemeal bread, or an egg and a slice of wholemeal bread. Lunch can include one portion of meat and two portions of vegetables while dinner can be the same.
There were also a few rules I had to follow when on the diet:
- Eat until I feel 70 per cent full.
- Have my last meal before 8pm.
- Low-fat milk is allowed. I can also have one cup of tea OR coffee in a day (with little sugar added). No fruit juices though.
- No soups, including homemade ones, as they tend to be high in sodium.
- No processed carbs including pasta, biscuits and bread. Only wholemeal bread is allowed.
- No grains including rice, nuts and beans.
- Vegetables and fruits are encouraged, especially cherry tomatoes. There are a few exceptions like carrots due to high sugar content.
A typical day would see me consuming:
Breakfast: An egg or a slice of bread
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Fruits (Usually dragonfruit and kiwi)
Essentially, this was a carb-less diet. To be honest it is sometimes incredibly hard to keep to the plan when I headed out for lunch or dinner with my friends. But I usually tried my best to order the grilled carb-less option on the menu.
The question then becomes, with such a strict diet, how can you attribute the weight loss to Absolute Slimming’s treatments?
Having tried losing weight myself, I understand the limitations of a standalone no-carb diet. If you were to have the discipline in keeping to a strict diet, Absolute Slimming will then be able to give you that added advantage by pushing your body to lose weight at a faster rate with NO rebound.
At Absolute Slimming, my weight loss began two days from the first treatment. Even though I had to attend a dinner function on the weekend after the first treatment, I still ended up losing 1.3kg. At the same time, I notice that the programme also helps, to a certain extent, tone and shape my whole body evenly. Whereas dieting alone generally reduces your waistline without much effect on the other parts of your body, the cupping program can help to burn fat in problem areas like upper arms, hips, inner thighs and outer thighs.
These problem areas contain stubborn fat that normally do not respond well to dieting or exercise, and there was no way I would have toned those areas just by going on a no-carb diet without treatment.
The Results
It works.
Standing at 161cm and 53kg, I was told that even though I would be able to see good inch loss, I shouldn’t be expecting drastic weight loss since I was already below my ideal weight. Nonetheless, over the course of eight sessions in a month, my weight still dropped by 2.7kg! At the same time, my fat percentage also decreased by 0.9%. My body also lost a good 20 cm in total:
Arms: 2cm Thighs: 6cm Waist: 6cm Tummy: 3.5cm Hips: 2.5cm
Photo © Vanessa Koh.
Post-Treatment
It has been about one week since I have ended my sessions with Absolute Slimming and I have started to consume carbs; I usually prefer eating complex carbs. Fortunately, my weight has maintained at the same point after I ended my last session. This, I believe, is not unique to me.
From what I understand, unless you overeat or eat at irregular hours over a prolonged period of time, the weight and inches you lost at Absolute Slimming will be easily maintained, even without adhering to a no-carb diet.
Absolute Slimming
211 Holland Avenue, Holland Shopping Centre #03-14
470 North Bridge Road, Bugis Cube #04-23
Opening Hours: Weekdays: 11am – 9pm, Saturday: 11am- 6pm
