CLEVELAND — Did you ever leaf through a fitness magazine while in the grocery store checkout line? Many of us look at photos of those toned bodies and think the chances we could look like that are slim to none.
It’s a fact - 32% of Americans are overweight.
“Yeah, I eat out too much. Hahaha!" laughs Hailee.
"Your girl is gonna eat mashed potatoes. Like, I don't have time to figure out my salad and coordinate my plate," insists Lina.
"A six-pack is cool, but this is a case,” Dwayne chuckles, patting his belly. “This takes care of the whole party!"
You may think you've got to get hot-and-sweaty to shape up. However, the latest trend says: Nope... You've gotta chill.
Procedures like CoolSculpting are pricey though. So we found products that promise similar results for less than a hundred bucks and asked three members of the 3News audience to test the products out for 30 days.
The Isavera Fat Freezing System is described as a non-invasive way to destroy fat "without harmful gimmicky machines".
Cellufreeze Cool Slender Fat Freezing System claims to help freeze the fat away "in areas where diet and exercise don't target".
It also includes a handy roller to help break up and separate fat cells.
We also checked out the Fat Loss Machine 6 in 1 Multifunctional High Frequency Vibration Body Shaping Beauty Device EMS Loss Fat Machine. It doesn't use ice to freeze the fat. Instead, it promises to lighten your load with "high-frequency sonic light" that accelerates metabolism.
First, we measured our testers waists.
Then we had them bring their belly busters home and use them per the product directions.
After four weeks of using Cellufreeze, Hailee did lose an inch. But she also lost three pounds, and wondered if it might have more to do with getting the flu during the 30 day test.
She said the Cellufreeze Cool Slender Fat Freezing System wasn't uncomfortable to wear.
"I just wore my tank top down. It felt like if you didn't you would have gotten frostbite," she says. "My stomach turned super red!"
Lina's measurements after using the 6 in 1 device were the same after 30 days of use.
"I think that you have to pair these things with a better routine. Because eating mashed potatoes with my left hand and rubbing that device on my stomach with my right... I really don't think it's going to help me."
Dwyane used the Isavera Fat Freezing System and didn't drop inches after 30 days either.
"I did the rubbing and the massage," he says. "I even did it with my hands like kneading dough. You had the Dough Boy! It still turned out to be, just really, I didn't see any progress."
They all said unless you up your exercise and cut down your calories all you'll really loose will likely be time.
"I could have spent ten or fifteen minutes working out on my butt machine or making salad," says Lina after some thought. "Instead of making four minute mashed potatoes."
We reached out to the product manufacturers for comment.
Daniel (no last name provided) from Freeze N Fit, the New York based company that makes Cellufreeze told us by phone: “There is a clinical study. The person didn’t use it right. They need to follow a diet regimen & exercise routine. If a person doesn’t like the product they can return it for a refund.”
Nadia Kensington from Isavera replied to our email seeking comment saying: "Our product doesn't show results for most people in a month. Just like traditional coolsculpting, it takes a long time for your body to flush out the damaged fat cells via the lymphatic system. Some people can see the beginnings of changes in 3 weeks, but most people take 10-12 weeks to see changes. Full results can take even longer. It's a slow process unfortunately."
We reached out to the manufacturer of the Fat Loss Machine 6 in 1 Multifunctional High Frequency Vibration Body Shaping Beauty Device EMS Loss Fat Machine for comment, but have not heard back.