Body Wraps for Weight Loss: Fact or Fantasy - Can you use body wraps for weight loss in any significant way that matters 3 months from now?
by Ask a Healer
Please also read intro:
do body wraps really work? and bodywrap myths for more helpful information on choosing the right wrap for your needs. Having realistic expectations can help you avoid disappointment and get the true benefits of this practice for toning and healthy detoxing through the skin. The short of it is that you can look better with the use of herbal or clay or mineral wraps but it isn't the only thing you need to do, to lose weight and keep it off.
Question on weight loss and natural fitness: What about body wraps for weight loss? Do they work for that purpose, really? I ordered an herbal body wrap online and it didn't do anything that I could tell, as far as weight loss goes. I wanted to lose a lot of inches quickly. Can they do that? Do body wraps really work for losing weight or are they just for temporary water loss to fit better in your clothes for a day?
Healing Facilitation Response: Ah, yes, will you lose inches quickly? That is one of the first questions someone will ask when wanting to try body wraps for weight loss - do body wraps work ... The answer to that question is sometimes yes and sometimes no. A lot of the answer depends on what the person asking the question thinks that work means. The answer also has a great deal to do with the wrap itself (all body wraps are not created equal), as well as the commitment of the person getting the wrap and the skill of the technician giving it.
For optimal results, you should do your homework in finding a wrap solution or recipe that is potent and full of the right ingredients. However, even the very best body wrap will only provide temporary weight loss in a single wrapping, and can contribute to yo-yo dieting tendencies and other unhealthy habits unless combined with healthy lifestyle changes.
What may happen sometimes, with people who only need a marginal weight loss to satisfy some special event, is that they binge after the event is over. In an otherwise healthy person, a temporary inch loss like this will usually not be harmful although most people drink at weddings and reunions so in addition to arriving dehydrated, they may become very dehydrated by the time the event concludes. Also, since alcohol bloats, the dress that fit perfectly at the beginning may be getting quite snug by the end.
The wraps that I personally like are the ones that (over time) produce permanent skin-firming results and improvements in skin quality, suppleness and beauty.
The ones that just result in water loss, which comes back in three days, just make me mad. The best wrap experiences I've had have been with organic detoxifying clays and herbs. As I mention in body wrap tips, the ingredient list is the first thing I want to see before I decide on doing a wrap. I also liked the infrared wraps but am not sure they would be safe for people with heart conditions, diabetes, etc.
The ones I hate, hate, hate are those popular mineral wraps that require exercise while you are all but mummied up. For example, I did a wrap, (I won't mention the name but it's a popular mineral wrap that is advertised online) and it was not a pleasant experience. I had to be wrapped so tightly I had trouble breathing and then keep moving, constantly, for an hour. Not my idea of a good time. My mom hated it too and, looking back, I don't know if it was even safe for her, given her age and health. I didn't think to ask about health conditions being contra-indicated because I had no idea we were both about to be asked to exercise for an hour while being tightly bound in ace bandages.
Anyway, the question was do body wraps work, NOT do I have to work while I'm wrapping. No, no, no. Exercise should do what it does and a wrap should do what it does, separately. However, I lost 19 inches in that hour. My clothes fit more loosely than when I walked in. Was that really weigh loss? No. The next two days proved that all I had really lost was water. I would not add that to my list of body wraps that work because I did all the work and for only temporary result. I'm not implying that all mineral body wraps are that way, but this one was definitely just a water loss situation.
Do Body Wraps Work for Rapid Weight Loss?
I can say for sure that I lost inches in an hour. It was noticable and, if I'd had my skinny clothes with me, I might have fit in them. So .... that single wrap made a difference but did I lose weight? No. I lost water, which reduced inches.
For temporary inch loss, it appears to me that bodywraps do work. The real question is why go for temporary inch loss? The feeling when the weight comes back is a pretty disappointing one.
However, most advertising seems geared toward using body-wraps as a quick fix - like when you are getting ready for that high school reunion, that big day (wedding) or swimsuit season. It's a temporary ad for a temporary illusion of success. This is the most common reason women seem to wrap, and it appeals to those who would love to lose a few inches to fit into that wedding dress or a hot outfit for their high school reunion, or the first swimsuit of summer. They aren't really looking at the longterm.
Although occasionally doing a wrap for water loss won't hurt the otherwise healthy person, it is not the type of body-wrap to trust if you are interested in longterm results such as body-sculpting and weight loss.
You may lose enough water weight
to actually look smaller but what you've really done is temporarily dehydrate your body and, if you do not drink sufficient fluids following such a wrap, the state
of dehydration could actually affect your body in negative ways.
Good Questions to Ask Yourself:
"How does my life change if I joyfully practice healthy living and eating in such a way that my body naturally reaches and maintains it's optimal weight?"
"How does my life look different, living it at my optimal weight and releasing concern over weight?"
Such questions open the mind to new potential and let the imagination begin to vision in a new reality. It isn't important and, in fact, it is counter-productive to spend time trying logically to answer those questions. The point is to ask them, put them out into the universe, and let go. The more you entertain a new way of being, the more your life will begin to match your creative imaginings.
I also encourage you, in looking at whether body wraps help you lose weight, to look at everything you choose as being part of that decision. How you feel about yourself, how you dress, how you talk to yourself in the mirror....all those things are as important as what you put in your body and on your body, to assist your body in losing excess weight. Choose wisely if you choose body wraps as part of your loving of yourself. Then, you can relax and know they will work because you have decided you are worth taking care of and you will choose good paths to achieve that goal. Body Wraps, do they work? Part Three: What body wraps can and can't do for you
Wholistic Health Disclaimer: No type of body wrap, even if the ingredients are organic or all-natural, should be used by those who are pregnant or nursing, unless your doctor approves. Also, those with heart conditions should check with their doctor before doing a body wrap. Additionally, bodywrapping is not represented as replacement for diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle or medical evaluation for conditions impacting weight gain.
