You've tried everything to lose your love handles and cellulite: eating right, spending countless hours in the gym, maybe even hypnotism (no judgments) -- with zero luck. To be frank, sometimes getting rid of fat is just effing hard. No matter how hard we try to lose fat in problem areas like the thighs, stomach and butt, sometimes it feels like our body just keeps giving us more to "love." While liposuction is always an option, the idea of going under the knife to lose our love handles can feel a bit extreme. That's where a new line of treatments called body contouring comes in.

This new, non-invasive fat loss method, which includes fat-freezing procedures like CoolSculpting, involves zero surgery, minimal pain and very little recovery time (if at all). For those reasons, New York-based plastic surgeon Lawrence Bass, MD, says there's been a 43 percent increase in the number of body sculpting treatments within the last year alone. "Everyone is in a rush to lose weight, and they're looking for ways to do it without surgery," he explains. "Body contouring isn't a weight-loss method, but it does allow you to manipulate the problem areas by killing fat cells." It's a procedure, he says, that can take off two to five inches from problem areas.

But there is a catch. If you're an instant gratification kind of person like me, the procedure might test your patience: All body-contouring procedures take at least six weeks to show changes, and full results come at two to three months. So don't save this procedure for the week before a big event. Also, you'll achieve the best results if you adhere to a healthy lifestyle. While body sculpting treatments can reduce the appearance of existing fat, they can't prevent new fat from forming -- that part is up to you.

We spoke with three body contouring experts to get the inside scoop on the best procedures out there so you can finally get rid of those love handles -- without going under the knife.

*According to stats on realself.com

Image via Imaxtree

User rating: 67% said "worth it"*

Average price: $750 per region (stomach averages about $1,400)

How it works: This body contouring procedure shrinks problem areas by freezing fat cells into a state of shock. You're literally freezing your butt off. The physician places the problem area between two cool plates, which target and kill fat cells. "After an hour, the fat cells are shocked," Bass says. "While they're still metabolically alive, they stop regenerating, and become senescent and die. And that happens over a number of weeks."

CoolSculpting was developed after Zerona (one of the original fat-freezing body contouring methods), but unlike Zerona's so-so success rate, California-based plastic surgeon Dr. Jaime Schwartz, MD, says this procedure is much more effective. "People are actually getting good results with CoolSculpting,"says Schwartz. "In my opinion, it's the best machine out there."

Who should try it: People looking to lose two to three inches, and post-partum moms.

Pros: There are very few side effects, so there is no required recovery time. You may experience some soreness, but most patients can go straight to work afterwards. The procedure also only takes about an hour to complete (per region), and is completely painless.

Cons: The applicator doesn't fit all body types (you have to have enough "pinch-able" fat to fit into the machine) and patients have a tendency to bruise easily from this method. While you technically only need one treatment to lose those few inches, many patients come back for a second treatment (sometimes more) to treat the entire region, since the applicator can't fit most people's fat all at once.

User rating: 100% said "worth it"*

Average price: $1,550*

How it works: If you like hot over cold, SculpSure might be your best bet. This body contouring method stuns fat much in the way CoolSculpting does, but with heat. In order to zap fat, "window applicators" are strapped to trouble spots. A laser light reflects off the windows and down into the skin about an inch. "When they get heated up beyond the normal body temperature, it selectively damages the fat by shocking the cells, and a portion die over a few months," says Bass.

Who should try it: People with a small muffin top, and those looking to take off two to three inches. Clinical trials show an average 24 percent reduction in localized fat after a single treatment.*

Pros: The applicator has more geometric flexibility, making it suitable for a broad range of body types. It's completely painless and takes only one 25-minute session to treat problem areas-- making it the quickest body-sculpting treatment available.

Cons: While it's nowhere near scalding temperatures, this procedure does get hot, which can be uncomfortable for some patients. For a week after the Sculpsure procedure, patients must massage the area for five to ten minutes a day.

User rating: 37% said "worth it"*

Average price: $2,350*

How it works: This body contouring method turns the heat up a notch compared to SculpSure. Rather than employ lasers, Liposonix uses high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) -- or sound waves -- to melt fat. "It gets quite a bit hotter than SculpSure, so that's why a majority of patients find this method to be much more painful. But it kills fat cells immediately," says Bass.

Who should try it: People looking to lose two to three inches, want results more quickly and aren't afraid of some discomfort.

Pros: It kills fat cells immediately and the procedure only takes an hour (I say "only" with caution). This method requires just one treatment, as it can tend to several areas (ex. stomach and love handles) at once, and there is zero down time.

Cons: It's ten degrees hotter than SculpSure and can be uncomfortable, or even painful for some patients.

User rating: 91% said "worth it"*

Average price: $2,475*

How it works: UltraShape is another body contouring method that uses HIFU to get rid of stubborn fat. Essentially, ultrasound energy sends shockwaves that tear apart the fat cell walls, releasing the fat in the form of triglycerides, says New York-based cosmetic dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D.. The liver then processes those triglycerides, which are then eliminated from the body naturally. Doctors recommend patients have three treatments over the course of two weeks.

Who should try it: Post-partum moms and those looking to reduce a small pooch or other areas of fat, like love handles, arm fat or knee fat. Doctors report patients losing up to four and a half inches of fat.*

Pros: The procedure only takes an hour and is completely painless. Patients also report seeing results sooner than the typical six-week mark. One user even claims she noticed changes just 18 days after her procedure.

Cons: Some patients reported the heat made them "uncomfortable," but nothing unbearable. It's not a one-and-done treatment -- you'll need three treatments over two weeks.