'I tried Zoe Ball's 'gut shrinking' massage - I dropped an inch off my waist in one hour'

recently wowed fans when she revealed a dramatic after a massage that melted inches off her waist. The former Radio 2 Breakfast Show host, 54, shared photos on her Instagram of her belly before and after a £200 one-hour treatment with Sophie Yerby, founder of the Soph London clinic.

But Zoe, who was tackling her menopause weight gain, is not the only to opt for body contouring treatments - A-listers including Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber are also fans.

At 26, I'm far from menopausal but like many women I suffer from bloating and discomfort - particularly at the end of the day. Could body contour specialist Soph, as she's known, shrink my waistline?

READ MORE:

A former childcare worker, Soph started taking beauty courses and discovered body contouring, setting up her business three years ago. She drew upon her own health journey, overcoming an autoimmune disease, to create her signature massage.

She now juggles transforming her clients' physiques with caring for her 103-year-old grandmother and being mum to two adopted young children. Now thanks to the Zoe Ball Effect, she’s booked up for the next six months. "I didn't think I could be more busy," she laughs.

The Body by Soph Method, which costs £120, has two core steps: lymphatic drainage and Brazilian sculpting. The first technique de-puffs and reduces swelling by moving lymph fluid from the tissues to be flushed out of the body. Brazilian body sculpting massage then focuses on deep tissue stimulation to improve blood flow and even help break down fat cells.

The full Zoe Ball treatment includes two extra steps: cavitation, where ultrasound is used to melt fat so it can be flushed out of the body and radio frequency (RF), which uses electromagnetic energy to make skin firmer and appear more youthful. Soph says the treatment is especially beneficial for anyone experiencing fluid retention or menopause symptoms and she describes it as a full-body reset from the inside out.

"The results typically last around 10 days, but making healthier lifestyle choices can help extend the benefits," she says. "Regular sessions will definitely support your lymphatic system and overall health. If you add cavitation, which helps break down stubborn fat, the results can last even longer."

I'm not looking for permanent fat removal, and Soph says that the lymphatic drainage and Brazilian sculpting alone can dramatically reduce bloating and shrink waistlines so I opted for that. I was advised to drink plenty of water leading up to the appointment and to avoid heavy meals the day before. Eating one hour before the appointment was also a no-no.

I was nervous about having my belly pushed and pummelled, but Soph explained that we have a "drainage system" called lymph and it doesn't have a pump like our circulatory system, it relies on muscle movement or massages for it to all move through our body.

"Your lymph can become stagnant and once it becomes stagnant we get a build up of toxins, viruses, infections and even cancer cells," she says. "We also have T cells which help fight cancer cells and help fight infections. If they aren't moving around your lymphatic system and they stay stuck, then it's not going to do its job."

Soph says one of the key aspects of her treatment is how she helps her clients relax prior to the massage. "As soon as my clients walk in, I guide them into a relaxed state because if the body isn't calm, it won't respond properly.

"I completed a life coaching and hypnotherapy course to help me do this. It's not done in an obvious way, but it works. Once the nervous system is soothed, we begin working on the lymphatic system, followed by deep gut and colon massage," she says.

"Together, it's a total game changer for women that helps you feel lighter, calmer, and more in control." She started off by massaging the lymph nodes in my arms, armpits, and at the top of my legs. These little bean-shaped organs help filter substances out of the lymphatic fluid.

"Then it goes deeper, to the fluid around the tissues - that's where you get your visible results," Soph says. Lymphatic drainage also reduces inflammation, which is a key factor in many long-term health issues - chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, dementia, and even cancer.

Soph is passionate about the subject thanks to her own experience. "This method was created from my own personal healing journey. After developing an autoimmune disease, I was struggling with black eyes, hives, rashes, joint pain, and anxiety attacks. The only thing that truly helped me was lymphatic drainage massage. It became my lifeline," she says.

"From that experience, I developed my own method that goes deeper than just contouring. I added gut and colon massage because I realised how much emotion and tension we store in the stomach. So often, bloating isn’t just about what we eat, it's about stress and a sluggish digestive system.

"Stress is a big one, and I can't emphasise this enough but once you look after yourself and your body all this bloating will stop," says Soph, who's even written a book on the subject, A Simple Guide to Understanding the Lymphatic System. "It will get rid of all this tightness and tenderness and you will feel a lot more free."

Then it was on to the Brazilian sculpting, employing "deeper pressure" on my stomach to help drain toxins, boost metabolise and reduce fluid retention. Soph worked her hands around my middle but this was no typical bliss-out massage - wooden tools including rollers, a gua sha-type device (similar to the slim stone tool that you scrape over your face to de-puff and improve circulation) and a suction cup were used on my stomach and waist.

"You massage up, around and down," Soph explains. "Always clockwise, never anti-clockwise. If you push backwards, you can push the stool backwards which will make the client physically sick."

The sensations were unfamiliar but I was determined to relax into it. And after the treatment, the results spoke for themselves. You could tell instantly that my bloated stomach - which had felt firm to the touch - had softened and I didn't feel as swollen.

My waistline looked smaller and cinched, and Soph had managed to reduce the water-weight around my ribs - something I didn't even realise I had. Before the treatment, my waist measured 28in, and afterwards that had reduced to 27.5in. I felt lighter and slimmer, and the sides of my body felt less puffy.

A week later and the effects have yet to wear off. It's easy to see why this treatment is such a hit with A-listers - I’ll certainly be going for another.

For more information visit sophlondon.com and soph.london.beauty on Instagram

Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com

READ MORE: