If you’ve been carrying around an extra 20 pounds or more, you’re literally sick and tired of trying to lighten your load. And as the new year begins, you’re probably in a hurry to start on your weight loss goals!
We know plenty of marketing gurus out there sell all kinds of miracle weight loss products and programs to help lose weight fast. But not all of those plans work, and the ones that may do not take healthy weight loss into consideration.
You may want the weight off, but do you really want to stay on those yo-yo diets for the rest of your life? Wouldn’t you prefer to do it in a healthy way that will make you look and feel great and last a lifetime? If the answer is yes, we’re glad you are here.
What Exactly Is Healthy Weight Loss?
It’s natural to want to lose weight quickly, but research has shown that people who lose weight gradually and steadily are more successful at keeping weight off.
Here’s what healthy weight loss isn’t:
- A diet
- An exercise fad
- One-size-fits-all solution
- One-time attack on fat
- A speedy pill
- Exercising until you drop
Healthy weight loss is about ongoing lifestyle choices that include long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits as well as attending to your body’s needs. Yes, you may need to start on a stricter regimen, but the best type of weight loss, or weight loss program, will include manageable tools that last a lifetime. That way, once you lose the weight, it stays lost!
Losing weight is a commitment. Staying at a healthy weight is a lifetime commitment. If you’re here, we believe that you are ready to get started on the path to total wellness.
Losing Weight Isn’t Just About Looking Good
For many people, the drive to lose weight comes from a desire to “look better” or maybe to fit into their wedding dress in time for the wedding. But healthy weight loss brings with it more than aesthetics. It also brings major health benefits. You don’t have to lose a whole lot of weight to enjoy the health benefits that come with healthy weight loss.
Even losing 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can help with:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugars
This is good news for people who fall into the overweight or obese category. These people need to lose the amount of weight to get to a healthy weight can be overwhelming. But even if a 200-pound person “only” loses 10 pounds (Congratulations, by the way! We know how hard that can be!), their risk factors for chronic diseases related to obesity decrease.
There may be “hidden saboteurs” inside your body for some who have a hard time! For example, insulin and leptin resistance can be involved in those that are the most resistant to weight loss, both of which are perpetuated by silent inflammation.
Lab testing can reveal these metabolic derangements, and a focused strategy of reversing the underlying problem would need to be implemented, including:
- Dietary modification
- Exercise
- Targeted nutraceutical supplementation
- Stress response
- Sleep optimization
- Medication, such as GLP-1 agonists, which is helpful with weight loss
Not only that, but according to the National Weight Control Registry, once you start losing weight, your energy levels, physical mobility, general mood, and self-confidence will start to rise.
Want Some Good News?
Healthy weight loss can also:
- Improve mental health
- Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduce your risk of certain cancers like:
- Endometrial cancer
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Improve your sleep
- Raise self-esteem
- Boost sex drive
- Improve mobility
- Decrease joint pain
Everybody Is Different
Have you tried and failed to lose weight by the “calorie in/calorie out” theory? Did it make you feel like a failure? Chin up! You are not alone! Counting calories and exercising does not help many people struggling to lose weight.
Our bodies have hormonal and metabolic “moving targets” that either allow OR prevent the body from releasing body fat stores. And, no two bodies are the same! We each have different hormone levels, metabolisms, biomarkers, and ways that our bodies work. As a result, we also lead different lives.
Every individual’s propensity for weight loss or weight gain is influenced by a variety of factors like:
- Genetic predisposition
- Quality and depth of sleep
- Environmental stressors
- Shifting hormone levels
- Dietary habits
- Exercise routines
- Calorie and nutrient content of the foods eaten
Everything on this list can impact your metabolic rate (the rate at which your body creates and burns energy) and how your body uses stored energy sources such as fat, muscle, and glycogen.
Aging Is a Common Factor in Weight Gain and Lean Muscle Loss
Although excess body fat and loss of lean muscle are two of the most common aspects of aging, they are also the most preventable. It’s common for physiologic, metabolic, and hormonal changes to begin to occur in your late-20’s. When combined with changes in diet and lifestyle, these can lead to weight gain.
Let Us Help You
So, are you on track with your weight loss goals? Whether you’ve just started your weight loss journey, you’ve plateaued, or you’re ready to throw in the towel, we can help. In our decade-long experience, we have found that weight loss and weight management have no one size fits all approach. Instead, every patient needs a custom program that considers their age, lifestyles, sleep patterns, exercise habits, hormones, genetic predispositions, cravings, timeline preferences, financial flexibility, and overall goals.
We’ll get you started with a get-to-know-you visit and comprehensive lab analysis that includes a deep dive into your hormones, markers of inflammation/nutrition/cardiovascular risk, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic function. Then your weight loss team will get to work on your customized healthy weight loss plan.
Components and options with your custom medical weight loss treatment program may include:
- Thyroid Optimization Protocol
- The HCG Program
- HRT – Growth Hormone, Thyroid, Testosterone, Estrogen, and Progesterone, when medically appropriate
- Customized Diet and Exercise Programs – PaleoPrimal, Ketogenic, and the Anti-Inflammation diet
- DEXA Body Composition Testing – Gold Standard in body composition testing
- Metabolic Rate Testing – Determines how many calories you typically burn in a day
- Guidance and Coaching – Certified Nutritionist, Health Coach, and Weight Loss Counselor
- Medical Guidance, Care, and Supervision – Board Certified Physician trained in Functional and Age Management/Anti-aging medicine
Are you ready to devote the time and energy to losing excess body fat and restoring your best health? Contact us for a consultation!