By Maria Jauhar, M.D.
Our bodies are still designed for strenuous physical work, not sitting behind a steering wheel, a keyboard or a screen. And the food choices we grew up with were inherited from a different era, when outdoor exertion was the norm. So it’s not surprising that millions of people struggle with their weight, and that obesity has been called epidemic.
Diet and exercise are basic solutions, but even together they are not a big enough answer for many of us. Each one of us has a challenge all our own that may well be a little different.
Part Expertise, Part Inspiration
Medical supervision is becoming an important solution for weight loss, partly because of the individual nature of the struggle. Our challenges may be unique, but they can also be isolating if we try to overcome them by ourselves. With a professional on your side you know this is a serious commitment and that you are not in it alone.
Your physician can personalize your plan by knowing your particular health profile, your metabolism and its cycles. And medical professionals measure progress by body composition, not just weight alone. So together you can see your path much more clearly.
Better Tools to the Table
And medical weight loss has more ways to move down that path. Better knowledge of nutrition and how that relates to your own characteristics, knowing the impact of any medications you might be taking, and considering whether medication might safely play a role in reaching you goals – all of these are assets only a professional can provide. Having them on you side could make all the difference in bringing you to a happier, healthier life.
Another Thing Diets Can’t Do
Professionals take a different view of weight loss than commercial programs, because they are focused on your life rather than on a particular product or service. One way this shows up is in the phases of weight loss that many medical professionals observe.
At the beginning of a medical weight loss program the results can show up fairly quickly. The techniques and initiatives that medical professionals implement show up on the bathroom scales in matter of several days.
Over the course of weeks in many cases, a transition phase takes shape. As we approach our healthy weight goals some of the foods we avoided at first can find their way back into our lives – often with better portion control and awareness of how often a dish can be served without derailing the plan.
Finally, a key difference in medical weight loss is the attention professionals pay to making sure these healthy changes are sustained. The maintenance phase of medical weight loss is one of the most valuable differences between this and do-it-yourself or commercial weight loss.
Breaking Away From the Boomerang
Establishing a sustainable weight loss is perhaps one of the greatest advantages of medical supervision. Statistics of returning obesity among people who fight the battle by themselves are not encouraging. In fact, DIY weight losses bounce back more often than not.
If you’ve decided you want the lifelong benefits of maintaining the weight that’s healthy for you, then the advantages of medical weight loss are beyond compare.
If you would like to schedule a medical weight loss consult, then please schedule an appointment with us by calling 912.897.6832 or use our online appointment request form.
