Medical Weight Loss: What is it and Why Does it Work?

Medical weight loss will often include three components to ensure that the weight loss is effective, safe, and sustainable. These components include a calorie-deficient diet, a recommended exercise regimen, and the administration of a weight loss medication. The combination of all three is what makes for a successful weight loss, with the weight loss medication typically working to suppress appetite and increase energy, making following a calorie-deficient diet much easier and continuing to work easier as well. Maintaining a calorie-deficient diet is one of the most important components of a weight loss program as it forces the body to burn the stored excess fat for energy to get through the day or a tough workout rather than using newly consumed calories. Burning the stored excess fat gradually decreases the amount of fat that remains stored throughout the entire body, resulting in significant weight loss.

One of the biggest advantages of undergoing a medical weight loss program as a means to lose and keep off weight is that it is medically supervised. This increased level of supervision from a health care provider not only keeps the patient accountable throughout the entire process as regular check-ups and weigh-ins are scheduled and other health tests are completed throughout the program, but it also ensures that the patient continues through their weight loss treatment as healthily and safely as possible. Embarking on a weight loss program on your own or without the support of a knowledgeable professional will most likely be less successful, as they may not be able to accurately determine how many calories they should be consuming or how much exercise they should be doing, or even what they should be eating.

Fad diets are incredibly popular and are unlikely to provide significant and sustainable weight loss results, but they are one of the most common methods of weight loss for people without the support of a healthcare provider. These diets or other types of magical weight loss programs that are not overseen by a healthcare provider are far less likely to yield significant weight loss results, can become dangerous as people unknowingly start to lack essential nutrients or hurt themselves through excessive workouts, and rarely allow for the patients to sufficiently keep the lost weight off long-term.

Medical weight loss can look different from patient to patient as the treatments will be personalized to suit the specific needs and restrictions of each individual. The process of medical weight loss includes medical supervision to guide a patient to help them lose weight by creating a plan that consists of realistic expectations and recommendations, taking the current lifestyle and health of the patient into consideration to provide them with an increased chance of success while promoting their overall health. The point of medical weight loss programs is to provide patients who are determined to be overweight or obese and who are at risk of developing life-threatening health conditions or are already managing weight-related health conditions to improve their overall health with long-term lifestyle changes.

The rate at which a patient will lose weight while being on a medical weight loss program will vary quite a bit depending on several factors; their ability to closely follow the recommended diet and exercise regimen, the amount of weight they have to lose, any pre-existing health conditions that may interfere with their ability to lose weight or follow a typical medical weight loss program, and if they are responding well to any prescribed weight loss medication. If they are closely following the recommendations from their physician and can increase the dosage of the weight loss medication at the ideal rate, patients can eventually start to lose anywhere from two to five pounds of weight per week, with it being far more common and just as healthy to lose the weight at a slower rate. Since there is such a variance from patient to patient, it is more important that they follow the recommendations provided by their physician and determine with their physician how much weight they can expect to lose within a healthy and sustainable timeline.

At Eastway Medical Clinic and Urgent Care, we offer a complete medical weight loss program that will help you become healthier and happier. Take charge of your health and look forward to the great improvements that lie ahead. Our team is eager to help you achieve long-term success. Contact us or set up an appointment online to begin your transformation. We are conveniently located at 1220 Eastway Drive Charlotte, NC 28205. For more information, please contact us or request an appointment online. We serve patients from Charlotte NC, Newell NC, Mint Hill NC, Matthews NC, Allen NC, Harrisburg NC, and surrounding cities.