Reach Your Weight-Loss Goals
Stepping on the scale feels pretty good when the pounds keep dropping.
For most Americans, however, the numbers start to increase within a matter of weeks or months. Disappointed and frustrated, many of us eventually move the scale to the back of a cabinet or a closet where it’s out of sight.
Losing weight – and keeping if off – is much more complicated than following any 30-day weight-loss diet you read about online or hear about from your friends.
If you’re wondering whether you need help losing weight, don’t use your scale as a guide. Weight-loss programs can help people who need to shed as little as 10 pounds and those who need to lose more than 100.
“The advantage to getting medical help is finding the right weight-loss strategy for your individual needs,” said I. Phillip Snider, DO, MS, RD, who serves as medical director at Bon Secours Weight Loss Institute. “At Bon Secours, we offer a range of weight-loss options – from learning how to change the way you eat and exercise to losing weight through a Very-Low Calorie Diet or by having bariatric surgery. Most importantly, we teach you how to keep the weight from coming back.”
It’s not easy to ask for help. Sometimes taking that first step is the hardest part. If you’re wondering whether a weight-loss program is right for you, consider the following questions:
Do you always gain back the weight you’ve lost?
Many people can lose weight. The challenge is keeping it off.
“If you’ve been able to lose weight, but it always eventually comes back, it’s time to do something different,” Snider said.
How many times have you tried to lose weight?
A good indication that you need help is to look at how many weight-loss attempts you’ve made in your life. You may have a list of all the different diets you tried from Atkins and South Beach to Paleo and Whole 30. At Bon Secours, patients work with Registered Dietitians to learn how to choose nutritious, healthy foods.
“Many people don’t know what a healthy diet should look like,” Snider said. “We can help people through education.”
Is your weight affecting your health?
Carrying excess weight can cause a multitude of health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and an increased risk for certain cancers. A good reason to participate in a weight-loss program is if your doctor has told you that you need to lose weight because it’s hurting your health.
Losing a small amount of weight – sometimes only 10 percent of your body weight — can significantly improve your health.
Is your quality of life suffering?
Are you out of breath walking to and from a parking lot?
Do you have to worry about the size of a seat belt on an airplane?
Can you sit comfortably at the movies or on a roller coaster?
Losing weight successfully can make it easier to accomplish simple tasks like running to the store. It can make traveling and recreational activities more enjoyable.
Focus on more than calories and exercise.
Perhaps the most important part of a comprehensive weight-loss program is unraveling all the factors in your life that affect your weight.
“Weight loss is a multi-dimensional issue,” Snider said. “It’s not just how much you’re eating and exercising. Being overweight is a symptom that something is going wrong in your life.”
Some people gain weight to protect themselves from stress. Other people may view weight as power; losing weight makes them feel less powerful.
Sometimes being overweight has to do with family relationships or insulating ourselves from things we can’t control.
“You have to work on those issues or you will gain your weight back,” Snider said. “Any dietary changes you make or weight loss from bariatric surgery will be temporary fixes.”
For more information about nutrition and choosing healthy foods, visit us at http://www.bonsecoursphysicaltherapy.com/nutrition-counseling/ or call 804-287-4528 to learn more about Bon Secours Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program.
Source: http://www.bs757.com/2018/01/reach-your-weight-loss-goals/
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