Is Medical Weight Loss Right For You?
Are you a serial dieter? This term applies if you’ve tried many diet programs but haven’t achieved long-term success. Years of following fad diets eventually takes both a physical and emotional toll. Hope springs eternal each time you learn about the latest sure-fire way to lose weight. Whether the diet is put out by a social media influencer, celebrity, celebrity trainer, fitness expert, doctor or nutritionist, you start with enthusiasm and perhaps shed a few pounds – at first. Then the all-too familiar cycle begins. You’re no longer seeing results, and issues with the diet make following it any longer impractical. But instead of blaming the diet – or, worse yet, yourself – medical weight loss could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
“Most people will try five to six different types of diets unsuccessfully before seeking help,” says William E. Newsome, M.D., Medical Director and co-owner of Solutions Weight Loss. “The top two reasons why people quit diets are, number one, hunger; and number two, it’s taking too long or showing no results. Medical weight loss may be right for you if you meet established criteria and other options have failed.”
That criteria is as follows:
A body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.
- A BMI greater than 27 with comorbid condition.
- A fat percentage greater than 30% for women.
- A fat percentage greater than 25% for men.
Common Obstacles to Losing Weight on Your Own
As Dr. Newsome mentioned, hunger is the leading obstacle to sticking with a self-guided diet program. It isn’t a lack of willpower in overcoming that gnawing feeling in your stomach – it’s human biology! According to our blog post – “What is a Calorie Deficit?” – many diet programs are based on running a calorie deficit. This occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body needs to perform its functions. For example, if you burn 2,000 calories a day but only consume 1,500, you’ll be in a 500 calorie deficit. When this happens, your body uses stored fat for energy instead of food, which can lead to weight loss.
However, this type of diet isn’t right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not follow a calorie-deficit diet, nor should athletes, as they need energy to perform. Such a diet could also make certain existing health conditions worse. Even for healthy adults, it’s crucial to consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian before starting a calorie deficit diet to determine a safe and appropriate calorie target based on your individual needs.
Another downside is that those who are able to follow a calorie deficit-based diet typically achieve limited success. The calculations involved in counting calories and monitoring your calorie expenditure – which refers to the amount you expend, or burn, each day – soon become inconvenient and time-consuming. Speaking of “consuming,” hunger tends to be a frequent, unwanted companion. Once again, you’ll chalk up failure on a calorie deficit diet to a lack of willpower!
Biology also conspires against you as you get older and your metabolism slows. Says Dr. Newsome, “Weight gain generally begins in your mid- to late 20s, and only increases if you do not address it. That is simply due to a change in metabolism.”
Our blog post – “What Causes Gradual Weight Gain?” – covers the role that additional candles on your birthday cake play in making weight loss difficult – even if you have just a sliver of that cake! When your metabolism slows, you don’t need as many calories to keep your body humming along. This means you can eat the same diet and get the same amount of exercise as you did when you were younger, yet still gain weight.
Moreover, as you age, your muscle mass decreases and your fat mass increases. Fat is less metabolically active than muscle – you don’t need as many calories to maintain fat as you do to maintain muscle. Hormonal changes can also lead to weight gain. Women tend to see hormone levels change quickly during menopause, while men see more gradual decreases in their testosterone levels over time.
Unfortunately, one popular way that people try to lose weight on their own is through intense exercise. But again, no matter how much you run – or cycle, lift weights, etc. – you can’t outrun biology! Our own Dr. Newsome “weighs in” with this observation:
“The biggest obstacle to weight loss is intense exercise because it creates intense hunger, making it difficult to follow a low-calorie diet – which is absolutely necessary. Without a calorie deficit, there’s generally no weight loss. Contrary to popular belief, exercise is the most difficult way to lose weight. If someone burns 300 calories in the gym, which is extraordinary, they frequently return home and eat greater than 300 calories to make up for the hunger. Therefore, many end up gaining weight.”
In this case, evolution insidiously works against us! Simply put, humans evolved to not lose weight as a defense against death by starvation. Our blog post – “Why Excessive Exercise Can Make it Difficult to Follow a Diet” – explains the science. Intense, excessive exercise hinders weight loss because it can lead to increased hunger, hormonal imbalances such as high cortisol levels, and a potential adaptation where your body becomes more efficient at burning calories – thereby making it harder to create a calorie deficit necessary for weight loss. Essentially, your body may start to conserve energy by slowing down your metabolism when pushed too hard with exercise without a balanced diet or medical weight loss treatment to support it.
So if you want to exercise like you’re training for the triathlon, do it because you really want to, not because you’re trying to lose weight! Dr. Newsome recommends just walking at least 5,000 steps a day, and following a low-calorie diet.
How a Medical Weight Loss Program Can Help You Break the Dieting Cycle
Following a low-calorie diet is still essential to weight loss. However, hunger and metabolism remain major roadblocks. This is where a physician-directed medical weight loss program can help! Breakthrough GLP-1 medications and the long-established appetite suppressant phentermine can safely achieve significant results when prescribed by a doctor specializing in medical weight loss as part of a comprehensive program that includes diet and moderate exercise.
Solutions Weight Loss can put you on the road to success for significant, long-term weight loss – beginning with your in-person consultation with Dr. Newsome. During your first appointment, Dr. Newsome will measure your BMI, take your vital signs (body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) and talk with you about your medical history to learn about any health conditions you’ve had or currently have.
During this appointment, Dr. Newsome will also have an in-depth conversation with you about your weight loss goals. If you feel frustrated by the lack of results and setbacks from previous weight loss programs you’ve tried, Dr. Newsome will be able to relate to your experiences. He has been where you are, and knows that losing excess weight is a difficult and emotional process.
Based upon your consultation, Dr. Newsome will evaluate and prescribe for you the best medication treatment plan to achieve your goals. We offer high-quality, safe and affordable, compounded GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide – which you probably know under brand names like Wegovy®, Ozempic®, Zepbound®, or Mounjaro®. Research shows that when combined with one-on-one physician coaching, low-calorie diet and lifestyle changes, they are the safest and most effective approach to achieve sustainable weight loss. Our blog post – “The Benefits of Medical Appetite Control” – describes in detail how GLP-1 medications work to control appetite, as does our website’s Medications page.
Although GLP-1 medications are now getting the most attention, phentermine is an FDA-approved, once-daily diet pill that aids in weight loss by suppressing appetite. Available only with a doctor’s prescription, this stimulant and appetite suppressant is probably the most well-known weight loss medication in the world due to its relative safety and efficacy – recognized as a safe and effective way to decrease hunger while dieting. Based upon your consultation with Dr. Newsome, this may be the medication he determines will be best for your individual situation.
Because we prescribe, compound and dispense these medications, shortages of the brand-name drugs that sometimes occur will never affect your access. You can leave our office with your medication the same day – offering you both confidence in the quality of your medication AND convenience! Moreover, we understand that people have busy schedules that may not allow them to visit our office on a weekly basis. That’s why we can dispense up to 12 weeks of your weight loss medication at a time.
The doctor-patient relationship is essential to successful, sustainable weight loss. Dr. Newsome and our entire Solutions Weight Loss team are with you on every step of your medical weight loss journey! You’ll never feel that you’re on your own. You will know us, and we will know you – which allows us to give you the individual help and advice you need!
Our Record in Getting Results for Our Patients
Solutions Weight Loss internal results prove our medically supervised program is effective at driving long-term improvements to metabolic health and weight loss, with an average of 21% weight loss at 12 months; 19.1% at 18 months, and 18.9% at 24 months. Our members have also decreased their waist circumference by 7 inches, on average. These results are superior to the weight loss seen in clinical trials for GLP-1 medications. Regardless of which medication they take, our members have demonstrated significant and sustained results!
See what makes Solutions Weight Loss the #1 weight loss clinic in Florida! Schedule your consultation with Dr. Newsome here, or call 407-413-5503, and experience the benefits of today’s metabolic approach to sustainable weight loss! End the frustrating cycle of serial dieting and start living your best life!
