February brings spring into the air and this season is a time when some people start to make goals for the upcoming summer. Patients and colleagues often share their stories about weight loss.
I recently met a patient who had read multiple books and tried just about every diet to lose weight. Being in the health care field, she had access to podcasts, apps on her phone to track her meals and steps, and memberships to fancy gyms. She may have had too many options and information and was unable to make a decision to achieve her goals.
Good communication is a key in the weight loss journey and having a personal relationship with a doctor who understands your life and specific concerns is extremely important. It is important to know what has worked and what did not. Weight loss is never a simple pill or medical procedure for long-term success. It takes energy and willpower to change the habits that caused increased weight and the good news is, you can see some results in as few as 4 weeks.
One should request for an objective medical viewpoint that is free from commercial bias like Jenny Craig, Optavia, Weight Watchers or apps that often charge their clients over $500 a month for foods that are processed and unpronounceable. These programs may sometimes help individuals lose weight in the short term but often end up with patients eventually gaining weight.
I believe in my patients, and over the past few years, they have collectively lost thousands of points of fat. It takes just 3-4 weeks to set a habit, so consider learning about medically monitored weight loss that focuses on you and what works. Having an accountability partner, health coach, or life mentor can definitely help you on your journey, but reversing Obesity and Type 2 diabetes and no longer needing to inject insulin is a game-changer.
There are hundreds of books, support groups, podcasts, websites, endless products pushed by an industry focused on profits over results. It is possible to change some habits today that can improve how you feel and how you look tomorrow. Biochemically, we can trend how these changes affect blood levels. There is no short cut to weight loss, so it is important to find an ally who is invested in your success and can tailor a personalized solution for you.
“Healthy Living” is paid advertising content. Dr. Kern Brar is a board-certified internal medicine physician who lives in north county and has helped hundreds of patients lose weight with medically monitored weight loss. Brar prefers a natural approach to health, is a partner at Tri-City Primary Care and has a new location opening in Carlsbad in early 2022.
