Weight loss, weight loss, weight loss – tis the season to think about weight loss. Why? Because we spend the year putting it on and January is the time everyone tries to get it off. Vacation 3 pounds, holidays 3 more pounds, turning 49 another 3 pounds – so, yes, I’m in the boat too. Most patients I see with weight issues add weight incrementally. It does not typically all come on in one year, but over the course of many years. We add it on and never bother to take our weight back down to a set baseline. The pounds we want to lose simply keep climbing. Make this the January you get back to your best weight. Then, use that same strategy to get you back to your desired weight over and over again. Why? Because life will keep adding on the pounds.
One strategy does not work for everyone, but I use a variety of tools for my weight loss patients. The first is a genetic test, Pathway Fit, which looks at 75 genetic markers for diet and exercise to tell me the best solution for a particular patient. We use that information to set truly individualized goals for diet and exercise. The next one is less fun, but very effective. I use the ProLon 5-day plan to jump start weight loss. ProLon is a plant based, easy to use diet packaged into 5 small boxes (one for each day) that includes energy bars, soups, a variety of snacks, drinks, and supplements. You lose 5-10 pounds safely in only 5 days. Not bad for 5 days of effort. An InBody machine is used to analyze the composition of fat, water and muscle mass before, during and after the program. I prefer to use more than just a number on a scale as that does not tell the complete picture.
I was asked this question (and got it wrong) many years ago. What one thing do most people who lose weight, and manage to keep it off, have in common? I answered exercise. No, it is keeping some sort of diet diary. In the app age, that is now easier than ever. I was asked that question back when people used spiral notebooks. This was reiterated at the Obesity Week conference I attended recently. Tracking calories in some format really matters. Over the last year, I’ve used MyFitnessPal and the Weight Watchers app to track in different ways. Both take about 10 minutes a day, or less, to use. And, if you don’t like those, just go to the app store and type in the word weight, you’ll have a lot to choose from. Or, go old-school and pull out a spiral notebook.
If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to see me for weight loss, click here to request a visit.