WEIGHT MANAGMENT

It's Not You, It's Your Genes

Obesity is a chronic, remitting-relapsing, neuroendocrine metabolic disease. The current data support the substantial influence genetics exert on an individual's weight, often significantly impacting the effects of dietary habits or physical activity on weight management. Additionally, food behaviors and priming is learned from a young age that affect individuals the rest of their life. These factors account for the disparity where certain individuals struggle with extra weight despite feeling as though they are not over eating, or even have rigorous dietary restrictions.

 

I staunchly believe that for the majority of individuals, extra weight is not a reflection of one's willpower or determination to maintain a lean physique. Anyone stating otherwise is at best misinformed.

 

Lifestyle Interventions

Even though our genes play a role, we can still control our weight through what we eat and our activities. To do this effectively, however, we need a well-thought-out plan. I engage various methods with patients to help manage weight. Interventions may include personalized food plans, recommended physical activities, removal of weight-promoting medications, addition of weight-reducing medications, and in some cases, surgical procedures. I also use tools to help modify behaviors, such as a continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM) and other various biometric trackers.

 

Types of Diets

There is no single diet that is best for everybody, but there may be one diet that is best for a single body. I am here to guide you in finding a diet or nutritional balance that's right for your body and supports both weight loss and overall health. Everyone's body is unique and everyone has various food preferences. There are general guidelines that I can help you apply to discover what works best for you.

 

It's the Calories, It's Not Just the Calories 

While it's true that to lose weight, we need to consume less energy than we use, simply cutting down on total calories may not be the most effective approach. There are various foods that may appear to be more filling, yet have fewer calories. Imagine the scenario in which you eat a 300 Calorie single donut or 300 Calories of broccoli (which would weigh over 1.5 pounds, mind you). The donut would be consumed rather quickly without much thought and, for me at least, would likely still be hungry. On the other hand, most of us would be quite (uncomfortably) full eating that much broccoli and would not be ready to eat again for a significant amount of time. While the donut is more appetizing, the broccoli is more satiating. I'll help you consider the complex interplay of signals and other hormones that direct how one's body uses energy after the food's been ingested. It's the calories, it's not just the calories. The trick is to find the nexus of appetitzing and satieting. By tailoring diet to your food preferences and life-style, we can help you adjust your body's responses to favor weight loss.

 

Are You Interested in Weight Loss?

Schedule an appointment with me specifically for weight management if you're interested in understanding more about my approach to acheiving and maintaing a healthy weight. I am committed to help you discover the best strategies for achieving a healthier lifestyle that suits your individual needs.