The benefits of going to a medical weight loss center to jump start your diet are numerous.
There are serious consequences to being overweight. For instance, Heart disease, Sleep Apnea, Diabetes, Back and Knee Pain, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Stroke, Gallstones and Gall bladder problems, and even Depression can caused or worsened by obesity or being overweight.
Most people who start on a diet will not see the long term results they desire. That is why working with a physician and his or her staff at a medical weight loss center can be so helpful if you are seriously committed to losing weight.
When you call a medical weight loss center, you will schedule a consultation with a doctor and his or her staff. The doctor will take a few tests including a comprehensive blood panel, blood pressure reading, EKG, weight and body fat index, and talk to you about your weight loss options.
You will choose a plan that is right for you from among the medical options. These can include a low calorie program, injections or drugs, a low calorie program with injections or drugs, or bariatric surgery.
You will get individual attention from health professionals right from the start when you go to a medical weight loss center. Many of the other types of diet programs have non professional staff whose counseling duties are secondary to their sales responsibilities.
Your doctor will also be able to monitor your progress to make sure you have safe and effective weight loss. They will be able to tell you how much of the weight loss is due to water loss, fat loss, and muscle loss and make adjustments accordingly.
Your doctor and the health professionals at the medical weight loss center will also be able to help you develop realistic and accurate expectations using your body composition and other measurements and the type of program you choose.
You will receive personal support from your doctor and the team at the medical weight loss center. Many centers report that they have nearly 100 percent success rates with the clients who stick with their programs.
Once you reach your goal weight, your relationship with the center does not terminate. You will continue to have a short term “maintenance” contact with the program – usually going in once per week so the center can help you maintain your new healthy weight.
Because 9 out of 10 people who lose weight on a diet gain it back within 6 months, there is also a long term wellness phase at most medical weight loss clinics.
Some medical weight loss clinics have special programs for certain groups of patients such as new moms or teens.
