Weight Loss and Root Cause Medicine
Are you overweight or obese? Almost 70% of our population is overweight, and over one-third is obese. If you have suffered for a while you may have tried a variety of quick fixes or fad diets. Trying the next “pill” or “diet” that promises fast results is an American pastime, it seems. Many who have had no success have given up hope altogether on their ability to ever handle their problem and have resigned themselves to stay overweight.
This is unfortunate for many reasons.
Obesity increases your risk of many diseases and conditions including:
- All causes of death
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Depression
- Injury and pain
- Infertility
- Sleep problems
- Reduced quality of life
You know you need to get a handle on your overweight and obesity, but too often your efforts fail. The “pill” that promises to speed metabolism does result in weight loss, but then you only gain it all back again, and more once you stop using it. Mother Nature does not like it when you artificially alter your metabolism.
You can cut calories, carbs, sugar, etc., while increasing exercise, but the self-discipline to carry on in the face of overwhelming hunger and cravings can only continue for so long before the cravings “win”. It truly should not be that difficult.
It bears repeating – It should not be a continuing battle against cravings and hunger when you are on the correct program.
Lifestyle Change
You often hear of the need to make permanent lifestyle changes to sustain weight loss, but what does that mean?
Successful lifestyle change is what we do for our patients. It is not “sexy”. What I mean by that is that it is not fast, nor is it dramatic. Results are slow, steady, stable, and effective. That might sound boring, but I can tell you it is the correct, effective, and healthy way to lose weight. You are not going to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, nor should you.
We are honest with you and we will not sell you on some “dream” that is unattainable or cannot be sustained.
It may interest you to know that most people seeking help to lose weight do not overeat. It is assumed they do, but many are in fact starving themselves, exercising like crazy and still they don’t lose weight!
Is this you? We see this often in our patients. The bottom line is that the true root cause of your stubborn weight involves a burden upon your system that has slowed your metabolism to a halt, literally as a protective mechanism. I discuss some of these causes below.
One of the biggest points missed with weight loss plans is your actual health status. Why is your body holding on to weight? It may sound odd, but the body has a protective response when it is overwhelmed that results in weight gain and a refusal to drop weight, despite reducing calories and exercising.
If your doctor does not assist you to identify the underlying root cause, you are never going to lose the weight stably and permanently.
So yes, first we need to get your body healthy. Once healthy, will no longer need to maintain a slow metabolism and hold on to every calorie you eat. We will assist you in achieving a level of health so that your body considers it safe to burn calories, and then it starts to lose the weight.
Underlying root causes for weight gain
Here are some examples:
- Food sensitivities
- Gut issues in the form of malabsorption or maldigestion
- Hidden infections – typically found in the gut or mouth
- Hormonal imbalances – including not just sex hormones, but also any imbalance of insulin or leptin (your satiety hormone). The latter play a strong role in feeling hunger and suffering cravings. Many women suffer sugar cravings due to a hormone imbalance
- Inflammation, the root of all degenerative disease
Above are some of the examples that can place a heavy body burden on you, resulting in weight gain and a refusal of your body to lose weight.
If you are someone who needs to lose weight and it is your number one priority, addressing it first is not necessarily best. I realize you want to lose weight, but you want it to be stable weight loss and you concurrently want to feel good and be healthy overall.
As clinicians it is our job to explain the best route to truly achieve your healthcare and weight loss goals, even if that means first addressing your digestion, inflammation, or hormonal imbalance.
It is this conversation we will have with you very early on in care and is one of the major reasons we offer you a free initial consultation. We want you to have an ability to meet with us and understand our approach before you pay for any visits.
We want success for you in your weight loss goals as much as you want to be successful. This is a team approach. We do not just hand you a pill, far from it. We work diligently together to change diet, lifestyle, repair faulty organ function and more. This does not happen overnight, and it will not occur without help. Therefore, we like to ensure you are ready to embark upon the adventure to regain your health with a clear understanding that it will require some work and change on your part. But you are not alone; we are in this together.
We have discovered that with patient compliance, success is all but assured.
Do you need help with weight loss?
Do you know someone who does? If so please share this with them.
Contact us here for a consultation or give us a call at 727-335-0400.
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Arrange an initial consultation to discuss your health history and how we can best help you regain your health.