Health

How Can Your Doctor Help with Weight Loss?

If you’ve been trying to lose weight but are not seeing any positive results, it might be time to consult your weight loss doctor. He can assess your general health, identify your weight gain causes, find out if there are any health issues related to your weight gain, and formulate a plan to help you lose weight.

First, your doctor will assess whether your current weight is healthy or not. He will measure your height against your weight. This is known as your Body Mass Index (BMI). Your waist might be measured as well. A lot of fat around your stomach increases your chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Blood pressure and other tests might be carried out to check for any existing health conditions related to your weight.

The first step for you to lose weight is to change your diet and exercise. Your doctor will help set personal goals for your diet and physical activity levels. You may be asked to write in a food diary to identify the eating habits that you can change. An activity diary may be kept for your exercise levels. You might also be asked to wear a pedometer to measure the number of steps you take to indicate your activity levels.

When your doctor has all this data, he will have a clearer picture to identify any lifestyle changes. He can then recommend a plan that fits your lifestyle and your predilections. You will then be monitored for progress every two weeks to a month. He can also refer you to weight loss groups, like exercise classes managed by a qualified trainer.

If, after doing all of the above and you are still not losing weight, then your doctor might recommend medicines. Note that medicines are only used if your BMI is at least 30. 28 if you have health risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes.

Weight loss surgery may be your last resort. It is recommended for people with a BMI of at least 40 or 35 if they have health-related conditions. It is a major procedure with a list of risks on its own.

Here are some questions you might want to ask your weight loss doctors before you start your weight loss journey:

What should be your weight goal? Everyone is different. This is something that you would need to discuss based on your BMI. You need to set a goal that is achievable and sustainable.

How long should it take? You should not be losing more than one to two pounds a week. You can lose up to five pounds a week if you’re more than 30 pounds overweight, though.

Will losing weight impact your health? Will it affect your blood pressure?

Could a health problem be causing your weight gain? Prediabetes, thyroid disorders, and other medications might interfere with your weight loss.

Weight Loss Centers of Nashville has one of the best weight loss programs that has helped hundreds of patients lose tens of thousands of pounds. You can book your free weight loss consultation here: https://lp.weightlosscentersofnashville.com/wlcn-consult-schedule1