Best Medical Weight Loss Programs

Losing weight sounds easy in theory: eating fewer calories than you expend. But that is much harder in practice, as millions of overweight people know. Many struggle to lose weight through popular diets and different exercise plans, but they usually experience a yo-yo effect. They lose weight only to gain it back as soon as they slip from their disciplined eating and workout regimes.

The problem with popular diets is that most are designed as one-size-fits-all solutions. Each person has a unique metabolic rate, hormonal activity, physiological needs, and possibly a set of psychological reasons for clinging to food. Medical weight loss programs address all these elements and that is why they have a higher success rate than conventional diets.

The following article explains what medical weight loss programs are and how they work, and recommends 16 best medical weight loss programs out there.

Best medical weight loss programs

What Is a Medical Weight Loss Program?

A medical weight loss program is a personalized, medically supervised approach to losing weight. It involves a team of medical professionals who work together to create a comprehensive weight loss plan for each patient. The plan includes some or all of the following:

Though most people wish to lose weight for aesthetic reasons, the main problem with carrying extra pounds is medical. Excess weight can cause serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. That’s why medical weight loss programs employ a team of healthcare professionals, who address both the symptoms and the effects of excessive calorie consumption.

16 Best Medical Weight Loss Programs in the USA

Some of the USA’s best medical weight loss programs are offered at state universities and hospital networks. There are also reputable private clinics whose in-house medical experts apply knowledge from research institutions and universities to provide patients with carefully designed and highly customized weight loss solutions.

We picked the 16 top weight loss programs around the country, which you can choose from depending on your location.

1) Cleveland Clinic Weight Management Programs

The Cleveland Clinic offers several weight management programs to help patients treat obesity and maintain optimal weight. They employ a team of medical professionals - physicians, dietitians, counselors, and nurses - to assess your medical condition and weight issues and design a customized plan for their patients.

They provide both surgical and non-surgical weight management solutions. The non-surgical program includes a personalized diet plan, individualized exercise programs, appetite suppressants, and counseling with psychologists, who address the patient’s eating disorders, addictions, and potential depression.

Patients with over 100 pounds of extra weight can become candidates for weight loss surgery.

2) NCH Healthcare System Medical Weight Loss Program

The NCH Healthcare System is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Their Medical Weight Loss Program is a comprehensive solution for weight issues and related health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Their team consists of medical specialists in different fields, who create a safe, customized treatment plan for each patient.

Candidates for the NCH Healthcare System weight loss program are typically obese patients with a BMI of over 30. Still, anyone with an eating disorder and weight management issues can seek professional help to learn how to implement healthy eating habits and lower the risk of life-threatening disease.

3) NYU Langone Weight Management Program

NYU’s Langone Weight Management Program is one of the country’s best weight loss facilities. Some of the tools they use to help patients include:

They create customized weight loss plans for each patient’s needs and goals. The team monitors and manages the patient’s medical conditions during their weight loss journey to optimize their overall health.

4) Vibrant Skin Bar Medical Weight Loss

Vibrant Skin Bar is a Phoenix-based weight loss center whose experienced medical staff incorporates best practices from top research centers to help patients reach their weight goals.

Recognizing that a successful weight loss strategy requires an individualized approach, the VSB team carefully assesses each patient’s weight-related aesthetic and medical concerns to design a personalized treatment.

Depending on the patient’s unique weight gain factors, food sensitivities, and medical history, the VSB weight loss program may include:

Once the patient loses extra pounds and wants to address stubborn pockets of fat, the Vibrant Skin Bar team provides CoolSculpting and CoolTone sessions to sculpt and tone the patient’s body.

Note: Contact our team and get your personalized weight loss treatment.

5) Stanford Health Care Medical Weight Loss Program

The medical weight loss program at Stanford Health Care is offered at their Bariatric and Metabolic Interdisciplinary Clinic (BMI Clinic). Their team of experts tailors a specific plan for each patient based on their individual needs. This plan includes:

The best candidates for the Stanford Health Care weight loss program are obese patients with a BMI of over 30 or patients with weight-related issues, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or sleep apnea.

6) Boston Medical Center Nutrition and Weight Management Program

If you are 18 or older and living near Boston, their Nutrition and Weight Management Program may be the solution to your nutritional disorder and weight loss issues. One of the leading programs in the country, it employs a team of experts specialized in obesity, malnutrition, bariatric surgery, endocrinology, diabetes, and other diseases associated with excess weight.

They provide an individualized approach to weight loss, which includes diet counseling, behavior change support, exercise promotion, and weight loss medication if needed.

7) UCLA Medical Weight Management Program

UCLA’s weight loss programs have been helping moderately overweight and obese patients for over 45 years. This clinic’s program involves a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to weight loss, individually tailored for each patient.

With years of experience, their program was among the first to research and use very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs). They also understand that weight loss and weight management are complex issues that depend on the patient’s unique genetic, metabolic, psychological traits, environmental, and social factors. Recognizing the high rate of weight regain, UCLA experts offer long-term weight maintenance support to patients.

8) Duke Lifestyle and Weight Management Center

Duke Health’s weight loss program helps patients change their lifestyles to support healthy eating habits and minimize the risk of obesity-related diseases. Their personalized weight-loss plans include:

They also provide complimentary treatments that include workshops and classes at the Duke Integrative Medicine Center or the Duke Health and Fitness Center.

Duke Health’s weight loss programs have been around for 50 years. Their patients report having a healthier approach to eating and physical activity, increased stress management abilities, and reduced risk of obesity-related conditions.

9) The Johns Hopkins Healthful Eating, Activity & Weight Program

Johns Hopkins is one of the world’s leading academic, research, and medical centers. It offers several weight loss solutions to patients. Their Healthful Eating, Activity & Weight Program provides a personalized approach to each patient and helps them achieve their goals using scientifically proven weight-loss strategies.

Like other reputable institutions on this list, the Johns Hopkins team provides group and one-on-one behavioral counseling, meal replacements, fitness plans, and anti-obesity medications, if needed.

10) Columbia University Comprehensive Obesity and Metabolism Management and Treatment (COMMiT)

Columbia University’s Center for Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery is a reputable facility for surgical weight loss and weight management support. They are dedicated to advancing the science of weight loss and are the leaders in the study of metabolic syndrome and innovations in weight loss surgery.

Their Comprehensive Obesity and Metabolism Management and Treatment is emerging as an effective solution for patients who don’t require surgery but want to lose weight for aesthetic and health reasons.

If you are in the New York City area, this may be the best solution for your long-term weight management goals. The COMMiT team boasts of using cutting-edge tools, techniques, and information to help patients adopt healthy eating habits, increase physical activity, learn how to manage stress, cope with emotions that lead to weight gain, and maintain optimal weight.

11) UI Health Weight Management Program

The University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics provides personalized weight management solutions to patients based on their specific needs. During the patient’s first visit to the clinic, their board-certified physician, nutrition specialist and dietitian perform a thorough medical and nutrition evaluation of the patient to create a personalized weight loss plan.

During the patient’s weight loss journey, the UI Health team closely monitors their progress and takes steps to prevent serious medical problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

The program also includes surgical weight loss solutions for obese patients.

12) Jefferson Health Comprehensive Weight Management Center

The Jefferson Health Comprehensive Weight Management program offers surgical and non-surgical weight loss solutions. Their weight loss team includes a Certified Obesity Medicine Physician in charge of identifying the genetic, biological, social, and behavioral factors contributing to patients' weight gain. The team then creates a personalized weight loss plan for the patient based on these factors.

Recognizing that weight management is a life-long commitment, they educate their patients about healthy lifestyles during their weight loss journey. Apart from providing customized nutrition and physical activity plans, the team helps patients adopt healthy lifestyle changes and keep self-blame behavior in check.

13) The University of Mississippi Weight Management Program

The UMMC Weight Management Program includes of bariatric surgery and non-surgical weight management options. Their bariatric center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

The Adult Medical Weight Management is a non-surgical weight management program that provides a whole-patient approach to weight loss, including:

They also provide free online or in-person information sessions, so patients can decide if the program meets their needs.

14) Washington University Physicians Weight Loss Program

The weight-loss expert team at the Washington University weight management center includes experienced and board-certified physicians, psychologists, dietitians, and physical therapists. They provide individualized, 12-month weight loss plans for patients, which include monthly dietitian visits, lifestyle modification, and therapy sessions, increased physical activity, and medical monitoring to reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases.

To qualify for the Washington University non-surgical weight loss program, patients need to be at least 30 pounds overweight, over 22 years of age, and not be pregnant or breastfeeding.

15) University of Chicago Medicine Weight Loss & Weight Management

The University of Chicago Medicine provides three different levels of weight loss and weight management programs for different categories of patients depending on the severity of their weight-related medical issues: bariatric surgery, medically supervised weight loss, and endoscopic procedures for weight loss.

The non-surgical, medically supervised weight loss program at UChicago is designed to help adults reach and maintain optimal weight through personalized weight loss plans.

Before scheduling their first visit, a patient is asked to fill out a questionnaire about their general health, mental health, family history, sleep history, social history, and weight loss information. With that preliminary insight and a subsequent medical examination, the medical team is better equipped to address the patient’s unique weight loss needs.

The patient’s weight loss journey at UChicago includes:

16) Weill Cornell Medicine Comprehensive Weight Control Center

Weill Cornell Medicine is a reputable medical and research institution. Their Comprehensive Weight Control Center is part of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at Cornell University and their weight loss program team includes board-certified physicians with various backgrounds, who have specialized in treating obesity issues.

Like other nationally recognized weight loss centers, Cornell provides a personalized approach to weight loss. Their team also works to improve the patient’s metabolic and cardiovascular health to reduce the risk of complications from obesity-related conditions.

They boast of implementing safe, effective, and innovative methods to treat and support their patients on their long journey to a healthy weight.

Conclusion

If you are struggling to lose weight through conventional diets and exercising, consider seeking help at a reputable medical weight loss center.

Their teams are dedicated to creating a personalized plan that takes into account your unique genetic and hormonal makeup, social and medical conditions. That way you can be sure that you will be safely guided on your complex but feasible weight loss journey.

19 Practical Weight Loss Tips

More than 70% of adult Americans are overweight or obese. In their desire to lose weight, many resort to fad diets that are too good to be true. Not only they are quick, one-size-fits-all diets are often ineffective, and may also pose a health risk because they don’t consider a person’s unique nutritional needs.

Safe ways to lose weight include adopting healthier lifestyle habits and expert weight loss counseling. It’s important to understand that achieving optimal weight is more about lowering the risk of heart attack, cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening conditions than about looking good.

This article gives 19 practical tips for gradual, safe weight loss. If you stick to them, you’re likely to achieve your aesthetic and health goals.

19 practical weight loss tips.

19 Best Weight Loss Tips

Successful weight loss involves letting go of unhealthy lifestyle habits and replacing them with healthy ones. No quick, magic formula can help you shed excess pounds. To achieve results that last, you need to take small steps and understand what works for you.

Review these 19 rational tips for weight loss and try those that fit your unique mindset, personality, willpower, metabolism, and pace of living.

1. Find a Medical Weight Loss Program

Medical weight loss programs are designed to help people shed pounds in a controlled way, focusing on the patient’s overall health. They help patients understand that the real problem with excess weight is the risk of severe disease, and they use scientifically proven ways to help patients reach their target weight.

Medical experts at the Vibrant Skin Bar work with their patients to create a personalized weight loss plan that typically includes:

Professional help is by far the surest way to achieve weight loss.

Note: Find out what are the best weight loss products to help you reduce weight.

2. Plan Your Meals

A common reason for gaining weight is the fast pace of modern life and the lack of time to prepare healthy meals. If this applies to you, try making small changes to your schedule and start making weekly meal plans.

Here’s how you can start planning meals upfront:

Like all plans, meal plans are made to be broken. However, if you stick to at least half of your targets, you’ll likely see progress in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

3. Eat a Filling, High-Protein Breakfast

Some people skip breakfast thinking it will help them reduce their daily calorie intake. The truth is that a nutritious breakfast can help curb food cravings later in the day. Avoid breakfast options that contain a lot of carbs, such as bagels, pancakes, muffins, and other white flour and sugary treats.

Examples of a smart breakfast choice for weight loss include:

Make sure your breakfast includes foods high in protein and fiber.

4. Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is the exact opposite of how many of us eat today: scrolling our phones, in front of the computer, TV, or on the go.

Sitting at a table, free from distractions, helps us chew slowly, think about the food we’re enjoying, and recognize fullness signals. This simple change in the way we eat helps shed considerable pounds.

5. Control Your Portions

The more sugar and refined carbs we eat, the more we crave them. Thus, our appetite and portion sizes grow. Becoming aware of this process, helps us control our portion sizes. Start eating from smaller plates and bowls and allow yourself only one serving. This “trick” alone can bring you closer to your weight goals.

6. Eat Every Couple of Hours

Though fasting regimes are popular and can be beneficial for your health, they are not feasible for everyone. However, eating every three to four hours has been proven to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep hunger at bay. Keep your meals and snacks between three to five hours apart.

7. Eat High-Protein Foods

High protein foods for weight loss

Protein is an essential macronutrient responsible for maintaining our muscles and bones. Consuming protein-rich food is highly recommended for weight loss because it:

Doctors generally agree that the required daily amount of protein for an average sedentary adult is 0.36 g per pound of body weight. The exact amount varies depending on sex, age, daily activity levels, and metabolism.

To ensure you get enough protein, include high-quality protein foods in your daily meals, such as:

8. Cut Back on Refined Carbs

Most doctors and scientists agree that excess sugar seriously harms our gut health and immune system. It can cause insulin spikes and insulin resistance, damage blood vessels, and lead to life-threatening diseases.

Besides causing health issues, a high sugar and white flour intake is the most common cause of weight gain.

Make the effort to reduce carb consumption and replace refined with complex carbs (e.g., whole grains). Complex carbs are more filling and take longer to digest, reducing appetite and leading to less calorie intake.

9. Eat More Vegetables

Vegetables have kept people alive since the dawn of humanity, and it still stands that the healthiest diets are plant-based.

Nutritionists recommend that half of our plate at every meal is covered with vegetables. The other half should include quality protein, fats, complex carbs, or starchy vegetables.  

Veggies are lower in calories than carbs and they are high in water content, leaving you satiated.

Here are some low-calorie vegetables that you can eat in large amounts without gaining weight:

Include at least one cup of vegetables with every meal. This will bring you closer to your health and weight goals.

10. Consume Food Rich in Viscous Fiber

Vegetables are high in fiber. Fiber aids digestion, speeds up the metabolism, and reduces gut inflammation. It also helps keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Examples of fiber-rich plants include:

11. Drink Plenty of Water

Anecdotal evidence shows that increasing water intake helped many people lose weight. People often mistake thirst for hunger and eat when they should be drinking water.

Doctors recommend having at least eight glasses of water per day, but if you want to lose weight, it’s better to have more. Drinking a glass of water before each meal is particularly helpful because it gives you the feeling of fullness and reduces overeating.

12. Avoid Alcohol and Sugary Drinks

Alcohol and sugary drinks are something that people often don’t consider when trying to figure out how they gained weight. Both types of beverages are full of sugar and if consumed every day, they add hundreds of calories to your daily calorie count, making it impossible to slim down.

Eliminate store-bought juices and other sugary drinks from your diet and replace them with unsweetened tea. As for alcohol, limit consumption to one or two glasses per week. Limiting alcohol consumption will positively impact your figure and wellbeing.

13. Exercise

Exercise for weight loss

Exercise alone usually can’t help with weight loss. However, it’s a powerful tool in improving your health and supporting a balanced diet. The combination of calorie restriction and physical exercise is a surefire way to lose and manage your weight.

Cardio, strength training, and lifting weights are effective workouts for weight loss. Aim for at least four sessions a week and include a combination of these exercises. For example, you can jog, swim, or ride a bike twice a week. The other two days go to the gym to lift weights and do strength training.

If that sounds too ambitious, start with a daily, 30-minute brisk walk and gradually increase your activity level. You’ll quickly notice the positive change in your energy levels, mood, and physique.

14. Lower Your Stress

Stress-induced weight gain is real. Cortisol, the hormone released in stressful situations, increases blood sugar levels and results in higher fat accumulation. Additionally, when we’re under stress, we’re more likely to binge-eat, eat late at night, and crave sugars that temporarily make us feel good.

Find the time to incorporate activities that will help you combat stress. Examples include:

15. Get Enough Uninterrupted Sleep

Like stress, lack of sleep is sometimes responsible for releasing the hormone ghrelin, which increases hunger and appetite.

Scientists generally agree that an average adult needs seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep during the night. Sleep deprivation may cause other health issues, not just weight gain, so it’s essential to treat poor sleeping habits.

Note: Is a hormonal imbalance causing accumulated fat in the abdomen? See how to get rid of hormonal belly fat.

16. Give Yourself a Reasonable Deadline

Many fad diets are ineffective because they promise significant weight loss results in an unrealistically short period. Even if you manage to lose 10 pounds in three days, the chances are you’ll gain it all back just as quickly.

Quick weight loss may also cause health issues such as muscle loss, headaches, gallstones, interrupted menstrual cycles, etc.

Doctors agree that the optimal weight loss rate for long-term success is one to two pounds per week. Take this into account when you plan your weight loss journey.

17. Keep a Weight Loss Journal

People often don’t realize how much they eat or how inactive they are until they read it in their own handwriting. A weight loss journal serves to keep track of your efforts and helps you reevaluate your strategy.

Try keeping a weight loss journal for a month. It can help you become more disciplined about exercise and meal management.

18. Find a Weight Loss Buddy

Having a weight loss buddy – your partner, best friend, a colleague from work, mom – works on two levels. It provides the necessary support from a person who’s in the same boat and is genuinely interested in your experience. Your weight loss buddy’s success can spur you to be more conscientious about your own meal and workout plan.

19. Focus on Health as Your Primary Weight Loss Goal

Many people wish to slim down because they want to stop feeling self-conscious about their bodies. This is a legitimate goal. However, the main problem with excess weight is medical rather than esthetic. The damage that extra carbs and a lack of physical activity can do to our bodies should be a wake-up call and a strong motivator for everyone who is overweight.

Note: If you still can't get rid of stubborn belly fat after following our tips, CoolSculpting might be the solution for you. Learn what is CoolSculpting and find out if you’re the perfect candidate for CoolSculpting the stomach.

Conclusion

The science is clear about our need to adopt a more balanced diet and healthier lifestyle. However, many people struggle to make those changes and spend years trying to lose weight. If you are among them, try the practical advice we recommend in this article. Hopefully, these 19 tips will help you reach your goals.

Fore more tips on how to jumpstart a weight loss read our article, and find out how to achieve and maintain a desired weight.

If you still need help, contact our medical weight loss counselors who are trained and dedicated to helping you succeed on your weight loss journey.

How to Start Your Weight Loss Journey: 13 Proven Tips

Many people start the new year, month, or week with a promise to themselves to lose weight. In most cases, aesthetic goals drive these resolutions to slim down. However, excess weight is also a medical issue. It may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, sleep apnea, and other life-threatening conditions. For those reasons, weight loss is an important goal.

However, as experience shows, losing and managing weight isn’t easy.

This article aims to encourage you on your weight loss journey and help you reach your goals with 13 practical, proven tips. It’s crucial to incorporate most of them on your path to a healthier, slimmer you.

How to start your weight loss journey.

How to Kick Start Weight Loss

Common reasons for failing to lose weight are lack of clear motivation and applying one-size-fits-all solutions (e.g., quick fad diets).

If you want to succeed, the best way to start your weight loss journey is to first determine a clear strategy that begins by answering the question: Why do I want to lose weight?

Create a list of all the “whys” that come to mind. These can range from the desire to feel confident in a swimsuit to the wish to lower the level of triglycerides in your bloodstream or to be able to walk without gasping for breath. Make sure that your reasons for losing weight are yours alone and not a reflection of other people’s expectations.

Once you have a clear vision for your weight loss journey, establish a day-to-day or a week-to-week baseline. A structured plan will guide you to the more specific steps of your weight loss journey.

Don’t waste time on quick, universal diets because in most cases they are not sustainable. Use the following recommendations when you create your personal weight loss plan.

1. Eat Mindfully

Fast, modern living doesn’t favor calm, extended family meals at the dining table. Instead, people often eat in front of their work computer, a TV, in the car, or on their feet. People who are preoccupied with other things during their meals often eat quickly and overeat.

Aim to break this habit and start practicing mindful eating. By paying attention to what you eat and reserving at least 15 minutes per meal for a calm, focused experience, away from electronic devices, you can come closer to your weight loss goals.

2. Avoid Processed Foods

Some of the typical processed foods that many people consume daily include store-bought bread, cereals, deli meats, snacks, sweets, canned vegetables, and microwave meals. These products are full of sugar, salt, trans fats, artificial flavors, and other ingredients that not only cause weight gain but also create a dependency. Especially harmful in this respect is sugar because the more you consume, the more you crave. Processed foods are rich in calories and low in nutrients, so your body stays hungry for the resources it needs while accumulating fat.

3. Prepare Your Own Meals

To ensure your meals are well balanced, replace take-out and processed foods with home-cooked meals. Try incorporating more leafy greens, fibrous vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and whole grains into your diet. If you like snacks between meals, switch to quick and healthy snacks such as homemade peanut butter on a few apple slices, carrots and cucumbers with hummus, berries, and bananas with plain yogurt, and similar delicious treats. A healthy diet is generally less caloric than junk food and will create the caloric deficit necessary for weight loss.

Note: Check out our 7-day meal plan for weight loss that will bring you closer to your ideal weight.

4. Don’t Skip Breakfast

Some people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose weight. The plan often backfires because they get hungry and make up for the uneaten breakfast later in the day when the body becomes less active and there are fewer chances of spending those calories. Rather than skipping the first meal, eat a healthy, filling breakfast that will give you enough energy throughout the day and help you cut back on calories in the evening.

5. Watch Your Portion Sizes

Fifty years ago, people were slimmer in part because portion sizes were smaller. As portions got bigger, so did people. The simple rule for healthy portion size is to fill half of your plate with leafy greens, one quarter with lean protein, and one quarter with whole grains, brown rice, or other complex carbs. Even if you decrease your portion size a little (e.g., eat one bread slice less or eliminate the mayo salad dressing), the reduction in calories will show on your figure after a month or two.

6. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can lead to excessive eating because people often misinterpret thirst for hunger. Drinking at least eight glasses of water every day will curb your appetite, improve your complexion, and provide more benefits to your overall wellbeing.

7. Become Active

Physical activity is almost as important for weight loss as a calorie-restricted diet. It is also beneficial for improving overall health, decreasing the chances of cardiovascular problems, and improving sleep.

Cardio and aerobic activities are the best for burning calories. Try to incorporate cardio exercises or a jog at least two or three times a week, with some muscle training and lower intensity exercises on the other days. If you haven’t exercised before, start with a brisk walk every day for half an hour and build towards more intense workouts.

8. Consult Medical Weight Loss Professionals

Medical weight loss programs have a much higher success rate than popular diets. They involve working with experienced medical professionals who create customized plans for patients based on their unique metabolism, hormonal activity, and lifestyle habits.

For example, Vibrant Skin Bar’s medical weight loss program employs a team of medical professionals who work together to discover which factors may be hindering the patient’s progress towards optimal weight.

Here is a peek at what a weight loss program at Vibrant Skin Bar may include:

Contact us

9. Don’t Give Yourself a Deadline

Having a deadline may trigger your stress hormone, especially if you set an unrealistic period to reach your target weight. If you feel stressed in an attempt to lose weight, it may be difficult to control the urge to eat.

Don’t be impatient. Research shows it takes about two months for new habits to form, so expect your weight loss journey to last at least 60 days and possibly much longer, depending on how many pounds you need to lose.

10. Track Your Progress Sensibly

Don’t weigh yourself every day because weight fluctuates depending on your water intake, hormonal activity, how much you’ve slept, and other factors. If you see that you’ve gained weight after a few days, it may undermine your motivation to continue. Track your weight on a bi-weekly or monthly basis for more objective results.

Even better, don’t use the scale but track your progress using the clothes you wore before gaining weight.

11. Get Enough Sleep

Research shows lack of sleep is connected to increased hunger and appetite, especially sugar and carb cravings. Sleep deprivation may negatively affect hormones that regulate hunger, and it also causes stress that leads to overeating. To minimize the chances of sleep-related weight gain, aim for at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep at night.

12. Manage Your Stress

Stress is a great contributor to comfort eating, so help yourself manage stress using proven strategies:

13. Reward Yourself for Progress

Don’t be too strict on yourself. If you get sidetracked from your carefully planned regime, go back to your list of “whys” and reassure yourself that it is important to achieve your weight loss goals.

To help yourself move on, introduce a rewards program for each milestone. Treat yourself to a special non-food item or activity after your first day without any sweets, your first pound off, your first clothes you can fit in after a while, etc. 

Conclusion

Weight loss isn’t only about looking better but also about feeling better and being healthy. Continue your efforts to eat healthily and exercise until the new habits stick, and you start feeling you can’t live without them. Shedding excess pounds will naturally follow.

Whether you embark on this journey on your own or with the help of medical professionals, be patient and you will reach your goals.

Read our article and find out more practical weight loss tips and find out what are the most common weight loss myths to avoid.

Medical Weight Loss Explained

The number of people whose body mass index (BMI) exceeds the healthy average keeps rising. Excess weight is not just a matter of esthetics. Its prevalence is alarming because science has confirmed the link between obesity and many life-threatening diseases.

To make matters worse, for many people losing weight seems unattainable. Fad diets promoted in the media seem attractive, but the results are usually minimal, possibly dangerous and frequently short-lived.

This article explains what medical weight loss is and why it is considered the safest and surest way to lose weight.

Medical weight loss explained.

What Is Medical Weight Loss?

Medical weight loss is a medically supervised program for patients who want to shed extra pounds, resolve health issues related to excess weight, and shape their bodies. It involves a team of medical professionals who create a personalized weight loss plan for each patient based on their unique biological, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics.

The Benefits of Medical Weight Loss

Medical weight loss programs provide multiple benefits. Most importantly, they have a much higher success rate than popular diets that promise quick results. The weight loss is gradual and involves changing lifestyle habits that led to excess weight.

Health Benefits

Losing weight and reducing the BMI to below 25 decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, stroke, and other severe diseases.

Patients on medical weight loss programs typically achieve these health benefits:

Medical Support

Patients who sign up for a medical weight loss program are supervised and supported by a team of medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and therapists. They evaluate the patient’s medical history, perform lab tests, and talk to patients about their eating habits and previous diet attempts to plan out a personalized strategy for successful weight loss. Strategies differ from patient to patient and may include prescription medication, hormonal therapy, counseling, and bariatric surgery for obese patients with severe coexisting conditions.

Focused on the Individual

The advantage of medical weight loss programs over other diets is their focus on the individual. Medical plans are tailored for each patient based on their unique metabolic processes, genetics, lifestyle habits, etc. Medical professionals closely monitor the patient’s progress and revise the weight loss plan accordingly, unlike popular diets that are the same for all.

Long-Term Results

Medical weight loss programs focus on gradual weight loss and weight management. They have a much higher success rate than one-size-fits-all diets, and they help patients maintain a healthy weight in the long run.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Medical Weight Loss?

Medically supervised programs are available to most people who want or need to lose weight.

Typical candidates for medical weight loss are patients who meet the following criteria:

People with only a few excess pounds may not be suitable for medical weight loss programs. Such patients can benefit from body sculpting treatments such as CoolTone or CoolSculpting, which help average-weight patients eliminate excess fat and tone their bodies.

What Can You Expect from a Medical Weight Loss?

Many patients who undergo a medical weight loss program achieve desired results and keep their optimal weight. The process is gradual but successful. The results are achieved via the following weight-loss strategies:

Behavior Modification

Behavior modification in medical weight loss involves implementing healthier dietary and exercise habits.

Diet

Calorie restriction is the most important aspect of successful weight loss. Medical weight loss experts work with patients to gradually help them form the habit of eating in moderation and choosing healthy over unhealthy foods. Medical experts ensure that the patient doesn’t feel deprived during diet modification.

Exercise

Trained fitness professionals work with physicians to develop a safe exercise regime for each patient according to their age, weight, activity level, and medical issues. The goal is to train patients to adopt the habit of working out regularly.

Hormone Balancing

Weight gain often results from a hormonal imbalance. Medical weight loss professionals test their patients and prescribe hormonal therapy based on lab results.

Hormones that usually prevent patients from losing weight through diet and exercise include cortisol, estrogen, insulin, testosterone, leptin, and thyroid hormones. Medical weight loss professionals typically prescribe medications that regulate these hormones.

Meal Replacement Plan

Medical professionals often use meal replacement plans as part of their medical weight loss strategies. At Vibrant Skin Bar, medical providers use the 5-day ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet to detoxify the patient’s body before creating a sustainable nutrition plan for weight loss.

The ProLon diet includes calorie-restricted, pre-packaged meals for five days, which provide the necessary nutrients and help reset the patient’s metabolism. The patient needs to adhere to the recommended order of consuming each meal and not have any other foods during the five days.

This detoxication plan provides multiple benefits, including lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, increased energy, reduced inflammation, and many more.

Note: To maintain long-term results, try the metabolic diet, which involves changes in diet and lifestyle.

Weight Loss Medications

Some patients manage to lose and maintain their weight with a modified diet and exercise regime. However, most patients who seek medical help for weight loss require medication.

The medical staff at Vibrant Skin Bar prescribes different medications depending on the patient’s specific health concerns. This is usually a combination of drugs that stabilize sugar, balance digestion, reduce gut inflammation, reduce the levels of Candida, help with depression, etc. Examples include:

Medical Weight Loss Cost

The cost of medical weight loss programs varies depending on the patient’s unique needs and their chosen medical weight-loss facility.

At Vibrant Skin Bar, the basic medical weight loss plan costs $249 and consists of a consultation with a medical provider, the creation of a weight-loss strategy, and a follow-up session. Additional treatments such as B12/MIC injections, appetite-suppressing therapies, targeted fitness plans, and fat reduction treatments come at additional costs.

Note: Find out what are the best appetite suppressants, what are their ingredients and how they work.

Insurance plans may cover the cost of a medical weight loss treatment depending on the patient’s health conditions. The ProLon meal-replacement plan is not covered by insurance.

Schedule a consultation today to discuss your treatment options!

Conclusion

Weight loss is a difficult process and repeated failures can exacerbate the problem and build frustration. That is why expert guidance and support is necessary.

Medical weight loss programs help you unlearn the poor habits that lead to weight gain, adopt lifestyle changes for successful weight loss, and achieve a healthier, slimmer body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9mmEVoe-Ug

Medically Supervised Weight Loss: Guide to Achieving Your Ideal Weight

Weight gain and obesity are serious health problems that lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious conditions. Obesity is especially prevalent in developed countries, where the fast pace of life and stress favor unhealthy lifestyle habits, including excess consumption of high-calorie foods, lack of exercise, insufficient sleep, etc.

Maintaining a healthy diet and being physically active seems simple but most people find it difficult.

Medically supervised weight loss programs have emerged as the safest and most effective way to achieve a healthy weight. They are designed to help people overcome the main issues that cause weight gain, such as emotional eating, stress, hormonal imbalances, lack of focus and strategy.

This article explains how medically supervised weight loss plans help overweight patients achieve their goals using scientifically proven strategies.

Medically supervised weight loss.

Medically Supervised Weight Loss

Medical weight loss programs work because they are personalized for each patient.

During the first consultation with their chosen medical provider, patients disclose information about their medical history, eating habits, and previous diet attempts. The medical provider then creates a customized weight loss strategy based on the patient’s unique physical and psychological traits.

Medical weight loss programs typically employ a team of experts such as physicians, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, and fitness professionals, who work together to guide patients during their weight loss journey.

Below is a list of common strategies used in medically supervised weight loss programs.

Behavior Modification

The main goal of a medical weight loss program is to get the patient’s diet and exercise routine on the right track. All medical weight loss strategies are based on this crucial behavior modification and don’t yield long-term results unless the patient adopts healthy eating and workout habits.

During the program, medical professionals carefully monitor the patient’s diet and employ different strategies to help the patient control cravings without feeling deprived.

Fitness experts create a customized training program based on the patient’s age, medical condition, and fitness level.

Prescription Medication for Weight Loss

Many patients who seek medical help for weight issues can’t achieve their goals through behavior modification only. The medical team performs lab tests to determine the best prescription therapy for each patient.

Vibrant Skin Bar’s weight-loss experts commonly use a combination of sugar stabilizers, anti-obesity drugs, binge eating disorder medication, antidepressants, and other medication, including:

In addition to prescription medication, the Vibrant Skin Bar staff prescribes supplements to reduce the levels of Candida, treat inflammation, and balance digestion.

Balancing Hormones for Weight Loss

In many cases, hormonal imbalance is the main reason for weight gain and the inability to shed pounds through calorie-restricted diets. The Vibrant Skin Bar team helps optimize the patient’s hormones and improve their metabolic processes through prescription medication and supplements.

Pre-Packed Meal Plans

Medical weight loss experts commonly recommend replacement or pre-packed meal plans during the program. This strategy involves replacing the patient’s typical meals with healthy, pre-packed shakes, soups, protein bars, and other food items prepared by medical professionals. Pre-packed meals contain the optimal combination of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients for safe weight loss.

Patients are also guided through the transition from pre-packed meals to a healthy, sustainable diet.

Surgical Weight Loss

Medical professionals often recommend bariatric surgery to obese patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40 or patients with a BMI of over 35 and comorbidities (e.g., high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes).

Bariatric surgery is performed on the patient’s stomach to limit the amount of food they can ingest. Standard surgical weight loss procedures include:

Who Is a Good Candidate for Medically Supervised Weight Loss?

Medically supervised weight loss programs are a good solution for overweight people who have tried to lose weight through conventional diets but failed.

The patient’s age, weight, physical condition, fitness level, and mental state determine the strategies used for an effective, personalized weight loss plan.

Patients within 20 pounds of their ideal weight may only need a sustainable behavior modification plan and body sculpting treatments to achieve their goals, while obese patients or patients with severe diseases require a combination of medical approaches.

Medically Supervised Weight Loss Cost

The cost of medically supervised weight loss plans varies depending on the patient’s needs.

At Vibrant Skin Bar, the medical weight loss consultation costs $50. It includes a 45-minute consultation with a medical provider to discuss treatment options and a 30-minute follow-up session. The medical provider performs lab tests during the patient’s first visit, the cost of which can be covered by insurance.

Additional treatments add to the overall cost of the medical weight loss program.

Examples of optional treatments and their cost at the Vibrant Skin Bar:

Medically supervised weight loss programs may be covered in total or in part by insurance. Check your insurance plan to see if you are eligible.

Meal replacement plans are usually not covered by insurance.

Conclusion

Weight gain is becoming a global health threat as it often leads to or worsens existing medical conditions. It also negatively affects the person’s self-image and mental health.

Fortunately, medically supervised weight loss programs have a high success rate due to their personalized, holistic approach. They tackle all aspects of weight management and empower the patient to implement long-term lifestyle changes.

ProLon Diet: What You Need to Know

There is no shortage of diet plans and weight-loss tips online, promising wonders. Most people who’ve tried some of them know that the results often don’t satisfy or last long. With some exceptions, popular diets are often ineffective because they are created without scientific research and medical insight into people’s hormonal and metabolic processes.

However, there is a new trend of meal-replacement plans that may replace fad diets. They are created by medical professionals, backed by scientific studies, and primarily target a person’s metabolic makeup and food-related health issues.

ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet is among the first and most effective detoxication and meal-replacement dietary programs. The following article explains how the program works, what benefits to expect, and how to determine if you are a suitable candidate for this diet.

ProLon diet: what you need to know.

What Is the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet?

ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a 5-day dietary program that aims to detoxify the body and reset a person’s metabolism.

The program’s creator, Valter Longo, is a cell biologist who spent decades studying how fasting affects aging. With assistance from May Clinic and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Longo’s research showed fasting may have significant health benefits and promote longevity.

These findings inspired Dr. Longo and his team to design ProLon, a medical weight loss program that aims to provide the patient with carefully selected nutrients that nourish the body while tricking it into thinking it is fasting. The Mayo Clinic and MD Anderson Cancer Center assisted Dr. Longo’s research.

The idea of the ProLon Diet is to offer the benefits of water-only fasting without exposing the patient to the risks associated with no food intake.

How Does It Work?

ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet is a 5-day dietary protocol during which a person consumes pre-packaged meals for five days according to instructions on the packaging. The program also includes a 20-minute consultation with a health coach.

The meals are packaged in five boxes labeled Day 1 to Day 5. Each box contains the meals for that day with suggestions in which order to consume them.

It is important to not change the order of boxes, because they contain a different number of calories and different nutrients. The contents of each box is the result of a carefully researched strategy to improve metabolic processes.

The ProLon creators recommend using ProLon once a month for three months and then as needed or as advised by your medical provider. It is not designed as a long-term dietary plan.

What Food Do You Eat on the ProLon Diet?

All ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet meals are whole-food sourced, plant-based, and gluten-free. They are low in calories, protein, and sugar, and high in healthy fats.

The meals mainly consist of soups and protein bars, and the soups are dehydrated and easily prepared by adding hot water.

This is a detailed list of items in the ProLon meal kits:

You can’t eat any other food during the 5-day fasting period. You can, however, drink water and unsweetened teas.

Pros and Cons of ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet

If you are considering ProLon to detox, lose weight, and improve your metabolism, take some time to review the pros and cons of this dietary plan.

Potential Benefits of ProLon

The listed benefits are the results of clinical studies on mice and humans sponsored by the National Institute of Health. More research on humans and patient experience is needed to confirm the promising results of the clinical trials.

Patients report that the benefits of the ProLon diet continue for months after the 5-day protocol.

Cons of ProLon

The ProLon dietary program offers amazing benefits, but it does come with a few disadvantages.

Fasting Mimicking Diet Vs. Intermittent Fasting

The Fasting Mimicking Diet is a calorie-restricted, meal-replacement dietary program. People on this diet are allowed to eat only those meals that have been carefully selected by scientists based on the amount and ratio of nutrients in the food.

Intermittent fasting is another popular diet that has emerged in the past few years. It is a time-restricted eating plan that involves eating only during a certain time interval. One of the most popular intermittent fasting variations is the 8:16, in which the person eats during an eight-hour window and fasts for 16 hours.

Research shows that both eating plans provide numerous health benefits and promote longevity.

However, if people on an intermittent fasting schedule choose to dramatically shorten their eating window to 1 hour every 24 hours, this can come with risks such as seriously low blood sugar, fatigue, reduced immune function, and more.

It has also been shown that intermittent fasting diminishes athletic performance and increases recovery time after sports injuries. On the other hand, the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet provides essential nutrients to the body, increasing energy and enabling athletes to maintain lean body mass.

Who’s a Good Candidate for ProLon?

ProLon is designed for healthy adults who wish to reset, detoxify, increase mental focus and energy, manage weight, and improve overall health.

Losing weight is the dietary program’s after-effect, but it is not its primary goal. Therefore, it is not the best option for patients who want to shed a lot of extra pounds quickly.

ProLon creators don’t recommend this diet to people who fit the following criteria:

Consult your doctor if you have any medical issues or take medications that may pose a risk to you during your ProLon detoxication journey.

Conclusion

Losing and managing weight is a constant struggle for many people and if you are among them, consider the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet. This promising new dietary plan helps you jumpstart the journey to your ideal weight while focusing on overall health.