Medical Weight Loss Plans
Medical weight loss is a comprehensive weight management program managed by a medical practitioner in conjunction with other health care professionals, like a dietitian.
By consulting a medical practitioner for your weight loss requirements, you can rest assured that your health status, preexisting medical conditions and any other underlying factors will be taken into consideration when developing your own individualized weight management plan.
Your doctor will firstly assess your status and identifying any contributing factors that may be playing a significant role both in your weight gain and in your inability to lose weight. Initially you will be presented with comprehensive weight loss eating plan along with an exercise schedule. This is the simplest and most effective way of losing weight and keeping it off. If you have any underlying conditions, like hypothyroidism, which may be contributing to your weight gain, then your doctor will take the necessary steps to assess the condition and ensure proper management.
A medical weight loss plan is developed with three points in mind :
- Lose weight gradually.
- Prevent further weight gain.
- Improve the patient’s health status.
This is usually done with a weight loss diet and activity schedule.
Your medical weight loss eating plan may encompass one or more of the following approaches :
- Calorie restricted diet.
- High protein diet.
- Low GI (glycemic index) diet.
Failure to yield any results while on a medical weight loss plan will prompt your doctor to investigate further and consider other options. This may include :
- Weight loss drugs.
- Weight loss surgery.
These options are reserved for extreme cases where a morbidly obese patient is at a high risk of complications due to obesity and serious medical intervention is required.
A medical weight loss plan will also focus on the psychological component of weight gain. Your doctor may refer you to a psychologist for counseling and to learn coping skills to deal with improper eating habits like comfort eating. Psychological conditions like depression may require professional treatment to ensure the success of your medical weight loss plan and your doctor may also request that you consult with a psychiatrist at some stage in your program.