Weight loss that works: A true story

Many people struggle with being overweight, or even obese. It’s a common topic at office visits. As a doctor, I know that excess weight is associated with potentially serious health conditions —  high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol —  not to mention sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and back and knee problems, among other things. Patients may also worry about their appearance. Whether a patient is at risk for medical problems due to being overweight, or if it’s a personal health goal, then it’s my job to provide counseling. In my experience, most patients consider weight loss drugs or surgery only as a last resort.  “I want to lose weight naturally,” they say. Once we screen for (and treat) any contributing medical problems that could be causing weight gain (low thyroid function, polycystic ovarian syndrome, prediabetes, among others), or psychological issues (bulimia, binge-eating disorder, depression, anxiety), I encourage a diet-and-lifestyle approach for many reasons, among them my own personal experience. A real-life weight loss story A few years ago, I embarked on a personal weight loss journey. I had had two pregnancies back-to-back, and had gained considerable weight, to the point where my own body mass index was over 30 (obesity range). I was many months postpartum, and realized that the “baby weight” wasn’t going anywhere. As a matter of fact, I had gained even more weight since my daughter was born. At that point, I had a ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Exercise and Fitness Health Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs