Recently, I was talking with a few friendly colleagues nostalgic for the days when dieting and getting into shape seemed so easy. I have heard similar comments from several of my patients as well on how it used to be much easier to get the weight off back then with only a couple weeks of altered eating or minimal added activity.  Personally, I still remember when Reebok started those Velcro, hi-top aerobic sneakers and being able to find a machine at the gym with a belt that could supposedly shake your hips and buttock into shape by a flip of the switch.  Back then, it seems that in order to lose weight or get into shape, all you had to do was follow some fast involving cabbage or grapefruit for a week or two and possibly add a few “donkey kicks” into the exercise plan. Yea, those days gone and, for many of us, the metabolism we had at that time is gone too.

Thus, managing a healthy weight and fitness level will require modification and change as our lives and our bodies grow and change as well.  Obesity should be addressed chronically much like other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease. You wouldn’t stop following the recommendations to get a regular mammogram after clearing the lumpectomy or stop checking your blood sugar if you were able to get off the insulin. Why? Because you know that you are still at risk for recurrence year-to-year.

Furthermore, as we get older, our metabolism and our lean muscle mass declines. It can be slow and gradual for some and quicker for others, like with either menopause or andropause (men). This puts us all at an even greater risk for unhealthy weight gain, especially with everybody eating out more due to hectic work schedules. Thus, we should be routinely following up on our weight and the fitness of our bodies as ever-changing machines designed for decades of use.

At Waverly Weight Loss, LLC, we understand that everyone has different needs and that those needs will change as the years progress, whether we like it or not.  We will work with you to design a weight management program to address your individual health requirements and personal interests. Our first step is to alter lifestyle patterns or eating habits that interfere with successful weight loss over the initial weeks of joining our practice. On average, that accounts for 20-30 pounds of weight lost within 12 weeks of initial care. Thereafter, we continue care with individualized maintenance plans to address the changes that may come up as life continues to change. We will work alongside your primary care provider to maintain your healthy goals, whether it is to keep up with your desired activity level or to stay off the insulin and out of the cardiac catheterization schedule.