Those of us who struggle with our weight have all kinds of stories about taking sketchy diet pills, following a fad diet, or even buying a special exercise machine – and still struggling to lose weight despite our best efforts. The common thread is that these were all self-made attempts done without medical supervision of any type.
If you truly desire to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way, the best way to be successful is with the help of a doctor and a nutritionist or dietitian. Seeking a medically recommended lifestyle change can help you avoid the negative effects of yo-yo dieting or crash diets.
Proper Managed Weight Loss
Your medical weight loss team will help you eat a balanced variety of all food groups. This includes increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables while cutting out unhealthy snacks that are high in saturated fats, sugars, and salt.
A properly managed weight loss plan will also include getting the right amount of sleep and developing healthy lifestyle behaviors. It may sound cliché, but using the stairs whenever possible really does help you stay healthier and leaner.
Are Fad Diets Safe?
Almost everyone can name some of the popular fad diets – the Atkins diet, the Keto diet, the South Beach diet, the Paleo diet, and many others. The problem is that each diet can work for some people but not for everyone.
A fad diet can be spotted by asking a few simple questions:
- Is the speed of the promised weight loss seemingly unrealistic or unnatural?
- Is the weight loss promised without any exercise necessary?
- Does it claim there is a single magic food source that will melt away the pounds?
If the answer to any of these is yes, then it should be classified as a fad diet – and it won’t likely help you keep the weight off. Balanced nutrition is often neglected in these diets and therefore cannot provide enough fuel, so the body turns to burn not only fat but also muscle.
Any weight loss obtained from a fad diet is usually temporary, and many people actually wind up weighing more than they did when they started.
Is Exercise Necessary for Weight Loss?
Any managed weight loss regimen should include an exercise component. Cardiovascular exercise is the single best way to burn off fat while maintaining muscle – and when used in conjunction with a healthier, nutritious diet, you’ll have a much greater chance of not only losing weight but keeping it off.
Exercise alone won’t usually help a person lose weight, because exercising cannot make up for an unhealthy diet. Those sugary, fatty foods pack on the calories faster than exercise can burn it off.
But when exercise is combined with a properly balanced nutritional plan, the results can be far healthier. You’ll gain muscle and look leaner. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may actually lose fat without losing overall weight.
Weight-Loss Clinic in South Carolina
Instead of choosing a fad diet, speak to a health care professional at our Center for Medical Weight Loss. We can help you lose weight in such a way that you’ll actually enjoy what you eat and how you exercise – in a customized plan just for you.
Contact us today at SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation by calling (803) 749-1111 or request an appointment online. Start your journey to a better tomorrow!
