For the past 20 years weight loss has been a constant struggle for many Americans, during this time weight loss trends have evolved to include old trends with modifications to famous diets and exercise routines to create a personalized plan for patients.
Today patients have the possibility of losing weight with non-surgical treatments, which add to an effective diet and exercise plan and help patients achieve weight loss goals. In this article, we are going to recount how weight loss trends have changed and how the Innova Weight Loss Solutions team fights against obesity.
Diet and Exercise to Lose Weight
These two terms do not lose their relevance, when a patient wants to lose weight, they automatically think of going on a diet and exercising. However, even though diet and exercise are very important in achieving weight loss goals, they are not always the magic formula to achieve it. Over the past 20 years, these terms have changed and evolved to be part of a personalized and effective weight loss plan.
Diet has always been the first item when it comes to losing weight; overtime it has been discovered that restrictive diets have a low range of effectiveness for weight loss. It has been shown through studies that when a patient refrains from certain foods, their stress levels increase, and therefore, the anxiety to eat triples leading to an increase in calories, fat, and weight gain.
Recent years have seen the failure of restrictive diets as statistics show that in New York City more than 60% of the population is overweight. New diet trends promote substantial changes in lifestyle, thus demonstrating that weight loss goals should be based on real goals and an ideal weight for each patient, and not an ideal of a slim and perfect figure as previously sold.
The diets that emerged promising weight loss based on starvation and the restriction of many of the foods that a patient normally consumes, were quickly discarded because it became difficult to make a lifestyle change in such a short time, without clear instructions, and with too strict restrictions.
A weight loss plan can include fruits, vegetables, and lean meats but it must also include chocolates, creams, and sweets in reasonable amounts and depending on each patient, the amounts can vary. For this reason, a personalized diet plan for each patient is very important and its purpose is to lose weight, look and feel better.
It is true that physical activity is one of the pillars when it comes to losing weight but of course, it is not the only thing that must be done to achieve real goals. Exercising and not losing weight is a very common problem for many patients who want to lose weight, especially in the first weeks after starting the exercise regimen. This discourages patients who put all their energy and efforts into looking better and losing those extra pounds.
Some even give up a few days after starting because they believe they will not be able to meet their goals. Previously, it was not taken into account that there are biological factors that happen in the body when we start an exercise regimen that can also prevent weight loss. Now, after several studies and advances in science, medical evaluations and other factors are taken into account.
An exercise routine is not the same for everyone. Many times patients choose a very gentle exercise routine, and if the effort is light and the energy expenditure is not sufficient, then you will not lose weight in a few days. This happens for example with yoga, pilates, walks in the park, or walking a dog. On the other hand, it happens to some patients that have more appetite after exercising. This is because the body needs to recover the energy and calories that it lost during the routine.
One of the most common excuses of those who exercise is “I eat more because I burned a lot of calories in today’s training”. Or perhaps they indulge in certain fatty or sugary foods “because they’ve done their daily exercise.” Adopting the attitude leads to consuming more calories than burned and therefore, the result will always be gaining calories instead of losing them.
In the event that you are also eating a healthy diet and you do not get results by exercising, it may be due to thyroid gland or other problems. Certain imbalances in hormone production can impede weight loss and even make you heavier. If you suspect a health problem that prevents losing weight, consult a medical professional.
Do Weight Loss Medications Work?
Overweight problems are among the most common worldwide, and sometimes, using a diet together with an exercise routine may not generate the desired results. For this and other reasons, a doctor may recommend taking weight loss pills or injections.
What are Weight Loss Medications?
In general terms, these drugs act in different ways to achieve a response in your body that leads to the loss of body fat. Among the different methods of these medicines we can find:
- Decrease in appetite;
- Accelerated metabolism;
- Burning fat;
- Anxiety control;
- Prevention of fluid retention;
- Decreased absorption of foods.
The mechanism will depend on the type of medication and the medication choice must be guided by one of our Innova Weight Loss Solutions specialists. On the other hand, medications should always be accompanied by an ideal diet to lose weight and a good daily exercise routine that we can create for you during our medical nutrition therapy.
Do Weight Loss Pills Work?
Today, there is no longer so much fear of weight loss drugs because they currently have scientific support and have been approved by the FDA. Their long-term benefit was evaluated in a certain population of people who are overweight or obese. Now, not all the medicines that we see out there work and not all of them are FDA approved for weight loss.
Our specialists recommend being careful with over-the-counter medications that promise to lose weight miraculously because although some meet the goal of losing weight, they can have side effects that can harm your overall health. For this reason, we always recommend making an appointment and consulting a medical professional before consuming any of these medications.
To achieve real weight loss, it must be taken into account that not only weight loss medicines will achieve the goal. It is necessary for the patient to commit to a balanced and healthy diet and exercise routine to help with weight loss.
What If Diet, Exercise, and Medication Don’t Work?
With the advancement of technology and the various studies of diet, exercise, and weight loss medications, the trend toward achieving weight loss goals has moved into the operating room and doctors’ offices. In New York City, our team has experienced a significant increase in consultations and patients who have tried all possible options and still have not been able to lose weight.
Dealing with major surgery (like bariatric surgery) has also been a huge barrier for patients and their desire to lose weight. High costs, long hospital stays, long recovery times, and great concern for possible side effects have led patients to seek other, less invasive and affordable options.
Our weight loss center is at the forefront of techniques to lose weight without the need for surgery. Orbera Gastric Balloon and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty are our preferred methods to fight weight. They are safer and deliver real results.
Orbera Gastric Balloon
Orbera is a silicone balloon-shaped device that is inserted into the stomach of patients who have tried to lose weight and have not been able to. This procedure is considered one of the most effective ways to combat obesity without surgery.
What Does Orbera Gastric Balloon Consist of?
Orbera Gastric Balloon is a procedure that helps patients to lose weight. There is an initial assessment in which the patient’s clinical history and studies are performed. The intragastric balloon is introduced endoscopically and filled with saline to the size of a grapefruit. This way, it occupies a considerable space in the stomach causing a feeling of hunger in the patient to decrease.
The procedure takes between 20 to 35 minutes and the patient will be able to return home after two hours of recovery, and may return to normal activities two to three days after the procedure. Orbera is a tool that will help you adapt to new portions of food, feel fuller faster, and above all, lose weight. It is necessary that patients follow a healthy diet and are physically active so that the result is long-term.
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Endoscopic Sleeve
Gastroplasty ESG or Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty is a type of weight loss procedure in which the size of the stomach is reduced with sutures that are placed through the mouth with an endoscopic suture device, without the need for surgery. This procedure may be an option for patients who have failed diet and exercise and have a body mass index of 27 or higher.
How is the Overstitch or Endoscopic Gastric Sleeve Procedure Done?
Endoscopic gastric sleeve is performed under general anesthesia. The procedure is performed with an endoscope, which is a flexible tubular instrument with a camera at the tip and an endoscopic suture device attached to it. The endoscope is inserted through the mouth, down the esophagus, and into the stomach.
With the camera, the doctor can see and operate inside the stomach without the need to make incisions in the abdomen and without extracting any part of the stomach as is done in the laparoscopic gastric sleeve. Using the endoscope and the suturing instrument, the doctor makes the sutures in the stomach.
The sutures change the anatomy of the stomach, leaving it in the shape of a sleeve or the size of a banana. This restricts the number of calories the body absorbs and causes food to stay in the stomach longer.
Although weight loss trends have changed over the years, we can assure you that you are not alone in this process. Innova Weight Loss Solutions will be there every step of the way to help you create a personalized and effective plan to achieve your goals of transforming your life and body. You can make an appointment here, or contact one of our offices in New York or Puerto Rico to start your weight loss journey.
