Common Weight Loss Myths and Diet Fads
I think we have all been personally victimized by either a revolutionary diet fad that promises to lose 10 lbs in 10 days, a supplement that guarantees a faster metabolism, a detox drink that rapidly slims your waist, or a medication that will quickly drop the pounds without any exercise or diet changes. In this blog post, we'll talk about sustainable weight loss options and long-term weight loss solutions.
Let's review some of the classic fad diets we've all tried:
Cabbage soup diet. Oh ya, I tried this one. Talk about bloating!
Phen-Phen. The drug that offers weight loss with a side of heart attack.
HCG. Fast and furious, but no one can maintain it
Apple Cider Vinegar. Did this really work for anyone?
Keto. Great success stories, but again, very difficult to maintain long term. And not good for your cholesterol levels
Atkins Diet. Another good round of success stories but yet again, difficult to maintain long term.
We eagerly try out these diet fads wondering if this will do the trick. Will this finally be the answer to getting back into my favorite pair of jeans? You know, that pair in the back of the closet that you refuse to get rid of because someday you will be able to be skinny enough to slide them back on. You’re holding onto them because they inspire you to lose the weight. But you just haven’t figured out how.
At Horizon Med Spa and Wellness, we rarely encounter a patient that doesn't know how to lose some weight. It is losing enough weight and keeping the weight off that is the problem. On our intake form we always ask the patient:
Have they lost weight before?
How did they do it?
How long were they able to keep it off?
There are a number of things contributing to this problem of keeping the weight off, but the main problem is these weight loss solutions aren't sustainable.
Why Most Weight Loss Strategies Fail
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
You make an appointment with your PCP to discuss your inability to lose weight. You tell them you’re always tired and your busy schedule just doesn’t allow you the time to go to the gym or invest much time into prepping healthy meals.. but you do your best by going on a walk more days out of the week than not and swap out some unhealthy food choices for better ones. You are certain something is off and are hopeful they will order labs that will explain why you are so tired and keep gaining weight, especially your midsection. It has got to be your thyroid…or hormones? Something is wrong. You may also be hopeful that they will be able to find a reason why you feel and look this way and more importantly, are willing to prescribe you a solution.
Your PCP orders some labs but is reluctant to check your hormones because “if you’re a woman and still having cycles, they fluctuate too much to tell us anything useful”. They explain that it really all comes down diet and exercise and there is no magic pill or remedy that has long term success. They recommend eating more lean protein, lower your carbs and fat intake, minimize sugar and get regular exercise. If you do this right and stay consistent they promise the weight will come off.
I’ve made this speech to patients many times and I’m surprised I didn’t get punched in the face by some of them. It’s very defeating to put a fair amount of effort into improving your diet and exercise, to ask for help, and then be told you are just not doing it good enough. Sometimes I agreed to check hormones but they always came back in the “normal” range so I would gloss over those results and return to my depressing speech on diet and exercise. The look of disappointment and frustration was something that inspired me to look a little deeper into this problem.
The Role of Hormones in Weight Loss
It turns out hormones play a massive role in sustainable weight loss solutions. After digging deeper, here’s what I found.
Medical Professionals Aren't Taught to Check Hormones
I feel terrible that all those years I was denying patients a chance to feel so much better, but I simply just didn’t know any better. In school, we were never really taught about hormones and the critical role they play in metabolism, energy, sleep, mood, and overall health. There was a brief overview of them, but it is truly a specialty area that requires additional training outside of our standard curriculum. So, I certainly wouldn’t blame your PCP or be frustrated with them for not having an in-depth understanding of hormones, in most cases they simply were not well educated on it.
"Normal" and "Optimal" Are Not The Same Thing
Normal reference ranges on a lab report are telling us what is a normal finding for someone of your age and gender… which is generally very low. Optimal is shooting for the best level, not what’s “normal”. Here’s an analogy:
Let's say there is a job listing that says it pays $10 to $100 per hour. Do you want to settle for $10 per hour or shoot for $100 per hour? Silly question right? So even though $10 per hour might be “normal” we shouldn’t settle for that. We want the $100! With hormones and everything that supports hormone function, we are looking at hormone optimization for weight loss rather than accepting the lowest amount our body is giving us.
Hormone Optimization Can Literally Change Your Life
And when I’m talking about hormones, I’m not just talking about estrogen. Testosterone plays a particularly important role in metabolism, sleep, energy, mental clarity, and body composition. We also look at everything that comes before a hormone (called pre-hormone) and everything that supports healthy hormone function like your thyroid and vitamin D.
You Don't Have to be in Menopause to Benefit From Hormone Optimization
I think this is an all-too-common misconception that only those in or after menopause are candidates for hormone replacement therapy. Like I said, it’s more than just estrogen. Testosterone starts to decline in your 30s and progesterone can help with sleep and mood long before menopause starts.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
The symptoms of hormone imbalance can vary widely. These symptoms may signal that you are a good candidate for hormone optimization. If you are experiencing the following symptoms, it may be time to schedule an appointment with a Hormone Replacement Specialist:
Fatigue and Exhaustion
Low Motivation
Poor Exercise Efficiency
Brain Fog or Poor Memory
Depressed or Anxious Mood
Irritability
Low Libido
Difficulty Focusing or Finishing Tasks
Night Sweats or Hot Flashes
Difficulty Sleeping Through The Night
Changes in Skin Quality
Vaginal Dryness
Erectile Dysfunction
For an extensive list of hormone imbalance symptoms for women and hormone imbalance symptoms for men, click here.
How GLP-1 Medications Can Help
Common GLP-1 medications include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Semaglutide, and Tirzepatide. GLP-1 has taken the nation by storm with a mix of good and bad reports which can be very confusing. I myself am a huge advocate for this drug class and I have been using it effectively for weight loss long before it was even approved for it. If it is applied correctly, it can completely change someone’s life. Negative outcomes are usually due to misuse of the medication and/or lack of supervision from a qualified healthcare provider. Here are a list of some important takeaways for this amazing medicine:
GLP-1 Helps With Weight Loss by Slowing Gastric Emptying
This means it takes longer for food to leave the stomach and go to the intestine. The result of this is you feel full faster AND longer. It will completely change your relationship with food. The “food noise” stops and you can focus on making better choices. Cravings are significantly less and your appetite for alcohol also reduces significantly.
It is a Tool, But Not a Sole Solution
One of the most common questions I get is “What happens when I stop the medication? Will I gain it all back?” It all depends on how you apply this tool. Here is an example.
Let's say you decided to run every day to lose weight and that is the only thing you changed in your routine. You ran every day for a few months and lost the weight you wanted to. Then, you stop running. Would you gain the weight back? Likely yes, because you made one change and then returned to what wasn’t working for you.
If you just take a medication that reduces your appetite and rely on that one change to reach your goal, it is unreasonable to assume that you’ll have long term success off the medication if you changed nothing else. If you utilize this medication as a tool to make the necessary changes in your diet, it’s not much different than hiring a personal trainer or signing up for a weight loss meal plan. You still have to do the work, but this tool helps you accomplish the goal more efficiently. If you look at it that way, you will be successful long term. GLP-1s have the greatest long term success rate out of all medications used for weight loss, so it’s a great option if utilized correctly.
GLP-1 Can Be Used for Long-Term Weight Management
GLP-1s were originally designed to be used long-term and are safe to use as a long-term weight management solution. Like I said previously, maintaining weight loss long-term is usually the tricky part. Many of my patients reach their goal and then we put them on a maintenance plan if they chose to. We lower the dose and spread out the intervals between injections and there is a significant amount of success with this. GLP-1’s have a number of additional health benefits outside of weight loss and I actually advocate that everyone* should take a small dose every two weeks to reap the benefits of that.
*Everyone except those that have a contraindication, of course!
GLP-1s are Anti-Inflammatory
GLP-1s were originally indicated and approved for lowering A1C in diabetics. This works by preventing a patient’s blood sugar from getting too high. Elevated blood glucose causes inflammation in our body, so use of this medication in all patients, including those that do not have diabetes, reduces inflammation. I have a number of patients who use this medication solely for the anti-inflammatory effects.
GLP-1s Protect Your Heart
GLP-1s now have an official FDA approval for lowering risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes. This study was only conducted on diabetics, but we know that this also benefits patients who are not diabetic. Chronic inflammation causes atherosclerosis which is what causes heart attacks and stroke. Since GLP-1 mediations are anti-inflammatory, it provides this protective heart benefit to all patients
GLP-1s Are Not For Everyone
It would be unreasonable to assume that this medication is perfect and appropriate for everyone. Data shows that 10%-13% of the population will just not respond to the medication at all. 15%-20% have some, but not significant weight loss. Some patients may not tolerate the medication due to side effects, or they have a medical condition that makes it a contraindication for them. In the media, I have seen some people (including celebrities) speak negatively about the medication because of their personal experience with it but we have to remember that like all medications, it is not appropriate for everyone.
Sustainable Weight Management
In my professional experience, I have found that the best way to lose weight and keep it off long term is a combination of optimizing hormones and use of GLP-1 medications. One or the other will provide some benefit and success, but the combination of the two has proven to have better long term success of not only weight loss, but feeling better overall.
If you’d like to pursue this, find a reputable office with experienced providers. Look for patient testimonies and ask lots of questions about their process. The more closely a patient is monitored, the greater their success and its safer, so look for an office that offers this level of care for their patients.
At Horizon Med Spa and Wellness, we are committed to helping you become the best version of yourself because we know confidence radiates into all areas of your life. Reach out to us to pursue a sustainable weight management solution that can change your life!
Medical Weight Loss Before and After
Check out these photos of our clients' before and after medical weight loss transformations!
Kimberly Losik, a board certified nurse practitioner, is the Founder, Owner and Medical Director of Horizon Med Spa and Wellness. Kimberly has earned multiple degrees including a bachelors in Kinesiology, a bachelors in Nursing, as well as a Masters in Nursing. For over a decade, she has earned experience in Orthopedics, Geriatrics, Internal medicine, Medical weight loss, aesthetics and anti-aging medicine. Her passion to help patients look and feel like the best version of themselves was the foundation of Horizon, which began in early 2020. Since then, she has attended numerous trainings, conferences and seminars to continue to offer patients the best solutions and aesthetic and antiaging medicine. Additionally, she is a clinical trainer for the company Inmode, an internationally recognized leader in the aesthetic industry.
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