Weight Loss Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to start losing weight?
What if I try and still can’t lose weight?
How often do I need to take medical tests?
What is the maintenance program like?
When will I be done?
How do I know the program will work for me?
What can I do to KEEP the weight off?

Q: How long will it take to start losing weight?

Immediately, if you follow my instructions. Most patients find they are able to lose more at the beginning of their program than over time. The more you have to lose, the larger the percentage of weight loss. However, some of the weight is considered “water weight” which is why I advise my patients to drink plenty of water during their weight loss program and most definitely, when on maintenance.
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Q: What if I try and still can’t lose weight?

Don’t be discouraged. You may have a condition called insulin resistance which makes losing weight very difficult. By having selected a bariatrician, I can “tweak” your program, tailoring it exactly to meet your health needs.
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Q: How often do I need to take medical tests?

At the start of your program, I will do a comprehensive physical examination, much more extensive than you receive during your annual physical. The blood profiles are more sophisticated as I search for additional answers that will assist you in planning your program and assist me in giving me a baseline of your medical starting point. If some concerns show up in the testing that you may be unaware of, I can treat those in combination with planning your program.

Then, about six months after we will run another series of tests for a medical comparison and answers, which will help me fine- tune your program to increase results and help with maintenance of your goals.

After reaching your goals, I recommend a monthly visit with basic tests to maintain your weight loss goals and to plan for new goals if you wish. The monthly visits will help keep any regain (which is natural for most) under control. My goal is to not allow you to regain more than 7 pounds before intervening.
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Q: What is the maintenance program like?

From the moment you begin on a program I have designed for you, I am already planning your maintenance program that will fit with your lifestyle and work schedule. Actually, we will continue to plan your maintenance phase together so that we can adjust it when you are ready to begin.
I like to see my maintenance patients on a monthly schedule. This way we can keep adjusting your program.

For some patients who have been on the fasting diet, I suggest that one meal be the “replacement” meal and that they continue to use the meal replacement they have been on during their program. Some patients like to use the product for snacking and or a second meal replacement if traveling or on a busy schedule.

Always, during any phase of your program, I invite you to come into my office for a FREE weigh in and blood pressure reading between appointments. This applies to whether you are on an active weight loss program or on maintenance. If you need to see our counselor or me, my staff is happy to schedule and appointment.
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Q: When will I be done?

This is a question that many of my patients ask and I always answer the same way, “You are always going to have to be proactive about your health and nutrition. It is a lifestyle project that you don’t finish but improve upon. My goal is to teach you what you need to know so you are equipped to make good decisions and to know when you need to ask more questions. With weight control comes confidence.”
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Q: How do I know the program will work for me?

If you are ready, I am ready to help you. The other programs you have tried are in your past. You have learned something about yourself from each one. Now that you have selected a physician who has expertise in weight control, you are on the right track. If you follow my lead, you’ll have more success than you can imagine. Ask me to tell you some of the stories about patients who came to me as a “last resort” and regained faith in their ability to lose weight and keep it off. You are starting a new journey and we are “traveling together” as a team. You are not alone.
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Q: What can I do to KEEP the weight off?

Good question. You are already on the right track by just asking the question. It demonstrates a show of faith and openness to try again. From the beginning, I will teach you what you need to know to make independent decisions about food and choices. One of the reasons people regain weight is that they have little or no idea as to what enabled their bodies to lose the weight in the first place. Without information, they are destined to repeat their mistakes. Ours is a teaching experience and we provide you with information about how your individual body works – what makes you lose weight and what makes you stay at impasse or gain weight. You start out on our program steps ahead of where you have been in the past.

Thank you for your choice and the opportunity to help you find the success you so strongly desire.
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