Change you can live with.
So maybe you’ve been looking to manage your weight for a while. Maybe you’ve tried a few things that didn’t work. Or maybe you found a couple of plans that did work in the short term but didn’t give you the long term results you wanted.
Here’s the thing: there’s a lot of information about diet and weight management out there. A lot of it is confusing, some of it is unsustainable and a good bit is downright wrong.
Think of weight management as a swimming pool. Most of the fad diets, the weight loss plans and the healthy eating books out there immediately want to throw you into the deep end. They say that foods are either good or bad—there is no in-between. They want you cooking every single meal of your day. They want you to throw out everything in your cabinet and buy only the foods they tell you. They want you exercising four or more times a week.
In theory, many of these plans sound great. In practice, it’s not nearly so easy.
If you’re someone who’s never cooked in your life, how do you follow a complicated recipe? If you work a twelve hour shift five days a week, how are you going to have time to cook each one of your meals? If you’re on a tight budget, how can you afford all the foods the plans mention? If you have a mobility issue, how will you be able to keep up with exercising for four or more hours a week? And if you have a health condition, will those plans really fit your specific dietary needs?
There is another way.
You don’t have to dive into the deep end. Instead, you can dip your toe in, get comfortable wading, then make your way to the deep end if you want to. How do you do this?
You have to change your mind and your habits.
I’m Dr. Patrick McGuire, a weight management physician board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Obesity Medicine. I have practiced medicine for over twenty years in settings ranging from a level I trauma center to a small rural private practice to urgent cares. With this experience, I came to the conclusion that the best possible way an individual can positively affect their health is by managing their weight.
I am now the medical director for a results based medicine clinic in the southeastern United States. In my clinic, we don’t provide diet plans or demand intense exercise. Instead, we focus on education and behavior modification to create healthy habits that will last for a lifetime—without taking over the patient’s life. We firmly believe that everyone has individual challenges that they face in losing and managing their weight. Therefore, we adapt our strategies to fit the patient.
Weight management should work around your life instead of you working your life around weight management.
This blog is dedicated to inspiring, educating and generally cheering on anyone who seeks a healthier lifestyle.