Happy New Year! As a part of welcoming in the new year, many of us have vowed to make some change that will allow us to be more fit, healthier or more balanced. Statistics show that approximately 60% of us make New Year’s resolutions, but only about 10% of us are able to achieve our goals. According to a survey by Inc.1, the top four resolutions this year are: dieting/eating healthier (71%), planning to exercise more (64%), losing weight (54%), and saving more money/spending less (32%). Are any of these on your list? Granted, you might need to enlist the help of an accountant or financial planner to help you with number four, but we can certainly assist you in making the first three more attainable. At Key Laser Institute we offer CoolSculpting®treatments to help you lose fat and build muscle to achieve a better-looking body. We offer customized plans that incorporate these tools to best get you the results you are looking for. These tools will provide better results when combined with healthy lifestyle choices and hormonal balance, so let’s discuss those a bit.
A tried and true dietary strategy to assist in weight loss is carbohydrate reduction (eating less sugar, fruit juices, grains, and processed foods). Ketogenic, Whole30, Dukan, and South Beach diets, along with many others, use simple carb reduction as a tool to achieve weight loss goals. I find that my patients have good results by combining these plans with some type of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting involves eating all of your calories during a short eating window during every 24 hour period or fasting for longer periods of time on a twice weekly or weekly schedule. The fasting period allows for the regulation of many hormones, including insulin which ultimately helps to regulate fat loss and fat storage hormones2. Additionally, fasting increases testosterone and growth hormone- two hormones that are key in feeling better, building muscle mass and aging gracefully.
Now, let’s talk exercise. Or rather, how to maximize results from exercise. Exercising is key to weight loss regimens, but can sometimes be frustrating when you don’t quickly see the results you are hoping for- either on the scale, in the mirror, or in terms of how your clothes are fitting. When diet is optimized, meaning when simple carbs are reduced and intermittent fasting is implemented, the results gained from exercise are easier to obtain. However, visible results can still be slow to realize if your hormones and nutrient status are not in balance. One of the things we do here at Key Laser Institute is to order lab testing that assesses for hormone and nutritional status. Once we have these results, we interpret and review them with our patients in detail, ultimately developing a mutually agreeable, individualized plan to help them achieve their weight loss/wellness goals. Making diet changes and adding more exercise to your life is so much easier to do if you have the positive reinforcement of seeing the fruits of your labor quickly in the mirror!
If you or someone you know could benefit from a personalized weight loss/body contouring plan, the first step is to schedule a free consultation today!
References:
1https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html
2 Patterson RE, Laughlin GA, LaCroix AZ, et al. Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015;115(8):1203-12.