It’s that time of year. We’ve enjoyed our holidays and are about to welcome 2017. This is the time of year that so many of us make a resolution. Do you know what the most popular resolutions are? First, we find people who resolve to improve their health with exercise, quitting smoking, and of course losing weight. After that, many of us are promising to spend less money, get organized, or enjoy our lives more. If your resolution involves losing weight, take a look at these 5 truths.
Truth 1: Most of us want to lose weight
Studies report the #1 new year’s resolution is losing weight. It makes sense because according to the Centers for Disease Control, over 70% of US adults are overweight or obese. Excess weight is not simply a cosmetic issue, but is a significant health concern as well. Being overweight or obese is linked to more than 10 types of cancer, stroke, heart disease, early death, and lower quality of life.
Truth 2: Most resolutions fail
By February, the majority of people who made a resolution, say they’ve broken it. While it’s easy to blame lack of will power, the truth is that losing weight with traditional diets is incredibly hard. Diets are not set up for long-term success, and our bodies are designed – unfortunately – to fight against weight loss efforts. Certain resolutions may be easier to stick to. For instance, if you want to save more money you can ask your work to automatically put a percent of your paycheck into a savings account. Losing weight, on the other hand, takes hard work every single day.
Truth 3: Losing weight is complicated
If you decide this is the year you’re going to lose weight and find more energy, making the commitment is just the start of a long road. Although some will tell you “just eat less and move more,” their advice is an oversimplification. Losing weight does involve reducing calories, making healthier food choices, and adding more movement to your day. However, to say these things alone will bring substantial and lasting weight loss, is ignoring the reality of how hard it is to lose weight.
Truth 4: Excess weight isn’t a personal failure
If you’ve tried to lose a substantial amount of weight, and you’ve not been able to keep it off, that can feel like a major personal failure. It’s important to know that even though many people consider failed weight loss to be a lack of strength, the medical experts who specialize in weight loss – including the team at West Medical – know that there are substantial factors outside of your control including genetics, metabolism, and environment, that affect your ability to lose weight successfully.
Truth 5: There’s nothing wrong with asking for help
The reason we specialize in surgical and non-surgical weight loss treatments is we’ve seen the success of so many of our patients. People who’ve tried to lose weight for years or decades, often find success when they reach out to medical experts and get educated about their options. Getting treatment is not a personal weakness; it’s a smart decision.
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, this year can be the one when you succeed. If your new year’s resolution is to lose weight, talk to use to find out how we can help you reach your goal. You can reach our experts at 855-690-0565.