The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informs that a population that is overweight and obese represents serious health problems.

Carrying more weight than you should puts you at risk for chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea, to name a few.

But being overweight or obese is all too common, with over 40% of adults in the US classified as obese, meaning that each has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.

It may be that you’ve tried any number of diets, but you haven’t lost much weight, or you gained it all back in short order. You may be exercising, too, but you still can’t get the scale to move.

It’s hard to go it alone. That’s why medical practices like Northwest Houston Heart Center offer professional weight loss programs. Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman  offer guidance, motivation, and accountability in our weight loss program, all things you may not have when you try to lose weight by yourself.

In this blog, the team provides five reasons why you should seek out professional weight loss support.

5 reasons to seek professional weight loss support

While each program may vary somewhat from the others, all programs contain the same five important reasons you should enroll.

1. Medical professionals supervise your program

While a doctor supervises the entire program and prescribes medication or lifestyle changes to help you meet your weight loss goal, they generally work as part of a team with a nutritionist/dietician and psychologist.

The former can help you learn what your body needs to function properly, as well as give you tips for cooking and eating more healthy foods. They can also provide guidance on how much of each food group you should consume and information about appropriate portion sizes.

The latter can help you examine and unlearn your unhealthy relationship with food and learn strategies for eating better and dropping weight successfully.

2. You receive exercise guidance

At the start of the program, the team takes a complete medical history, so they know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your preferences. That allows them to tailor an exercise regimen that not only meets your needs, but also is something you’re likely to stick with over the long haul.

3. Meal replacements make healthy eating easy

Until you’re completely set up for what you should eat and when, it’s helpful to have meal replacements that make getting your nutrition an easy task.

4. Medication can be prescribed

Sometimes, medication can help you lose the weight. A relatively new class of drug, the glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1s) was originally manufactured to help people with type 2 diabetes, but these drugs were found to also help people lose weight. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are two different formulations that suppress appetite and lead to feelings of satiety.

5. Support and accountability are provided

It’s easy when you’re trying to lose weight on your own to become discouraged when progress doesn’t happen as quickly as you want; then, you become unmotivated to continue.

When you’re part of a medical program, though, the team serves as your personal pep squad, helping you celebrate each pound lost and keeping you motivated to continue the process.

It also provides much-needed accountability — you have to come into the office for periodic weigh-ins, and if you haven’t made progress, the team will know and offer suggestions on how to proceed. It’s another way to motivate you to continue putting in the effort to succeed.

If you’re trying to lose weight and aren’t seeing the kind of success you want and need, Northwest Houston Heart Center can help. To schedule, give us a call at one of our locations — in The Woodlands, Magnolia, Cypress, or Tomball, Texas — text us at 832-402-9518, or book online with us today.