Why Your Weight Loss Efforts Stall — And How to Finally Break Through

When many people try to lose excess weight, they find their results aren’t what they hoped they’d be. That’s because trying to go the distance alone provides little information or support.

Some questions you may come up against include: What foods should I be eating, and how much of each? What kind of exercise is best for my body and my goals? How does my metabolism affect my ability to lose weight?

Because we understand how difficult it can be to lose weight on your own at Sidhu Psychiatric Clinic, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Kanwaljit “Kavi” Sidhu, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, and our staff offer a medical weight loss program at our Palm Harbor, Florida, office.

Here’s why taking part in a medical program may be the right choice to ensure you move forward toward your goal.

The problems that come with excess weight

Being overweight or obese puts you at risk for serious health concerns. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2019, a high body mass index (BMI) led to 5 million deaths globally from conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Even if you lose just 5-10% of your body weight, it decreases your risk for heart disease and makes your cells less insulin-resistant.

What is involved in medical weight loss?

Medical weight loss is a program offered by a healthcare provider to assist patients who need and want to lose weight but haven’t had success doing it on their own. Such a program allows you to lose weight gradually but steadily while remaining healthy during the process.

The program begins with a complete medical exam and extensive testing to get a baseline picture of your health, to identify if you’re deficient in certain nutrients, and/or to determine if you have other weight-related problems we need to address before you start.

At Sidhu Psychiatric Clinic, Kavi also uses the initial assessment to get a sense of your body image and weight loss goals, so she can tailor your treatment plan to that information. In addition, she brings her specialized knowledge about nutrition, supplements, and prescription medications (e.g. GLP-1s) to the plan to help you on your weight loss journey.

Get past the stall: How medical weight loss helps you succeed

Taking part in a medical weight loss program provides you with several advantages.

Provides a customized diet plan that addresses your needs

As we’ve mentioned, when you try to lose weight on your own, you don’t know if your diet plan meets your nutritional needs, especially for micronutrients, and you also don’t know if any other health issues you may have could interfere with your goals.

A medical weight loss program starts with a complete health assessment, so we can tailor your plan to your specific health and nutrient status.

We also make the plan easy to understand and stick to. We show you better ways to structure the calories you consume and help you focus on the lifestyle changes that offer the best opportunity for long-term success, including which exercise regimen will work best and how you can rethink your relationship with food.

If you need help beyond diet and exercise, Kavi can prescribe medication, such as the newly repurposed GLP-1 agonist drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide. These drugs increase your metabolic rate and increase satiety, so you don’t eat more than your body needs.

Matches your exercise plan with your physical abilities

If you’re going to lose weight, you need to exercise, but it should be the right exercise for you. For example, if you have arthritis in your knees, long-distance running or playing basketball probably wouldn’t be great ideas.

But because our team knows you, your lifestyle, and your physical abilities, they can make recommendations about what type of exercise will help. They may suggest water aerobics or yoga, which won’t tax your aching joints but will move your body in healthy ways.

Provides accountability and support

When you try to lose weight on your own, you’re only accountable to yourself, and it’s easy to sneak in an unhealthy snack or skip your exercise on a day you don’t feel like it.

When you’re part of a supervised weight loss program, though, you report to the team overseeing your plan, including with regular weigh-ins, and we hold you accountable to the goals you set. And if you should hit a plateau, we can help you move forward again, offering encouragement and support.

In addition, we regularly review your plan to ensure it’s up to date and reflects your current weight, overall health, and aesthetic goals, all of which may change as you go along. We’re always here to lend an ear if you need it, too.

Ready to break through the weight loss barrier? Our team at Sidhu Psychiatric Clinic can help you do that. Call our office at 727-382-1383, or contact us online today.