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Weight Loss the RIGHT Way

March 14, 20244 min read

I have shied away from ever creating a Weight Loss focused program because I have seen the devastation caused by weight loss programs and I refuse to offer yet another quick fix solution that I know with certainty does not work.

Traditional weight loss programs do NOT deliver on their promises.  The weight may temporarily come off, but it rarely stays off.

Even non-traditional weight loss fixes don’t give long-term benefits.  Take for example, the GLP-1 medications, which were originally created for diabetes but found to impact weight loss. One of these medications is called Ozempic, is also called semaglutide or Wegovy. 

These medications were designed to be taken long-term. “They are chronic medications for the treatment of chronic conditions (both diabetes and obesity)” (Northrop, 2024).

The active ingredient in these medications is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that works by activating GLP-1 receptors throughout your body and by enhancing the effects of naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone.

If you don’t know to ask more questions, then this probably sounds great, right?

After all, if your body is already naturally making this GLP-1 hormone and you already have these GLP-1 receptors, then maybe it’s a great thing to take a medication that activates these receptors, right?

Not necessarily.  First, I don’t know about you, but do you really want to get into the cycle of taking yet another medication for the rest of your life?  These GLP-1 medications are long-term medications.  If you lose weight and stop the medication, which is incredibly expensive by the way, then you’ll regain all that weight (Mayer, 2024).

That seems like a pretty silly solution to me, but it’s right in line with all of the other quick fixes out there.  Think back to all of the diets and supplements you’ve heard of that are supposed to bring about weight loss.  Do any of them offer long-term solutions?  Or, does the weight come right back as soon as you stop?

Let’s circle back to the concept that obesity is a chronic condition.  In conventional or main-stream medicine, the belief is that obesity and type 2 diabetes are chronic, life-long conditions (Mayer, 2024, Northrop, 2024).  Therefore, life-long treatment is required to “manage” these conditions.  If you’re going to take medication long-term to manage your chronic condition, then you may as well take something like these GLP-1 medications.

That seems to be the prevailing wisdom in conventional medicine.  The problem with this way of thinking is that it is just not true.  Obesity and type 2 diabetes do NOT have to be chronic, life-long conditions.  Rather, they are the consequence of lifestyle choices.  Therefore, they can be improved or possibly even reversed by making different lifestyle choices.

One of the core concepts I teach my clients centers around “why do you eat?”  What is the purpose of eating?  We don’t think about this very often, but our brains tell us to eat because we need the energy from our food for fuel and we need the vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and phytonutrients from our food to repair damage in our bodies that happens as a consequence of living. 

These GLP-1 medications as well as the other fad diets out there, limit the amount of food you consume.  Artificially messing with your brain’s hunger signals, slowing the emptying of your stomach, or starving your body by limiting calories is not a healthy choice.  And it will not give you the long-term results you’re looking for.

The alternative is to focus on building health by feeding your body what it was designed to eat.  Change your lifestyle to a health-focused lifestyle instead of a crazy rushed lifestyle that consumes heavily processed foods out of necessity. 

The consequence of making these health-focused lifestyle changes happens to be weight loss.  Your cholesterol, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and systemic inflammation will also improve.  All pretty cool consequences that don’t require you to ever be hungry or to sacrifice everything you love.

It does take time, effort, and may even feel like work in the beginning.  But that’s why we are here.  Let us help you to (1) learn the truth and (2) implement what you are learning.

The beta test of our first ever Weight Loss Focused Program starts soon.  Will you join us?

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References

 Mayer, B. A. (2024). How to reduce your risk of gaining weight after stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro.  https://www.healthline.com/health-news/avoid-weight-gain-after-ozempic#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20a%20clinical%20trial,(the%20maximum%20Wegovy%20dose).

 Northorp, A. (2024). Ozempic for weight loss: Cost, side effects, and efficacy.  https://www.forbes.com/health/weight-loss/ozempic-for-weight-loss/

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Theresa Fallow

Theresa uses an evidence-based and personalized approach, providing her clients with optimal results. She combines 28+ years of experience In conventional healthcare with lifestyle and functional medicine, helping her clients to prevent, improve, or reverse their symptoms.

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Deciding where to start is often the most difficult part of your health journey. The easiest way to know what to focus on first is to take this free assessment and then talk with Theresa to discuss your results.

At this time we are only able to work with clients that live in states that recognize compact nursing licenses. We are hopeful this will change in the future, but if you live in one of the following states then we cannot work with you at this time. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Feel free to contact us to learn more.

Alaska, California, Conneticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon.

Theresa is not a medical doctor. Therefore, she does not diagnose or treat specific disease. Instead, she provides education so that you can become empowered and start to make better, more educated and informed decisions regarding your health. The information provided on this website, by Theresa, or any member of the Empower and Flourish team is intended to be construed as education, not medical advice. Please refer to our disclaimer, privacy statement, and terms and conditions for more information.

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