Tag Archive for: weight loss

GLP-1; One Of The Best Things That Ever Happened To Weight Loss

GLP-1

You’ve heard all about GLP-1 (or so you think). Maybe (without question) you’ve Googled or Chatgpt’d it. You want it to do what all your previous attempts at losing those extra pounds you’ve been losing and gaining and lugging around for longer than you can remember. You want it badly.  But here’s the thing…yes, GLP-1 can help people lose weight. That’s just about what most people really know. But if you’re injecting GLP-1 into your body, you ought to know all about it.

QUICK! WHAT’S A GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 AGONIST (GPP-1)?

How about a GPL-1 receptor agonist? Well, how about GLP-1 analog? See, not so simple this GLP-1 thing. But there’s no need to put on your science hat. We’ll stick to the part where it leads to weight loss. Ready?

IT STARTS IN YOUR GUT

Incretin hormones are a group of gastrointestinal hormones that play a crucial role in regulating insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. The two main incretin hormones are glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP). We’ll get to the GIP part in a bit. These hormones are released from the intestine in response to the ingestion of food, mainly carbohydrates. When you eat, your digestive tract releases the GLP-1 hormone, prompting the body to create more insulin, reducing blood glucose or sugar. Which is where it helps treat individuals with type 2 diabetes. By inhibiting glucagon secretion, GLP-1 can slow down gastric emptying, reducing the rate at which nutrients are absorbed. This contributes to a sense of fullness and may help control appetite, which can help you lose weight.

IT GOES TO YOUR BRAIN

GLP-1 can also induce metabolic actions by acting on hunger centers in your brain that control appetite and food intake. Another way GLP-1 works to help you eat less and keep you feeling full. Which can also help you lose weight.

GLP-1; NOT JUST FOR DIABETES ANYMORE

Because of their ability to lower blood sugar, GLP-1 agonists were initially used to treat type 2 diabetes. Due to the fact they also lead to weight loss, it made them particularly beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese. This led to research into using them as weight loss medications such as semaglutide or tirzepatide for those without type 2 diabetes, which is great news for you.

SEMAGLUTIDE, THE GLP-1 WEIGHT LOSS PIONEER

Semaglutide is still making weight loss waves since its 2021 approval by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s got a well-established track record of promoting weight loss and instilling trust among patients over the years. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy which are the most common brand names. So just how much weight can you lose? Research has shown that semaglutide can lead to a weight loss of around 16% of your body weight after 68 weeks. Semaglutide can help control your food portions and reduce your cravings for sweets and high-fat foods, just in time for the highest of fat foods holiday season.

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GET A TASTE OF INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent Fasting Article

You hear the word “fasting” and it probably doesn’t leave a good taste in your mouth. Starvation. Depravation. And it couldn’t be good for you, right? Wrong. If you want to lose weight, intermittent fasting is fast becoming one of the best, healthiest ways to do it. If you struggle with your weight or just find your jeans hard to squeeze into, you’ve probably tried a lot of different diets. And there are some crazy ones out there; juice cleanses, the baby food diet, the vision diet (you eat everything while wearing blue-tinted glasses), even the clip-your-nose-while-you-eat-diet. Hey, we couldn’t make these up if we tried. And with most of them, you’ll quickly gain back what you lost just from even looking at a bagel.

A QUICK LOOK AT HOW INTERMITTENT FASTING WORKS

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesn’t specify which foods you should eat but rather when you should eat them. Studies show that intermittent fasting can be a very powerful weight loss tool. By making you eat fewer meals, intermittent fasting can lead to an automatic reduction in calorie intake, but it also changes hormone levels to facilitate weight loss. In addition to lowering insulin and increasing growth hormone levels, it increases the release of the fat burning hormone norepinephrine. Because of these changes in hormones, short-term fasting may increase your metabolic rate by 3.6–14%. Keep in mind, though; the main reason for its success is that intermittent fasting helps you eat fewer calories overall. If you binge and eat massive amounts during your eating periods, you may not lose any weight at all.

NOT JUST SUPER FAST, SUPER HEALTHY

While intermittent fasting helps you lose weight, just as importantly, it helps you gain some real health benefits to your entire body, including your brain. It can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides, inflammatory markers, blood sugar and insulin resistance — all risk factors for heart disease. It can also stimulate certain brain hormones and may aid the growth of new nerve cells. It may even protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

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WEIGHT LOSS; THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS

WEIGHT LOSS; THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF UNHAPPINESS

Why do so many peoples struggle with weight loss? Food is supposed to be good for us. Nourish us. Fuel our bodies to work the way they’re supposed to. But food has also become our tempters, lovers and at times, even enemies. We live in a world where perfection is held in often unnatural esteem. We spend millions in pursuit of weight loss, striving for Marvel Hero bodies. There are social media filters galore putting out images few can truly attain. Our cultural obsession with thinness gives rise to all or nothing thinking. Which has given rise to what can only be considered an epidemic of eating disorders. At least 30 million people of all ages and genders are affected by an eating disorder of some type. In every case, it’s a world of secret suffering seeking even the smallest amount of weight loss.

ANOREXIA; A HATE AFFAIR WITH FOOD

You see someone who seems to be all skin and bones and think; “anorexia”. You’re probably right. The term “anorexia” is derived from two Greek words, usually translated as “without appetite” — but that is something of a misnomer. Patients do not lose their appetite; they struggle to subdue it. Anorexics tend to unfavorably compare themselves to others, label every food as fattening, and catastrophize about weight gain. If they gain a pound, it’s the end of the world and nobody will like them. As a result, they starve themselves and to the point that they put their lives at risk. In the most severe cases, patients develop life-threatening complications, such as cardiac arrhythmias, kidney failure, and liver failure…all for what? Weight loss?

BULIMIA; PURGING GOOD SENSE

Another food obsession; but unlike anorexia, bulimics tend to binge on large amounts of rich, calorie laden foods and then engage in behaviors to purge this food from their body. These behaviors can include self-induced vomiting or misuse of over the counter laxatives. Side effects of bulimia may include an inflamed and sore throat, swollen salivary glands, worn tooth enamel, tooth decay, acid reflux, irritation of the gut, severe dehydration, even strokes or heart attacks.

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WEIGHT GAIN: YOU LOST IT. YOU REGAINED IT. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

weight gain

You’ve had weight loss. You’ve had weight gain. Doesn’t matter how much, you’re pretty happy with yourself. The scale isn’t your enemy anymore. Then suddenly, it seems (actually, it isn’t so sudden) the number on your scale inches up as the inches on your body expand. You shouldn’t really be that surprised. Once you’ve hit your goal weight and decide you’re “off” of your diet, the weight is going to come right back. You loosen up on healthy behaviors and dig into foods that previously had been on the no-fly list. Rice cakes give way to creamy risotto, steamed veggies give way to fried anything. The common thinking is that once you’ve lost the weight, the hard work is over. If you begin to beat yourself up and feel like a real failure, you’re in good company. Estimates suggest that anywhere from 80 – 95 percent of people who lose weight gain it back.

YO-YO DIETING; LOSE IT. GAIN IT. LOSE IT. GAIN IT. KEEP REPEATING.

Even worse than losing weight is when you have weight gain. When your weight has more ups and downs than a hotel elevator. This is what is called yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling. Apropos, as it’s a cycle of discontent. You find your closets have a range of sizes hanging woefully on the rods, your “skinny” jeans rotating with your “fat” jeans. If you need a good example of yo-yo dieting, just look at Oprah Winfrey, queen of the dieting roller coaster. Her 40-year weight loss struggle has played out on tv and covers of magazines for the world to see. She’s accomplished amazing things but keeping her weight off isn’t one of them. While being overweight often comes with some health issues, yo-yo dieting can lead to muscle loss, a higher body fat percentage and even an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and higher blood pressure.

EVEN WHAT THE BIGGEST LOSERS LOST CAME BACK

Without question, the show “The Biggest Losers” was an astounding winner. People watched with awe, both mesmerized and inspired. But get this; researchers from the National Institute of Health followed 14 contestants who had participated in the “Biggest Loser” reality show. During the 30 weeks of the show, the contestants lost an average of over 125 pounds per person. But in the six years after the show, all but one had weight gain. They gained back most of their lost weight (some even more), despite continuing to diet and exercise.

REGAINING WEIGHT LOSS; METABOLIC MELTDOWN

Sometimes regaining weight you’ve lost isn’t all your fault. As soon as you start losing weight, your body suddenly wants it all back. It can’t tell the difference between intentional weight loss and being struck by famine. It immediately goes into protective mode, lowering your metabolism and stimulating your appetite to preserve fat stores. Then there are hormones that can wreak havoc on your efforts to avoid weight gain. Your fat cells make a hormone called leptin. It tells your brain when you have enough fat stored up. As you lose weight, less fat means less leptin. That makes you hungry. And that can make your cravings skyrocket.

STAY A SUCCESS STORY If you want to lose weight, and more importantly avoid weight gain, fad diets or nothing but egg whites and lettuce leaves simply aren’t going to work. So, what are you supposed to do? A good place to start is at Thrive Health Solutions in Denver, CO. Thrive offers a doctor-supervised, integrated medical weight loss program uniquely designed to help you lose weight without feeling deprived. Thrive’s weight loss options include pharmaceutical HCG, custom-compounded fat-burning lipotropic injections, B12 injections and FDA approved appetite suppressants. When combined with a variety of diet systems like Paleo, Keto, intermittent fasting or Thrive’s proprietary weight loss diet, you can lose from ½ to 1 lb daily. Want to see what results like this look like? Just check out our “before and after’s” page. Make an appointment at Thrive to find out all your weight loss options. Find your own happy “after”. And stay there.

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The Keto Diet: Bringing Home The Bacon

keto diet

Ah, the Keto Diet. Halle Barry attributes her fifty-year old unbelievable body to it. (Saw it on Entertainment Tonight.)

To begin, what are the main differences between the Paleo and Keto (ketogenic) diets? Typically, a Keto Diet is even higher in fat than Paleo. While the Paleo Diet incorporates fruit and starchy vegetables, the Keto Diet doesn’t because they’re too high in carbs. A standard Keto Diet is 70-80 percent fat, 20 percent protein and about 5 percent carbs. When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs per day your body runs out of fuel it can use quickly. Then you start to break down protein and fat for energy which makes you lose weight. This is called ketosis. And here’s a fun fact about it; in the 1920s, the Keto Diet was originally designed not for weight loss, but for epilepsy. For reasons not entirely understood even today, fueling the body on primarily ketones reduced seizures. However, with the development of anti-seizure medications, few people with epilepsy rely on ketogenic diets today. Crazy, huh? 

Different Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:

  • Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.
  • Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
  • Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
  • High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

However, only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively. Cyclical or targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods and primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.

THRIVE HCG WEIGHT LOSS DIET: THE “I FEEL GREAT DIET”

The point is, a one-size-fits-all diet approach does not work and can be problematic to most individuals, especially those prone to black and white, all-or-nothing thinking. Categorizing foods into “good” and “bad” can lead to feelings of guilt, shame and failure when the “rules” of a diet are broken. At Thrive Health Solutions, we specialize in medical weight loss solutions like the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet.

Our Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet does include some of the elements of the Keto Diet, but the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet is a 1,200-calorie whole food nutrition plan that includes three meals and two protein snacks daily. Good-for-you food that actually tastes good. And no pre-packaged meals to purchase. And even with our allowed 1200 calories, you’ll lose weight quickly – from ½ to 1 lb. daily – without ever feeling hungry or deprived all the time. Actually, it wouldn’t be fair to just call the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diets a diet. It’s a lifestyle. Something to stick with for the long run. Everyone loves a good success story. And this could be yours. As it is for hundreds of our happy, extremely healthy patients. Sound good? Do we have to ask?

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The Paleo Diet: Getting Ancestral With It

Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet. Heard of it. Never tried it. What is it really, anyway? A Paleo Diet is a dietary plan based on foods similar to what might have been eaten during the Paleolithic Era, which dates from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. Other names for a Paleo Diet include Paleolithic Diet, Stone Age Diet, Hunter-Gatherer Diet and Caveman Diet. Paleo diets are based on a simple premise – if the cavemen didn’t eat it, you shouldn’t either. (Shades of club-wielding, hunter/gathering Neanderthals.)

A typical Paleo Diet typically includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. People swear how healthy it is eating like the Flintstones. Celebs have lined up for it; Jessica Biel, Christina Aguilera, Kobe Bryant, Matthew McConaughey…it must be healthy, right? But here’s the bottom line; the Paleo Diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. What does that mean? Read on.

DANGERS OF THE PALEO DIET: KIDNEY AND HEART DISEASE ANYONE?

Totally healthy? Hmmm…

-The Paleo Diet calls for the exclusion of all grains…– wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn and brown rice, to name a few.

Hidden danger?

These grains are great sources of fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium and selenium. Grains help our bodies control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and fight the risk of chronic diseases.

Another hidden danger:

Athletes beware. Without adequate carbs in our diet, our bodies turn to body fat and muscles for energy. This results in the breakdown of muscle mass which is known to increase metabolism and help burn more calories. Burn less calories? Isn’t burning calories the point of weight loss?

-Then there is the restriction of dairy products.

Hidden danger?

Deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D which are critical to bone health. Think osteoporosis and bone fractures.

-High intake of red meat and saturated fat. (American Heart Association says adults should consume no more than 13 grams of saturated fat per day. On the Paleo Diet, saturated fat intake can approach upwards of 50 grams per day. Do the math).

Hidden danger?

Can increase risk of kidney and heart disease as well as certain cancers.

Oh, and add to all this the fact that it is bad for vegetarians because the whole diet revolves around eschewing legumes and getting proteins from meat. And because it doesn’t specify the portion of food to be eaten, there is a high chance that you end up eating large portions. A lot to consider.

THRIVE HCG WEIGHT LOSS DIET: THE “I FEEL GREAT DIET”

The point is, a one-size-fits-all diet approach does not work and can be problematic to most individuals, especially those prone to black and white, all-or-nothing thinking. Categorizing foods into “good” and “bad” can lead to feelings of guilt, shame and failure when the “rules” of a diet are broken. At Thrive Health Solutions, we specialize in medical weight loss solutions like the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet.

Thrive’s HCG Weight Loss Diet does include some of the healthier elements of the Paleo Diet, but the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet is a 1,200-calorie whole food nutrition plan that includes three meals and two protein snacks daily. Good-for-you food that actually tastes good. And no pre-packaged meals to purchase. 1200 calories are a far cry from a paltry 500. (Like a planet away). And even with more calories, you’ll lose weight quickly – from ½ to 1 lb. daily – without ever feeling hungry or deprived all the time. Actually, it wouldn’t be fair to just call the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diets a diet. It’s a lifestyle. Something to stick with for the long run. Everyone loves a good success story. And this could be yours. As it is for hundreds of our happy, extremely healthy patients. Sound good? Do we have to ask?

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Dr. Simeons’ HCG Diet: Melba Toast? Are You Kidding?

Dr. Simeons HCG Diet

And so we get to another, even more draconian diet if you can believe it; Dr. Simeons’ HCG Diet. How does 500 calories sound? Fulfilling, huh?

It requires the consumption of only 500 calories daily with only one vegetable per meal and prohibited use of oil, body lotions and hygiene products. And are you ready for this? No medicines or cosmetics other than lipstick, eyebrow pencil and powder may be used without special permission. (Oh, come on, get real). The diet also does not allow exercise. Enough for Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Oh, but Dr. Simeons’ torturous diet does allow for treats; 1 whole breadstick or 1 melba toast. Do they even still sell melba toast? Do you even know what it is? Gee, this must be a great diet to eat out with friends or family. Dr. Simeons’ HCG Diet could be the quintessential fad diet. Can’t you just wait to try it?

THRIVE HCG WEIGHT LOSS DIET: THE “I FEEL GREAT DIET”

The point is, a one-size-fits-all diet approach does not work and can be problematic to most individuals, especially those prone to black and white, all-or-nothing thinking. Categorizing foods into “good” and “bad” can lead to feelings of guilt, shame and failure when the “rules” of a diet are broken. At Thrive Health Solutions, we specialize in medical weight loss solutions like the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet.

Thrive’s HCG Weight Loss Program does include some of the healthier elements of Dr. Simeons’ HCG Diet, but the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diet is a 1,200-calorie whole food nutrition plan that includes three meals and two protein snacks daily. Good-for-you food that actually tastes good. And no pre-packaged meals to purchase. 1200 calories are a far cry from a paltry 500. (Like a planet away). And even with more calories, you’ll lose weight quickly – from ½ to 1 lb. daily – without ever feeling hungry or deprived all the time. Actually, it wouldn’t be fair to just call the Thrive HCG Weight Loss Diets a diet. It’s a lifestyle. Something to stick with for the long run. Everyone loves a good success story. And this could be yours. As it is for hundreds of our happy, extremely healthy patients. Sound good? Do we have to ask?

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