Valley Medical Weight Control

3 Steps for Beginning a Fitness Routine

If you are trying to lose weight, regular exercise will be a critical component of your plan. When used in conjunction with a healthy diet and weight loss supplements, a fitness routine will help you to lose weight, trim fat, and build muscle. If you are ready to add exercise to your routine, follow a few steps to ensure that you stay safe and your program is effective. By following a plan that is safe for beginners, you can avoid injury and stay motivated to make exercise a lifelong habit.

Step 1: Evaluate Where You Are

Before you start a new exercise routine, take a few baseline measurements of your current fitness level. Having a record of where you are now will help you measure your progress over time. Take note of your resting heart rate and active heart rate, which you can take before and after walking one mile at a brisk pace, and your body-mass index. Also evaluate your current strength level, which you can do by counting the number of push-ups you can complete, and your flexibility, which you can evaluate by measuring how far forward you can extend your arms when in a seated position.

Step 2: Plan Where You Want to Be:

Setting goals will help you measure your progress. If your long-term goal is weight loss, set achievable shorter-term goals to highlight your successes along the way and to keep yourself motivated. Try to choose personalized goals, such as fitting into a certain dress for your high school reunion or being able to complete a certain number of push-ups by your next birthday.

Step 3: Start Off Slowly

To prevent injury, build up your exercise routine gradually, and remember always to warm up first with easy stretching. When you first begin, aim for five to 10 minutes of vigorous exercise, and slowly build to 30- or 60-minute sessions as you gain stamina. When first beginning a fitness routine, don’t push yourself too hard. If you feel pain, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath, stop and take a break.

For more information on exercise and weight loss, visit Valley Medical Weight Control. Our Phoenix weight loss programs combine fat-burning injections and appetite suppressants with exercise and a healthier lifestyle to maximize our patients’ weight loss results. Visit us online or call us today at (888) 502-5405. 

Fighting for the Finish Line: How to Stay Motivated for Weight Loss

Reaching your ideal weight results in many benefits—not only will you feel better about the way you look, but knowing that you’ve stuck to your plan can also improve your mental resolve and outlook. Losing weight will also pay dividends to you physically by reducing your risk for weight-related ailments, including diabetes and heart disease. But as with any long-term endeavor, hitting plateaus and facing minor setbacks is normal. Seeking help from a medical weight loss center can help, as can these tips for staying motivated:

• Stay away from fad diets: In general, fad diets do not include a balanced eating plan and provide only temporary results. Diets that may fall into this category include those that seriously limit caloric intake and certain food groups, or those that eliminate certain food groups altogether. Fad diets may also include the use of over-the-counter weight loss products. Using weight loss supplements can be an important part of your weight loss program but should only be done under the guidance and supervision of a physician.
• Examine why you overeat: Do you eat to comfort yourself? Does stress or anxiety prompt you to head to the pantry? If so, you may be engaging in emotional eating. Keep a journal for one week to track what and when you eat; note your mood, as well. At the end of the week, evaluate your journal and look for any patterns. Once you know the when’s and whys of your eating habits, you can find alternative ways to cope with your feelings.
• Ask for help: Enlisting the support of your friends and family can be a great way of staying motivated during your weight loss program. They can cheer you on and lend support if things get difficult. Seeking help from a medical weight loss center can also be essential for getting the support you need to reach your weight loss goals.

For more weight loss motivation tips, visit Valley Medical Weight Control. Our Phoenix weight loss programs combine fat-burning injections and appetite suppressants with exercise and a healthier lifestyle to maximize our patients’ weight loss results. Visit us online or call us today at (888) 502-5405. 

Hitting a Healthy Weight: Resources for Further Reading

If you are trying to lose weight, setting realistic goals and following a healthy program can help you stay motivated and make lasting lifestyle changes. With the help of a weight loss doctor or program, you, too, can learn how to stay healthy while slimming down.  Learn more in the resources below, and drop by the Valley Medical Weight Control clinic today for a consultation.

• Because everyone’s body is different, everyone’s weight loss goals will also be different. The Mayo Clinic offers some tips to help you set healthy weight loss goals that work with and for your body.
• Losing weight and keeping it off is about making smart and sustainable choices. The next time you are hungry for a snack, try these healthy snack ideas to curb hunger without derailing your weight loss efforts.
• Maintaining a healthy weight isn’t just good for your confidence, it’s good for your health. The National Institutes of Health discusses the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and how it can help reduce your risk of serious diseases.

To learn more about healthy weight loss, visit Valley Medical Weight Control. Our Phoenix weight loss programs combine fat-burning injections and appetite suppressants with exercise and a healthier lifestyle to maximize our patients’ weight loss results. Visit us online or call us today at (888) 502-5405. 

How to Choose a Healthy Snack

Just because you watch what you eat doesn’t mean you have to give up snacking altogether. You simply have to learn the right snacks to choose and which ones support your weight loss efforts. One important distinction to remember is that snacks are not the same things as treats. A snack shouldn’t be empty calories; instead, it should give you a nutritional boost and satiate your hunger pangs until your next meal. The video below offers some helpful advice on selecting healthy snacks that can satisfy your cravings without interfering with your diet.

To learn more about healthy snacking and how to incorporate it into your weight loss program, visit Valley Medical Weight Control. Our Phoenix weight loss programs combine fat-burning injections and appetite suppressants with exercise and a healthier lifestyle to maximize our patients’ weight loss results. Visit us online or call us today at (888) 502-5405. 

Should You Consider Using Weight Loss Medications or Supplements?

Getting to your goal weight can be a battle. You may be eating right and exercising regularly, but the stubborn pounds still seem to stick. When is it time to look for extra help in the form of weight loss supplements and medications? For some people, these aids can mean the difference between a weight loss journey that ends in frustration and finally finding the willpower to stick with a healthy lifestyle. Weight loss medications and supplements do not replace diet and exercise, but they are tools that can make your efforts more effective when used correctly and with medical supervision. Here are some signs that you should consider weight loss medications or supplements:

You Have a Health Condition that Makes Weight Loss Difficult

Do you feel like your body is fighting your weight loss efforts? In some cases, that may actually be true. Medical conditions like hypothyroidism and some medications, including steroids and insulin, can slow your metabolism and make you gain weight. Weight loss medications and supplements may provide the push you need to make your weight loss plan work in the face of these underlying conditions.

You Have an Obesity-Related Health Condition

Being overweight is dangerous for your health. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes, losing weight could reduce your symptoms, improve your overall health, and prevent your condition from complicating or progressing. In situations like these, a medically-supervised weight loss plan that includes medications and supplements could do as much for your health and wellbeing as it would for your weight.  

You Have a Large Amount of Weight to Lose

If you have a large amount of weight to lose, the prospect of even starting can seem overwhelming. If the pounds come off slowly, sticking to your weight loss plan can become frustrating, and you may be tempted to quit. Under the supervision of your weight loss doctor, taking weight loss medications can help you see safe results more quickly, giving you the motivation to stick with your program and lose the weight for good.

To meet with a weight loss doctor about incorporating supplements into your weight loss program, visit Valley Medical Weight Control. Our Phoenix weight loss programs combine fat-burning injections and appetite suppressants with exercise and a healthier lifestyle to maximize our patients’ weight loss results. Visit us online or call us today at (888) 502-5405.