How to start a weight-loss journey

There are many reasons to want to lose weight — it can be tough on your joints and make it harder to exercise, interfere with your sleep, and even increase your risk of health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.  

An unfair fact of life: It’s very easy to gain weight, but losing it can be a struggle. And it’s not just you; your body is designed to store fat as a fuel reserve for when food is scarce. You can thank our caveman ancestors for that. Luckily, humans have also developed intelligence — and modern ways to fight back against obesity. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of these in your weight-loss journey.  

If you’re thinking about weight loss, maybe your primary care provider has already talked to you about why a healthy weight would help you. Step one is knowing that obesity is something you can and should manage. 

Step two is finding your strategy. Different solutions work better for different people. Talk to a professional to figure out what is right for you — try to find a place where there are multiple options, rather than someone trying to sell a one-size-fits-all “easy” solution. Check out a respected program like TidalHealth’s weight-loss program. The nice thing about it is that there are both medical and surgical options depending on your specific needs. 

The medical weight-loss program gives patients medical evaluation, nutrition education, pharmacotherapy, physical activity and behavioral therapy. As part of the individualized program, patients may have the option of supervised, low-calorie diets based on protein supplements, which may help bring about more rapid weight loss. Patients also receive tools and education to help create and maintain positive lifestyle changes and behaviors to reach and maintain a lean body mass and healthy weight. 

The program is led by Dr. Sandra Palavecino, a board-certified internist and diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Palavecino helps with the diagnosis and staging of the disease and develops a personal program to achieve each patient’s weight loss goal. She is beloved by her patients and it’s easy to see why. Her approach is simple and clear, focusing on healthy food and behaviors.  

“We are there to help patients understand the disease of obesity and how we can help them through the process,” she said. “Either with the medical side, or with surgery if it’s appropriate.” 

Weight-loss surgery is aimed at patients who remain severely obese after trying conventional treatments for weight loss, like diet and exercise, or for patients who have obesity-related medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea or heart disease. In general, weight loss surgery is recommended when you have 100 or more pounds to lose. 

Weight-loss surgery can have dramatic results, but the best success comes when it is paired with healthy lifestyle adaptations to keep those results in the ideal range. TidalHealth weight loss surgeons perform laparoscopic-assisted as well as robotic-assisted weight-loss surgeries in Salisbury, Md., and Seaford, Del. When you consult a surgeon, they will advise you on what procedure is best — there are a few. 

Whichever option you choose and whatever path you take, the most important part of the journey is deciding to make it. As philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”