How do you know when DIY weight loss isn’t working for you? Here’s when it’s time to ask for help and work with a doctor or weight loss professional who can help you lose weight faster and keep the weight off.
With all the readily found information out there about health and weight loss, it’s easy to think that with the right knowledge we can do everything by ourselves.
And while that’s true for some things like changing a tire or trying a new step-by-step recipe, it’s harder to get right when it comes to complex changes like weight loss.
When you decide to lose weight, there are years of habits and lifestyle choices to overcome. There aren’t quick and easy fixes to how to fix your whole mindset and make new habits in ten minutes or less.
The changes to lose weight and keep the weight off can take time. That’s why seeking out support can help you overcome the most common barriers to weight loss. Barriers like:
- Stress
- Lack of social support or being in an unhealthy environment
- Food cravings
So if you’ve been trying to lose weight on your own but feel like you aren’t making the changes you wanted to see, here’s how to know when it’s time to ask for help in your weight loss goals.
If you keep hitting the same roadblocks
Losing weight becomes a struggle for many people because of how many roadblocks there are to smoothly achieve weight loss goals. Roadblocks like…
- being too busy to meal plan
- not enjoying exercise
- not having enough information
- feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information out there about weight loss
- Intense food cravings
It’s common to get stuck in a cycle of starting and stopping your weight loss journey because you don’t see any progress.
If you’ve been trying to stick to a diet for a month and see only two pounds lost…it’s discouraging. It makes you wonder why you’re putting yourself through the trouble in the first place. And it’s reasonable to wonder why it’s worth trying. You may even think that weight loss just isn’t possible for you.
If you keep trying new DIY programs and don’t see any progress, that’s a clear sign that you can benefit from an expert perspective and support.
Experts in weight loss know more than ever gets talked about in the generalized health advice on the internet. They’ll be able to see why you haven’t made progress yet and help you stick to a plan that’s actually sustainable and manageable for you in the long run.
If you have any medical condition
Losing weight is helpful for overall health and wellbeing. But if you’re dealing with health complications either related or unrelated to your weight, it’s important to make changes to your diet and lifestyle with health concerns in mind.
Managing different conditions requires changes to diet, lifestyle, and sometimes medication. So if you plan to take additional weight loss supplements or make dietary changes that could interfere with your management of a condition, you want to have all the information so you can do it right.
A doctor can help you decide what kind of diet is best for you in your situation. They can also monitor your progress and health vitals on a consistent basis to make sure you’re losing weight safely.
If you don’t feel supported by your friends and family
While we always want to give friends and family the benefit of the doubt and remember they also have their own concerns in life, sometimes they just aren’t supportive of big lifestyle changes.
And it usually has nothing to do with you.
It’s because they’re afraid of having to make changes to their own lifestyle now that you are. Or they may even feel guilty for not taking a proactive stance about their health after seeing you make a change. And sometimes they truly don’t understand why you’d want to change—even when your health is on the line.
But having support is one of the most important pieces of a successful weight loss journey. When you have support, you’re more likely to complete your weight loss program, achieve your goals, and keep the weight off in the long run.
So if you don’t have the support from friends and family, it’s worth the investment to get support so you get someone in your corner cheering you on. Plus, that support comes from a real weight loss and health expert. You will get the personalized support you need most.
If you want to try the faster weight loss methods like phentermine
If medical weight loss is on your radar, then working with an expert is necessary.
Options for medical weight loss can include phentermine, an appetite suppressant. It’s an FDA-approved medication that can be used to suppress your appetite. It’s helpful when starting out your diet so you can adjust to a new diet without intense cravings that pull you off track.
This option is not meant to be done alone, however. It is prescribed and overseen by a doctor. So if you’re looking for a way to kickstart your weight loss in a powerful way, it’s time to ask for help from a doctor who can safely guide you through a medical option.
Not all weight loss programs are created equal
There are a lot of weight loss programs out there, but they don’t all offer the same level of support.
But we know how important it is for you to get both knowledgeable and compassionate support from an expert.
This is why when you visit any of our locations, you’ll work with a doctor who is compassionate and knowledgeable. You’ll get weekly health and accountability check-ins. Plus personalized changes for your plan depending on what you need for progress.
We have hundreds of happy patients and helped them achieve their weight loss goals with the right support after hitting many of the same roadblocks you may have experienced for years.
If you feel like it’s time to ask for help and you’re ready for life-changing weight loss support, visit your closest Valley Medical Weight Loss location today.
