Are you seeking effective medical weight loss solutions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota? It’s a common challenge. Many find it difficult to shed unwanted pounds through willpower alone. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for overall well-being. Excess body weight can lead to numerous health risks-like type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and even certain types of cancer. Furthermore, extra weight puts unnecessary strain on your joints, often causing pain and mobility issues as you age. This article explores weight loss options available in Sioux Falls, including medical weight loss programs, prescription medications, and lifestyle adjustments.
The Importance of Addressing Weight
Losing weight is important for much more than just appearances. Increased BMI may put individuals at risk of a variety of health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. The extra weight also puts pressure on joints, resulting in pain and decreased mobility with age. A healthy lifestyle is key to reaching an ideal weight. However, it’s difficult to exercise enough if physical activity causes pain. Plus, cravings may make it difficult to eat well. In addition, there may be other factors playing a role, such as genetics, a lack of knowledge of what a balanced diet looks like, or limited time for physical activity, preparing healthy meals, and sleeping. Lastly, some people gain weight due to a medication like a beta blocker needed to control a chronic health condition.
Medical Weight Loss: A Supervised Approach
Medical weight loss provides a structured and supervised approach to losing weight that is guided by healthcare experts. Using the highest-quality weight loss medications accompanied with evidence-based strategies, doctors help individuals achieve and maintain a healthier body weight. Many factors impact weight gain, such as genetics, medications for chronic conditions, lack of knowledge about nutrition, and limited time for exercise. It’s difficult to adopt healthier habits when factors like pain or cravings get in the way. At medically supervised weight loss clinics, the focus is on combining medications with lifestyle adjustments. The right medical guidance allows you to manage your weight more easily and sustainably.
Key Components of Medical Weight Loss Programs
- Medical Oversight: The best medical weight loss programs recognize that everyone has different needs and tailor their approach accordingly.
- Personalized Treatment Plans: Gameday’s medical weight loss programs start with a comprehensive assessment of your overall health, including medical history, current medications, and any underlying medical conditions that may impact weight loss efforts. If eligible, the provider will create a tailored weight loss program to fit your goals.
- High-Quality Formulations: Using the highest-quality weight loss medications accompanied with evidence-based strategies, doctors help individuals achieve and maintain a healthier body weight.
When you visit a clinic, they’ll take time to go through your personal health situation and explain your options. Many patients see improvement in their health with as little as 5-10% weight loss (10- to 20-pound weight loss for a 200-pound person). The aim is to help you win big with small successes!
Prescription Medications for Weight Loss
Prescription medications can be potent allies in your weight loss efforts. They provide non-invasive options tailored to fit individuals' specific needs. Prescription therapies are generally intended for individuals who meet specific criteria. Typically, you must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more to qualify as 'obese'. However, if your BMI is 27 or higher accompanied by weight-related medical issues like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, you may also be eligible.
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GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
GLP-1 (glucagon-like-peptide-1) is a receptor agonist. This means that it mimics the hormone GLP-1, which regulates hunger and food intake. Additionally, when GLP-1 is taken on a weekly basis, it suppresses the hormone glucagon to prevent feelings of hunger. Additionally, it delays gastric emptying, therefore making you feel more satisfied after a meal. Medical weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists and other therapies, are designed to help regulate hunger and manage food intake. GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone that controls hunger and cravings, helping individuals feel fuller for longer periods. This can contribute to reduced calorie intake and gradual weight loss. Additionally, these treatments can slow down the digestive process, leading to greater satisfaction after meals.
- Semaglutide: One highly effective medication is compounded semaglutide. This GLP-1 weight loss drug is administered via a simple weekly injection. Semaglutide helps you feel full longer, thus helping you consume fewer calories. What makes semaglutide truly valuable is its compounded version. Tailored to your individual health needs, compounded semaglutide offers customized dosages, minimizing potential side effects and ensuring no ingredient causes allergic reactions.
- Tirzepatide: Another promising option is compounded tirzepatide. Similar to semaglutide, this medication also comes in weekly injections. It works not only by lowering blood sugars but also by slowing digestion. Tirzepatide is also available in a compounded form, allowing you the same level of customization and avoidance of shortages that semaglutide provides.
Success Stories with GLP-1 Medications
Many individuals have found success using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. For example, one woman from Brandon shared her experience: after Mounjaro made her constantly nauseous, she switched to Ozempic, which she found "amazing." She has dropped 50 pounds from a top weight of 313, and her doctor said if she loses 20 more pounds, she’ll take her off all her meds. She has given up her daily Starbucks stops, has lost her cravings for sweets, and "fast food in general doesn’t really settle well." She now eats smaller portions and feels satisfied.
Another individual, Carrie Sanow, began taking Wegovy in early 2023 after weight-loss surgery failed. After losing almost 90 pounds, she is close to her target weight. She eats three small meals a day, and increased walking helps her lose even more weight.
Benefits of GLP-1 Injections
GLP-1 injections offer many benefits to qualified candidates, including:
- Significantly reducing weight when combined with changes in diet and exercise
- Providing consistent, safe weight loss over an extended period of time
- Diminished risk of heart and cardiovascular disease upon achieving a healthy weight
- Helping you to look and feel healthier
- Requiring only one injection per week
Potential Side Effects of GLP-1 Injections
Potential side effects can include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness, changes in mood, constipation or diarrhea, heartburn, and bloating. While rare, more severe side effects can include pancreatitis, allergic reactions, kidney damage, gallstones, and others. It’s important to consult with a medical specialist to discuss these potential side effects and address any concerns.
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Sanford Health physician Dr. Schriever notes that these medicines are replacing the fullness hormone that decreases as we gain weight. They help you feel full sooner and faster, but they also affect how your brain thinks about food. However, they’re not for everyone and don’t work for everyone. Those with chronic constipation or slow stomach emptying also aren’t a fit, as the medications can delay gastric emptying, and there’s a risk of potentially significant nausea.
The FDA has also warned against turning to a compounding pharmacy for generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, because of unanticipated side effects.
How Quickly Does GLP-1 Work?
It often is not until 4 or more weeks on a dose of 0.5 mg that patients will start to see a decline in weight. It’s possible that some individuals might not notice weight loss until close to 6 weeks. Studies have shown that GLP-1 is most effective when combined with exercise and changes in diet. Therefore, the exact amount of time someone might need to receive this treatment will depend on current health conditions (if any) and if exercise and dietary changes can be adopted permanently to maintain an ideal weight.
GLP-1 and Clinical Studies
GLP-1 injections combined with exercise resulted in a mean decrease in body weight. A recent study of 1,961 people found that in people with a BMI over 30 and who did not have diabetes, GLP-1 injections combined with exercise resulted in a mean decrease in body weight of 14.9% over 68 weeks. The placebo group saw only a 2.4% mean decrease in weight. A second study found that when combined with behavioral therapy and incorporating a low-calorie diet into meal plans, GLP-1 provided even more significant weight loss.
Lifestyle Adjustments and Comprehensive Care
Recent studies show that medical weight loss therapies, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, are most effective when combined with regular physical activity and healthy dietary habits. Individuals who adopt these changes while undergoing treatment often experience more substantial weight reduction over time compared to those who do not implement lifestyle adjustments.
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Avera Medical Group Comprehensive Weight Management
Dr. Zoilo Lansang of Avera Medical Group Comprehensive Weight Management notes that they are seeing a high level of interest for both diabetic care and weight-loss management. Avera’s weight loss clinic in Sioux Falls, SD, aims to empower you to achieve your goals with losing weight to help you look better and be healthier. They partner with your existing primary care provider or care team, and together they can address conditions often connected with a higher body weight. In partnership with the Avera McKennan Laboratory Genetics team, providers at this clinic can use the GeneFolio Vitality test. An analysis of your genes provides guidance on fitness and nutrition planning to help you meet your weight management and well-being goals. Many patients see improvement in their health with as little as 5-10% weight loss (10- to 20-pound weight loss for a 200-pound person).
Sanford Weight Management Center
For a few months, one individual traveled the 85 miles to Sioux Falls from Sioux City with her husband for his appointments at the Sanford Weight Management Center. After that, she too signed up for the program. The final push to join the program was when her A1C was climbing. It started with a meeting at the Talley Building in Sioux Falls with Dr. Abdulwahab.
Additional Weight Loss Programs in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls Secret For Weight Loss
The Sioux Falls Secret For Weight Loss program addresses the metabolism by resetting it and not speeding it up as do most other programs. The program was full of educational information and it truly enabled one individual to address the root of her problems. Another individual reported that the Sioux Falls Secret For Weight Loss program has increased her energy and she’s lost 75 pounds and 24 inches around her entire body. She feels fantastic! The Sioux Falls Secret For Weight Loss program works better than any other plan she has ever been on. It is very easy to follow and you get to eat real food and it’s not a starvation diet. This simple system uses a very effective proprietary blend of supplements which act as an appetite suppressant and maximize fat burning.
Gameday Men’s Health
Gameday Men’s Health is committed to providing excellent care with fast appointments and effective treatments for weight loss management, low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, and vitamin therapy for men of all ages.
Gameday’s medical weight loss programs start with a comprehensive assessment of your overall health, including medical history, current medications, and any underlying medical conditions that may impact weight loss efforts. If eligible, their provider will create a tailored weight loss program to fit your goals.
The Role of MIC Lipotropic Shots
MIC lipotropic shots provide unique advantages for men. When integrated with proper nutrition and exercise, these lipotropic metabolism boosters can significantly enhance your body composition within weeks. Benefits may include:
- Burn Fat
- Boost Energy
- Improved Metabolism
- Stubborn Fat Breakdown
- Supports Lean Muscle Retention
- Enhanced Liver Function
- Cholesterol Management
- Improved Workout Performance
- Faster Recovery Times
Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Support
Losing weight is personal, and it requires a personalized approach. Losing weight can be a hard road, and support is essential. It would be good for people to share their experiences.
Insurance coverage can also be a significant obstacle. Some insurance plans "will not cover anything for weight loss," claiming "it hasn’t been shown to be effective." However, many find that the difference weight loss makes in their lives is "worth it," improving how they feel and their energy level.