Achieving a healthy weight and maintaining it can definitely be challenging, and as you age and your metabolism changes, it can become even more difficult. Though diet and exercise are the “traditional” solutions, adding GLP-1 medications to the mix enhances their results and supports long-term success.
At Starkey Medical Esthetics, Michele Meinhart, FNP, offers patient-centered weight-loss plans featuring lifestyle changes and medications, helping women and men enjoy all the benefits of a healthier weight and an optimized metabolism. Here, learn how diet, exercise, and GLP-1 medications work synergistically to support healthy weight management.
Most people think dieting and exercise support weight loss in just two ways:
Certainly, these two effects play significant roles in losing weight, but the relationship among diet, exercise, and weight management is more complex than that.
First, a good diet plan focuses on nutrient-dense foods, giving your body the nourishment it needs to maintain your energy and mood even when empty calories are eliminated. Better nutrition helps your metabolism work more effectively, and it gives you the stamina you need for greater physical activity.
In turn, exercise complements dieting by promoting fat loss while preserving and even building muscle tissue. It also helps reduce insulin sensitivity and stabilize blood sugar levels, so you have fewer cravings, making it a little easier to stick with your diet.
GLP-1 enhances the effects of diet and exercise while providing unique benefits of its own. One of the most significant benefits of GLP-1 is how it affects your appetite.
GLP-1 slows down the digestive process, so you feel full longer and don’t crave between-meal snacks. It also works on two chemicals associated with digestion: glucagon, which increases blood sugar, and insulin, which helps decrease blood sugar levels. This action helps balance insulin and blood sugar levels, avoiding “spikes” that can lead to hunger, overeating, and weight gain.
Although there’s certainly been a lot of news about the benefits of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, these medications aren’t designed to work alone. Instead, GLP-1 medications work best when combined with diet and medication, setting up a healthy, interactive cycle that helps your body burn more calories while diminishing feelings of hunger and improving your overall energy.
Finally, all three elements — diet, exercise, and GLP-1 medications — help improve your long-term health by making it easier to manage your weight and prevent weight-related diseases and disorders, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, cancer, and even mental health disorders.
The way we lose weight can vary based on our age, our metabolism, our risk factors, and other key determinants. At Starkey Medical Esthetics, you’ll receive a custom weight-management solution based on your unique needs for optimal outcomes and long-term benefits for your overall wellness.
To learn more, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Starkey Medical Esthetics in Salem, Virginia, today.
