2024 New Year's Resolution: Have Fun!
Try a New Year's Resolution that you can succeed at. Have fun!
(photo credit Matt Hagen, Rainshadow Racing, Beacon Rock 25k)
Weight Loss Miracle?
There is a lot of hype these days about injections that can promote weight loss. These medications were originally approved for use in diabetes, but weight loss was a common side effect, so additional research has shown that weight loss can occur with regular use of semaglutide.
However, even with the medication, lifestyle modifications are still necessary for sustained weight loss including diet and exercise.
Semaglutide can cause a reduction in appetite as well as modify blood sugar regulation resulting in weight loss. Many individuals report a 5-7% weight loss in a matter of months. As with any medication there are a number of side effects that can manifest including nausea, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, and more. The side effects tend to improve over time.
Similar to many other new medications, semaglutide can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance, creating an underground market of suspect sources of this medication which may not be safe. If you stop taking semaglutide you may also gain all the weight back.
Naturopathic medicine has some other options for weight loss including evaluating the microbiome, inflammation, hormones, and other medications which may create an environment that is harder to lose weight.
The types and diversity of bacteria in the gut microbiome has been researched in weight loss and simple changes to diet or the addition of a specific probiotic can be helpful on your weight loss journey. Changing hormones, chronic inflammation, and the medications that you take can also inhibit weight loss.
There are no magic bullets for losing weight, visiting a naturopathic physician can help determine a lifestyle modification program that is tailored to you to assist in weight loss.
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