Month: March 2018

Tips on How to Lose Weight

Tips on How to Lose Weight

An interview with Dr. Irfan Fazil at Medical Weight Loss Center of Yuma

Dr. FazilThis month, Health Tips Magazine had the opportunity to interview Dr. Fazil about the Medical Weight Loss Center of Yuma.  The Weight Loss Center of Yuma has helped patients to lose over 30,000 pounds in the last year alone.

Health Tips Magazine (HTM): Dr. Fazil, how did you come up with the Medical Weight Loss Center of Yuma’s successful weight loss program?

Dr. Fazil: First, not all weight gain is due to overeating. One has to be careful and rule out other hidden medical conditions that can cause weight gain like low thyroid function, overproduction of cortisol, and other factors. Many medications can cause weight gain that needs to be addressed along with weight loss.

HTM: What kind of adjustments need to be made as a patient loses weight?

Dr. Fazil: In particular, when patients start to lose weight, we have to continuously adjust their medications. For example, if they are diabetic we have to lower medications they might be taking for diabetes. We also monitor their electrolytes to adjust electrolyte imbalances.

HTM: So, Dr. Fazil, what is the secret sauce to losing weight?

Dr. Fazil: There is no secret sauce! We find out basal metabolic rate of the patients and then prescribe the daily average calories to be consumed less than what they are burning. We train patients how to find calories in each food. We use proprietary software throughout the course of weight loss. We obtain graphs and we show them to patients. Obviously, the doctor has to know their medical conditions as well and treat them also to get the optimal results.

HTM: What is your success rate for weight loss with patients?

Dr. Fazil: I think it is more than 90 percent. We have hundreds of patients treated at our center and a majority of them have lost weight and graduated from our program.

HTM: What does graduating from the weight loss program mean?

Dr. Fazil: It means once a patient’s body mass index drops below 30, they no longer need to be on a medical weight loss program. Most patients continue to lose weight on their own successfully without needing to be supervised by a doctor constantly.

 

Michele’s Weight Loss Transformation

Michele’s Weight Loss Transformation

For many years, Michele knew she was having problems with her weight. Her active job required her to be fit, but her weight was making her work increasingly more difficult to manage. Furthermore, she was starting to notice additional medical problems due to her weight. That’s when she decided to seek the help of The Weight Loss Center of Yuma.

“I was skeptical at first,” Michele said, “But after finding out how the weight loss program works, it made perfect sense!”

Many weight loss programs are conventional programs that try to sell a diet program or an exercise regimen that is difficult for the average person to maintain. These programs rarely give people the success they are looking for because they are so difficult to follow.

The program at Bio Clinic’s Weight Loss Center of Yuma is different. This program focuses on a goal of total calories consumed per day.

“They use state of the art software to achieve that goal. So, this program is modern software driven. I was amazed at the power of software doing its magic,” said Michele.

In the first three months alone Michele:

  • lost 50 lbs. in weight
  • dropped from 38% to 29% body fat content
  • dropped her waistline from 43 inches to 31 inches

Michele still continues to lose weight and is happy with her progress. She says she can use this program anywhere, where ever she goes. The program is very flexible and there are no restrictions on what kind of food you can eat. It really is all about calories!

Michele attributes her weight loss to herself and all the team members who work at the Weight Loss Center of Yuma, a division of Bio Clinic. This program is pioneered and managed by Irfan Fazil, M.D.

Do vitamin supplements and hormone replacement play a role in weight loss?

Vitamins are substances that your body needs to grow and develop normally.  You can usually get all the vitamins you need from your diet, but your body can also make vitamin D and K.  At times, vitamins may need to be given as supplements when deficiencies are causing problems within the body.

Vitamins are nutrients essential for health and will help you lose and maintain your weight. While Vitamins alone can’t help you lose those unwanted pounds, not getting enough of certain ones may make the weight loss a little harder.

There are 13 vitamins your body needs, but these are the vitamins that may play a role in weight loss:

  • Vitamin A

Most Americans don’t meet the recommended intake of Vitamin A, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. This fat-soluble vitamin plays an important role in regulating thyroid hormones. Therefore, not getting enough Vitamin A could result in lower thyroid hormones.

Adding Vitamin A rich foods like carrots, red peppers, spinach, mangos, cantaloupe, apricots, eggs, and salmon to your daily diet can keep your metabolism up.  Each person should get approximately 700 to 900 micrograms of Vitamin A daily.

  • B Vitamins — Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7 (biotin), Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid

B Vitamins make up a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in metabolizing food into energy. B vitamins help control appetite and keep your energy level up.

A common misconception with B vitamins is since they are necessary components of your metabolism, you may think getting more of the B Vitamins in your diet will speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight. However, that’s not the case, because they’re water-soluble. Your body is unable to store B vitamins, and any excess you take beyond what you need is eliminated in your urine.

Foods like grains, veggies, meats, and beans will help you maintain appropriate levels of B vitamins.

  • Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another water-soluble vitamin. This vitamin is essential to losing weight and you may have a harder time losing fat if you are Vitamin C deficient. Increasing your intake of Vitamin C may help you burn as much as 30 percent more fat during moderate-intensity exercises, such as a brisk walk.

Oranges, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries are all good sources of Vitamin C. Adults need approximately 75 to 90 milligrams of Vitamin C a day.

  • Vitamin D

Low levels of Vitamin D are more common in obese people. Vitamin D may play a role in regulating fat mass, which could contribute to weight gain and obesity,

To improve your Vitamin D levels, be sure to add a variety of Vitamin D rich foods to your diet. These include salmon, eggs, tuna, and Vitamin D fortified milk.

 

Testosterone Hormone Replacement

Testosterone is the hormone that helps to maintain muscle mass, increase the number of calories you burn and may keep you motivated to stay physically active — all of which are associated with a lower risk of weight gain and obesity.

Testosterone replacement may promote weight loss in obese older men who have low levels of the male sex hormone. Testosterone levels can naturally be raised by losing belly fat, strength training, and getting enough sleep.

 

About Dr. Irfan Fazil, M.D. 
Dr. Irfan Fazil, M.D. is the medical director of Weight Loss Center of Yuma. Dr. Fazil has been in private practice for more than 10 years and has a great interest in the treatment of obesity.

Dr. Fazil graduated from Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He did his Internal Medicine Board and passed the American Board of Internal Medicine with the highest score possible, nationwide. He also did his fellowship in Nephrology from Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, NYC. He is also board certified in Nephrology.