Weight Loss Programs for Women

by Anand Thakkar, MD.~

Just under 77% of teens and 62% of adult women report feeling “self-conscious” or “dissatisfied” with their bodies. Many of these cases are caused by unachievable and often unrealistic body standards. As of 2020, more than a third of the adult population in US was overweight or obese. Obesity rate in women hovers around 30%. Read along and you will find a number of weight loss programs that can help you reach your health goals.

In most cases, being overweight is a telltale sign of an unhealthy lifestyle or an unbalanced relationship with food. In turn, obesity is linked to a variety of severe diseases, including diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and increased mortality. 

At the same time, women find it particularly hard to control or lose weight – especially as the female body naturally undergoes several different phases in life. Here at the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinic, we understand that each weight loss goal is unique – and so is your journey to achieve it. That is why we specialize in a variety of weight loss programs for women and combine multiple techniques to find a tailored solution to your needs. 

Here is what you need to know about the different programs – but don’t forget that nothing can replace a consultation with our Board Certified, licensed Internal Medicine physician, Dr. Anand Thakkar. Get in touch today. 

Keto Diet

Devised in the 1920s as a treatment for hard-to-control epilepsy in children, the Keto Diet (short for Ketogenic) is a high-fat, low-carb diet that is today growing in popularity at a vertiginous rate. 

The keto diet is designed to modify the way the metabolic process works. When following a standard diet, the body sources energy from carbs and the derivative sugars (glucose). 

When you cut out sugar sources from your diet (such as grains, fruits, and vegetables), you force your body to find alternative energy sources. This alternative fuel is ketone bodies, which are created by the liver and derived from stored fat. 

When the metabolic process of your body has completely switched to ketone bodies, you have reached ketosis – a fat-burning, weight loss state in which you can enjoy high levels of energy and mental clarity.  

The Keto Diet is particularly effective if you wish to give your lifestyle a drastic change. In fact, once your body is trained to source fuel from stored fat, it can go on for weeks or months, without causing you to feel hungry. At the same time, you will need to learn to only eat when you feel hungry.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is not a single diet, but rather an umbrella term that defines an alternative lifestyle and eating patterns made popular by Michael Mosley in 2012. Since then, several studies have been completed on its effectiveness and safety. Today, we know that this diet is healthy, efficient in restricting calories, and easy to sustain for long periods of time. 

IF refers to a specific eating pattern that involves periods during which healthy, wholesome, and minimally processed food is allowed, and periods of fasting. 

There are different IF patterns you can follow, including:

• The 16:8 method – you will eat during a period of 8 hours, and fast for the remaining 16 hours.
• The 5:2 method – you are encouraged to eat healthily but normally for 5 days of the week, and restrict calories to ¼ of your standard intake during the remaining two days. 
• The Warrior Diet – you will fast for 20 hours and eat during a 4-hour window. 
• Eat Stop Eat – you can eat normally for 5 days a week and choose 2 non-consecutive days during which you will fast for 24 hours. 
• Alternate-Day Fasting – you will fast every second day (or limit your calories intake to 500) and eat freely during the rest of the week. 

Intermittent fasting is not only an effective weight loss program, it can also help you build and maintain muscle mass and improve energy levels. IF is also appreciated because it does not require you to count calories and it is extremely simple to follow. 

HCG Diet for Weight Loss

The hCG diet was initially devised in the mid-1950s by Albert Simeons and was based on the principle that there are three types of fat in the body: structural, normal, and abnormal. While the first two types are a natural and essential part of the body, abnormal fat needs to be controlled. 

hCG – or human chorionic gonadotropic hormone – is a  produced by pregnant women. Home pregnancy tests and fertility treatments for men and women often use this hormone.

When this hormone is supplied, it will trick the body into believing in a pregnancy. High hCG levels can trigger the production of progesterone, act as an appetite suppressant, and fat-burning agent. 

The hCG diet, by combining hCG products and a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet, has been seen to be an effective weight loss program for anyone who needs to lose between 15 and 90 pounds. 

You can consume hCG in the form of injections, nasal spray, or supplements that need to be administered by a specialized doctor at the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinic.

Appetite Suppressants

Appetite suppressants are agents that help you keep your hunger at bay and reduce cravings which enable you to keep your diet on track and achieve your weight loss goals. 

Often, even the most motivated person will fall for cravings – and regaining the initial determination can be hard. Thanks to appetite suppressant medications you can:

• Achieve your weight loss goals faster
• Reduce hunger and cravings
• Control hunger and food portions
• Increase motivation to keep up with your diet and fitness goals.

Appetite suppressants act by tricking your body into thinking that it is full. On a chemical level, these drugs will change the way neurotransmitters communicate to your brain about hunger. This weight loss program can be highly effective, but it needs to be prescribed by an expert physician. 

Lipotropic Injections

Lipotropic injections are formulas that aid fat and weight loss. Ideally, lipotropic injections should be used in combination with a healthy and balanced lifestyle. 

These supplements often contain Vitamin B12, but solutions can vary. At the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinics, we create a unique formula that includes:

• Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12
• Riboflavin
• Amino acids (Choline, Methionine, and Myo-inositol)

Each of the ingredients in our formula boasts unique properties. They range from aiding weight loss to combatting toxins, promoting the elimination of fat, and preventing excessive calorie intake. Ultimately, when paired with a low-calorie diet, lipotropic injections can help you boost your metabolism. The ingredients in the injections also promote health for your liver and gallbladder. Weight loss programs that involve lipotropic injections are specially beneficial to people who store fat in their necks, hips, thighs and butt. 

Nutritional Counseling

There is a link between our body’s wellbeing and our mental health. Extreme diets may prove a challenge to this. 

Eating disorders and mood swings can take a toll on our wellness goals. An unbalanced diet does not supply the right level of energy we need to work on our mental health. 

In some cases, if none of the diets you have tried so far seem to be working, you should look at the relationship you have with food. Cravings, feeling ashamed, large portions, and binge eating are behaviors that can prevent you from sticking to your meal plan. These negative emotions may have deep root causes. 

At the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinic, we understand and value this connection. That is why here you can find professional and tailored nutritional counseling to help you overcome your struggles. Aside from a custom meal plan, your counselor will also help you build a much healthier relationship with food. 

Food Sensitivity Test

You already know that you need to restrict calories and burn fat to lose weight. A weight loss program that has worked wonders for your friend, may not be as effective on you. At this point, there might be other, underlying issues to consider. Food sensitivity, for example, is excessive sensitivity towards certain ingredients. Even foods that might seem healthy at first don’t help you lose weight – might cause your bloating and inflammation. 

While food sensitivity is often overlooked, at the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinic, we often take a holistic approach to weight loss. We believe that information is power, and knowing what foods don’t agree with your body is a great starting point. 

Take a food sensitivity test if you need to lose several pounds, have tried many diets without results, or experience severe mood swings, constipation or bloating. These results can help us can tailor a weight loss program suited to your needs. 

The Best Weight Loss Programs for Your Needs

No two people will react in the same way to the same weight loss program. There are significant genetic and lifestyle-related differences between women. Here at the Chicago Weight Loss & Wellness Clinic, we value this uniqueness, and we strive to always create weight loss programs tailored to each specific situation. 

No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, our expert physicians will help you reach your fitness goals.. 

About the Author

Dr. Anand Thakkar is a licensed Internal Medicine physician. He is Board Certified in Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. He has been a member of the teaching faculty for students at Chicago Medical School and has been featured on ABC, FOX, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes as a recognized authority in wellness, fitness & nutrition, weight loss, anti-aging, hormones & metabolic medicine, holistic medicine, lifestyle coaching and women’s & men’s health. His mission is to help people become the healthiest versions of themselves using a whole-body approach to medical care.

This blog is for informational purposes only. Do not make any major changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise without the supervision of a licensed medical professional.