If you’re trying to achieve heavy weight loss, here are 8 heavy weight loss options and techniques you should consider

Obesity affects over one third of all US adults, and being significantly overweight causes many different side effects. Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and strokes can all be directly related to being obese. Weight gain can also have devastating emotional consequences, such as depression and reduced self-esteem. Heavy weight loss options range from diet change to surgical techniques, and this guide can help you learn about the most popular heavy weight loss solutions.

1) Seek the Advice of a Professional

You can shed pounds in a number of different ways, but when you’re extremely overweight, traditional techniques will usually be ineffective and sometimes dangerous. Making an appointment with a doctor is the best way to begin your weight-loss journey. The doctor will do a complete physical to determine your body mass index and overall fitness, and he or she can help uncover any other health problems you may have. If your blood sugar is off, maintaining proper insulin levels can help curb your appetite. Having a doctor express concerns about your health can also be a great motivator to you and your family. Your doctor may refer you to a dietician or nutritionist who can help you form a specific diet plan tailored to your body type and health level.

2) Look for Like-Minded People to Discuss Your Weight

You struggle with your weight day in and day out. You understand better than anyone the toll it takes on your physical and emotional health, but it’s often difficult to turn to friends or family for help. Luckily, you can find a number of support groups with people who are suffering the same things as you. In the past, it was necessary to attend an in-person meeting, but the Internet has changed the way these groups meet. You can discuss issues with people who know exactly what you’re going through.

3) Incorporate Physical Activity into Your Daily Routine

If you need to achieve heavy weight loss, it’s unsafe for you to immediately engage in serious physical activity. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t incorporate some light activity to begin ridding yourself of extra pounds. Simple things like parking a few spaces farther away at the grocery store or walking around the office during your breaks can quickly begin to show results. While you may not notice immediate weight loss, you will begin to feel the positive effects. As you get more comfortable with these small steps, you can begin to add more activity to your everyday routine as your body allows.

4) Work Out While You Relax

Much like adding a small amount of physical activity to your routine, you can begin to incorporate some basic weight training while you have downtime. If you’re watching TV, you can do simple leg lifts or curls with anything you have available. If you aren’t comfortable with weights, you can start by doing arm lifts with only your body weight. Even simple weight training can help you drop pounds while you gain muscle mass, and you can do it from the comfort of your sofa.

5) Don’t Worry Too Much about Dieting

If you only needed to lose a few pounds, dieting would be a valid plan. Unfortunately, this could have a deleterious effect on your health. At higher weights, your body needs more calories to give you a full day’s worth of energy, but you can still get your caloric intake with better foods. Figure out a way to shave some calories, but don’t go overboard. Try to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables, and cut back on snacking. Consider what you’re doing as living healthier and not trying to weigh less. Any drastic lifestyle change takes some time to become habit, but it will get easier over time.

6) Consider a Commercial Program

A number of weight-loss programs on the market today offer a multitude of tools to help you with heavy weight loss. From preportioned meals to smartphone apps that help you count calories, these programs have been successful for a number of overweight people. They have a built-in support system, and you can have meals delivered directly to your doorstep. Other programs allow you to shop for and cook the food you like, and you simply replace a meal with a shake or a special supplement. As commercial methods increase in popularity and effectiveness, they become excellent heavy weight loss options.

7) Consider the Use of Weight-Loss Medications

You may find yourself among the small percentage of people who don’t respond well to traditional methods for heavy weight loss, so it is advisable to discuss medications with your physician. A number of drugs simply suppress your appetite, and others actually block fat from being absorbed by your body. These drugs, when used in conjunction with a healthy living plan, are highly effective heavy weight loss options. These medications have possible side effects, so they are not available without a valid prescription from a licensed physician.

8) Weight-Loss Surgeries

Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, involves performing physical procedures to restrict intake and consequently decrease the quantity of food that is absorbed. The most popular procedure is the laparoscopic band method. A band is surgically placed around the stomach, and saline can be added or released to adjust the belt to your weight loss. This shrinks the physical size of the stomach, and your body begins learning to eat less. The other procedure is gastric bypass surgery. It basically involves dividing the stomach into two separate sections and connecting the small intestine to both halves to shrink the effective volume. Gastric bypass is considered more effective, but it is a much more invasive procedure.

If you are interested in learning more about bariatric surgery continue reading about the types of bariatric surgery.