Weight Loss

Excess weight has a role in multiple common health problems, many of which are life-threatening. If you struggle to lose weight, board-certified Vincent Esparza, MD, at Persona Healthcare in Austin, Texas, can help. Dr. Esparza offers medical weight loss programs tailored to your needs that use hormone therapy wellness. By addressing hormonal imbalances, hormone therapy offers the potential to support weight loss and promote healthier overall body composition. Call Persona Healthcare or request an in-person or telemedicine appointment online today for expert weight loss support.

Why do healthcare professionals recommend weight loss?

Weight loss offers considerable benefits if your weight exceeds what’s healthy for your body type and size.

Losing weight helps you avoid many potentially devastating health problems and reduces the impact of others, including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Type 2 diabetes

Medical weight loss is a professionally supervised program designed to help individuals attain their weight loss goals in a healthy and sustainable way.

At Persona Healthcare, Dr. Esparza specializes in creating personalized weight loss plans tailored to each patient’s needs. These programs combine customized diet and exercise plans with additional therapies to promote long-term success. 

What happens when I start a weight loss program?

When you enroll in a weight loss program at Persona Healthcare, the process starts with a thorough health evaluation. This includes a detailed physical exam and blood pressure check to assess your current health status and identify underlying conditions that could affect your weight loss journey. 

Dr. Esparza may perform additional tests, such as: 

• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check heart health 
• Complete blood count (CBC) 
• Metabolic profile 
• Lipid profile 
• Thyroid function 
• Blood sugar measurement 

Conditions like diabetes and thyroid disorders influence your metabolism and make weight loss more challenging. Identifying and treating these issues is essential for successful weight management. 

What will my weight loss program be like?

At Persona Healthcare, Dr. Esparza fully customizes each medical weight loss program to meet the patient’s unique needs. For instance, if your blood work reveals a problem like hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormone) or other hormone imbalances, Dr. Esparza can prescribe hormone therapy.

Hormones are essential for managing appetite and maintaining body composition. Hormone therapy can help restore balance to your hormone levels, which may improve your ability to regulate appetite effectively.

By targeting hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, and insulin, hormone therapy can also reduce hunger cravings and enhance feelings of fullness. Additionally, it can positively influence body composition by reducing fat mass while simultaneously increasing lean muscle mass. This shift can boost metabolism since muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat.

Throughout the program, you’ll attend regular check-ins to monitor your progress. During these visits, Dr. Esparza adjusts your plan as needed to ensure you’re on track to achieve your goals. 

For more information about medical weight loss, call Persona Healthcare today or schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment online.