Living Heart Medically Managed Weight Loss Program
Patients often find weight control efforts frustrating. The Living Heart Medical Weight Loss program is dedicated to finding weight control solutions that work in real-world settings. Instead of a “one size fits all” approach, the program starts with a careful, individualized medical assessment and tailors the steps and meal plans for each person’s lifestyle, health needs, and weight goals. The program is integrated with the patient's overall health care to target the best possible results. The program focuses on skill sets that directly improve a person’s ability to take charge of his or her weight.
Goal
The goal of the Living Heart Medical Weight Loss program at Baylor College of Medicine is simple: to improve health by improving body weight. Weight loss is an important aspect of the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke as well as many other medical problems encountered in medical practice. Improvements can be dramatic in patients with high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, or diabetes. We mentor lifestyle change through a learnable set of skills to decrease calorie intake and increase energy expenditure.
Program Steps
The program has 4 steps which include:
- A medical history and physical by Dr. John Farmer in the Baylor Heart Clinic. Metabolic rate and percent body fat are determined.
- A protein-sparing modified fast which consists of a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. An individualized meal plan includes: a combination of lean meat, fish, and poultry, high-protein bars and shakes, along with vegetables.
- A transitional diet incorporates all of the food groups into a well-balanced diet.
- Maintenance of weight loss. This is designed for long-term success.
Program Director
The Living Heart Medical Weight Loss program is directed by Lynne W. Scott, MA, RD, LD, a Registered Dietitian at The Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Baylor College of Medicine.
Contact Information
For more information about the Living Heart Medical Weight Loss program, call 713-798-3334.
Website
An integral part of the program is the website at www.LivingHeart.com, where members of the program can use the "Nutrient Analyzer" to get immediate feedback on their intake of calories, fat, sodium, carbohydrates, and a total of 17 nutrients. Also, eligibility for the program can be determined by clicking “Evaluation of Weight” in the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the website.