New Study: Frequent Check-ins Drive Behavior Change
A new study suggests that patients who are seeking to lose weight do best when closely monitored and coached by their medical provider. This is exactly why we take the approach we do at Innovative Vitality. We don’t just look at your health today, we focus on your future health trajectory. Our goal is to optimize your health today so we can prevent age related disease and health issues later in life. Helping patients achieve behavior change is a key part of longevity medicine. Behavior change requires education, coaching and medical data. Here are four things you can expect as an Innovative Vitality patient.
Data to Drive Results
Many health goals involve breaking free from ingrained, unhealthy habits. The best way to do this is through education and data. Innovative Vitality providers use data to drive behavior change.
Every patient is put on continuous glucose monitoring for a period of time to allow them to see how their body reacts to food. Repeated glucose spikes, often associated with a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugary foods, can have detrimental effects on your health. These spikes, characterized by rapid and sharp increases in blood sugar levels, trigger a cascade of responses in the body. These may include insulin resistance, a risk of type 2 diabetes, inflammation and a risk to your cardiovascular health. The rollercoaster of high and low blood sugar levels also result in increased cravings and weight gain. Every patient has something to learn from continuous glucose monitoring.
Innovative Vitality also uses data from the InBody to help patients understand their body composition. This data includes weight, percent body fat, muscle mass, visceral fat and more.
Customization for You
Cookie cutter approaches may appeal to the masses, but they do not work for the masses. Innovative Vitality providers personalize a care plan for every patient. In order to achieve behavior change, you need to delve into the root causes of unhealthy habits. Every person has different roadblocks and challenges standing in their way. It is our job as medical providers to help identify those challenges and to help patients work through them to reach their goals.
Support and Coaching
Successful health goals are not just about external changes; they involve a shift in mindset and empowerment. Behavior change empowers individuals to take control of their choices, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for their well-being. Innovative Vitality providers empower patients to make positive changes. We talk about the unique challenges you are facing and we devise a plan together to make improvements. Innovative Vitality does not promote a specific diet and there are no “off limits” foods or specific workouts to do when you are an Innovative Vitality patient. We focus on implementing lifestyle changes that are sustainable for you. We’ll never ask you to skip the birthday cake or be a perfect eater. We just want you to understand how your body reacts to food and to make healthy choices most of the time.
Frequent Check-Ins & Communication
Innovative Vitality providers meet with patients weekly for the first two months. We then transition to bi-weekly, and eventually monthly visits. This frequency allows us to take a deep dive into your health and to create a solid patient-provider relationship. It also fosters great communication, a “we are in this together” feeling, and most importantly, helps patients take ownership and accountability of their health. We set small, achievable goals and revisit them weekly, celebrating every success along the way. This creates a self-reinforcing loop of motivation. As you witness the positive outcomes of your efforts, you are motivated to continue making healthy choices.
Sustainability & Partnership
Long-term habit change is considered the cornerstone of longevity medicine due to its profound impact on overall health and well-being. Innovative Vitality providers are your long-term health partner. We take primary care to the next level by incorporating education and behavior change alongside traditional medicine. We’ll do all of the “regular” primary care things, but we also examine various health factors such as your sleep, diet, exercise routine, family history, personal health history, and much more. We spend an extensive amount of time coaching patients, we monitor your progress, and we continuously work with you to improve your health and well being. Your long-term health is our focus.