Dealing with muscle soreness

If you want to succeed with weight loss programs and have your body look different, you’ve got to get moving—that means increasing overall activity and adhering to a regular workout program. When you haven’t worked out in a long time, you’ll definitely feel sore the next day, and if you want your workout to increase its benefits, you’re going to feel sore more often than you would probably like. The fact is, muscle soreness is a part of life for the fit and healthy. The good news is, after awhile, it won’t be as bad as the extreme soreness you experience as the start of a new workout program.

Whether you’re working with easy weight loss programs or just trying to tone up, it’s essential to always increase the intensity of your workout so that your muscles continue to get challenged. This will ensure that you don’t plateau and that your body continues to transform. This means that there will always be some element of soreness experienced after workouts.

Just like there are ways to improve and enhance the effects actual execution of weight loss programs, there are ways to make soreness more bearable. After you speak a physician at one of our weight loss clinics approves a new workout program for you to begin, you will most likely experience “delayed onset muscle soreness” after those first few workouts. This occurs due to the microscopic muscle tears that occur while lengthening and contracting the muscles. The intensity of soreness depends on the intensity of the workout.

Soreness is a common effect of resistance training that usually peaks within the first two days of the workout and then subsides soon after. This doesn’t mean stop working out and wait for the pain to decrease—continuing to exercise will actually ease the pain, hence, the term “work it out.” Plus, you want to continue the momentum that the new workouts have on your metabolism—the boost will enhance the effects of all easy weight loss programs.

As your muscles become stronger and you increase stamina, the ache will start to lessen. A few ways to minimize the pain include proper warm ups and cool downs. Stretching is key, and if you can get some in at the beginning and the end of the workout, it will significantly decrease soreness. If you can do some stretching between sets, you’ll be even less sore.

When you are sore, get back into the gym and get some light cardiovascular in to loosen up muscles—getting your blood pumping really eases those aches and pains. One thing that we recommend to patients of our weight loss clinics is to use a foam roller on a regular basis to work out those painful areas.

As you progress with your workouts, soreness will subside. This means it’s time to challenge yourself even more. Just as we see patients at our medical weight loss centers start to plateau with their weight loss, the same can happen with your workouts. A good sign that it’s time to bump up the intensity is when you no longer feel fatigue or some muscle soreness. This doesn’t just mean longer workouts, it means more intense workouts! Increase resistance, reps and decrease resting time in between.

If you haven’t worked out in ages, now is the time to start. At your next visit to one of our medical weight loss centers, ask our staff about safe, effective workout programs that will enhance your weight loss efforts.

Weekend Warriors

We all know it’s true—the weekends can destroy the results of easy weight loss programs. Here are some ways to keep your weekend guilt-free.

Work it Out
Get up early at least one day per weekend and work out. This will motivate you to eat better so you don’t blow all the results of your sweat fest. If you can work out both weekend days, you’re golden. Exercising early in the day can cement your resolve for the rest of the day, making you less likely to cheat outrageously.

Move It
In addition to getting your workout on, the weekend is great time to commit to outdoor activities with friends, or even things like bowling—as long as you’re moving around, you’re staying on track.

Plan Your Cheat
If part of your easy weight loss program is to have a weekend “cheat” day, then make sure to eat well for the rest of your weekend. Another great idea for not throwing your quick weight loss program off track is to workout on that cheat day, for the same reasons above, and for the fact that you may not want to cheat as badly as if you didn’t put the time in at the gym. You won’t want to deter all that progress you made in the morning. Also, at the very least, eat a healthy breakfast on your cheat day.

Motivate
Visit one of our weight loss clinics on a Saturday. Whether you’re there to receive FDA approved medical weight loss pills, buy healthy snacks or simply to check in with your quick weight loss program, this visit will definitely inspire you to stay on track on the weekend. Weighing in at one of our weight loss clinics or medical weight loss centers is a great motivator to “be good” for the rest of the weekend.

Write it Down
Write down what you eat all weekend. This will definitely keep you in a good place in terms of what you’re eating.

Club it
If you’re destined to hit up the bars or clubs during the weekend, be smart about it. Drink low-calorie choices like white wine or vodka soda. Be careful of your mixers—juices, soda and even tonic are quick ways to add up calories and can throw off even the best of quick weight loss programs. *If you’re taking medical diet pills, visit one of our weight loss centers and check with your physician to ensure that it’s safe to drink alcohol. If you’re clubbing it, then get on the dance floor and shake it to burn extra calories.

Visit www.AmericanWeightLossCenter.com to learn more about FDA approved medical weight loss pills and medical weight loss programs. Check out one of our great new medical weight loss centers, like our new Aliso Viejo weight loss clinic and Rancho Santa Margarita weight loss clinic.

Small Changes = Big Results

Bikini season is here—but don’t let it stress you out. By incorporating some small, manageable lifestyle changes into your easy weight loss program, you’ll feel much better in time for that beach day on the horizon. Here are a few ways to supplement quick weight loss programs like the ones provided by American Weight Loss Centers to achieve your short-term goals in a safe and healthy manner.

1.    Always Eat Breakfast. Make sure to eat or drink something as soon as you get out of bed. Even a piece of fruit will rev your metabolism. Avoiding breakfast can send your body into starvation mode, which is a big no-no and can result in metabolic issues.

2.    Eliminate one fat from your diet, especially an unhealthy fat (Avocados and nuts are healthy fats). For example, substitute your fat-filled coffee creamer or half and half with non-fat creamer. A simple change like this will save you hundreds of fat calories per day.

3.    Avoid soda. These contain empty calories and sugars that go straight to your hips and thighs. Definitely a hazard to even a FDA approved weight loss program or one using medical diet pills.

4.    Get stress in check. Make sure to exercise regularly and add some form of meditation to your routine. Stress can cause emotional eating, as well as ignite hormonal events that result in excess fat. At your next visit to a weight loss clinic, discuss ways to minimize the stress in your life.

5.    Get spicy. Studies show that certain spices have many health benefits and can boost your metabolism. Try adding red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to your food, add cinnamon to your coffee or sprinkle it on a banana with a teaspoon of honey for a delicious mid-afternoon snack. Weight loss centers or websites can give you more examples of ways to incorporate spices into easy weight loss programs.

6.    Get extreme. Eating foods at more extreme temperatures makes you eat slower, which gives your stomach more time to signal your brain that it’s full. Eating very cold snacks like a popsicle or Greek yogurt from the freezer, or very hot ones, like a cup of soup, will slow you down and limit your intake. Visit one of American Weight Loss Centers’ weight loss clinics to pick up some of our delicious hot and cold snacks, like tomato soup or one of our incredibly delicious smoothie mixes.

Sign up for an easy weight loss program at a weight loss center near you. Sometimes we all need some help, which is why we offer quick weight loss programs and FDA approved medical weight loss pills at our weight loss clinics. *Our Aliso Viejo weight loss clinic and Rancho Santa Margarita weight loss clinic are our newest addition to our Southern California weight loss centers. Visit www.AmericanWeightLossCenter.com for more info.

Ask the Doctor!

Have an important question you would like one of our weight loss professionals? Please send it our way and we will be happy to answer it for you!


“Dr. Kim,

How can drinking lots of water during the course of the day help you lose weight? I feel that it only causes bloating and  water weight gain?"

- Christine P.



Water doesn’t actively promote weight loss, but it is an important tool for losing weight. More on this in a little bit.


Water is the most important nutrient we consume. We could survive three to four weeks without food, but only three to four days without water. Our bodies are 50 to 75 percent water (about 10 to 12 gallons). An average adult loses about two and a half quarts, or 10 cups of water daily. So you can see why it’s important to maintain your fluid intake. The recommended daily intake is between eight to 10 cups a day.


Water serves many functions in our body. It carries our blood cells and vital nutrients throughout our body. It serves as a lubricant for our joints and our eyes. It helps us regulate our body temperature through perspiration. It assists our digestive system in breaking down food, first as saliva and then as gastric acid. It keeps our respiratory tract moist, which in turn prevents infection. Lastly, water helps us eliminate waste products through the production of urine. So it’s easy to see that with all that water does, how we couldn’t live long without it.


Now, getting back to weight loss. Water has been shown in one study to directly promote weight loss. It’s believed that the body expends calories to raise the temperature of the digestive tract after passing water cools it down. This effect is nominal and wouldn’t lead to significant weight loss by itself. However, water has been shown to promote weight loss indirectly by reducing consumption.


Read the rest of this article here!


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Who We Are and What We Do!

Yes—I know what you are going through; I, too, was overweight. In college I was 185 lbs, the absolute peak of my weight. I now weigh 135 lbs.

Prior to college, my weight fluctuated quite a bit. I was pretty heavy in high school, but was able to lose a significant amount of weight before starting college. But after four years, I ballooned up. Stress eating, late night study sessions and a sedentary lifestyle really caught up with me. At 185 lbs, I was uncomfortable and grew increasingly embarrassed about my weight. My clothes didn’t fit me so I had to buy bigger and bigger clothes. It was hard for me to play sports, even basketball, which I loved playing in high school. So one day I made a conscious decision to lose weight. I buckled down and adjusted my eating habits. I exercised when I could. Over a year and a half, I lost 45 pounds and have maintained my weight loss for over 15 years.

I am grateful for what my weight loss has done for me. I feel great! I have more energy and better endurance. I can play sports without getting short of breath. This has been very important for me as my young children (son - seven, daughter - five) are active and play sports. I fit into my clothes much better and I look decent in a bathing suit. (Yes, like all people, I suffer from a touch of vanity). I also feel a great sense of achievement and have had an enormous boost to my confidence. It was not easy losing the weight. I lost the weight during a very stressful time of my life—while I was in medical school. I struggled with weight loss years before and was only marginally successful. But I was determined. Now, I use my own weight loss as inspiration and motivation for everything that I do.

Since finishing medical school and residency, I have come to realize additional benefits to weight loss. Over the past 10 years, I have taken care of patients with many health conditions caused or worsened by excess weight, including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Arthritis of the knees, hips and back are also quite common conditions among overweight individuals. Once active, many of these people have great difficulty even performing simple, everyday tasks because of pain. Sadly, this creates a vicious cycle of greater weight gain and reduced physical activity. However, when my patients lose weight, many of these conditions improve and even resolve. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone come off their medications or walk with comfort.

It’s out of these experiences that I have chosen to work with overweight individuals. As a physician, it is my hope that our weight loss centers can help improve your health. However, as a once overweight person, I wish upon you the improved strength, endurance and confidence that I’ve come to enjoy as a result of weight loss.

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