With so many different body-sculpting treatments to choose from, it can sometimes be hard to figure out which one is the best for you, your body, and your goals at this moment in time. To make it a little bit easier for you, we’ve broken down each body-sculpting treatment offered at Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center so you can be fully prepared to discuss all options before deciding which treatment you’d like to use in your body-contouring journey.

CoolSculpting® Elite

CoolSculpting® Elite is the one and only FDA-cleared treatment to eliminate stubborn fat in nine different areas of the body, including under the chin and jawline areas, thighs, abdomen, flanks, bra fat, back fat, underneath the buttocks, and the upper arms. There are seven different applicators to choose from for effective fat reduction, and they come in different shapes and sizes to complement the body’s natural curves for ultimate patient comfort. CoolSculpting® Elite can also treat two areas at one time for quicker in-office sessions with no downtime, meaning that patients can return to normal activities right after treatment. Once the fat is gone, it is gone for good, as long as a healthy lifestyle is maintained.

EMSCULPT NEO®

EMSCULPT NEO® is FDA cleared for the strengthening, toning, and firming of the abdomen, arms, and buttocks. This fat-burning treatment utilizes high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM®) technology to cause supramaximal muscle contractions, which are stronger than voluntary contractions. It also uses radiofrequency (RF) energy to literally burn through fat stores using heat energy. There is no downtime with EMSCULPT NEO®, although some patients may feel a little bit sore after each treatment. Results typically become noticeable within three months and leave long-lasting toning effects.

UltraShape®

UltraShape® is a painless treatment that uses ultrasonic pulsed energy to target and permanently dissolve subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. This treatment is non-surgical and does not require any downtime. The body naturally eliminates the treated fat over a period of two to four weeks, revealing a more toned contour.

VelaShape®

VelaShape® is an FDA-approved body-contouring treatment designed to improve the body’s shape and decrease the appearance of cellulite. This treatment is non-invasive, quick, and suited for all skin types and colors. Ideal candidates for VelaShape® are within 10 pounds of their goal weight and have a desire to lessen the appearance of cellulite and reduce the size of the abdomen, thighs, or upper arms to produce a smoother body contour.

Accent Prime

Alma Accent™ is Alma Laser’s most advanced workstation for skin tightening, body contouring, and aesthetic enhancement. It uses ultrasound and radiofrequency (RF) technologies to deliver long-lasting results. With nine distinct technologies and 11 interchangeable handpieces, this laser can customize treatments for body and face contouring, skin tightening, and skin resurfacing for the ultimate treatment with long-lasting results. 

Schedule Your Appointment!

Scheduling your consultation with Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center professionals will ensure that you undergo the best treatment for your needs. You will be able to discuss your concerns and your goals as well as have any questions answered about any of our body-contouring services. We would love to walk with you on this journey to sculpt your body! 

For more information about our body-sculpting treatments offered at Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, please call our office at 561-234-4026 or fill out our online contact form.

As January 2025 speeds on by, you might find yourself reaching for a little extra motivation to keep your health and fitness resolutions on track. Some of the most useful and easiest health and fitness tools can be found right in your pocket — on your smartphone, that is.

Try these five popular diet and exercise apps to help you crush your goals this year — and the best part is, they won’t cost you a penny!

1. MyFitnessPal

If you’re looking for a little of everything in a free fitness app, MyFitnessPal is an excellent place to start. This app, available for iOS and Android, lets you track calories, scan and log food, track exercise, and customize and track your personal health and fitness goals. You can also access tons of healthy recipes and new workouts to keep your routine fresh and interesting.

MyFitnessPal is free to download and use, with a paid upgrade available.

2. Sworkit

Give your at-home workouts a boost with the free Sworkit app. Browse home workouts by type and intensity, customize the duration of your workout, and keep track of your performance all in one place. Workouts are available from beginner to advanced, and no gym equipment is needed.

Sworkit is free to download for iOS and Android, with a paid subscription available for full access to features.

3. Yoga for Beginners

Starting a new yoga routine is far from a daunting task with the help of the free Yoga for Beginners app. Relax your mind and body with easy, handcrafted yoga workouts designed specifically for newbie yogis. Yoga for Beginners also allows you to customize your own personal yoga workouts and easily integrates with Apple Health to keep track of your fitness progress.

Yoga for Beginners is free to download and use on iOS and Android, with an optional paid subscription available.

4. Lifesum

Food and exercise journaling has never been easier (or more fun!) than with the free Lifesum app. Easily enter your personal details and fitness goals, then start tracking your daily food intake and calories burned. Log each day and watch your progress with easy-to-read graphs and charts.

Lifesum is free to download and use on iOS and Android, with an optional paid subscription available.

5. Oak Meditation & Breathing

Calm your mind and body with the free Oak meditation app, available for free on both iOS and Android. Oak offers guided and unguided meditation sessions that range from 5 to 30 minutes in length. This free meditation app also offers simple yogic breathing exercises to help relax your mind, calm anxieties and fall asleep faster, as well as robust progress tracking and a community feature.

Take Your Fitness Goals Further with Professional Body Contouring

Downloading and trying a few (or all!) of these free health and fitness apps is a great way to stay motivated and refocus your efforts toward meeting your fitness-related resolutions in 2025. For even more help fine-tuning and focusing your fitness goals and efforts, schedule a consultation with one of our body contouring experts to see how treatments like CoolSculpting ELITE, EMSCULPT NEO, and VelaShape could help you make your New Year’s resolutions happen!

Why Combine Fitness Apps with Professional Body Sculpting?

While fitness apps provide excellent motivation and tracking capabilities, sometimes diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to target stubborn fat areas. At Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, our non-invasive body contouring treatments can complement your fitness routine by addressing areas that don’t respond to traditional methods. Whether you’re looking to freeze away fat with CoolSculpting ELITE or build muscle while burning fat with EMSCULPT NEO, our team can help you achieve your body goals.

Find us at:

• Sanctuary Medical – Boca Raton 
• Sanctuary Medical – Fort Lauderdale 

Book your consultation today and discover how our personalized treatments can complement your fitness routine and give you the confidence boost you deserve. Call us or schedule online to get started.

A whopping 91% of all New Year’s resolutions are fitness-related, according to a 2020 study commissioned by Planet Fitness. Unfortunately, around 43% of those well-meaning resolutions are squashed by February.

If exercising more and eating healthier are on the top of your resolutions list for 2022, let these six simple hacks help you stay on target and crush your fitness and body goals once and for all!

1. Make Movement Part of Your Day

All of your exercise doesn’t have to be in a gym. There are lots of ways you can incorporate movement into your daily routine, helping you meet your fitness goals faster and more effortlessly. A few ways to move more throughout the day could include:

• Going for a walk on your lunch break instead of parking it at a coffee shop.
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• Doing jumping jacks during commercials in between your favorite shows.

2. Work Workouts into Your Calendar

Treat your workout like you would a work meeting or client phone call: stick in on your calendar and protect that time! But make sure it’s realistic. For example, don’t put “run” on your calendar at 5:30am if you don’t normally get up until 6:00. Find a time that will realistically work for you so your workouts don’t immediately feel like a chore. Besides, getting enough sleep is important for fitness and overall health, too!

3. Keep Track of Progression to Avoid Plateaus

Your workouts don’t have to be two hours long to get results. Rather than focusing on how much time you’re spending at the gym or on the treadmill, keep a log of the progress you are making during that time, however long it may be. Can you run 30 seconds longer each day? Can you lift five pounds more this week than last week? Jot down these small wins so you can easily measure your results in something more than just minutes in the gym.

4. Make “Meal Prep Mondays” a Thing…

Or Saturday or Sunday — whatever works for you! The point is that planning out your meals for the week and having everything you need to make them will help you avoid ravenously raiding the fridge as soon as you get home. Knowing you have a pre-planned dinner at home will also help you to avoid spontaneously stopping for fast food on the way home.

Another tip is to whip up a crock pot meal or two during the week so you have leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day.

5. …But Don’t Wait Until Monday to Start Working Out

The truth is, there’s nothing magical about Mondays or the start of the new year, for that matter, that will help you reach your fitness goals. It doesn’t need to be a Monday or January 1st to start forming a new habit. In fact, the longer you put off starting a new diet or workout, the harder it will be to get the momentum needed to maintain those healthy habits.

If you binge-ate one too many leftover Christmas cookies on the first of the year, don’t sweat it. Take a brisk walk later that day, or kick off the next morning with a workout. There’s no time like the present to start eating healthier and getting more exercise!

6. Set Short- and Long-Term Goals

Having smaller short-term goals is a great way to break up longer-term goals into manageable chunks that don’t seem so overwhelming. But it’s also good to have an idea of your long-term goals so you know what you’re ultimately striving for. Bigger long-term goals could be reaching an ideal target weight, lowering your cholesterol or blood sugar, or prepping for a body contouring solution like CoolSculpting or EMSCULPT. Whatever it is, write it down, and then figure out what series of short-term goals will help you get there.

Want to learn more about how body contouring devices could help you reach your fitness goals this year? Give us a call at 561-462-0347 or contact us online for a complimentary consultation!

If you’re on a mission to eat healthy, cooking a traditional holiday meal for your family and friends can seem like a daunting task, tempting you at every taste. So why not do yourself (and your guests!) a favor and reinvent a few Christmas classics to put a healthy spin on the holidays!

Check out these four easy ways to offer healthier and even tastier holiday dishes that everyone is sure to love.

Use Fresh Green Beans Instead of Canned

Green bean casserole is a staple on many holiday tables, but the traditional way to prepare it calls for canned green beans and creamy canned soup. One easy way to healthify this Christmas classic is to swap out the canned beans for steamed fresh green beans. Not only do fresh green beans pack much more flavor than their canned counterparts, but they also do not contain the tremendous amounts of added salt that is found in canned vegetables. You can choose low-sodium cream of mushroom soup to cut down on the salt as well.

If you want to go even healthier, scrap the casserole altogether and prepare steamed or roasted fresh green beans with slivered almonds. Who knows, your friends and family might even start requesting the fresh twist on a holiday favorite more often!

Try Your Hand at Homemade Bread

Who doesn’t love the smell (and taste!) of homemade bread fresh out of the oven? Try making your own holiday bread or dinner rolls using whole wheat, rye, or spelt flour instead of white. These grains are packed full of nutrients and fiber, making them much healthier choices than white bread, which has little to no nutritional value.

If you have gluten-free guests coming, you could use almond or chickpea flour in place of grain-based flours in breads and baking.

Add an Apple Side Salad

For a burst of freshness and a welcome break from traditional heavy holiday sides like mashed potatoes and stuffing, try an apple and cranberry side salad. Not only are apples naturally sweet and tasty, but they also contain a plethora of healthy nutrients, like vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Cranberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants and may also help to lower blood pressure and improve heart health.

Bake a Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Indulge in a sweet treat that everyone can enjoy — but without the shortening and flour found in pie dough. While this works great for pumpkin or chocolate pies, you can also use this trick for fruit pies, adding a simple crumble on top for a crunch in place of a double pie crust.

Note that natural sweeteners like pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or honey can be used to sweeten baked goods instead of refined white sugar.

Bonus: How to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight Over the Holidays

The holidays can be the trickiest time of year to stay on track to meet your fitness and weight loss goals. But there are ways to both indulge in holiday favorites and keep your healthy habits on track this season. Just of few of our favorite tips include:

• Remember your “why.” When cookies and cocktails are right in front of you, it’s easy to think only of the short-term indulgence and forget about your long-term goals. In these moments, remind yourself why you are on your fitness journey and what you hope to achieve well after the holidays have come and gone.
• Don’t put off exercise until after the holidays. During the hustle and bustle this time of year, many people decide to put their exercise efforts on hold until life slows down in January. Instead, carving out just 15 to 20 minutes a day for exercise can help you stay on track and de-stress during this often stressful time of year.
• Consider scheduling a fat-loss treatment like CoolSculpting or EMSCULPT for after the holidays. That way, you have an upcoming goal to shoot for in the near future and something exciting to look forward to to help keep you motivated and on track.

For more information about body contouring devices or to schedule your consultation today, contact us online or call our Boca Raton & Fort Lauderdale office at 561-462-0377.

Our bodies change as we age, and maintaining our body is not as easy as it once was. Your clothes may fit differently or it may take a little bit longer to lose some pounds or inches than you would like. That is where CoolSculpting® Elite comes in. CoolSculpting® Elite helps you get rid of those hard-to-reach areas of fat on your body that just won’t budge.

How Does CoolSculpting® Elite Work?

CoolSculpting® Elite works by using a process called cryolipolysis, where the fat cells are frozen and eliminated. The chosen applicator delivers intense cooling to the fatty tissue without damaging the surrounding skin, nerves, or vessels. Over time, the body will naturally metabolize and eliminate the crystallized cells.

CoolSculpting® History

CoolSculpting® has one of those neat origin stories that seems almost too good to be true. Two Massachusetts General Hospital physicians, Dr. Dieter Manstein and Dr. R. Rox Anderson, noticed that children who eat popsicles were beginning to develop dimples in their cheeks. They put their brains together to see if this process, colloquially known as popsicle panniculitis, could work on other parts of the body for fat loss and body contouring treatments. And from this, CoolSculpting® was born!

Candidates for CoolSculpting® Elite

CoolSculpting® Elite can target fat in the following areas:

• Hips and flanks
• Abdomen
• Back and bra line
• Banana roll
• Knees
• Thighs
• Arms
• Submental area (double chin)

It is recommended that you schedule a consultation with Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center so that we can examine your body and evaluate whether or not you are a true candidate for this treatment. CoolSculpting® Elite is not a weight-loss procedure, so candidates must have maintained a stable weight for several months before undergoing this body sculpting treatment.

For more information about CoolSculpting® Elite at Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, please call our office at 561-234-4026 or fill out our online contact form.

If you’re having trouble parting ways with pesky fat that isn’t responding to your diet and exercise efforts, CoolSculpting could be the solution you’ve been looking for. In as little as a single treatment, CoolSculpting can freeze away stubborn fat and help you get the slim, sleek physique you’ve been working so hard for.

While your CoolSculpting session doesn’t require much effort at all on your part — you can even read a magazine or get caught up on your favorite show during your appointment — there are a few things you can do before and after getting CoolSculpting to maximize your results.

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

CoolSculpting can be an excellent option to help you shed stubborn fat in nearly any area of your body, but it’s not a substitute for good old-fashioned healthy eating and exercise. To maximize and maintain amazing results after getting CoolSculpting, keep up with healthy eating habits, as you can still gain weight in areas that have previously been treated with CoolSculpting.

• Some general healthy eating tips to keep in mind include:
• Avoiding processed foods as much as possible
• Limiting sugary drinks and sweets
• Eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Drinking plenty of water

2. Exercise

As mentioned above, it is possible to gain weight after CoolSculpting, so sticking to a healthy eating and exercise routine is the best way to maintain your new body shape after CoolSculpting.

In fact, many people find that CoolSculpting is a great motivator to stay on track with a healthy diet and exercise. Once you start to see the beginnings of your CoolSculpting results in as little as two weeks after treatment, you might find that you’re extra motivated to treat your body well so you can get the most out of those results and keep them long-term.

3. Consider Additional Treatments

In many cases, you will see optimal results after a single CoolSculpting session. However, there may be some instances where your CoolSculpting provider may recommend an additional treatment to see the best results. Discuss your CoolSculpting options and progress with your provider to see if an additional treatment might be necessary to achieve your goals.

Keep in mind, too, that it will take some time for your full CoolSculpting results to develop. Be patient with your body as your results continue to improve over the coming weeks.

4. Choose an Experienced Provider

Finally, your CoolSculpting results will be largely dependent on the technique used and the skill and expertise of your CoolSculpting provider. Do your homework prior to signing up for a treatment to make sure you are working with a trained and experienced professional to ensure the best possible results. A skilled provider should also provide you with specific before and after instructions to help you maximize your CoolSculpting results even further.

For more information about CoolSculpting or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact us online today or call our Boca Raton & Fort Lauderdale office at 561-886-0970.

To eat the pie, or not eat the pie — that is the question. Just because you’re watching your weight doesn’t mean you have to miss out on holiday favorites like pumpkin pie and eggnog. But there is a right way and a wrong way to indulge over the holidays if you want to stave off packing on some extra pounds.

Fortunately, balancing your healthy lifestyle and indulging in holiday treats might be a whole lot easier than you think. Follow these five tips at your holiday gatherings to enjoy the best of both worlds.

1. Indulge in Smaller Portions

If you want to try the pie, try the pie! But there’s a caveat — slowly enjoy a modest slice (about the size of a lightbulb) rather than quickly scarfing down an oversized slice. The same goes for other fattening foods, like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

To give you an idea of a proper portion size for these foods, think of them in terms of these items:

• 1 serving of stuffing = 1 ice cream scoop
• 1 serving of mashed potatoes = the size of a computer mouse
• 1 serving of gravy = the size of a golf ball

Keeping track of your portions is especially important if you’ll be sitting down to more than one holiday meal in a day. It can be helpful to use a food journal app to keep track of how much you’re really eating.

2. Start with a Salad

Don’t skip over the fruits and veggies to get right to the good stuff. Fill up on fibrous veggies before your meal to help you keep those portions of stuffing and mashed potatoes on the small side, while still feeling satisfied.

If you’re not sure what might be on the menu at a party or gathering, consider snacking on some vegetables before you go to ensure you won’t feel ravenously hungry and throw your healthy eating plan out the window when you arrive.

3. Stay Hydrated

Drinking water in between meals will help you to feel fuller longer and can be a great stand-in for a snack if you start feeling hungry. We often confuse feelings of thirst for hunger, so making sure you’re hydrated can help you to keep snacking to a minimum.

Drinking enough water throughout the day also offsets dehydration caused by alcohol consumption. While on the subject, if you are going to indulge in an adult beverage over the holidays, dry red wine is one of the healthiest choices, followed by dry champagne.

4. Wear Your Favorite Outfit

When you look good, you feel good. Wearing your favorite outfit will not only give you a confidence boost, but it can actually help you to stay mindful of your healthy eating goals while at holiday gatherings.

On the flip side, wearing your comfiest, stretchiest pants to the dinner table could spell disaster for your dieting efforts, since you won’t be reminded by your waistband when you’ve over-indulged.

5. Send Leftovers Home with Friends & Family

Not only is it a nice gesture to send your guests home with a doggie bag of holiday goodies, but it’ll also help you avoid eating turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie for three days straight. After all, if it’s not in your fridge, you can’t eat it!

On the other hand, if you’re offered a goodie bag by your host, you can politely decline by letting him or her know that, while the food was delicious, you’re watching your weight.

If you’re watching your weight over the holidays to prep for a body contouring treatment come January, book your consultation now to be even more motivated to reach your fitness goals!

Halloween and candy go together like witches and broomsticks, but if you’re watching your weight or preparing for those New Year body goals, all those spooky sweets could spell disaster for your diet.

While no type of candy is exactly healthy for you, some are certainly better choices than others. As we’ve explained in our comprehensive approach to wellness, sugar is the number-one problem ingredient when it comes to losing weight and maintaining optimal health. That’s why we’ve ranked 10 of the most popular Halloween candies based on sugar content and calories to help you indulge smartly without derailing your fitness goals.

The Smart Candy Choices: Top 5 Halloween Treats

1. Smarties

One roll of Smarties contains 6 grams of sugar and 25 calories. If you’re looking to keep your sugar intake to a minimum, snacking on some Smarties is, well, a smart choice for 2025.

2. Jolly Ranchers

One Jolly Rancher contains 7 grams of sugar and 40 calories, making these hard candies a close second to Smarties in the healthiest Halloween candy game. Remember, that’s just one piece, so if you grab a handful, multiply these numbers accordingly.

3. Nerds

Mini boxes of Nerds remain a Halloween favorite and aren’t terrible for you comparatively. One mini box contains 11 grams of sugar and 45 calories.

4. Tootsie Pops

Neck and neck with Nerds, one Tootsie Pop contains 10 grams of sugar and 60 calories. The best part? You get two candies in one for those calories.

5. Laffy Taffy

Here’s where we start to climb the sugar ladder. One mini Laffy Taffy bar contains 19 grams of sugar and 140 calories.

Understanding Daily Sugar Limits in 2025 

To put candy consumption in perspective, the American Heart Association recommends a daily added sugar limit of 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men. Just two mini Laffy Taffys alone exceed the daily recommendation for women.

The Middle Ground: Proceed with Caution 

6. Almond Joy

These coconutty candies might seem healthier, but one snack-size bar contains 16 grams of sugar and 160 calories.

7. Snickers

All that gooey goodness comes at a price: 17 grams of sugar and 160 calories for a fun-sized bar.

The Sugar Bombs: Halloween’s Worst Offenders

8. Skittles

Nearly pure sugar, one fun-sized bag of Skittles contains 34 grams of sugar and 190 calories. That’s more than an hour of brisk walking to burn off.

9. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

With 22 grams of sugar, one snack-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup packs 220 calories. And let’s be honest—who stops at just one?

10. Twix

Whether you prefer Left Twix or Right Twix, you’ll need about a 5-mile walk to burn the 250 calories in a single fun-sized bar, plus 17 grams of sugar.

Making Smart Choices This Halloween Season 

This Halloween, remember that balance is key. Enjoy your favorite treats in moderation while maintaining healthy lifestyle choices that support your long-term wellness goals. Consider these strategies:

• Set a candy limit before trick-or-treating begins
• Choose quality over quantity with your favorites
• Balance indulgences with extra physical activity
• Stay hydrated to help manage sugar cravings

Take Your Wellness Goals to the Next Level

Need help achieving your body goals? Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center offers cutting-edge body contouring treatments to complement your healthy lifestyle:

• CoolSculpting ELITE – FDA-cleared fat reduction technology
• EMSCULPT NEO – Simultaneous fat burning and muscle building
• VelaShape – Advanced cellulite treatment and body contouring

Our comprehensive approach combines the latest technology with personalized treatment plans to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.

Ready to start your transformation? Contact us today at our Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale locations, or call to schedule your complimentary consultation and discover how our body contouring treatments can support your wellness journey.

Why a Diet Fails — and How to Win at Weight Loss

Losing weight sounds like it should be easy, right? Just eat less and exercise more! However, if you’ve ever started a new diet, you know all too well that losing weight and getting fit can be much more complex than a pure numbers game. In fact, some of the very things we’ve been taught to do when dieting (like reaching for low-fat everything, for example) can actually hinder our weight-loss efforts.

If you are struggling to lose weight despite your best efforts, one or more of these common reasons why diets fail could be to blame. But the good news is there are plenty of ways to turn your diet around and totally win at weight loss! See how here.

1. Dieting Can Induce Stress

Have you ever successfully lost a few pounds, only to gain it back and maybe even more down the road? As it turns out, there’s some science behind why this commonly happens. Research shows that when you are hungry, your body is more sensitive to stress and responds more intensely to high-calorie treats than when you feel full.

If you are dieting using purely a calorie-restrictive mindset, your body behaves as if it is in a constant state of stress, thus increasing the amount of the stress hormone cortisol that is in your bloodstream at a given time. High cortisol levels trigger your appetite while also slowing down your metabolism.

How to win:

Don’t crash diet, and don’t deprive yourself of the nutrients your body needs! Try to reframe the way you think about dieting from simply eating as little as possible to making healthier choices for your body and mind. If you are hungry, eat — just make healthy choices about what you are eating.

Additionally, find healthy ways to cope with stress that don’t involve emotional eating. You might try meditation, listening to relaxing music, or going for a walk in nature.

2. Short-Term Diets Produce Short-Term Results

It’s great to break bigger goals, such as losing 25 pounds, into smaller increments to make them feel more achievable. However, when planning your diet and exercise routine, it’s important to keep the long-term goal in mind: to sustain a healthy lifestyle for years to come, rather than losing 5 pounds before your sister’s wedding. As explained above, crashing dieting might help you get quick results, but they are not likely to stick.

How to win:

Create a realistic long-term weight loss and fitness plan that will work for you. Along the way, you should gradually develop sustainable healthy habits that help you lose weight slowly and keep it off. A sustainable goal, for example, might be to limit desserts to once per week rather than every day — you don’t have to never eat chocolate again, just indulge in moderation.

3. Diets Often Focus on Quantity vs. Quality

2,000 calories is 2,000 calories, right, whether you eat them in the form of sweets and pizza or fruits and veggies? Wrong! What you eat is considerably more important than how much you eat in a given day. Eating lots of “empty” calories like simple carbs and sugar will up your calorie count for the day, but leave you feeling hungry still.

How to win:

If you’re hungry, eat! But choose wisely — go with a fresh salad or veggie tray rather than a slice of pizza or a sugary protein bar. That way, you satisfy your body’s hunger without triggering a cascade of negative effects caused by too much sugar or processed foods (which, by the way, can cause more weight gain!)

4. “Diet” Food Is Holding You Back

The low-fat craze isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Studies have shown that it’s actually sugar consumption that is making Americans overweight, not fat. And the artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas and other traditional “diet” foods isn’t helping, either. Some studies have found that using artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain, rather than prevent it, and may come along with a slew of other adverse health effects.

How to win:

Refined sugar is the enemy, not fat. Try to limit sweets, sugary drinks, and other sources of sugar as much as possible. When you’re craving something sweet, try grabbing fresh or frozen fruit instead of a sweet treat. The high fiber content in fruit helps to slow down insulin spikes caused by sugar, making these foods a much healthier sweet treat than refined sugar products.

5. You’re Flying Solo

Having a great support system in place can often be the extra push you need to stay on track and stay motivated to hit your weight loss and fitness targets. If you have a spouse who brings you sweets or a friend who always wants to meet for fast food breakfast, on the other hand, it can be difficult to stay on track.

How to win:

Find a dieting/exercise buddy to help keep you motivated. This could be a friend or family member or even a virtual group! Whoever it is, finding that person (or people!) to help keep you accountable and motivated to hit your goals can make all the difference when it comes to getting and staying healthy!

Many people also find it motivating to book a body sculpting treatment such as EMSCULPT or CoolSculpting as they near their weight loss goal. If you’re looking to get the most out of your weight loss and fitness success, call us today at 561-234-4026 or book a consultation online to see how nonsurgical body contouring could help you!