If you’ve been feeling sluggish or slow lately, you might be living with a slow metabolism. A slow metabolism can be a huge roadblock on your weight loss journey, as reduced metabolism keeps your body in fat-storing mode instead of fat-burning load. The solution to this problem can be as simple as a lipotropic shot. At Simply Slim Medical in Bethesda, MD, we have the skinny on this revolutionary treatment, such as for lipotropic injections, how often you need treatment, and the best ways to make the most out of your injections.
Before we dive into the particulars of this treatment, it’s important to understand what exactly this treatment entails. Many patients assume B12 injections and lipotropic injections are the same things, but the truth is that there is a huge difference in what these injections can do for your overall health.
You probably know regular B12 shots are an intramuscular injection usually given to people who have a B12 deficiency, which greatly impacts the size of red blood cells produced in the body; it isn’t unusual for those with B12 deficiency to be anemic for this reason. However, for the last several years, B12 injections have been given to people without clinical deficiencies.
Your average B12 injection uses a concentrated serum of the vitamin to boost the energy and metabolism of those seeking the treatment. Broadly speaking, B12 injections give the body further resources to produce more red blood cells to carry larger amounts of oxygen throughout the body, meaning those who receive such treatments can benefit from increased energy and reduced feelings of fatigue.
Lipotropic shots are a more recent treatment that is quickly gaining a reputation for helping patients increase energy, boost metabolism, and burn fat at quicker rates than before. Lipotropic shots are formulated with a compound of ingredients; while the base of this treatment is vitamin B12, the other ingredients include fat-busting and metabolism-increasing amino acids that work with the body to eliminate unwanted fat and remove toxins clogging up your metabolic rate.
You can separate the amino acids present in this treatment into two categories – amino acids that mobilize fat and amino acids that increase metabolism. Let’s break down how both sets of amino acids work.
Methionine, inositol, and choline are three amino acids that are key to mobilizing fat. Methionine is a protein-based amino acid that helps your body release fatty proteins, inositol helps stimulate the removal of fat from the liver to prevent fat storage, and choline prevents cholesterol and fat build-up within your arteries.
Combined, these three amino acids stop the body from storing excess fat and help boost internal processes to break fat down more quickly for removal.
Adenosine and L- carnitine are both amino acids that work to increase the metabolism in the body. L-carnitine in particular is helpful for converting fat into energy that can be used. In conjunction with B12, these amino acids work to pump up your natural metabolic rate, meaning your body becomes more proficient in turning food into energy that you can use – all without storing more than you need, meaning it’s more difficult to gain weight.
While both B12 and lipotropic injections both serve to enhance your energy and metabolism, lipotropic injections are generally a better option for patients who are interested in weight-loss. The simple reason is that lipotropic injections are more efficient than B12 shots, as the lipotropic amino acids work double-time to destroy and metabolize fat.
More importantly, while both of these treatments contain B12, a necessary vitamin that our bodies do not naturally produce, it’s only lipotropic injections that work with the liver to remove fat and toxins from the body. In a way, you can think of lipotropic injections as being a triple-threat for enhancing your overall health; in addition to boosting your metabolism and energy, lipotropic injections also destroy fat and help your body filter toxins more quickly. Lipotropic injections are better for your total-body health.
Compared to regular B12 shots, lipotropic injections are the clear winner. But what about OTC supplements? It’s possible to find vitamin B12 and a few lipotropic amino acids in the vitamin aisle of your local pharmacy, but that might not mean those supplements will be as effective as lipotropic injections.
There are a few reasons why it might be a better idea to avoid OTC supplements. For one, the FDA does not regulate supplements as strictly as other OTC medications, which means you can’t be certain about what you’re buying. For another, some people have trouble digesting and absorbing the nutrients from supplements; this is why most people do better with sublingual B12 tablets rather than vitamins.
You also might not get the right amount or combination of ingredients to mimic true lipotropic injections, meaning supplements are less likely to be as effective in what you want them to do.
For lipotropic injections, how often you can get the most out of your treatment is something that can be determined by each patient. By no means are lipotropic injections a fix-all treatment for all of your weight loss goals.
Just like any other treatment, lipotropic injections are a helping hand that will assist you in meeting your ultimate goal more quickly. However, for that to work, it means you will have to put in the effort to get every ounce of benefit from this treatment as you can. Some things you can do include:
Exercising is the most traditional way to increase your metabolism and burn fat. By moving your body and increasing your heart rate regularly, at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes or more, the internal processes in your body are prompted to convert fat into energy.
Lipotropic shots can help you more quickly increase your metabolism, but combining these injections with regular exercise can keep your metabolism at a steady, higher level.
Eating a balanced diet is another classic way of managing your metabolism and your weight. A balanced diet for higher metabolism means more whole foods and less refined or processed foods, as well as eating higher proteins and dairy.
It’s also important to eat at regular intervals, as too long without eating sends your body into fat-storage mode. Small portions several times a day is the easiest way to balance your diet. Alternatively, there are merits to regular fasting for maintaining your weight. If you aren’t sure which method of balancing your diet is best for you, please feel free to speak with one of our expert staff.
Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is also essential to getting the most out of your lipotropic injection. For example, drinking alcohol in excess makes your liver work harder and less efficiently, which can undermind the amino acids present in this injection and make it more difficult for you to see any benefits from treatment.
Having a regular sleep schedule where you are getting enough uninterrupted rest each night also makes it easier to maintain your metabolism and easier to lose weight, as disturbed sleep has been linked to weight gain.
It might also be the case that certain medications you are on are also linked to weight gain, low energy, and slow metabolism. It’s worth the effort to speak with your doctor about alternate medications to see if there is a way to reduce these side-effects so you can get the most benefit out of your lipotropic injections.
Lipotropic injections are similar to any other intramuscular injections. An injection of the lipotropic cocktail is performed to stimulate the body’s natural response, usually quickly triggering a feeling of more energy and higher metabolism. There are two main steps of treatment, which include:
Before your first treatment, you will need to attend a consultation appointment that will allow us to determine if you are a good candidate for this treatment. We will discuss concerns you have, particularly about difficulty losing weight or persistent feelings of low energy or sluggishness. We will gather relevant medical information from you, such as your current medical issues, supplements and medications you are taking, previous treatments you have had, your lifestyle habits, and blood lab records.
Typically, injections for this treatment are made at areas of the body that have higher fatty tissue, such as the arms, thighs, buttocks, hips, or abdomen. Injections are made with thin needles into one of these areas of the body. At patient request, we can discuss the use of topical numbing cream prior to the injection. Your treatment appointments take less than half an hour.
When it comes to lipotropic injections, how often they are needed is something that is determined by several factors. For example, while it is normal for your first few treatments to take place within the same week, usually about one day apart, your subsequent treatments will have a slower frequency. Most patients choose to maintain results with regular treatments once a week or twice a month.
The frequency of your treatments will depend on how well your body is responding to the injections. Your age, activity level, and physical health may also be factors. We will help you determine which frequency is best for your unique needs.
Most patients will feel an immediate boost in energy levels in the days immediately following the first appointment. Your initial results may include increased feelings of hunger and less fatigue. In general, it takes about 30 days after your first treatment to see weight loss results, although you may notice results sooner when combined with proper diet and exercise.
Generally speaking, both regular B12 injections and lipotropic injections are safe for all patients. Why? Simply because the ingredients used in these treatments are derived from natural sources, which means they have a significantly lower risk of unintended side-effects.
Additionally, B12 is water-soluble, meaning that the body naturally filters out what it has no use for; likewise, the lipotropic amino acids break down fat and are eliminated naturally. In other words, these injections do not have the risk of being toxic because the ingredients do not linger in the body.
Good candidates for this treatment include any adult who would like to increase their metabolism and burn fat more quickly. Candidates are ideal if they are willing to commit to a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and diet recommendations. You may be a good candidate if you are:
It’s hard to lose weight when you don’t have the energy for regular exercise and your slow metabolism is holding you back. Fortunately, you can find a helping hand on your weight loss journey with lipotropic injections. If you have questions about treatment, contact the experts at Simply Slim Medical in Bethesda, MD today to schedule your consultation!
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