Karen Holtmeier and her team at Medical Weight Center have been leading the way in weight loss for over 35 years. Her personal approach of working closely with patients has helped even the chronically overweight finally see success in gaining control of their health. Read About Karen >
Medical Weight Management Center is proud to serve Minneapolis / Saint Paul and the surrounding areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
OPTIFAST® is a liquid meal replacement that provides all of the nutrients you need as cold drinks, hot soups, or bars throughout the day. There is no hunger because you drink as many as you need, but not less than 5 – 7 per day. This allows for very efficient weight loss–quickly and safely enough to keep you motivated with a medical food.
You don’t have to make food choices. All the protein, vitamins, and minerals are in the product. You don’t have to think about what food you will be eating. This is termed “stimulus narrowing”. It can be thought of as an “intervention” in life that will allow you to safely lose a large amount of weight in a short time. Of course, it is important to attend the weekly education sessions to learn a new way of eating that will allow you to keep the lost weight off for a lifetime.
There is no guessing on how many calories you are consuming. Each serving supplies a specific amount of calories.
It is easy to follow the program with no food choices. It also frees up the time that you would be spending preparing and eating meals.
The program is convenient at work or home, as you just drink the product or eat the bars, and you are finished. You can use the rest of your lunch hour to go for a walk.
We offer a long-term maintenance program which allows you to reverse small weight gains over time, to help you stay at your goal weight.
When you are overweight, your body works against you to keep you overweight.
Our medical programs are based on the fact that most overweight people suffer from insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. In these conditions, the insulin that is released in response to eating carbohydrates does not work appropriately, and this leads to an overproduction of insulin in the body (hyperinsulinemia). Insulin works against weight loss by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down the body’s stored fat. It also helps to make fat out of the food we eat that is not used up in our daily activities. By limiting carbohydrates, and therefore decreasing insulin release, the insulin resistance can be reduced and the body is able to burn its stored fat. It is probably not your fault that you have been unable to lose weight on you own. Insulin resistance is likely to be a genetic problem, and correcting it requires professional help.
• Makes your body store fat
• Keeps you from burning fat
• Makes you constantly feel hungry
Our program is monitored and administered by licensed professional personnel. Many people who have excess weight also have diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and/or high cholesterol. We are very skilled in treating these conditions. With treatment, the above conditions will improve, and often people will be able to reduce or eliminate their medications.