Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome Clinic

How much weight you lose depends on your starting weight, body composition, metabolic status and lifestyle. That's why TLC doesn't promise a set number of kilograms up front. Instead, we look at your test results and set a suitable goal together. Your goal covers not just the number on the scale but also changes in body fat and muscle mass.

Yes. Some causes can make weight hard to lose, such as an underactive thyroid, hormone problems, medications you take or lack of sleep. That's why TLC runs blood, hormone and autonomic nervous system tests before starting treatment. If progress is slow during treatment, we check the cause again and adjust the plan.

You may lose weight, but it's hard to keep it off. When you eat less, your body also burns less energy to hold on to its weight (energy compensation), and muscle is often lost first in this process. Major international medical societies now agree that obesity is not a matter of willpower but a chronic disease that involves dysfunction of fat tissue. This is why TLC combines diet and exercise prescriptions with medical treatment.

With medication alone, weight tends to come back once you stop. TLC first identifies the cause through testing, then combines diet, exercise and lifestyle prescriptions with local treatments, with a focus on keeping the weight off after you lose it. Medication is used only as a supportive option when the physician finds it necessary after a consultation.

When you lose weight, fat decreases throughout the body. However, how much it decreases differs by area, and treated areas may get the added effect of local treatment. Results vary from person to person.

It's hard to target a specific area with diet and exercise alone. That's why we manage local areas with a combination of injection therapies and device treatments. However, overall weight management is also needed to maintain the results.

Yes. However, there are limits to the area and dose that can be treated in one session, so we set priorities and spread treatment across sessions. We'll plan each area together during your visit.

After weight loss, your body tends to try to return to its original weight. This response can't be eliminated, but losing weight while keeping your muscle mass and changing your eating and exercise habits makes it easier to maintain. That's why TLC includes lifestyle prescriptions for after weight loss in the program.

No procedure is completely free of side effects. Pain, swelling, bruising or temporary redness may occur at the injection site, and these usually go away within a few days. In rare cases, allergic reactions can occur, so we check your medical history and any contraindications before treatment. If you notice any unusual reaction, please contact us right away.

Some medications used for weight control can cause dry mouth, trouble sleeping or a racing heart. Because these are prescription-only medicines, we cannot name them or describe their effects in advertising; your physician will explain them directly during your visit. Please be sure to tell us about any medications you take and any underlying conditions.

Please be sure to tell us. If we know which medication caused which reaction, we can avoid that medication and plan a different approach. The TLC program can be done without medication.

No. Medication is a supportive option used only when the physician finds it necessary after a consultation, and it won't be used if you don't want it. The program centers on testing, local treatments and lifestyle prescriptions.

Both injections and device treatments involve some discomfort. If you are sensitive to pain, please let us know before the procedure. We can adjust the area and intensity, or discuss ways to reduce pain, such as numbing cream.

Most people can go about their daily routine the same day. However, please avoid intense exercise, saunas and alcohol on the day of the procedure. Depending on the area, bruising or tenderness may last for a few days.

It's best to cut back. Alcohol is high in calories and interferes with fat metabolism in the liver, and the snacks that come with drinking can easily add to what you eat. If quitting completely is hard, we'll help you set limits on how often and how much you drink.

Black coffee is generally not a problem. However, drinks with syrup, milk or cream can be high in calories, so it's worth checking. If coffee disrupts your sleep, it's better to change when you drink it, since sleep affects weight control.

We don't give you a list of strictly forbidden foods. Such lists are hard to follow and often lead people to give up. Instead, we guide you to adjust the amount and type of carbohydrates and to get enough protein, and we fine-tune your diet as you log your meals in the CalorieLab app.

Please tell us about all the supplements and medications you take. We'll let you know which ones are fine to continue and which ones are better to pause for a while. Based on your test results, we may also adjust them to make up for what you're lacking.

We don't recommend it. If you only cut your intake sharply, you lose muscle first and your basal metabolic rate drops, making it harder to keep the weight off later. Combining diet control with exercise is what helps you keep off the weight you've lost.

We recommend logging at first. People often eat more than they remember, and logging shows where the calories are coming from. You can log easily with the CalorieLab app, and once you get used to it, you'll be able to manage without counting.

No, you don't. The general guideline is at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 times a week, or at least 25 minutes of vigorous exercise 3 times a week. Consistency matters more than frequency, so start at a level you can keep up and build from there.

Strength training is important for maintaining muscle mass, but on its own it does not do enough to improve heart and lung fitness or burn calories. Doing both tends to bring better changes in body composition.

Yes, it's better to do both. Strength training helps keep your muscle mass while cardio burns calories, and this combination helps with both losing weight and keeping it off. We'll guide you on the order and intensity based on your fitness level.

Exercise burns fewer calories than you might think. A 30-minute walk often burns fewer calories than a bag of chips. Exercise mainly helps protect your muscles and metabolic function, and it needs to go hand in hand with controlling what you eat.

The basic program is 12 sessions over 6 weeks. You can choose to visit twice a week for one treatment each time, or once a week for two treatments, depending on your schedule.

Because the cause can be different even for people with the same weight. We need to check your thyroid, adrenal glands, sex hormones, autonomic nervous system, blood vessel condition and metabolic function first. This lets us choose the right approach for you and rule out procedures you should avoid.

We run a package of 9 tests: body composition analysis, body measurements, autonomic nervous system test, vascular elasticity test, electrocardiogram (ECG), metabolic syndrome blood test, hormone test, organic acid metabolism test and immune test.

Results available the same day, such as body composition, body measurements and ECG, are explained right away. Tests sent to an outside lab, such as blood, hormone and organic acid tests, take several days. Once all results are in, we'll schedule another visit to go over them with you.

Treatment is divided into four steps by purpose: ① fat breakdown & metabolism support ② local fat reduction ③ lymphatic drainage support ④ firmness restoration. Injection therapies and device treatments are combined for each session. The combination is decided based on your test results and the areas being treated.

Skin firmness may decrease as you lose weight. That's why the program includes a firmness restoration step, managed with radiofrequency treatment and medical body thread lifting. The degree of change varies from person to person.

After weight loss, we give you personalized prescriptions for diet, exercise, and water and salt intake to help you maintain your results. If needed, skin and scalp care may also follow.