Primal Physiology: How it Can Help You Lose Weight

When you’re working to lose weight, you may notice that your body changes differently than it does for others. Maybe you lose weight more slowly, or you don’t lose it in places you were hoping to. Is there something going on in your body that’s holding you back from success? 

Physiology aims to find out. 

At Butterfly MedSpa and Wellness in the Spring and The Woodlands areas of Houston, Texas, Ben Cilento, MD, MHA, and our expert team offer primal physiology services to help you better understand your body’s functions as you work to attain your desired body shape.

Let’s take a closer look at some of our primal physiology services — and how they can aid you in your weight loss journey. 

A short tutorial on physiology

Physiology is the study of how all of your body’s systems work and interact with each other. It examines each bodily structure and the cells within and asks questions about how they work in the big picture of your overall physical function, health, and wellness. 

This branch of medical science also takes a keen interest in what normal human physiology looks like, and what happens when disease or other external factors disrupt the status quo. 

Varying factors like genetics, where you live, and your age, activity level, diet, immune system function, and mental health can all play a role in your own physiology and impact your body in different ways.

Laboratory blood work

Your “baseline” physiology can be altered due to several factors, ranging from chronic illnesses and nutritional deficiencies to poor immune function. When this happens, your body doesn’t function normally, and this abnormal function is likely to have a domino effect on other bodily systems. This, in turn, can affect how your body responds to normal weight loss methods. 

By performing some blood work, we can discover any illnesses, nutrient deficiencies, or other factors that could be affecting how and where your body is losing weight. Your blood work findings provide helpful information that can help us make targeted adjustments in your weight loss plan. 

Body composition measurements

When you step onto a scale, it can only tell you one thing: your total weight. While knowing your body weight is helpful, it doesn’t tell the whole story. When you measure your body composition, you’re taking into account fat, muscle, and bone, all of which impact the number on the scale. 

Your muscle to fat ratio is a much better indicator of your health than the total number of pounds you weigh. Muscle is denser and therefore weighs more than fat, so you may be in better shape and health than you realized. Our team utilizes bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to measure your muscle and fat levels and get a true read on your physical health. 

Heart and lung function tests

Exercise is a huge component of effective weight loss. It helps you burn calories and build muscle, which are necessary to eliminate body fat. Two powerful bodily systems that impact the efficiency of your workout? Your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, or your heart and lungs. 

Every time you inhale, your lungs absorb oxygen and your red blood cells transport the oxygen to your organs and muscles. Your muscles then convert it into the energy they need to work properly. The more oxygen you get from each breath, the more energy your muscles get. 

At Butterfly MedSpa and Wellness, we use a common tool for measuring how efficiently your body uses oxygen for muscle energy called VO2 max. If you have a high VO2 max, it indicates a higher level of fitness and increased chance of losing weight. Our team can provide you with ways to improve your VO2 max levels. 

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) tests

Your metabolism is how your body converts food into usable energy. It uses the caloric value from the foods you eat and stores any extra as fat. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume; however, not everyone’s metabolism is the same, meaning your specific caloric needs are unique to you and your body goals. 

The daily calorie count that works best for your body can be roughly calculated through what’s called your resting metabolic rate (RMR). It takes into account your age, height, weight, and activity level, giving you a better idea of what your nutritional needs are for optimal weight loss. 

Learn how primal physiology can benefit you

Ready to get started with your primal physiology evaluation and subsequent weight loss plan? We’re here to help. Simply call your nearest Butterfly MedSpa and Wellness office in Spring or The Woodlands of Houston, Texas, today, or use our online booking tool to schedule a visit at your convenience.