- Medical Weight LossAlong with the excess weight I was carrying around, I was carrying fatigue, depression, low self-confidence, and a whole slew of emotions that seemed to carry me back to food. Eating, for me, was the way I coped with the “problems” in my life. I was unhappy because I was overweight, and I would eat because I was unhappy. … Now, almost a year later, I have become that person (that I wanted to be). I have lost 50, that’s right, 50 pounds, and have gone from a 14 to a yep, you guessed it, a size 5. It wasn’t easy, but changing my eating habits, the food I eat, and exercising got me to my goal….Weight loss is never easy. I think I will struggle with weight my whole life, but now that I have lost those 50 pounds, I never want to see them again. My advice is listen to the doctor and Susan, be at those appointments, no matter what, and make those changes permanent. Success will follow.
- Family PracticeDr. Mark Stefaniuk, MD, earned his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1994 and his Doctor of Medicine at the Saba University School of Medicine in Saba, Netherlands (Dutch Antilles) in 2000. He completed his residency in family medicine at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, in 2003, and is board certified in Family Medicine. He has been practicing medicine in the Chicago area since 2003. Known for his relaxed and engaging manner, Dr. Stefaniuk says he enjoys putting his patients at ease. Most of all, he says he tries to stress the importance of a healthy diet and exercise to all his patients, especially those struggling with their weight.
- Bariatric SurgeryOn a very basic level, you will maintain normal body weight when the calories you consume equal the calories you burn. Treatment for excess weight may include a combination of diet, behavior modification, and prescription medications. Sometimes these measures are insufficient, and bariatric surgery may be recommended for cases of extreme obesity. For patients considering bariatric surgery...