At Lone Star Circle of Care, family medicine providers like Tamika Latta, M.D. are passionate about helping patients lead healthy lives, with a keen understanding of how nutrition and exercise play a role in the prevention and management of health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure.

“It’s a struggle I’ve had all my life, so it’s one easy way to connect with patients because I understand what they’re going through and I can be encouraging and there for them,” Dr. Latta said. “This is a lifetime challenge that will have good and bad days.”

At the beginning of a new year, many resolutions are health-centric, but nutrition and body weight can sometimes be a difficult discussion to have with a physician. Despite the topic’s sensitive nature, it is one of the most important concerning overall health.

“We’re going to have honest conversations,” Dr. Latta said. “I have honest conversations with my patients to realize how they really eat and not make excuses anymore. However, I’m not going to judge patients or be upset with them, because I know it’s not easy.”

To minimize the risk of comorbidities and death, Lone Star Circle of Care physicians advise their patients on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Equipped with the knowledge and tools to steer patients on the right track, these primary care doctors are able to guide patients to the right regimen for them.

“A lot of people in the outside world make you believe you have to be a certain way and look a certain way. With my patients, I try to encourage and remind them [that] not everyone will be a size zero,” Dr. Latta said. “ ... You don’t exercise to be skinny, you exercise to be healthy. You don’t eat well to be skinny, you eat well to be healthy.”

When setting New Year's resolutions, Dr. Latta said it is important to focus on one’s health rather than aiming for a certain number on the scale. She said goals like drinking less soda, eating less candy or processed foods, and trying to improve sugar or cholesterol levels are more positive objectives.

“Make it a goal that you can actually set and reach. You shouldn’t be trying to lose 15 pounds a month, more like four to five at most—maybe not even that,” Dr. Latta said. “Sometimes it isn’t even about weight loss. It’s the change in your body that you feel.”

Health and wellness journeys look different for each individual. Dr. Latta said the most important factors are making realistic goals, holding oneself accountable and focusing on health and happiness over opinions and outside influences.

“People and the world, including family and friends, expect you to be a certain way, a certain size, and it’s not going to be that way for everybody. People’s bodies are different,” Dr. Latta said.

Many ideals surrounding weight loss are clouded with myths: there is not enough time to exercise, eating healthy food is too difficult and nutritionists and physical trainers are too expensive. Dr. Latta said focusing on what can be done is more helpful, and making a plan with a primary care physician at Lone Star Circle of Care is a great solution.

“I’ve even encouraged people to go back to ‘Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ to the Oldies’ because it’s a lot less on your body, but it gets you moving,” Dr. Latta said. “Instead of just saying ‘I can’t’ all the time, let’s see where we can ... Not everyone is going to be at the gym every day. It may be just once a week, but it’s better than nothing. It may be every two weeks. It just depends on where you can fit it.”

Lone Star Circle of Care was recently a part of the pilot program for Nutri, a new artificial intelligence system designed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. Its user experience is integrated with the patients’ electronic health records to help doctors and patients set personalized goals and track progress between visits.

“They can see where they’re doing well and where they can make improvements with their amount of proteins, fats, carbs and decrease [or] increase [accordingly],” Dr. Latta said. “They can follow along with us in a way that other programs don’t allow.”

With Nutri, doctors are able to communicate with their patients throughout the process, give recommendations and follow along as their condition changes. Different from other programs, the expert with the most knowledge on a patients’ individual health is involved.

“I think what makes it a success is the combination of patient and doctor. Other programs may have doctors, but I mean your doctor. Your primary care physician, not just a doctor,” Dr. Latta said.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home and staying indoors has been routine for many people. As a result, lifestyles have become more sedentary, leading patients to miss annual visits or be reluctant to return to in-person appointments. For those who have health concerns, Dr. Latta said her biggest worry is how quickly someone’s health can decline.

“I’ve had patients change in a matter of six months. They were fine, and then they were diabetic because [they] weren’t paying attention to what they were eating and doing and boom—they change quickly,” Dr. Latta said. “That’s why I try to do at least an every six month checkup.”

Lone Star Circle of Care clinics offer virtual visits, so patients can see their primary care physician from the comfort of their own home or anywhere else. Dr. Latta encourages anyone who is not on a routine of seeing their doctor to book an in-person appointment or consider the telemedicine option.

Interested in learning more about Lone Star Circle of Care, or ready to book your appointment? Head to lonestarcares.org to find out more about how its physicians can help you kickstart your health and fitness journey.

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