Marcus Spurlock, M.D., medical director of Renewed Vitality, realizes that Losing weight and keeping it off can be a frustrating process, especially when we feel we are doing everything we can to achieve results. Medical causes such as thyroid issues, hormonal imbalances or Candida in the intestinal tract can often be the culprits behind why we cannot drop the pounds.

Renewed Vitality is an integrative and holistic medical clinic with locations in Dallas and Irving, offering a cutting-edge, yet commonsense plan that includes in-depth lab testing; counseling and support from staff; a five-phase diet plan; and natural hormonal therapy that helps burn fat. Spurlock has created a medically supervised weight-loss plan to help people get to the root causes behind weight-loss problems.

“Our diet is unique because it is not a calorie counting diet or a fad diet,” says Will Rickett, business director of Renewed Vitality. “When someone is on a calorie counting diet and starts eating less, the body’s natural reaction to that is to think there’s a famine, and the body goes into a fat-saving mode, which lowers metabolism.”

When patients come to Renewed Vitality to begin the weight loss plan, Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Cone conducts a comprehensive, hour-long visit that includes a health history review, discussion of health goals and a physical exam. She determines what lab work needs to be done for each patient, which includes extensive testing for six thyroid hormones that goes much deeper than the conventional single-thyroid TSH test.

New patients are instructed for 30 minutes in how to achieve weight loss, and the full medical workup creates an individualized approach. Rickett notes that this gives a clear picture of metabolic function and root causes behind why a person is having difficulty losing weight.

Patients then begin a five-phase diet plan with detoxification. It includes coaching and support from the staff, diet and lifestyle education, and cooking classes led by Spurlock in Renewed Vitality’s own gourmet kitchen. He has also crafted a cookbook with more than 200 recipes for nutritious, satisfying meals which are all gluten-free.

Another unique component of the Renewed Vitality diet is human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) cream. The fat-burning aspect of HCG was discovered in the 1930s by British endocrinologist Dr. Albert T.W. Simeons. While there are other HCG-based diets available, Rickett says those typically require daily shots, but Renewed Vitality has partnered with Abrams Royal Pharmacy to develop an effective HCG cream that is simply applied to the wrists once daily. The first phase of the diet is the loading phase. “You actually train the HCG to go after fat, so for the first three days, you eat a diet rich in good fats,” he explains.

Phases two and three involve eating a low-calorie diet and continued use of the HCG cream. Patients return to the clinic after three weeks for follow-up, review of their lab results and a full diagnosis and treatment plan. Phases four and five involve gradually returning to a regular diet while practicing positive lifestyle changes.

Renewed Vitality does not guarantee specific weight loss results, but Rickett reports that typical results are 20 to 35 pounds lost over a six-week period.

Renewed Vitality is located at 9535 Forest Ln., Ste. 100, in Dallas, and 440 W. LBJ, Las Colinas, in Irving. For more information, call 214-389-1234 or visit RenewedVitalityMD.com.

Sheila Julson is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.