For many the path to permanent weight loss is a struggle wrought with discouraging setbacks made all the more difficult by how isolative it feels. However Smart for Life — a comprehensive lifestyle management center and diet food provider — has been making believers out of their clientele for years.
Founded by emergency room physician Dr. Sasson Movlavi, the service offers a full line of specialty foods, medical assistance and lifestyle programs to ensure a client’s success, not only in shedding unwanted pounds, but keeping them off for good.
Among those positively affected by the program are center director Rey de Oca and his wife, Myra, whose almost five-decade success in the program inspired their personal investment in the company.
This year they are celebrating their fifth anniversary as owners and operators of Smart for Life’s location in Kendall.
“If you go along with our easy-to-follow guidelines, you can lose up to 20 pounds in one month,” Montes de Oca said.
Smart for Life’s marquee product is their great tasting low-calorie cookies which, when eaten with a glass of water, can eliminate hunger between full meals. The cookies contain a nutrient-dense combination of lean protein, whole wheat, flaxseed, omega 3 fatty acids, fruit, milk, egg whites and triple-filtered water and come in multiple flavors including chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and blueberry.
The best part is they are only 100-200 calories each. Smart for Life has a high success rate for all types of clients, from those looking to lose between 10 and 15 pounds to patients whose wellness depends on whether or not they are able to shed a much more substantial amount of weight. The secret, according to Montes de Oca, is their personal approach.
“Because we meet with patients on a weekly basis, we can tell almost immediately if they’re not doing well and identify what the problem is, whether it’s improper eating, lack of sleep, insulin resistance, thyroid problems or anything else,” he said. “We have a very small staff, so patients become comfortable easily.”
Several services are available to patients at the center, including Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) injections, which use a natural hormone released during pregnancy that causes the body to absorb nutrients from fat cells, in-depth blood work and electrocardiograms (EKGs), a full inventory of vitamins and appetite suppressants, and Botox filler injections.
Because they also are a licensed pharmacy, prescriptions written by their in-house board-certified bariatric medical doctor, Dr. Richard Kowalski, can be filled on-site.
“It’s easy to get motivated here,” Montes de Oca said. “When you’re losing multiple pounds a week, your blood work starts coming back better and you feel healthier, better looking and more confident than you have for as long as you can remember, you know you’re on the right track.”
Smart for Life is located at 7800 SW 87 Ave., Suite B250. For more information, call 305-270-0576 or visit smartforlife.com/south-miami.
