Let your thin self come out!” is the slogan and certainly the mantra of Dr. Emilia (Emmey) Ripoll and the rest of the staff at Rocky Mountain Center for Advanced Medicine (RMCAM). The Center’s HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotophin) weight loss program is not your typical check in /weigh in-type of program, according to Dr. Ripoll, the inspirational leader and operator of the Center.

Dr. Ripoll believes in a multidisciplinary approach. The program the company offers includes medical doctor supervision, proper diet and exercise, acupuncture for hunger control, emotional support, and daily shots of HCG.

When you first enter the Center, you find yourself in a waiting area that is restful in color and complemented with Asian-style wall hangings. Here, you will be warmly welcomed by Dr. Ripoll.

Dr. Ripoll, who received her medical training at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, became interested in the HCG diet approach to weight loss when she herself wanted to shed a significant amount of weight. A friend suggested that she try the HCG diet approach, which has an 85% success rate, according to Dr. Ripoll. She says she believes in being proactive in achieving not just healthy weight goals, but also realizing a person’s full potential. Helping to build self-confidence goes hand in hand with getting back the life that the client once had, she adds. The benefits include increased energy levels, improved sexual drive, and reduced chronic pain. The client may even have a completely new outlook on life, Dr. Ripoll reports.

The premise of the HCG program is based on retraining the body on how to use stored fat. As Dr. Ripoll explains, the body stores fat in three different ways. The first is structural, which is like packing material around vital organs. Its purpose is to protect our bones, joints, and organs. The second type is stored as normal reserve. This is the fat that the body stores and uses on a regular basis. The third method is not normal and is equivalent to the storage of fat a bear would use when hibernating. It dates back to the time in history when we were hunters and gatherers and needed to store fat to get through the lean periods. This is fat that is not available to the body for productive use and builds up to the point of obesity.

Dr. Ripoll explains that the HCG program’s shots cause the body to use this abnormal fat first, allowing a client to lose an average of one pound per day. A person can achieve an individual weight loss goal in one treatment, which lasts about four to six weeks. At this point, the person follows a maintenance program that teaches her tools to use throughout her life to keep the weight off. If a client wants to lose more weight, the treatment can be repeated after a few weeks. Dr. Ripoll says, “If I can do this program, anyone can.” Her own experience with losing weight and the confidence and command she regained in her life are benefits she wants to share with others.

Another success story at the Center is that of Sara Mayer. Sara was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and therefore was limited as to the weight loss programs she could try. The HCG diet offered a well-rounded approach that did not interfere with her blood sugar, she says. At the end of two treatment rounds, Sara had lost 70 pounds. She has successfully kept the weight off for over two years, only fluctuating a pound or two.

As Clinical Manager, Sara is actively involved in teaching people about the program and says she enjoys this very much. She teaches clients how to give themselves shots using a small insulin-type needle. She shares that the most rewarding aspect of her job is seeing the glow on clients’ faces as they achieve their personal goals. Sara comments that her own personal weight loss has changed her life by giving her self- respect and control of her life.

Acupuncture is part of the multidisciplinary approach of the HCG weight loss program. When a client enters the program, she or he undergoes a physical exam and a series of blood tests. Once a program is defined for the individual needs of the client, it includes a very low daily caloric intake. The acupuncture helps to control cravings while teaching the body to use its stored fat, she says. This allows a person to lose the tremendous amount of weight that is sometimes necessary to achieve personal goals.

In addition to hunger control, acupuncture can also play a significant role in other aspects of the treatment. If a person has chronic pain or migraines, for example, acupuncture can be another tool to achieve control of her life.

Regular exercise plays a vital role in weight loss. The facility allows for unlimited access to their equipment, and the staff encourages clients to come as often as they want to help maintain their health while achieving their weight loss goals. Dr. Ripoll says, “Exercise with oxygen burns fat by waking up the mitochondria that helps increase energy levels.”

Another very important part of the treatment is emotional support. Dr. Ripoll explains that stress can be a factor in weight loss. The more stress we carry, the more the body interprets that as a need to store more fat. By offering clients support staff and a support system, clients have another tool for success, she says. Clients are encouraged to keep daily journals and track their own personal successes. Dr. Ripoll says the staff is very supportive and does all they can to help everyone be a success story.

Other resources available include nutritional counseling with Tom Bunn, blood and urine testing, metabolic assessments, hormonal evaluations, and diet program guidelines.

Rocky Mountain Center for Advanced Medicine can be reached at 303-565-3889. The Center is conveniently located at 3434 47th Street, Suite 101 on the southeast corner of Highway 119 and 47th Street in Boulder. Routine office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional information is available on the Web site at www.rmcam.com.