Medical Weight Loss Management Specialist Q&A

A weight loss clinic helps people lose weight and learn strategies and approaches for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Medical weight loss clinics focus on plans that involve diet, exercise and supplements, and are overseen by a physician.

During your initial visit to a medical weight loss clinic, you will have a consultation with the provider where they may:

– Take a medical history, including nutrition, exercise, and history of weight loss.
– Do a physical exam, including calculating your BMI and measuring waist circumference and blood pressure
– Look at any obesity-related health problems
– Look for other medical problems that might cause weight gain
– Look at how ready you are to start an exercise program
– Find out if you need tests
– Help you make realistic weight loss goals
– Give you a nutrition plan
– Tell you to keep a food diary
– Find out if you need a weight-loss medicine

You should also get information about:

– Healthy eating habits
– Healthy exercise habits
– How to change health behaviors
– How mental health affects obesity
– Complications of obesity
– Benefits and risks of medicines

A variety of tests may be required to check aspects related to your obesity, such as:

– Tests for diabetes, such as fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c
– Lipid and cholesterol levels
– Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels
– Liver blood tests
– Kidney function blood tests
– Vitamin D levels

After the initial consultation you will be given a weight loss program that is customized for you; every patient is different, so a standardized approach won’t fit everyone. At each follow-up visit your progress will be assessed, and any necessary changes made to your treatment. Your provider will provide support and guidance and will talk through any issues that you encounter along the way.

When we say “medical weight loss” some people may think of liposuction or gastric bypass surgery, but that is very far from the case. Medical weight loss refers to a program of diet, fitness, and healthy lifestyle changes overseen by a physician. These programs generally take a multi-pronged approach, combining diet, physical exercise, and behavior therapy and often include comprehensive metabolic testing and medical diagnostics to monitor any physiological changes that may take place during the course of the program.

Some weight loss clinics may focus on a low-calorie diet or meal replacement plan while others may concentrate on helping their patients lose one to two pounds a week with gradual dietary changes and low-impact exercises like walking. The program is personalized for the individual patient and will depend on their weight, diet, exercise and medical history.

At Beckley Internal Medicine we are here to help you manage life’s more challenging situations – and weight loss is right up there on the list for many people. If you have tried and failed with other approaches, talk to our caring and compassionate team who will help you to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle for long-term, optimal benefits. We are located in Beckley WV and serve patients from the surrounding areas. Call or book an appointment online – we look forward to meeting you! We serve patients from Beckley WV, Stanaford WV, Lester WV, Baylor WV, Bradley WV, and Beaver WV.