Medical Weight Loss
As we age, loss of muscle mass, metabolic changes, and hormonal shifts often lead to weight gain. And these unwanted pounds seem to be increasingly difficult to get off.
Weight loss and maintaining it are not merely a product of eating less and willpower. It's about understanding this complex issue and gaining the information and tools needed to succeed. We have worked with countless patients over the years - helping them adopt key strategies, tools, and lifestyle changes that empower them to take the weight off - and keep it off.
We offer a medically-guided approach that addresses medication options and four pillars of sustainable weight loss: food, sleep, emotional wellness, and exercise.
BMI Values for Women and Men 18 and Older
Underweight < 18.5
Normal weight 18.5–24.9
Overweight 25–29.9
Obesity > 30
FOUR PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT LOSS
Food
We promote evidence-based diets that feel sustainable for patients and their lifestyles, finding ways to help them eat more mindfully with a focus on nutrition and avoiding fast-digesting carbs. Our philosophy is to encourage patients to eat high-quality, nutrient-dense foods that help them feel satisfied and more in control of what they consume.
Sleep
Poor sleep contributes to hormonal changes that promote weight gain, increased appetite, and carbohydrate and sugar cravings. Namely, lack of sleep leads to the dysregulation of cortisol - the stress hormone that can impact food cravings, appetite, and the way fat is stored.
Emotional Wellness
High levels of stress cause hormone changes that contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain, especially around the midsection. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits and coping tools to manage stress is essential to sustaining a healthy weight. We promote science-backed methods to reduce stress.
Exercise
Studies have suggested that patients who exercise have an easier time sustaining weight loss. It’s difficult to out-exercise a bad diet, however, the benefits of exercise are profound - extending far beyond calorie burning, enhancing mood, modulating stress hormones, maintaining muscle mass for better metabolism, moderating inflammation, and preventing dementia.
UNDERSTANDING WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS - SEMAGLUTIDE, OZEMPIC, AND OTHERS
The most common medication we utilize in the clinic is Semaglutide (also known as Ozempic and Wegovy), a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that is injected at home. Among several significant health benefits, Semaglutide reduces food cravings and is clinically proven to reduce body weight.
Semaglutide, Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Mounjaro
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rebelsus all contain the same active ingredient, Semaglutide. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, these medications are safe and highly effective for weight loss and management. These medications work on hunger and satiety signaling and seem to have some metabolic benefits. These medications can make dietary interventions easier to follow and seem to have some effect on the utilization of stored fat. Mounjaro is a newer medication in a similar category but is technically considered a GLP-1 and a GIP (gastric-inhibitory polypeptide).
These medications have been shown in clinical trials to be very effective for weight loss. When managing patients on Semaglutide, our target is for patients to aim for approximately one to two pounds of weight loss each week, with some patients losing more rapidly in the beginning.
Read More About GLP-1 Medications →
Read Our Weight Loss Medication Overview →
ALTERNATIVE MEDICATIONS TO OZEMPIC OR WEGOVY
While it seems that GLP1s like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Monjauro are shaping up to be the gold standard for weight loss medications, historically, other medications show some efficacy for weight loss. Occasionally, we prescribe medications such as Contrave, Bupropion, Metformin, Naltrexone, and Topiramate.