Scheduling a weight loss consultation with an obesity medicine specialist is an important first step in your health journey. But you may feel nervous about what to expect.
This guide will walk you through the typical structure of these appointments so you can enter your first meeting feeling prepared and empowered.
A Customized Evaluation of Your Health
An obesity medicine doctor will conduct a comprehensive health evaluation at your initial consultation.
They need to understand the full picture of your medical history, lifestyle habits, struggles with weight management, and more. This enables them to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
You can expect them to:
● Ask questions about your health conditions, family history, previous attempts at weight loss, eating patterns, activity levels, sleep habits, mood, and relationship with food
● Conduct lab tests to assess cardiac risk factors, hormone levels, vitamin deficiencies, blood sugar control, liver health, and more
● Evaluate your heart health with tests like an EKG, especially if you have risk factors
● Assess your body composition including your muscle mass, fat mass, bone density, and water percentage
● Calculate your metabolic rate to understand how many calories you burn daily at rest
The in-depth review allows them to pinpoint the key drivers behind your weight gain and optimize every aspect of your treatment plan.
Setting Appropriate Weight Loss Goals
Rather than focusing solely on the number on the scale, your doctor will help you identify health-focused weight loss goals based on your unique needs.
Common goals include improvements in:
● Blood sugar levels
● Cholesterol and triglycerides
● Liver health
● Joint pain
● Energy levels
● Fertility
● Sleep apnea
● And more
Setting both short and long-term milestones tied to enhanced health can increase your motivation on your weight loss journey.
Your doctor understands that crash diets rarely lead to lasting change. So they'll guide you toward safer, more sustainable fat loss of about 1-2 lbs per week.
Receiving Expert Support for Behavior Change
Since obesity is a chronic disease, your doctor will provide coaching and resources to promote healthy behavior changes for a lifetime – not just a few months.
During your appointment, ask them to help you with:
Nutrition:
● Meal planning
● Strategies to control emotional or stress-related eating
● Tips for dining out and social gatherings
● Accountability for food journals
Physical activity:
● Finding workouts you enjoy
● Incorporating more movement into your day
● Addressing chronic pain or injuries hindering activity
Tracking activity with pedometers or fitness trackers
Stress management:
● Prioritizing self-care
● Developing healthy coping outlets
● Exploring counseling or support groups
Sleep health:
● Identifying sleep disruptors like apnea
● Creating an optimal sleep environment
● Trying sleep-promoting supplements like melatonin
With empathetic, judgment-free support, you can replace old habits with sustainable lifestyle changes.
Personalized Medical Weight Loss Treatments
In addition to counseling on nutrition and fitness, your obesity medicine specialist may recommend medical therapies to enhance your ability to lose weight and reduce obesity-related health risks.
Possible medical treatments include:
● Anti-obesity medications to suppress appetite, reduce fat absorption, or increase metabolism
● GLP-1 agonists to improve satiety and control blood sugar
● Vitamin injections to correct nutritional deficiencies hindering weight loss
● Hormone optimization to correct imbalances in hormones like thyroid, cortisol or sex hormones
● Gut health supplements to improve digestion, reduce inflammation and balance gut microbes
Your doctor will determine which options are appropriate for you based on your lab results, health profile, risk factors and more.
Treatment | How It Works | Who It May Help |
Anti-obesity meds | Reduce appetite, block fat absorption from foods, increase metabolism | Those struggling with hunger/cravings, binge eating, emotional eating, or metabolic issues |
GLP-1 agonists | Improve satiety, regulate blood sugar | People with obesity and type 2 diabetes |
Vitamin Injections | Correct nutritional deficiencies hindering weight loss | Those with low iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D or other deficiencies |
Hormone optimization | Correct imbalances in thyroid, cortisol or sex hormones | People with hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism, PCOS, low testosterone |
Gut health supplements | Reduce inflammation, improve digestion, balance gut bacteria | Those with digestive issues, autoimmune disease, leaky gut syndrome |
Ongoing Support and Accountability
At your initial appointment, ask your obesity medicine doctor about their process for providing ongoing accountability and support.
Many offer continued access between visits through:
● Follow-up phone calls and emails: Check in on your progress, adjust medications, and answer questions
● Text messaging: Receive reminders about treatment plans, notification of lab results, and encouragement
● Web portals and apps: Log food, activity, sleep and biometric data for your doctor to review
● Group seminars: Attend classes on topics like mindful eating, meal prep or stress management
You’ll also schedule follow-up appointments to track your advancement, celebrate wins, modify your treatment plan as needed, and troubleshoot any struggles you encounter.
Having continuous access to your obesity medicine specialist sets you up for sustainable, lifelong success.
One Step Closer to Improved Health
As you prepare for your obesity medicine consultation, you can expect a highly trained specialist to conduct an in-depth review of your health, establish appropriate weight loss goals, provide counseling on lifestyle changes, prescribe personalized medical treatments, and offer ongoing support.
Approaching your first appointment with knowledge of what to expect alleviates anxiety and equips you to ask the right questions.
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