Would you trust a mechanic who works on cars without looking under the hood and/or performing a complete diagnostic test?
Well, trusting a weight loss solution from someone who doesn’t know you personally – no matter what type of medication, diet, or exercise plan it includes – is essentially the same thing.
That’s because each human body and every life experience is incredibly unique. And without accounting for how someone lives and their overall health, including their mental health, you’re going to have a very hard time creating and sticking to a long-lasting solution for weight loss.
That’s why the providers at Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Weight Management take the time to get to know each patient. By learning the details of how their patients live – including their stressors, medical conditions, medications, diet, exercise regimens, and more – Center for Weight Management staff can craft a personalized approach that is much more likely to produce both short and long term success, while also making weight loss as enjoyable as possible for the patient.
“Every time we meet a patient, we sit and listen to their story. That means we ask them about their lifestyle, health, environment, diet, and more. We also make sure to talk about what they’ve already tried and what hasn’t worked,” said Center for Weight Management medical weight loss provider Mercedes Hall FNP-C. “We do this because we have a lot of tools we can use, but if we don’t know the patient as best as we can, we can’t use the best tools for the job.”
For instance, if a provider only talks to a patient about what they eat and their exercise habits but doesn’t learn that said patient is taking a specific prescription, their weight loss solution – even one created by a weight loss professional – may not make a real difference.
That is why Center for Weight Management staff get to know everything they can about each individual that they treat.
“Every weight loss journey is unique to the patient,” Mercedes said. “For some people, food is tied to emotional habits or coping mechanisms that can make healthy changes more challenging. In those cases, we may refer patients to counselors who specialize in supporting behavioral and lifestyle changes.”
It is just one aspect of a holistic approach at the Center for Weight Management – one that produces real and lasting results for patients who face a wide range of weight loss needs.
“The key is to build on healthy habits that will make a difference over the long term,” Mercedes said.
Longstreet Clinic providers have access to all the weight-loss tools in the toolbelt – from medications, to nutrition counseling, meal replacements, GLP-1s, and even surgical options. They are only influenced by what is right for the patient and their circumstances- not by the options they have available. They also have access to the latest approaches, including measuring In-Body Composition – which most accurately measures body fat percentage, levels of visceral fat, and muscle mass.
“Understanding the complete composition of the body is a key component of determining the best weight loss solutions,” said Center for Weight Management’s medical weight loss provider Oteia Keion Morris FNP-C. “That way we can keep tabs on someone’s weight loss and make sure that they’re losing fat without losing muscle mass.”
It’s also important for providers at the Center for Weight Management to keep patients in the right mindset – that weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint – and that solutions are designed to address their total health.
“We get a lot of patients that have tried a lot of things and are really frustrated,” Oteia said. “A lot of these patients are dealing with a really high body mass index (BMI) of 35 or over and are also developing what we call comorbidities – such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and diabetes – and it’s not because they haven’t tried. A lot of times they may have even had initial success with a diet plan but then gained weight back and then some.”
In these cases, providers may refer a patient to one of the surgeons in our practice for a more aggressive solution – such as weight loss surgery. Or they may determine that weight loss medications, such as GLP-1s offer a meaningful route to better health. But whatever they decide, they do it in full concert with the patient- a true partnership.
“These are decisions that we make together with our patients. We don’t make choices for them and send them away; we work together,” Mercedes said. “It’s another way that we can help produce better results long term.”
It is the same approach they use with patients who are trying to lose a stubborn 10-15 pounds – another common complaint that Center for Weight Management providers encounter.
“We have a wide variety of patients, and the good news is that we have a wide variety of solutions – all we have to do is get to know them and we can work together to find a solution,” Mercedes said.
No matter if you have tried weight loss solutions without sustained success, or you believe that it’s time to do something about your weight, please contact the caring providers at the Center for Weight Management. They will take the time to get to know you and craft a solution that not only works but works for your lifestyle and health goals.
Call us today at 770-534-0110 or toll-free at 877-921-0110 – or visit our website to learn more.
