Losing weight can feel like an uphill task, especially if you’ve tried dieting and exercise without lasting results. If you’re overwhelmed by the process, medical weight loss may be the solution you’re lacking. Unlike fad diets or over-the-counter supplements, medical weight loss offers a personalized, science-backed approach guided by healthcare professionals.
But what happens during your first consultation? What should you bring? And how can you prepare for the best results? This post will walk you through everything you need to know, from how to prepare to what happens during the appointment and how our weight loss clinic can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
What Is Medical Weight Loss?
Medical weight loss is a healthcare professional-supervised approach to losing weight. This approach goes beyond simply counting calories or hitting the gym. It combines evidence-based techniques, such as personalized meal plans, behavioral counseling, prescription medications, and sometimes non-surgical procedures to help you lose weight and keep it off.
Medical weight loss programs are especially beneficial for people who have struggled to lose weight on their own, have underlying health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, or need an organized, supportive environment to stay on track.
While weight loss through exercise and calorie counting can be effective, not everyone benefits. Medical weight loss goes further by determining why it’s challenging to lose weight and maintain it. Working with a medical specialist on your fitness and health goals can help you better understand your body, treat any issues limiting your success, and monitor your progress.
Your healthcare professional can provide ongoing guidance and support and adjust your treatment depending on your results.
How to Prepare for Your First Consultation
Before meeting your healthcare provider, it’s important to be prepared to maximize your time and help the medical staff develop a personalized plan.
Get important information about your medical history, such as chronic illnesses, surgeries, and current prescriptions. Share details about prior weight loss attempts so your provider can better understand your condition and customize the program to meet your goals. Consider your goals for shedding pounds and why you want to achieve them. Being specific with your goals will help your provider customize a plan that aligns with your goals.
During your consultation, you’ll discuss your daily lifestyle, workout routine, and eating habits. Even if your habits aren’t the best, be honest about them. Such information is essential for creating a weight loss strategy that is both practical and long-lasting. If you have any questions about the program, like what to expect, when to see results, and the types of support available, write them down. Asking questions on your first visit will help you feel more confident and secure about the program.
Starting a weight loss program with NP2GO involves adjusting your diet, exercise routine, lifestyle, and prescription medications. Your willingness to follow the plan and recommendations will give you success.
Besides the medication you’re currently taking, remember to bring a list of all the vitamins, herbal treatments, and over-the-counter supplements you are taking. Your provider has to know everything you’re taking because some supplements can interfere with weight loss drugs or alter your metabolism.
What to Expect from Your First Medical Weight Loss Consultation
During your first medical weight loss consultation, expect a comprehensive health evaluation, a review of your weight loss history, an assessment of your daily lifestyle (exercise, sleep, eating habits, stress), a personalized treatment plan, prescription medications, and diet and lifestyle recommendations. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what happens during your first visit:
Comprehensive health evaluation
Our healthcare provider will begin by reviewing your medical history, current medications, and past weight loss struggles. They will evaluate any existing and past health conditions. Some medical issues, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and even the start of menopause or perimenopause, are linked to weight gain.
Other conditions, like hormonal imbalances, metabolic conditions, or lifestyle habits, can also impact your weight. Examining these can help create a more personalized plan.
Some medications, like antidepressants, steroids, or birth control, can also cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight. Your provider needs to know what you’re taking to adjust your plan.
Our healthcare provider will also want to know about your family history of obesity or related health problems. Genetics can play a role in weight management and increase your risk for certain conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes. Evaluating your family history will help your provider assess your risk factors and tailor a plan that addresses potential hereditary challenges.
Ensure you’re honest with your medical history so your provider can create a weight loss plan unique to your needs, challenges, and goals.
We will also give you a physical exam, which includes your current weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and blood pressure.
A review of your lifestyle
We will also conduct a detailed review of your lifestyle to understand how daily habits affect your weight. If the cause of your weight gain or failure to shed weight is unclear, we can identify an element in your diet contributing to your weight gain.
We will ask about your daily diet, meal timing, portion sizes, and food choices. We may also assess your caloric intake vs. energy expenditure and emotional eating patterns such as stress or binge eating.
Our provider will also want to know about your current exercise routine or lack. If you’re sedentary, we may recommend gradual activity increases suited to your fitness level. If you’re an active individual, we may suggest tweaks to optimize fat loss and muscle retention.
Lab tests
Our provider may order blood tests to check potential causes of weight gain. This blood test for weight loss measures the comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test, cholesterol and lipid panel, and other metabolic indicators.
These important hormones and metabolic markers may help you and your healthcare provider determine your metabolism’s efficiency. This could be crucial in determining how your weight may affect your overall metabolic health and whether using weight loss medications is safe.
Lab tests can also determine the type of weight loss medication and lifestyle adjustments that may be most effective for your body.
Personalized treatment plan
Based on the information gathered, your provider will create a customized plan that works for your lifestyle. The plan may include:
- A nutrition plan tailored to your dietary preferences and needs.
- An exercise routine that fits your fitness level and lifestyle.
- Behavioral strategies to address emotional eating or stress.
- Weight loss medications or supplements, if necessary, to support your efforts.
Prescription medications
Our provider may recommend FDA-approved medications during your consultation to help regulate appetite, metabolism, or blood sugar levels. These medications work by mimicking natural hormones that control hunger and blood sugar. They slow digestion, helping you feel full longer and reducing overall calorie intake. Common options include GLP-1 receptor agonists like:
- Wegovy (semaglutide). An FDA-approved for chronic weight management, it helps with appetite control and blood sugar regulation.
- Ozempic (semaglutide). It’s mainly approved for diabetes but can be prescribed off-label for weight loss.
- Zepbound (tirzepatide). This newer option targets GLP-1 and GIP receptors, promoting more weight loss effects.
You can also be prescribed phentermine, a stimulant that suppresses appetite, often used in short-term weight loss plans.
Exercise guidance
Our providers help you create workout goals that suit your current fitness level and that you can use at home, in the community, or at your local gym. We know how challenging it can be to add exercise to your busy schedule, so we offer guidance that makes physical activity enjoyable and, thus, easy for you to maintain a healthy habit.
Follow up with your provider
After your first consultation, you will need regular follow-up check-ins with our provider to monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed. These appointments may be weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on your program.
During follow-ups, we will track your weight loss and body measurements, review any challenges or successes you’ve experienced, and adjust your plan based on your progress and feedback.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor on Your First Medical Weight Loss Consultation
When visiting a medical weight loss doctor for the first time, you may have many questions and be unsure about what to ask and what not to. Here are questions to ask your doctor that will help you build a strong doctor-patient relationship:
- What does a weight loss plan look like in your program?
- Will my plan include a specific diet, exercise routine, or other lifestyle changes?
- How much weight should I lose?
- How much weight can I expect to lose each week or month?
- What should I do if I hit a plateau?
- What happens if my weight loss treatment plan does not work?
- Are prescription medications or supplements an option for me?
- What are the potential side effects of these medications?
- How will my existing health conditions affect my weight loss plan? How will we address them?
- How much will each consultation and treatment cost?
- Does your clinic offer affordable payment plans or accept HSA/FSA?
- Will I need ongoing follow-ups, and how frequently?
- Can I contact you between appointments if I have concerns?
- Are there any weight loss support groups or online resources you recommend?
Schedule Your Medical Weight Loss with NP2GO
Your first medical weight loss consultation is more than just an appointment—it’s the start of a transformative journey toward better health, confidence, and well-being. Knowing what to expect, preparing for your visit, and asking the right questions sets you up for success. With the guidance of experienced healthcare professionals, a personalized plan tailored to your needs, and ongoing support, achieving your weight loss goals is within reach.
At NP2GO, we’re committed to helping you every step of the way. You can meet with our team of licensed, board-certified healthcare providers through virtual visits to discuss your weight loss needs. We provide compassionate care and evidence-based strategies to help you reach your goals safely and effectively. Whether you want to lose a few pounds or make a huge lifestyle change, we’re here to support you.
Schedule your medical weight loss consultation with NP2GO today and discover how we can help you achieve lasting results.