Medical Weight Loss Clinic
A Program to Safely and Successfully Achieve Weight Loss
At Glacial Ridge Health System, we offer a comprehensive, medically supervised weight loss program designed to help you lose weight and maximize your well-being.
Our medical weight loss program is safe, effective, and affordable. It differs from other ways to lose weight because it is clinically supervised and medically supported by our experienced providers, who utilize a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to losing weight.
Our team is committed to providing personal, individualized, lifelong care to help patients with their weight management needs. Losing weight and keeping it off requires lifestyle changes that will begin with your initial visit. We will be with you every step of the way to provide encouragement, education, and ongoing support for your weight management.
We also offer post-bariatric surgery follow-up care to all patients after one year.
Determining if a medically supervised weight loss program is right for you requires complete knowledge of all your options and in-depth discussions with your physician and bariatrician.
The Medical Weight Loss Clinic is a safe and aggressive approach to weight loss. It is an entirely physician-supervised program that emphasizes safety, the use of medication for hunger control (if indicated), a healthy diet, and lifestyle changes.
The dietary instruction focuses on controlling carbohydrates with an adequate intake of proteins. Protein, which forms the major building block of the body, is also used as an energy source and satisfies us better than carbohydrates or fats. By controlling the carbohydrates in our diet (rice, bread, wheat, pasta), our body will start using more excess fat as an energy source.
Exercise should be a fun and sustainable activity. It is an integral part of weight loss, especially during the maintenance phase.
This program is three-phase, with the first phase involving active weight loss, followed by the transitional phase, and once adequate weight loss is achieved, the maintenance phase.
Getting to Know You
At this first visit, Dr. Montenegro will discuss with you your health-related concerns, weight loss goals, and expectations. You will learn about the medically supervised weight loss program and how it can help you meet your goals for better health.
Weight Loss Clinic Patient Handbook
In this handbook, you will find thorough information about the program:
- Phases of Treatment Program
- Behavior Modification
- Take-Home Lessons
- Nutritional requirements for the body
- A handy food list
- Plus, inspiration to keep you on your weight loss journey
Tests Included in Your Initial Exam
Dr. Montenegro only orders the blood tests that he feels absolutely necessary. Most biochemical roots of being overweight and obese are commonly known and can generally be ascertained through blood screening. Identification of underlying causes and targeted treatment are hallmarks of a successful weight loss program.
Depending on risk factors, an EKG may also be needed for those with a diagnosis of heart disease, diabetes, early hypertension, or those on medications for hypertension, or who have a history of blackouts or seizures.
Medications
Medications themselves can cause weight gain. Dr. Montenegro will review your medications and make any appropriate recommendations to your primary care provider for alternative medications which do not have the propensity to lead to weight gain.
As part of a comprehensive total weight control program, hunger control medicines may be prescribed. We use three main appetite suppressants that have a long track record of being used effectively by many doctors. These medicines increase levels of neurotransmitters, telling the brain that hunger is satisfied. We also use insulin assistance medications to help insulin effectively move sugar into the bloodstream.
Following Your Progress
We encourage regular follow-up like other illnesses. Monitoring a patient active in a weight loss program is essential. The rate and amount of weight loss, vital signs, percent body fat and percent lean tissue, emotional stability, and biochemical health must all be considered as a patient is losing weight.
Training patients for weight loss maintenance begins on the very first visit. Dr. Montenegro will establish with you, weight guidelines to help you be prepared for relapses in your weight. All patients have a safety plan and know when to return to the office.
Patients that fall out of the program for whatever reason are contacted by Dr. Montenegro’s nurse on a reasonable basis for encouragement in maintaining their weight loss or are invited to return to the office for additional bariatric care.
Additional Information on Weight Loss and Online Tools
- SparkPeople (www.sparkpeople.com)
- FitDay (www.fitday.com)
- MyFitnessPal (www.myfitnesspal.com)
- LIVESTRONG (www.livestrong.com)
- Calorie-count.com (www.caloriecount.about.com)
- USDA’s SuperTracker (www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker)
Related News
- Can Sleeping – Cold – Help You Lose Weight? Video (WebMD.com)
- New Study Shows How Junk Food Diets Prompt Laziness (MedicalNewsToday.com)
- Why Obese People Don’t Lose Much Weight When They Diet (WAtoday.com.au)
- Have a Guilt-Free Thanksgiving (or Any Holiday Meal) (Dr. Montenegro, M.D., ABOM, Glacial Ridge Health System)
Motivation and Tips
- 55 Things the Scale Won’t Tell You (Spark People)
- Resolve to Succeed: 7 Lessons Taught in Medical Weight-Loss (Dr. Montenegro, M.D., ABOM, Glacial Ridge Health System)
- What does 30-35 grams of protein look like? (Glacial Ridge Wellness Center)
- 5 Tips to Resurrect Your Weight Loss Resolution and Succeed (Dr. Montenegro, M.D., ABOM, Glacial Ridge Health System)
If you’re ready to take the next step and learn more or would like to schedule a consult with Dr. Montenegro for the Medical Weight Loss Clinic, contact us. We look forward to discussing this safe but aggressive weight-loss option without surgery for a healthier you.
Call 320.634.5157 to reach our certified Medical Weight Loss Clinic at Glenwood Medical Center.
