Weight Loss Specialists: Are They Worth It? A Case Study Part 1

Most of my blog posts are general nutrition and health information, but this time I decided to shake it up a bit and be completely real and vulnerable with you. This was inspired by a patient that I saw this week, but this patient could have been many I have seen up to this point. This patient's story, like so many others, is a big reason that I started Balanced Life and am passionate about education and personalized care (which my patients can vouch for).

A person adjusts the weights on a mechanical scale to accurately measure their weight.

This patient, let's call them Z, came to me after taking their first dose of a GLP-1 agonist yesterday. They were prescribed this medication by their primary care provider and they were very excited to get started with their health journey. This patient had quite a bit of weight gain after a surgical procedure that affected their hormones and hadn't had any success with losing the weight even with replacement of those hormones.

So what's the problem? Z sounds like a perfect candidate for a GLP-1 agonist, and they are. Except, Z was not given any guidance about how to take care of their body on this medication other than "Inject once per week". When they arrived at my clinic they had severe fatigue, mental fog, racing heart, and just felt off. This is where most people would blame the medication and tell the patient to stop.

After examining Z and making sure that they did not have anything going on that necessitated a trip to the emergency room, I spent some time talking to them about their experience. Z did not have any idea what a macro was, had barely eaten because their appetite was so low, and hadn't drank any water up to that point. They thought that they were doing what they were supposed to because "Wasn't the GLP-1 agonist supposed to take away my appetite?" Half a pack of peanut butter crackers and 16 oz of water later, Z was feeling better, less mental fog and fatigue and their heart rate had returned to normal. Bonus tip #1: dehydration can make your heart race. Bonus tip #2: if you don't feed your brain, it won't work as well.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Z could be one of many patients that I have seen. This is why I specialize in wellness first, weight loss second. GLP-1 agonists are often seen as a "magic cure" and people often have unrealistic expectations regarding their use. I have heard about people on social media who lost 50 lb in 3 months and patients wondering why they are not losing weight that quickly. All the social media influencer had to do was take "the shot". Flip side: these people now look sunken (a little like raisins), are malnourished, and have less hair and muscle mass than when they started. I bet you can picture someone right now who fits that description. All because they did not have a specialized provider who taught them how to listen to their body, prioritize their health, and lose the weight sustainably as well as adjusting the dosage appropriately and microdosing (giving smaller doses, going slower) if needed.

So are weight loss specialists worth it? What do you think? Need more information?

Join me for part two: coming tomorrow!

The information contained in this article was reviewed and approved by the executive medical board of Balanced Life Health and Wellness, LLC.