More questions about Medical Weight Loss
The most common questions are already answered on the Medical Weight Loss page. Here are the rest.
- Are there oral weight-loss options that are not stimulants?
Yes. Oral treatment is not limited to stimulant medications such as phentermine. MedFIT may also use topiramate, metformin, bupropion, na…
- Are weight-loss supplements a lower-cost version of prescription treatment?
No. A supplement marketed for weight loss is not equivalent to a prescription weight-loss medicine. Evidence varies by ingredient and pro…
- Can I eat reasonably well when I have little time to cook?
Yes. A useful meal does not have to be cooked from scratch. Simple combinations—such as a practical protein choice, vegetables or fruit, …
- Can I start MedFIT after another clinic prescribed my GLP-1?
Yes. MedFIT regularly welcomes patients who started GLP-1 treatment somewhere else.
- Can I switch from a GLP-1 injection to oral weight-loss medication?
It may be possible, depending on which treatments are medically appropriate for you. Oral medications are a real, established treatment p…
- Can I trust the body-fat percentage on my home scale?
Treat it as an estimate, not an exact measurement. A scale can measure your weight reasonably well while being much less accurate about h…
- Can MedFIT handle my primary care and weight-loss care together?
Yes. MedFIT offers both Primary Care and Medical Weight Loss, so both can be part of your care at the same practice. That can make it eas…
- Can medication-related dry mouth affect my teeth?
Yes. Persistent dry mouth can increase the risk of tooth decay because saliva helps protect your teeth. It deserves attention even when t…
- Can oral weight-loss medication help with cravings as well as hunger?
Some oral medicines can help with appetite or cravings, but the useful choice depends on what you are experiencing. Being physically hung…
- Can PCOS make weight management harder?
Yes. PCOS can involve insulin resistance and other changes that make weight management more difficult. That does not mean everyone with P…
- Can poor sleep make appetite and weight management harder?
Yes. Poor sleep can affect appetite and make everyday food and activity decisions harder. Being tired can also make it more difficult to …
- Can weight return after bariatric surgery, and does that mean the surgery failed?
Some weight can return after bariatric surgery. That does not erase the benefits you gained or mean the only explanation is lack of effor…
- Could a medicine or another health condition be contributing to my weight changes?
Yes. Medicines and health conditions can contribute to weight changes, alongside eating patterns, activity, sleep and other factors. That…
- Do I need bloodwork?
You may not need labs at all. Many patients can begin weight-loss treatment without new bloodwork. We consider your history, recent resul…
- Do I need expensive shakes or specialty foods to get more protein?
No. Ordinary foods can provide protein. Eggs, beans, lentils, yogurt, tofu and canned fish are examples; the practical choice depends on …
- Do I need to get my eating habits under control before starting weight-loss treatment?
You do not need perfect eating habits before asking for help. Appetite and difficulty sustaining changes may be part of why you are seeki…
- Do short walks and movement breaks count if I cannot manage a full workout?
Yes. Short periods of activity count, and some movement is better than none. You do not have to wait until you can complete a long workou…
- Does a lower-cost generic medication mean lower quality?
No. An FDA-approved generic must meet the same standards for quality and performance as its brand-name counterpart. A lower price does no…
- Does a weight-loss plateau mean my medication stopped working?
Not necessarily. Sometimes the first step is to give the trend a little time. Short pauses can happen even when you're following the plan…
- Does changing weight-loss medication mean the first treatment failed?
Not necessarily. A medication can provide useful help and still need to change later. Your response, side effects, health, budget or circ…
- Does diarrhea from metformin mean it is working?
No. Diarrhea is a possible side effect of metformin, not evidence that it is producing the intended benefit. Losing fluid through diarrhe…
- Does my BMI tell the whole story about whether my weight is affecting my health?
No. BMI is a useful screening measure based on height and weight, but it does not distinguish muscle from fat or show where you carry wei…
- Does the dose need to increase at every visit?
No. The dose does not need to increase at every visit.
- How can I add fiber without making bloating worse?
Increase it gradually rather than changing everything at once. Adding large amounts of fiber suddenly can be uncomfortable. Foods such as…
- How can I tell whether a weight-loss program provides ongoing care or mainly access to medication?
Look for a clear explanation of why the treatment fits you, how progress and side effects will be reviewed, and what happens if the plan …
- How can I tell whether I’m losing fat or muscle?
The scale alone cannot tell you. Weight changes can reflect fat, muscle, and water, so pounds lost are only part of the picture.
- How can I track weight-loss progress without becoming preoccupied with the scale?
Use the weight trend as one piece of information, not a daily verdict. Also notice appetite, strength, how clothes fit, everyday activity…
- How can I work on activity if joint pain or limited mobility gets in the way?
Start with what is manageable for your body rather than assuming activity has to look like a gym workout. Shorter periods of movement, se…
- How do I get back to my weight-loss routine after travel or a stressful week?
A slip is not the end of the plan. Start with the next practical choice instead of trying to compensate for an imperfect week.
- How do I keep going when I no longer feel motivated to lose weight?
Build a plan that does not require you to feel motivated every day. Motivation changes; a few manageable routines can keep the plan movin…
- How often do I have to come in?
Active weight-loss patients are generally seen in the office about every 30 days. There is some scheduling flexibility. Maintenance visit…
- How quickly should I expect to lose weight with treatment?
There is no single weekly rate that everyone should expect. Your starting point, treatment, health and response all affect the pattern. C…
- How soon does phentermine start working?
Phentermine typically begins affecting appetite the first day you take it.
- If creatine makes my weight go up, does that mean I am gaining fat?
Not necessarily. Creatine commonly increases water held in the body, so the scale can rise without the increase representing body fat. It…
- If my GLP-1 does not make me nauseated, is it still working?
Yes. Nausea is a possible side effect, not a requirement for successful treatment. Feeling sick is not the goal, and having few side effe…
- Is berberine a natural version of a GLP-1 medication?
No. Calling berberine “natural Ozempic” makes two different things sound interchangeable. Berberine has been studied for metabolic effect…
- My appetite is much lower. How do I avoid letting eating become an afterthought?
Lower appetite should make eating more manageable, not make nourishment disappear from the plan. Keep regular opportunities to eat and ch…
- Should I judge phentermine by whether it gives me more energy?
No. Phentermine is used to help manage appetite, not as an energy treatment. Feeling stimulated is not the goal or a reliable way to judg…
- What does “off-label” mean for an oral weight-loss prescription?
Off-label means an approved medicine is prescribed outside its FDA-approved labeling, such as for a different purpose or duration. This i…
- What follow-up will I need in maintenance?
Visits can be monthly, every other month or farther apart, according to your needs and clinical circumstances. There is no single mainten…
- What is phentermine?
Phentermine is a prescription appetite suppressant used for medical weight loss. It was approved by the FDA for weight-loss use in 1959 a…
- What options can I discuss if a GLP-1 is beyond my budget?
Oral medications are a strong treatment option at MedFIT. They can be effective, are generally much less expensive than GLP-1 treatment, …
- What should I do if my weight-loss medication is out of stock?
Medication shortages happen, but MedFIT often knows about availability problems before they affect many of our patients. We work regularl…
- What should I look at first on a food label?
Start with serving size and how much you expect to eat. The numbers on the label only make sense in that context. A package may contain m…
- When does it make sense to discuss weight-loss surgery instead of another medication?
A surgical evaluation can make sense when your weight-related health needs warrant considering a different treatment approach. It is not …
- When might vitamin B12 help with fatigue?
B12 can help when a deficiency is contributing to fatigue. The useful question is whether B12 is part of what is making you feel tired, r…
- Why am I hungry again while taking weight-loss medication?
Returning hunger is a reason to review what changed, not automatically increase the dose. Medication effects can change, but sleep, stres…
- Why does losing weight feel harder after 40?
Weight loss can feel harder as your activity, muscle mass, sleep, medicines and daily responsibilities change. For women, the menopause t…
- Why does strength training matter while I am losing weight?
Strength work helps support muscle and everyday function, which matter alongside the number on the scale. Weight loss can involve muscle …
- Why might I notice hair shedding while losing weight?
Hair shedding can follow significant weight loss or other physical stresses, sometimes appearing months after the trigger. But shedding d…
- Why might metformin be discussed if I do not have diabetes?
A medicine’s original use does not describe every situation in which it may be prescribed. Metformin may be considered off-label for some…
- Why would a provider prescribe more than one weight-loss medication?
Different medicines may address different parts of the problem. Each medicine should have a useful role, rather than simply adding anothe…