Can anyone recommend a doctor supervised weight loss program?
davis978
Posts: 103 Member
My mom is morbidly obese. She needs some help losing weight. She asked her doctor for help and he sent her to a nutritionist, who was not helpful at all. My mom believes she needs a program that includes support and accountability.
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
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Replies
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My mom is morbidly obese. She needs some help losing weight. She asked her doctor for help and he sent her to a nutritionist, who was not helpful at all. My mom believes she needs a program that includes support and accountability.
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
I don't have any answers for you at the moment but it'd be helpful to know the country, state, province, etc. where you live.0 -
My mom is morbidly obese. She needs some help losing weight. She asked her doctor for help and he sent her to a nutritionist, who was not helpful at all. My mom believes she needs a program that includes support and accountability.
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
I don't have any answers for you at the moment but it'd be helpful to know the country, state, province, etc. where you live.
Minnesota, US.
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Eat less, move more, no insurance necessary.0
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My mom is morbidly obese. She needs some help losing weight. She asked her doctor for help and he sent her to a nutritionist, who was not helpful at all. My mom believes she needs a program that includes support and accountability.
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
I would recommend having an appointment made with a registered dietitian, not a nutritionist. Dietitians have a lot more schooling and are licensed where a nutritionist is not.
Unfortunately, I don't know of any programs. Is there a way you can contact your state or county and ask if there are any sponsored support groups in the area?0 -
A good nutritionist will work with your mom as well has her doctor to come up with a plan. If the first nutritionist she found was not helpful, then I recommend looking into finding a new nutritionist who will be able to help. I also recommend working with a registered dietitian.
As for the support and accountability... hopefully she has a good support-system in you and others that surround her. But she will ultimately need to be accountable for her own nutrition and weight loss.
While there is a lot that a nutritionist can do, it's up to her to put any plan into action.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »Eat less, move more, no insurance necessary.
That is simple advice and great for most people. But if this woman is morbidly obese, perhaps older, other health problems, etc...she might need the support to change habits.
Being medically supervised doesn't guarantee that it's safe or sustainable (i.e. HGC drops). I agree with Troutsy that dietitians are a better choice than a nutritionist because of the licensing.
Do her problems with weight go beyond not knowing what to eat/how much and involve things like self-control issues? Maybe a counselor or psychologist could help uncover other issues and help work on the mental aspect of weight loss. That's the hardest part to overcome for some.
Depending on where you are in MN, especially if you're closer to the Twin Cities, there are probably a lot of potential resources. Talk with insurance or her doctors about options available.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »Eat less, move more, no insurance necessary.
If only it were this easy for everyone.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »Eat less, move more, no insurance necessary.
Wow, if only she had thought of this! You've solved everything!
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Look for a doctor of bariatric medicine. Don't be surprised if this is a surgeon; seeing a surgeon does not mean you are having surgery, but it just so happens that since surgeons DO weight loss surgery, they often specialize in weight loss. Everyone having weight loss surgery MUST lose weight before surgery, so they are well versed in medical weight loss.
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ceoverturf wrote: »Eat less, move more, no insurance necessary.
Wow, if only she had thought of this! You've solved everything!
Exactly!0 -
Thanks for everyone who has replied so far.
She does have a personal therapist, and they do work on food stuff. However, she is over 60 and has been obese her whole life, so we are looking at a more entrenched behavior pattern here.
I think maybe I misspoke by saying "doctor-supervised" as I think it's really more the interaction and input she needs. I know there are insurance-sponsored programs, kind of like weight watchers, but I also know many of them are bad, so I am hoping that someone out there has experience with one they feel was helpful so I can hopefully find one with those qualities.0 -
More and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that the mantra of "eat less, exercise more" is not going to be effective for most people:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(15)00009-1/abstract
You have to sign up to read the full text but it is free to do so.
There is more and more evidence suggesting that obesity sustained for some period of time may result in permanent physiological changes that result in the body defending fat stores that make it extremely difficult to lose weight.
Bariatric surgery is the only known treatment that currently addresses both hormonal and neural responsivity.
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.0 -
Check with your local universities if there is one with a medical school. My dad did a program through the local medical school and it was doctor supervised and included meal planning and exercise and he lost about 50 pounds. It was the kind of thing where med students learn and participants get free treatment. This was in Alabama, but I'm sure Minnesota has something similar. They weighed them in the dunk tank to assess body fat and did all kinds of metabolic testing to get as close to an accurate BMR as they could get. He learned a lot about nutrition and how to cook lower calorie versions of his favorite tasty foods at home.0
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maillemaker wrote: »
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.
OP: If your mom is going to consider medication along the lines of Phetermine please please please make sure she knows all the side effects and that she isn't taking anything that could counter act the med. If your mom has high blood pressure/ difficulty sleeping/ anxiety I would have her reconsider medication or get a second opinion. Meds like these have a long list of side effects.0 -
I started a medically supervised weightloss program on Feb 2nd. My BMI is 48 I weighed 346. I went to the Bariatric clinic They started me on a medication to suppress my appetite and put me on a limited diet. I have lost 18 pounds so far. I have a friend who just went to the same doctor but she was put on a different medicine but she is also enjoying success. A good Bariatric clinic may prescribe medicine to help with appetite and diet but should also provide dietitian and counseling as needed to help you lose weight and not gain it back after you are off of the program. Be advised a lot of Insurance companies do not like to pay for weight loss medications0
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maillemaker wrote: »
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.
OP: If your mom is going to consider medication along the lines of Phetermine please please please make sure she knows all the side effects and that she isn't taking anything that could counter act the med. If your mom has high blood pressure/ difficulty sleeping/ anxiety I would have her reconsider medication or get a second opinion. Meds like these have a long list of side effects.
Which is more dangerous in your opinion? Morbid obesity or temporary sleep deprivation?
This is a conversation for OP's mother to have with her physician. You have no role in it.0 -
maillemaker wrote: »
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.
OP: If your mom is going to consider medication along the lines of Phetermine please please please make sure she knows all the side effects and that she isn't taking anything that could counter act the med. If your mom has high blood pressure/ difficulty sleeping/ anxiety I would have her reconsider medication or get a second opinion. Meds like these have a long list of side effects.
Which is more dangerous in your opinion? Morbid obesity or temporary sleep deprivation?
This is a conversation for OP's mother to have with her physician. You have no role in it.
OP asked for help. Telling him to make sure she has all the side effects and to double check preexisting conditions that the medication can make worse is helping. Drugs like phetermine can increase Blood pressure, if OP's mother already has high blood pressure then it can lead to an emergency situation such as a heart attack or stroke. Have you met any one who hasn't slept in 3 days? I have, its not a very pretty situation for the person unfortunately. I would very hesitant to take a script for Phetermine from a GP who may not have a lot of knowledge of nutrition or weight loss vs. someone whose specialty this is.
I second the bariatric clinic that someone else mentioned earlier.0 -
There is a medically supervised program called Dr. Bernsteins, however I'm not sure if it's only available in Canada. drbdiet.ca/
I've known two people who were very successful with their weight loss on this plan, but had a difficult time keeping it off after, so keep that in mind.0 -
Yeah, a friend in my therapy group tried every diet out there including Dr. Bernstein's. Lost the weight. Put it back on. It really messed with her feelings of self-worth. My friend has just had the bypass surgery.
If your mother is over 65 she is likely not a good candidate for Bariatric surgery anyways. This is major surgery and you don't want complications like slow healing for instance.
I am a very conservative dieter and the only diet I ever went on was Weight Watchers. Your mom may have to sign up for a program like that for the rest of her life. Maybe try a different dietitian, hopefully covered by insurance.
Another program that really helped me was the Chronic Disease Self Management Program. I use the techniques learned there every week. Here's a list of agencies offering the program in Minnesota.0 -
maillemaker wrote: »
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.
OP: If your mom is going to consider medication along the lines of Phetermine please please please make sure she knows all the side effects and that she isn't taking anything that could counter act the med. If your mom has high blood pressure/ difficulty sleeping/ anxiety I would have her reconsider medication or get a second opinion. Meds like these have a long list of side effects.
Which is more dangerous in your opinion? Morbid obesity or temporary sleep deprivation?
This is a conversation for OP's mother to have with her physician. You have no role in it.
OP asked for help. Telling him to make sure she has all the side effects and to double check preexisting conditions that the medication can make worse is helping. Drugs like phetermine can increase Blood pressure, if OP's mother already has high blood pressure then it can lead to an emergency situation such as a heart attack or stroke. Have you met any one who hasn't slept in 3 days? I have, its not a very pretty situation for the person unfortunately. I would very hesitant to take a script for Phetermine from a GP who may not have a lot of knowledge of nutrition or weight loss vs. someone whose specialty this is.
I second the bariatric clinic that someone else mentioned earlier.
Sorry, I should have mentioned up front that my mom is on a suite of psychiatric medications that likely mean she won't be able to take any kind of weight loss drugs. Sorry, I definitely should have included that in the original post, I just didn't think of it.0 -
Yeah, a friend in my therapy group tried every diet out there including Dr. Bernstein's. Lost the weight. Put it back on. It really messed with her feelings of self-worth. My friend has just had the bypass surgery.
If your mother is over 65 she is likely not a good candidate for Bariatric surgery anyways. This is major surgery and you don't want complications like slow healing for instance.
I am a very conservative dieter and the only diet I ever went on was Weight Watchers. Your mom may have to sign up for a program like that for the rest of her life. Maybe try a different dietitian, hopefully covered by insurance.
Another program that really helped me was the Chronic Disease Self Management Program. I use the techniques learned there every week. Here's a list of agencies offering the program in Minnesota.
That program looks great - I really appreciate you providing the links.0 -
I'm cheering for your mom, for better health and a long vibrant life.0
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Knowing that she wants to change her habits is extremely positive.
Have you tried something like Weight Watchers? Given the support group and the accountability of meetings it might be the right way to ease her into the process as you've stated this has been a long standing weight problem. WW seems to be focusing more on healthy eating choices and moving more (much more of a positive approach than previously where you have 10 points, cake is 10 points - tah dah you had a good day)
It's not medically supervised but it might be a great starting point if the nutritionist wasn't useful.0 -
maillemaker wrote: »
You may also look into the weight loss drug Qsymia, or a generic equivalent of Phentermine/Topomax. It is an appetite suppressant.
OP: If your mom is going to consider medication along the lines of Phetermine please please please make sure she knows all the side effects and that she isn't taking anything that could counter act the med. If your mom has high blood pressure/ difficulty sleeping/ anxiety I would have her reconsider medication or get a second opinion. Meds like these have a long list of side effects.
Which is more dangerous in your opinion? Morbid obesity or temporary sleep deprivation?
This is a conversation for OP's mother to have with her physician. You have no role in it.
OP asked for help. Telling him to make sure she has all the side effects and to double check preexisting conditions that the medication can make worse is helping. Drugs like phetermine can increase Blood pressure, if OP's mother already has high blood pressure then it can lead to an emergency situation such as a heart attack or stroke. Have you met any one who hasn't slept in 3 days? I have, its not a very pretty situation for the person unfortunately. I would very hesitant to take a script for Phetermine from a GP who may not have a lot of knowledge of nutrition or weight loss vs. someone whose specialty this is.
I second the bariatric clinic that someone else mentioned earlier.
Sorry, I should have mentioned up front that my mom is on a suite of psychiatric medications that likely mean she won't be able to take any kind of weight loss drugs. Sorry, I definitely should have included that in the original post, I just didn't think of it.
No need to be sorry
Rooting for your mom! 0 -
You're a good daughter but you know you can't do this for her
I hope you find the help you need0 -
I will second Weight Watchers, it got me started on my journey. Now I am so stalled out after meeting with a dietitian and my dr, I have contacted a Bariatric surgeon. I am looking into have surgery, but in the meantime, they put me on a diet for 1500 calories (versus the 2200 that the dietitian suggested-doh!) and an exercise plan. I am also on a new medication that helps with food addiction-Crontrave.
Are you near the Mayo clinic? Do they have anything there? I wish I could have gotten my dad on the path you are with your mom...it might have saved his life. I am cheering for you guys as well!!!0 -
Maybe check with your mom's insurance carrier to see what they cover, or go to the mayo clinic or Stanford websites and ask them for recommendations in your area. I know when my youngest son had a difficult to diagnose health issue I contacted a medical center in Cleveland that dealt with his underlying genetic disorder for information and assistance even though I live on the west coast. They were wonderful and readily assisted me. Best wishes for your mom ❤
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My mom is morbidly obese. She needs some help losing weight. She asked her doctor for help and he sent her to a nutritionist, who was not helpful at all. My mom believes she needs a program that includes support and accountability.
Is anyone on an insurance-sponsored weight loss or weight management program that you like and feel is effective? Can you tell me:
1. The name of the program.
2. How you feel it helps you?
0 -
Ideal Protein. I live in Wisconsin so we are close. It is medically monitored but expensive. It is typically 400 a month but you are not going out to eat, drinking etc. The benefits are awesome. I lost almost 40 pounds on it in a few months. Then I went off of it for 6 months for surgery. Kept the weight off but now back on it to loose another 15 to 20.0
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Uweight loss clinic-you eat real food but count calories-althiough they do the counting for you-and provide the recipes. They also sell you a bunch of vitamins-I did book introduction visit-The extra vitamins add cost so not for me-a friend did lose weight with them and kept it off- 1 year and counting
Another friend-a registered dietican has had success with Jenny Craig It worked for her.
Best of luck to your mom0
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