Weight loss Consultation

Weight loss consultation is meeting with a bariatric physician to take advice for healthy weight loss. It is practical guidance on the issues of fatness and obesity to the people who are suffering from this problem. During the consultation, your doctor will provide you with the solution to your problem in a healthy way and set your weight loss goals that are achievable for you. 

Who should you consult for weight loss?

For weight loss consultation, you have to consult with a bariatric physician. A bariatric physician is a medical doctor who specialized in treating obesity and the diseases or conditions related to obesity. He will solve your issue through diet, exercise, nutrition, appropriate medicines, and behavioral therapy. These doctors are friendly, understanding, and professional in nature and their main goal is to help you lose weight. 

What happens at weight loss consultation?

The first step is to arrange an appointment for your weight loss consultation with an expert bariatric physician near you. During the consultation, your doctor may ask you several questions regarding your medical history and other medications that you are already taking. 
During the consultation, the doctor will do the following things:

• First is to evaluate your medical condition and Diet history.
• Identify those barriers that are not allowing you to weight loss.
• Setting weight loss goals for you.
• Educate you about a healthy lifestyle.
• Provide a helpful handout for a nutritious diet, workout planning, medication, and lifestyle changes. 

He will note your weight, height, BMI, and blood pressure during the physical trial. Measuring or recording these things will be helpful for a physician to understand which kind of medicines or diet suits you better during your weight loss journey. 

How long will this consultation last?

Your doctor may take 50 minutes to one hour for a complete checkup and recommendation during your first appointment.

Questions that doctors ask during weight loss consultation?

Discussion is an essential part of weight loss consultation. During the consultation, the doctor may ask you several questions regarding your weight loss struggle in the past and the reason behind losing weight for now. He further asked you more about the diseases that are the reason behind your growing weight and the medication you are taking nowadays for the treatment of that diseases.
He will also ask you about the previous weight loss methods you have tried and the physical activity you are currently participating in. The doctor will note down all the essential points that must be kept in view during your weight loss journey. 

How will your physician help you in losing weight?

• Assessing your weight: The first step is to assess whether your current weight is healthy or not. Your physician will measure your weight by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI). He will measure your weight, examine your blood pressure, take a blood test and check other health conditions related to your weight.

• Exercise and Diet: Your doctor will make a workout plan for you, and he will also measure your physical activity in the next meetings. He will suggest you use a pedometer to count the steps and measure your daily activity level. He will also provide you with a diet plan and food diary to record everything you eat.

• Setting goals: Your doctor will offer you regular follow-up appointments once a week or a month to monitor your progress. He may set up fitness goals for you, such as an NHS weight loss plan, 12 weeks fitness plan, and Couch to 5k running plan.

• Weight loss medicines: If the diet and workout plans don’t make any considerable changes for you, he will recommend medicines to lose weight. 

• Weight loss surgery: If any methods such as diet, lifestyle changes, workouts, and even medicines didn’t help you lose weight, your physician would proceed with surgery. The surgery procedure is only applicable if your weight increases to a dangerous level, leading to many other fatal diseases.

Things that you learned after your weight loss consultation:

After your weight loss consultation, you will learn the following things:

• Reading food labels
• Eating a suitable variety of food
• Eating the right number of calories
• Calorie calculation
• Understanding how much nutrition like vitamins, calcium, and sodium is in your diet
• Way to increase activity level
• Manage portion size
• How to reduce meat and dairy products from diet instead of removing them
• How to get rid of beverages and soda, drinking water instead of them.’
• Limit the intake of fried foods or those which high in fat
• Use of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain in diet
• Use of protein and fibers which make you feel full

What happens at future weight loss consultations?

After getting and following all the necessary tips with your doctor, the doctor will invite you for regular weight loss appointments to discuss your progress. Always try to attend them; if you don’t have enough time to participate in daily appointments, try to attend them weekly or monthly to get the results of your efforts. During these appointments, your doctor will examine your weight and other measurements as necessary. You can also discuss the changes you’ve implemented in your lifestyle and whether they are working or not. During these appointments, your doctor will help you remove all the queries regarding taking medicines or having any difficulty during exercise. According to requirements, he will update your diet and workout plan and change your appetite suppressant prescription from time to time during these appointments. 
 

References: 

• https://theslimmingclinic.com/blog/what-to-expect-at-a-weight-loss-consultation/ retrieved on April 22, 2022.
• https://www.apollo247.com/specialties/bariatrics retrieved on April 22, 2022.
• https://www.iowaweightloss.com/news-and-events/blog/2017/02/15/what-to-expect-your-first-consultation retrieved on April 22, 2022.
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/how-your-gp-can-help-you-loss-weight/ retrieved on April 22, 2022.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/medical-nutrition-therapy-for-weight-loss retrieved on April 22, 2022