Healthy Habits - Healthy Weight Loss

I had a chance to interview Dr. Aaron Stecker, a physician at TMates (https://tmates.com/) about healthy weight loss.

Why is it important to have a personalized weight-loss program led by doctors?

Weight loss is a journey full of individual variables and can be a very different process from patient to patient. There are many factors that play into weight loss and goal-weight maintenance, many of which a physician is uniquely positioned to have the greatest impact.  

Sometimes, weight gain can be related to an organic medical process or even a prescribed medication itself. Any underlying medical condition that could be contributing to weight gain would need to be ruled out prior to the initiation of routine diet plans. A medical workup and history will often reveal these conditions (i.e, thyroid disease, hormonal imbalances, depression etc) and they can be managed appropriately. Additionally, many medications are associated with weight gain, which your provider may already be prescribing. It would be essential to be able to speak with a physician to discuss these possibilities and appropriate medication alternatives to manage your other clinical conditions. This would be essential to set you up for the most success without destabilizing other diagnoses. 

Pharmacological options for weight loss are constantly growing and this is very exciting! However, these are medications that have evidence-driven prescribing guidelines based off specific indications, contraindications and interactions. A patient's unique medical history, family history, goals, and medications need to be reviewed by a provider prior to prescribing in order to provide the safest and most appropriate option. 

Appetite rebound and regaining weight a common problems among modern patients who have reached a goal weight and stopped their weight loss medication. A physician will be able to provide specific maintenance options that would be most appropriate for an individual patient, which can assist with maintaining one’s goal weight (i.e, microdosing GLP1, oral medication options, GLP1 taper plans etc). 

Often, physicians will be uniquely set up to provide additional adjunctive support for weight loss plans, such as necessary referrals and supplemental diet information and options. 

How can people move away from fad diets and into sustainable, healthy options for weight loss?

An essential part of weight management is finding a sustainable plan that works for you. Many patients can sustain a fad diet for a few weeks or even a few months; however, long-term, the weight can come back as old habits start to sneak back in. Many of these plans are going to lack a personalized experience with the insight of a physician. 

Find a personalized weight loss program that is led by clinicians to have a leg up! Focus on your own life, as you are the expert on that! You will know your specific areas of opportunity regarding your calorie intake, physical activity and barriers that may exist in the household.  Your physician team will be able to help transform that insight and information into a plan personalized to you. 

Having a clinical team will be important for motivation, questions, plateau management, and possible side effect interventions along the way. You can also ask clarifying questions, such as understanding realistic weight loss rates, to know if you are on track and not to get discouraged. 

Reasonable diet modification combined with exercise will bring the best long-term, sustainable results. These can certainly be found in part with available diet plans, but certainly don’t have to be! Knowing and educating oneself in this regard, creating access to a healthcare team to assist you along the way, are all essential to long-term success! Don’t feel like you have to do this alone!  

How does telemedicine improve access to long-term health solutions?

Telemedicine is an exciting new adjunct to traditional medical care. While it will never fully replace traditional in-person medicine (and is often not the appropriate way to manage certain conditions), it is certainly here to stay. Access to care has long been a known problem in the medical community and telemedicine helps bridge that gap for patients who may not otherwise have any care at all. These could be patients who are geographically too far for in-person care (or don’t have the expertise needed where they are), have restraints in their schedule, or have anxiety going to in-office appointments and speaking with providers.  

There are even different kinds of telemedicine that can work for different patients in different circumstances. Some telemedicine encounters can be completed in an asynchronous way, where the patient does not directly speak to their provider. In this model, clinical information is reviewed and a treatment decision is made outside of a direct conversation. Many patients prefer this given their schedule, white coat anxiety or the sensitive nature of the medication being considered.  More traditional telemedicine approaches may also be available such as a synchronous video or phone call with the provider. Either way, both options improve access to care where appropriate. 

What sets TMates apart from other weight loss programs?

TMates' discreet personalized care, affordability and convenience certainly set it apart! At TMates, patients experience convenience with both access to expert physician teams and direct to doorstep medication delivery.

Free consultations, timely responses and turnarounds, no hidden fees, and exceptional 24/7 support make it an excellent option for patients who want a unique experience that is affordable, confidential, discreet and convenient. Having a resource of expert clinicians will be integral in long-term diet success and TMates assures every patient has a VIP level experience from beginning to end.