Our providers at Leigh Ann Scott, M.D., are pleased to offer the Semaglutide Medical Weight Loss Program. Our clinic focuses on health and wellness, and we want you to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 73.6% of adults over age 20 are overweight. 41.9% of those people are considered obese. These are staggering numbers. In fact, the CDC now lists obesity as a national epidemic.
It’s important to note that even “skinny” people can be at risk for health issues caused by being overweight. Your weight might not show that you are technically overweight, but if you are carrying extra fat around your abdominal area, you are also at a higher risk of a decreased life expectancy. “Skinny” fat, also known as visceral fat, is associated with higher levels of inflammation and puts you more at risk for high blood sugar and high insulin levels, and predisposes you to pre-diabetes.
A study conducted by Duke University has shown that the life expectancy for Gen Xers and Millennials is going down. This is the first time in decades that this has happened. Being overweight or obese is the root cause of many chronic diseases, including:
- Coronary artery disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol (includes triglycerides which contribute to plaque in the arteries)
- Fatty liver disease
- Certain cancers
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Endocrine disorders, including Insulin Resistance
- Alzheimer’s and/or dementia
- Mood disorders
- Back and joint pain
Our Providers at Leigh Ann Scott, M.D., are Here to Help!
A healthy weight reduces many risks. We want to help you along the way to achieve a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight.
We understand fad diets can provide quick weight loss; however, most people on these diets ultimately end up gaining the weight back as soon as they stop the diet. Also, some fad diets are extremely calorie-restricted and can end up causing more harm than good.
Dr. Scott has done her research to provide patients with a diet that is both safe and sustainable. And it addresses not only the physical triggers of weight gain but also the psychological ones. After much research, we are pleased to offer the Semaglutide Medical Weight Loss Program for our patients.
Semaglutide mimics a health-promoting, naturally occurring peptide in the body (GLP-1). Studies have shown it reduces appetite, improves control of eating, and reduces food cravings, in addition to improving blood sugar control. It works best with personalized lifestyle changes.
Our 90-day comprehensive weight loss program includes:
- Two appointments with your provider at our clinic
- Two sets of labs (one set before you begin the program and the other set after you finish)
- Tanita weight measurements
- Three sessions with a health coach to help you stay on track and keep on track after the program ends
- 90-day prescription for Semaglutide
- Weekly weight checks (optional)
You are more than welcome to come in weekly and get your Tanita measurements done. These measurements include weight, fat mass, muscle mass, bone mass, and water weight.
For More Information, call our New Patient Coordinator at 972-960-4800
Or Fill In the Inquiry Form Below, and We Will Contact You!
What is Semaglutide?
First, we want to assure you that Semaglutide is NOT a stimulant, so you do not have to worry about unpleasant side effects like not being able to sleep or having the jitters.
Semaglutide is a small protein (peptide) that activates metabolic pathways in the body to increase blood sugar metabolism and reduce appetite. It imitates a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). You may have heard of Semaglutide before. It has been used to help treat type 2 diabetes under the brand names Ozempic ® and Saxenda®.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Semaglutide to be used to treat type-2 diabetes in 2017. Further research and studies have shown that Semaglutide is also suitable for losing weight, and in June of 2021, it was FDA-approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy®.
We do not prescribe Semaglutide under the brand names associated with treating type 2 diabetes or weight loss listed above. We start all of our patients off at a lower, compounded dose for the first month and then increase the dosage for the second and third months, respectively. Our compounded medication also includes Vitamin B-6 to help with some of the potential side effects.
Our partners at Las Colinas Pharmacy compound Semaglutide and Vitamin B-6 specifically for our patients. Semaglutide is injected subcutaneously (under the skin) and not into a muscle.
Please be assured that the needle is quite small, and the injection is painless. However, if you are needle-phobic and do not wish to inject yourself once weekly, the staff at Las Colinas Pharmacy will do it for a nominal fee.
Benefits of the Semaglutide Weight Loss Program
Semaglutide reduces your appetite and makes you feel fuller for longer periods of time. It also keeps you in “fat-burning” mode. Because Semaglutide targets fat cells and regulates blood sugar, you don’t have to worry about losing muscle mass or dehydration (water weight loss).
Semaglutide has also been shown to help stop the production of plaque in blood vessels.
Our program is three months long. There are no food restrictions. However, if you are not eating a healthy diet, you will not feel good while on the diet. If you eat healthier, you will feel much better and have higher energy levels. We recommend incorporating proteins and nutrient-dense foods into your daily diet. While exercise is not mandatory with this program, we recommend you start to incorporate an exercise regime into your lifestyle because of the health benefits. If you aren’t used to exercising, walking can be the perfect way to start.
The physical benefit of Semaglutide is that it WILL reduce your appetite and make you feel fuller, so you eat less. Another major benefit of the Semaglutide diet program is that you will have the opportunity to meet with a health coach each month (virtually).
Other Benefits Include:
- Physical hunger is gone
- Better sleep
- Higher energy levels
- Helps with insulin pathways and blood sugar levels
- The more momentum you gain, the better you will feel
- On average, you can expect to lose 15% of your body weight
Your health coach can help to keep you on track and suggest healthier eating plans for you. But the most important benefit of having access to a health coach is to help you address the psychological and emotional reasons for overeating. These can include things like boredom, sadness, anger, and loneliness, along with negative emotions.
At our clinic, we believe that good health encompasses mind, body, and soul. We have added the benefit of a health coach so that you can approach your weight loss and health from the same mindset. We want to help you balance your brain so that you can mindfully create healthier lifestyle choices after the diet period ends.
Patients typically see a weight loss of 1 to 3 pounds per week. However, that can vary depending on the weight of the patient. Patients who have more weight to lose can see greater results.
Our Providers Put Together This Video to Get More of Your Questions Answered:
Can the Program be Repeated?
Because there are no food or calorie restrictions with the Semaglutide Weight Loss Program, you absolutely can repeat it! For those who are only wanting to lose 20 or 30 pounds, you may not need to repeat the program. If you want to lose more weight, we suggest taking a month or so off between the three-month programs and repeating as needed. For those wanting to lose a lot of weight, it could take you as long as six to eight months.
It’s All About Balance
If you are overweight or obese, you can quickly get stuck in a vicious cycle that affects your organs and endocrine system. For example, if you have a fatty liver, you are going to be more prone to putting on weight. The liver is one of the body’s detox organs. If it becomes overwhelmed by toxins, it signals your body to increase fat, especially around the abdominal area. The reason for this is that toxins are stored in fat tissue.
Insulin Resistance can be a root cause of metabolic syndrome and virtually every chronic disease. It can go hand in hand with high blood sugar and is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. The biggest “tell” for Insulin Resistance is the amount of belly fat that you carry, so yes, even thin people can have it. If you are female and your waist measurement is over 35 inches, you likely have Insulin Resistance. If you are male and your waist measurement is over 40, the same holds true.
Regardless of what your waist measurement is, we don’t guess. Instead, we test! Your lab panel will include the CardioQ® Insulin Resistance score.
Other labs included in the program are:
- CBC (complete blood count)
- CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Lipids (cholesterol)
Side-Effects and Contraindications
The most common side-effect of Semaglutide is nausea and possibly other digestive issues. But we take proactive measures to ensure that the chances of this happening to you are slim.
For your first month, we will start you at a lower dose of Semaglutide to allow your body to get used to it. We typically increase incrementally at month two and month three, however, everyone is different. The goal is for you to lose a few pounds a week with no nausea.
If you find you are not losing any weight at all in the beginning, we can increase your dosage slightly until we find the “sweet spot” of what is right for you.
Additionally, the medication is compounded with Vitamin B-6, which will also help to curb any nausea.
Absolute Contraindications to the Semaglutide Weight Loss Program are:
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer
- Type-1 diabetes (an auto-immune condition)
- MEN – multiple endocrine neoplasia
- Pancreatitis
- Decreased kidney function
We are Here to Support You!!
Our Semaglutide Medical Weight Loss Program is administered by our highly skilled Nurse Practitioner, Debbie Bluestein. Your first appointment will be here in the office with them, and then at the end of the program, you will come in for your final appointment.
We offer the support of a health coach for three visits during the 90-day time period. However, if you have questions or need adjustments to your dosing, please feel free to contact your provider at any time. The best way to reach her will be through your patient portal.
We hope you all are as excited about this as we are!
For More Information, call our New Patient Coordinator at 972-960-4800
Or Fill In the Inquiry Form Below, and We Will Contact You!
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