Once I enroll in a program, should I continue to see my
doctor?
Yes!
Even though your doctor will probably not provide your
weight-loss treatment, s/he is still an important partner in
your weight-loss process. Your doctor needs to regularly
monitor your progress, and this is one of the most important
parts of losing weight.
At each visit, your doctor should routinely assess your
BMI and health risk, just as s/he would assess any other
important health indicator like your blood pressure. This
will help identify, at the earliest opportunity, any changes
that might affect your health and progress.
• If you are losing weight, your doctor can recognize
your success, and this can encourage you to continue with
the program. Any medication you are taking may need to be
adjusted. Your doctor will also be able to tell if you are
losing weight too rapidly and, if so, s/he will be able to
help you adjust your therapy. Quick weight loss has been
associated with muscle loss (including loss of heart
muscle), gallstones, and other medical problems. Once you
achieve your target BMI, your doctor can help you take steps
to prevent weight gain.
• If you are not losing or are gaining weight, your
doctor can help you determine what to do. Together, you may
want to re-evaluate your "weight-loss readiness"
and then decide whether to:
– Try to prevent any further weight gain instead of
continuing with weight loss.
– Get more help with the path you’ve chosen and
re-evaluate your progress again after one month. For
example, you can visit a registered dietitian (RD) for a
professional evaluation of your dietary intake and a review
of your portion sizes.
– Try a different weight-loss plan or a different
medication (if any).
– Try a different service provider or program.
