Weight Management Specialist

What is WellessenceMD's weight management program?

The WellessenceMD weight management program provides customized, multi-faceted evidenced based approaches which enable patients to reach their healthiest weight. As a board certified obesity medicine specialist, Dr. Nance takes pride in her team's ability to assist the medically complicated patient. We celebrate the fact that many of our patients are able to discontinue insulin and many other diabetes, blood pressure, reflux, and high cholesterol medications over the course of our program. All of our programs address not only nutritional intake but also exercise and behavioral patterns around eating. Through advanced blood tests that measure dangerous lipid molecules, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and many metabolic hormones, our team can personalize a weight management plan that will bring the best health outcomes to you. The average patient loses 30 pounds in our program, but we have patients that have lost over 100 pounds!  Even more exciting is that we have five years of data that shows the majority of our patients also keep their weight off for good!

During your initial consultation, the provider will help you decide which weight management track, summarized below, will help you to meet your personal goals.

What types of diets are offered?

Full Meal Replacement Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD)

• Results in 3-5 pounds of weight loss per week
• Can only be prescribed by an MD and must be supervised by a health care professional
• Consists of a variety of medical grade protein products including shakes, soups, smoothies, puddings, protein bars, and protein based “chips”.
• Exact mix of essential nutrients (130% of daily value) provided from meal replacements
• 80-135 grams/day of medical grade protein preserves lean body mass while losing fat mass
• Composition of the product and the frequency of eating minimizes hunger by triggering satiety (e.g. fullness) signals in the body
• Unhealthy snacking patterns are revealed and addressed before the gradual re-introduction of patient selected food.

Modified Very Low-Calorie Diet (MVLCD)

• Results in 2-4 pounds of weight loss per week
• Includes one patient selected (physician guided) meal per day
• Maybe the starting point, but often is the transition phase for the VLCD candidate

Low-Calorie Diet (LCD)

• Results in 1-3 pounds of weight loss per week
• Customized regimen consisting of some meal replacements and some physician guided food choices

Nutritional Coaching

• Using natural, whole foods to achieve dietary goals

What other weight management services do we offer?

Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT)

• Twelve 2 hour small group seminars that meet weekly to provide intensive nutritional education, exercise guidance, and an introduction to mindfulness meditation for use with cravings.
• No meal replacements used
• Weight loss will vary depending on amount of physical activity adopted and nutritional changes implemented

Eat Right Now Mindful Eating Program

• Mindfulness training for patients with Binge Eating Disorder or anyone who wants to change their relationship with food 
• Access to a digital health app that provides self-directed education and support
• Access to weekly group support and mindfulness coaching services
• Access to an international on-line community for healthy eating support and education