Diet and Weight Loss Center
About our Diet Clinic
Livewell Medical Clinic and Weight Loss Center has been helping people safely and affordably lose weight since 2016 and can recommend safe, effective medications as part of our supervised programs.
We want to help you lose weight to improve your physical and mental health and keep you from needing surgery now or in the future.
The Skinny on Weight Loss Injections
Have you heard? Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are taking the internet by storm! Whether your friends are talking about it at work, or you hear about it on your favorite reality TV show, you won’t be able to escape the buzz around this new weight loss ‘miracle’ medications.
The Details
Semaglutide is in a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs. The brand name, Ozempic, has been around for over 15 years to help patients manage their type 2 diabetes. However, in 2021, the medication received FDA approval for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy. Semaglutide is the generic name for the medication.
Tirzepatide, known under the brand-name Mounjaro (type 2 diabetes) and Zepbound (weight loss), is also a GLP-1 agonist like Semaglutide. However is has an additional pathway (gastric inhibitory peptide) which works to reduce potential gastrointestinal side effects and more optimal for patients who have weight loss goals of at least 35 pounds or more.
These medications prompt the body to make more insulin, which then helps reduce blood sugar. However another ‘perk’ is it works on the parts of your brain that control appetite. When these areas are quieted down, you have reduced cravings, and feel fuller sooner. When used in conjunction with a balanced diet and an active lifestyle, it can cause notable weight loss, reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease in people who are overweight or obese.
In an early study of 2,000 obese adults, the addition of weight loss medication showed that more than half the participants lost 15% of their body weight and a third lost 20%.
This is in comparison to only 2.4% loss of weight with diet and exercise alone.
Am I A Candidate?
There are a few reasons why you wouldn’t be a candidate for this medication. We require a thorough consultation with a physician assistant or nurse practitioner before being able to proceed with treatment. If you’re in overall good health without any untreated underlying conditions, and meet the weight loss criteria, then most likely the answer is yes!
This also isn’t a ‘forever’ medication. Ideally you’ll be on it long enough to achieve your weight loss goals, maintain for a bit, and then wean off. By the end, your habits
surrounding portion control will have likely solidified to allow you to keep enjoying the results long after you have stopped the medication.
Is It Worth It?
What value would you place on feeling comfortable in your clothes again?
Ultimately we want to make sure people are choosing this route because it’s an appropriate fit. While the medication is extremely safe, and effective, there are also
some transient side effects some people may experience when they begin, or as they increase their dose. However the goal is never to trade feeling well for losing weight.
The primary effects we are hoping to achieve is a reduction in portions and a reduction in unnecessary snacking.
Don’t Take Our Word For It
Our patient ‘Liz’ is a vibrant, healthy individual. She’s in her thirties with no underlying medical conditions. She considers herself active, has a full time job, thriving social life, and gets to the gym 3 or 4 days a week. Despite her own efforts with portion control, and an occasional fad diet, she was always thinking about what to have for her next meal. She also found it difficult not to snack out of boredom or just because ‘food was there.’ In her twenties she weighed about 25 pounds less, but her routine was very similar. However despite no significant change in her lifestyle, the weight crept on and it just seemed like double the work to maintain her heavier weight.
After meeting with a provider at Livewell Clinic four months ago, she began weekly Semaglutide injections. Her dose was very low to start and gradually went up over the course of 12 weeks. Now, she has lost 22 pounds! She’s beyond ecstatic to have achieved her weight loss goal and be back to her ‘comfortable weight’. She’s currently in the process of weaning off the medication, but considers it nothing less than ‘a total game changer’.
“Without doing some drastic, unsustainable diet, there’s no way I would have been able to lose weight like this just on my own. I consider myself a healthy person, and don’t over indulge. But I felt like no matter what I did, the number on the scale wouldn’t move and I started to dread the thought of trying on my Summer clothes.”
We all have a different picture of health. But improving our physical health will only help lead us down the path to feeling better about ourselves, inside and out.
How is this Administered?
Semaglutide or Tirzepatide will be injected under the skin of your upper leg (thigh), stomach area, or upper arm. It is given once a week (every 7 days). The length of your treatment course will be determined by your provider after consultation and timed follow up appointments.
Who Cannot Take Semaglutide / Tirzepatide?
You CANNOT take these medications if you have any of the following conditions:
Personal or family history of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC)
Personal or family history of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, type 2 (MEN 2)
Prior allergic reaction to Semaglutide or to any of its ingredients* (serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema, have been reported with Semaglutide)
Diabetic retinopathy (diabetic eye disease)
Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
Breast-feeding (Semaglutide is present in breast milk)
Less than 18 years old
Depression with a history of suicidal thoughts
History of pancreatitis
What Type of Results Can I Expect?
70% of patients achieve at least 10% weight loss
Over 50% achieve at least 15% weight loss
One-third achieve at least 20% weight lossI'm here to assist with organizing the text you provide. Please share the content you'd like me to work on.
Our Services
Vitamin B12
A common deficiency that effects millions that is easily treated by replacing depleted amounts of vitamin B. Symptoms of B12 deficiency include fatigue, weakness, or light-headedness, skin that’s discolored and easily bruised, a number of neurological issues, bleeding disorders, emotional imbalances, and even memory loss. B12 vitamins come in pill and drop form but usually lack the potency of the injectable form. Also, a common reason for the deficiency is that the body of sufferers can’t efficiently draw the vitamin out of food. Making the injection an ideal way of treating most patients.
B12 plays an important part in cell membrane health which is directly related to the efficiency of that cell.
At Livewell Clinics, we use Hyrdocobalamin, while more expensive it is also a more bio-available form of B12. Other common forms used elsewhere are Cyanocobalamin and Methylcobalamin. Cyanocobalamin offered by most clinics because it’s cheaper, tends to be less effective. Methylcobalamin is a preferred form of B12 that holds well when compounded.
LYPO-M
A Compound created by a pharmacy that includes our regular B12 injection but with a little extra kick in it. A cocktail of Hydro/Methylcobalamin, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Niacinamide, Methionine (optional), Dexpanthenol, and Choline all combined to give Lypo-M injections their fat burning, metabolism increasing, energy boosting benefits to our patients.
Semaglutide and Tirzepatide
The active ingredient in several popular weight loss medications like Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus. Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP- 1) receptor agonists. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone that is released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating. One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood glucose (sugar).
GLP-1 in higher amounts also interacts with the parts of the brain that reduce appetite and signal a feeling of fullness.
Phenteramine (Adipex)
One of the most popular diet drugs, Phentermine gain it’s top spot by being an extremely potent appetite suppressant. Tricking the body into a starvation state, the body then draws energy from fat storage. Different from just not eating, because the body then draws energy from proteins instead. In addition to a boost in metabolism. Making it the perfect
treatment to jumpstart your weight loss. The heavy gun in our fat killing arsenal, Phentermine’s aggressive weight loss treatment makes the
transition into more conservative options easier.
A strong appetite suppressant that tricks the body into pulling energy from fat storages and a stimulant that increase metabolism. Different from starving yourself, Phentermine decreases the crave for food while the most common dose given is 37.5 mg but it’s also offered in 30mg or less if patients don’t react well to the higher dose. The higher dose is also less expensive for clinics so tends to be the favorite – with constant contact and monthly evaluations it’s easy to monitor the patient. One of the reasons why we won’t prescribe more than one month’s worth of medications. We
also won’t keep patients on Phentermine more than 3 months as our standard of care – patient’s bodies could become tolerant or addicted.
Other clinics only offer phentermine and at time go a full year before cycling off. Can’t be a one-trick pony in Medical Weight Loss. As an alternative, we also offer a Phendimetrazine cycle or transition patients to an HCG diet as described below.
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