Weight Loss Centers

[chenete]

Anyone that has had an experience with these, do you find they try to push supplements -I know that some will prescribe phen, I read about one here in GA that charges 80 bucks per month, (which includes the cost of phen and office vist and optional b12 shot) plus 45 dollars for lab work (1st visit only and yearly thereafter) and no contract-but also has a list of other supplements that dont state they are required-are listed out separately... Is this too good to be true?? (probably is)

[chenete]

oh, and the phen that is dispensed at their pharmacy is the generic, you have to pay 10 bucks additional -for brand name (adipex) -phen is for 30 day supply

[EBONY POETESS]

it's true girl
when i took the phen i got a menu,b12 shot,weighed and vitals taken and they didn't push any other products that they had
it's 85 a month but you gotta get there early cause it's so crowded people are in the hallway!

[Luckymom3]

I go to a weight loss clinic here in Memphis. It cost me 35.00 a month for doc. visit and 16.00 a month for my phen. I have my labs done every 6 months because of my cancer, so I dont have to have it done at weight loss clinic, he just has my other doc transfer the labs to his office.


7-10-04 SW 175
CW 156
GW 145
Im going to do it this time!!

[ August 20, 2004, 12:55 AM: Message edited by: Luckymom3 ]

[chenete]

hmmm, I did find a primary doc that prescribes phen (after my ordeal with my last doc LOL) but this sounds interesting-maybe I will call tomorrow to get the real info-they wont pull anything over on me-I watch Judge Judy toooooo dang much (along with the other court shows )

[chenete]

wow, I am hopeful-I always thought these places try to rip you off when you walk in the door-thank you all!! I will be calling them tomorrow.... wow 35 bucks per visit that is great!!! Would you rather have your primary do everything for you, or have your primary be just that, and like I use a obgyn for my woman needs, and also have a bariatric doctor for my weight loss needs? Any opinions?

[chenete]

Okay I just called their 24 hr info line and it states -new patient visits $125, which includes, 30 day prescription phen, physical, book, handouts, lab work, office visit and nutrition class, and b12 shot -routine visit is 80 bucks which includes all the above except the lab work (that is repeated yearly) no checks accepted, all major credit cards and cash accepted and if you refer someone you get discounts... I think I might try it out...

[monifa]

yes they have a lot here.only two or three in my town,so it's pretty crowed plus i'am in a small town and don't want everybody to know my business.lol plus you have to go every week to this one place here ,don't have time for that.The Bariatric place was a liitle better because you only go once a month,but no weekly b-12 shots.keep us updated.

[chenete]

Thanks I will.... Since I am new to this area, noone will know me here-and the nearest one to my house is probably 30-40 miles (there are 4 out here) Hey I can say the drive there will be a sightseeing trip-I am just so worried that these places are rigged-I must've heard bad things about em in my past life LOL

[Luckymom3]

My reg. doctor would not give me phen. that why I go to the weight loss clinic. They are great there, will prescribe any diet pill thats legal, and they are never pushy. I get weighed and measured at every visit, and the doc. is sooooo supportive! I pay my 35.00 and go to walgreens to get phen. for 16.00 and thats it. Too bad all cities dont have these clinics.I have lost 19lbs since July 10th. So this is working for me.


7-10-04 SW 175
CW 156
GW 145
Im going to do it this time!!

[chenete]

When I lived in Phoenix, the only ones I had heard of were soooo expensive (upwards of 800 dollars) so maybe thats why I was figuring the 80 dollars per month visit was too good to be true.. My former pcp wouldnt prescribe it, but she was soooo rude and condescending about it-so I switched docs to one that would prescribe it, but I think I might try this route instead, (still keep my new doc) They are open now, so I will call them, I am soooo excited!!

[Determined1-- derland here I come]

I went to a diet doctor which is considered a weight loss clinic. (I just went back yesterday by the way) But they have never been pushy about anything. I pay $65.50 every three weeks. (There was never a start up fee, the first week which included the exam was only $65.50) I go in, get weighed, they give me the B-12 shot, answer any questions I may have, give me my phen and then send me on my way, they also give me a diet. They have never ever ever tried to sell me anything else. When I asked if I could pay to get more B-12 shots, I actually was told no, what I was getting was sufficient and my weight loss is where they want it to be.
Now, I went to another "Diet Dr." back in 1999 and he was a big loser. I had to pay for an exam at first which included an "EKG" he informed me that I would need special medication because there was something going on with my heart. He told me that I must lose this weight or I would die! I was terrified. But did he think I wouldn't go to my primary care doc? My regular doctor gave me an EKG and a walking Ekg (I believe that is what it was called, I had a heart rate monitor attached to me for 2 days which recorded my heart) Well I was informed by my regular doc that I was absolutely FINE and that many diet doctors try to scare you skinny and rake in the dollars in the meantime. I confronted the diet doctor about the findings of my regular doctor and he said that we could repeat his EKG but it would cost me..... Also he offered in his office where you could come back at anytime during the month to get additional B-12 shots whenever you wanted them!

I say all this to say, check them out. See what extras they offer. I absolutely trust my current diet doctor. I can call at anytime with questions. They have been very instrumental in my weight loss.

[chenete]

Thanks-I just called them and verified-supplements are extra, and its 125 total for the 1st visit-(for labs) and 80 a month after, no contract-But I wonder about the lab-because I just had a complete physical not too long ago,and I wonder if they will accept that. They also dispense the meds at the clinic, and they said the B12 injection is optional, but they will go over specifics at my appointment. I just wanted tomake sure that they would not try to make me get the additional pills (fat burners, etc) They even said that they would set up an exercise plan that would work with me during the time I see them, but I love working out with weights, so I hope that isnt a no-no. They werent pushy when I called, try to be vague about their prices (it is the same as their website) but did stress that the price given to me was the total thing, no hidden charges. Since I felt comfortable (I believe you can learn so much from the way an office handles phone calls) that I made an appointment for this Tuesday, so wish me luck!

[ThinJen]

Isatrted out at a clinic, and it was great. They still call me now to check on me and see how I am doing. It is a little more expensive, but i would recommend to anyone getting started or new to weight loss if they can afford it to go. They give you very valuable info that helps you learn what you need to be doing to get where you want to be. So many people diet with no clue as to what they should be doing. I would say go for it and I don't think they will rip you off. I had great experiences wuith the clinic, and it was worth every penny i spent.

[chenete]

Thanks everyone... I am really getting excited about this-thanks for sharing your experiences!!!

[Luckymom3]

Good luck at you app. I think you will like it, its nice having a doc. and getting weighed and measured every month.


7-10-04 SW 175
CW 156
GW 145
Im going to do it this time!!

[Determined1-- derland here I come]

Chenete let us know how things go on Tuesday. It is a shame you don't know a lot of people where you are that could give you a heads up on the clinic. I heard about mine from a friend. She had gone before but she ended up getting gastro. She had lost weight but didn't stick with it. When she sees me now, she can't believe it. She said she wishes she had been ablt to stick with it and not get the gastro.
My doc keeps telling me not to lift weights. But I think it is because he knows that the muscle weighs more and it "slows" down my perception of me losing weight. I know the difference. I know how good the muscles vs. fat feels. So even if they tell you not to do something you go with your own ideas. (and I am not referring to chocolate cake )

[chenete]

I will definitely keep everyone posted on the visit(s) there... I know-it is sooo hard being a new gal in a new town-I probably met more people here that live in Georgia then I have in person!! But I am starting to meet more , especially thru the kids activities, and then I start subbing in a couple weeks, so that should get me out there more... But I do have some very close friends (like sisters) in Montgomery (where I went to college) that I am able to see now (also one in Maryland/DC area!!) so they are a major support system for me as well... G'nite all!!!

[jamaicabound]

That's how I found out about Phen. I went to one of those Weight Loss Centers, and they did blood work, ppushed supplements, vitamins ( all kinds of crap you don't need) . Then he (the doc) started acting like he may not ** me the Phen unless I bought all these friggin' suplements. So, I said "see ya ..bye!" Been getting it online since, and saving all that money on Dr's fees, and vitamins ( I get the prenatal vitamins from Wal-mart, cuz I think they wrokd the best for me, even though I am not preggo) .

[chenete]

See Jamaica, thats what I was concerned about-them trying the old bait and switch-you cant get the phen w/o buying the supplements, but the receptionist assured me that wasnt the case. Of course I wont know for sure until I get there Tuesday, but if they start that crap, I will just walk out... there are some other clinics in the Atlanta area that I can try, or just see my regular doctor and get phen from him... Hopefully all goes well at the clinic though.. thx!

[rene76]

I FOUND A CLINIC IN A NEARBY TOWN AND IT'S $50 PER MONTH. $25 FOR OFFICE VISIT AND $25 FOR PHEN. I WENT A FEW MONTHS AGO...IT WAS AWESOME...DR. WAS WONDERFUL...NOT PUSHY...VERY HELPFUL AND MOTIVATING...TO BAD THAT ONLY LASTED A FEW WEEKS...LOL!!
~RENE'

[Determined1-- derland here I come]

lol at Rene! Girl I know the feeling

[chenete]

Well, I went today and I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!! Everyone there was sooo supportive, and concerning the meds (not my main reason for going there, of course ) I chose the phen, but if I have indeed built up a tolerance to it, I will be able to exchange my meds. Or change every month, other month whatever. He said let my body be the guide. Overall, I didnt feel intimidated or wasnt made to feel like somehow I had failed with my other weight loss attempts, but like I have a helping hand all the way. All the staff was wonderful, I kept hanging around-not wanting to leave (till I saw 5-0 roll up LOL)And concerning the B-12 shot, I opted for it (of course) and I can come every 2 weeks to get that.. and then every 4 weeks for checkups/pills. They also gave me some literature on the regulations of appetite suppressants to explain the methods of why/how, etc they prescribe them. And no difficult diets to follow or supplements to take (I could buy them if I wanted, but I had to ask-they in no way pushed them) just good old common sense-calories are what counts in weight loss. So much more info-if anyone has some ?'s, pm me.. Thanks again for all your comments

[Hazel Eyes]

Chenete -

I'm so glad you found a place you love! I really believe that in itself can help you on your journey because they'll help motivate you.
Best of luck!

-- Laura

[LQQK]

Chenete, the center sounds great.I wish you luck hun. Now, i have a question.. Does anyone know of a good weight loss center in NYC? Are there centers with the same names? My primary care doc give me my ** for phen, but i only see her every 3 months. I'd love to have more support at a weight loss center.

joan

[LQQK]

Chenete, the center sounds great.I wish you luck hun. Now, i have a question.. Does anyone know of a good weight loss center in NYC? Are there centers with the same names? My primary care doc give me my ** for phen, but i only see her every 3 months. I'd love to have more support at a weight loss center.

joan

[Hazel Eyes]

Joan -

Go to the Yellow Pages section under yahoo dot com. For location, put in your address or zip code. Then search for weight loss. You may have to make some phone calls, but I bet you'll come up with at least a few places. I'm sure there's other ways, but that's how I found a few around here. Good luck!

[chenete]

I found mine (look, I am already being possessive LOL) from this website-I looked under the "doctors, nutrition" forum and there were some threads about different doctors there. Also on this site's home page, you can go to the find a doctor tab, and get some referrals there. Good luck!!

[chenete]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes!!!

[Luckymom3]

YEA!!! Im happy you went, I think its easier when you are under a doctors care! Good Luck


7-10-04 SW 175
CW 155
GW 145
Im going to do it this time!!

[LQQK]

Thanks Chenete, i am gonna look at the thread right now.

joan

[Determined1-- derland here I come]

Chenete what type of diet did they give you?

[SlimWannabe]

I hope you are successful. If possible, can someone please tell me what is a B12 shot and what is it suppose to do? I am assuming it leads to weight loss but why a shot?? Just curious.

[chenete]

Slim, I posted some b-12 shot questions -I will try to find the post and bump it..
Determined, he didnt give me a "diet", just a calorie book and a general meal plan with some common foods that are lower in calories as well as usually in your pantry/fridge already. The calorie book he gave me has tons of information, also info about different foods according to restaurants. Some foods he considered as an "unlimited food" he listed as celery, cucumbers, pickles, carrots, tomatoes, and diet sodas??? (I dont get that one) I told him that I am already using a online site to help me with journaling my food intake, so he said to do whatever is easiest for me , that way I will stick with it. His staff also stressed the importance of just eating well balanced meals, everything in moderation, watching portions. That way my body doesnt get used to one way of eating (low carbs for instance) then goes into shock when I go back to my normal way of eating. I was so glad to hear that .... because there is no way I could do the carb thing.