Medical Approaches to Weight Loss
At NYU Langone’s Weight Management Program, we provide medical solutions for weight loss, focusing on nutrition, activity, and lifestyle changes. We create a plan that is specific to each person’s needs and goals.
Dr. Holly F. Lofton, who specializes in medically supervised weight loss, leads our program. Patients can also receive care from the following providers:
- Dr. Anelise M. Engel at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care West Side
- Dr. Priya Jaisinghani at NYU Langone Medical Associates—Chelsea
- Dr. David P. Selzer at NYU Langone Medical Associates—West Palm Beach and NYU Langone Cardiology Associates—Delray Beach
- Dr. Shanna A. Tucker at NYU Langone Internal Medicine Associates
Our doctors offer individual nutritional counseling as well as supervised meal replacement programs. Medications to maximize weight loss success are also available when appropriate. Every person receives a thorough medical and lifestyle consultation and long-term weight loss planning.
Follow-up visits take place at our offices. You can also choose to have an online doctor visit through the NYU Langone Health app. These video visits are paid out-of-pocket and are not covered by insurance.
We work with you and your primary care physician, exercise experts, nutritionists, psychologists, and other specialty providers as necessary. The program welcomes anyone who has a weight concern and hopes to gain a sense of control over his or her weight.
We offer the following medical weight loss services.
Medical Weight Loss Options Seminar
Dr. Lofton has created an online presentation offering information about the various options available to you, that you can view from the comfort of your own home. At the conclusion of the seminar, please call 212-263-3166 and select option #2 if you would like to schedule a consultation.
Meal Replacement Programs
Research shows that nutritionally balanced, low-calorie food choices help a person to maintain weight loss. We offer three medically supervised diet programs: New You, Metabolic Boost, and Flex Plan.
New You is a medically supervised ketogenic plan designed to help you lose 3 to 5 pounds a week weight conveniently, rapidly, and safely, without hunger, pills, or injections.
Metabolic Boost is a more intensive, medically supervised ketogenic diet. Average weight loss is 5 to 10 pounds per week.
The Flex Plan is an 8-week dietitian-led program that is non-ketogenic and incorporates healthy carbohydrates into your diet. Average weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Medical Evaluations of Weight-Related Conditions
Many medical conditions worsen as a person gains weight. Weight loss is the best way to manage these conditions, which include metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, and movement issues, such as osteoarthritis of the knee and osteoarthritis of the hip. We help you manage these conditions while you lose weight and optimize your overall health.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome or a history of gestational diabetes have unique vulnerabilities related to insulin resistance. Our doctors work intensively with you to develop safe, effective meal plans, that can jump-start and accelerate weight loss.
We have several options for those who need to lose weight prior to a medical procedure. We can even help people who have tried traditional diet plans but have been dissatisfied with the results.
Review of Medications
Many medications used to manage conditions such as diabetes, depression, seizure disorders, arthritis, and high blood pressure contribute to weight gain. There may be alternative medications or ways to manage these conditions that allow you to take less medicine. Our doctors work with your primary care physician to suggest helpful strategies.
Medications for Weight Loss
Medications that control feelings of hunger can often help you stick with a new eating plan. Medications are a tool for weight loss and work best when used as part of a comprehensive weight management plan that includes dietary changes and exercise.
Metabolic Rate Testing
Metabolism analysis helps to determine your metabolic rate, which is a calculation based on body fat, muscle mass, age, gender, and fluid retention. Your metabolic rate helps to determine how many calories your body burns while at rest.
This information is used by our experts to come up with a diet strategy focused on consuming fewer calories than you burn in a day. The testing, which uses a body composition analyzer, is quick, painless, and does not require a blood test or fasting.
Individual Meal Planning
Planning out meals in advance, awareness of the nutritional value of the foods you choose, and being accountable to your goals can be crucial for weight loss success. We teach you how to create a healthy eating plan and maintain a food diary.
Mindful Eating and Nutrition Planning
Mindful eating is a cornerstone of all individual and group sessions. We discuss your eating habits, what triggers eating, and how to distinguish “head hunger,” which is wanting to eat even though you’re not truly hungry, from your body’s true metabolic needs. We also discuss ways to manage stress that do not include food.
Knowing how to read food labels and menus to find the best choices, as well as understanding food composition, plays a part in mindful eating. Our registered dietitians teach you how to incorporate nutritional knowledge into your busy life while also balancing your family’s food preferences.
Self-Monitoring Tools
The bathroom scale, food diaries, and label reading can all help you reach your weight loss goals and maintain a healthy weight. We help you figure out which self-monitoring tools are best for you, and how often you should use them.
Exercise Guidance
Our providers help you set exercise goals that are aligned with your current fitness level and that can be used at your local gym, at home, or in the community. We understand how difficult it can be to add regular physical activity into your busy lifestyle, so we also provide guidance that makes physical activity more enjoyable, and therefore easier to maintain as a healthy habit. Our recommendations are based on professional guidelines such as those from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Contact Us
Please call our office at 212-263-3166 or email weightloss@nyulangone.org to request more information about our programs and seminars.
For your first appointment, please bring your current list of medications, any laboratory results received in the last three months, and any significant medical documentation.