Weight Management Through Direct Primary Care

Medical weight management through Craft Concierge includes comprehensive metabolic testing to identify thyroid dysfunction, insulin resistance, hormone imbalances, and other medical barriers that commercial programs ignore, with treatment by fellowship-trained physicians rather than nutritionists or health coaches without medical training.

We prescribe GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound when appropriate based on medical evaluation rather than selling weight loss programs to anyone willing to pay. Your care includes quarterly physician monitoring with metabolic lab testing, medication adjustment, and comprehensive medical oversight that ensures safe, sustainable weight loss addressing root metabolic causes rather than just restricting calories and hoping for results.

Clinical trials show patients using Wegovy (semaglutide) lose average 15-20% of body weight over 12-18 months when combined with lifestyle modification, while Zepbound (tirzepatide) shows even greater results with average 20-25% body weight reduction in clinical studies.

However, individual results vary based on starting weight, metabolic health, adherence to lifestyle recommendations, and how your body responds to medications – some patients lose more, others less than clinical trial averages.

Your physician monitors your progress through quarterly visits, adjusting medication dosing and protocols when weight loss plateaus or doesn’t meet expected timeline, while addressing metabolic factors like thyroid dysfunction or insulin resistance that may limit medication effectiveness.

Many patients successfully maintain weight loss after discontinuing GLP-1 medications if they’ve established sustainable lifestyle changes including improved nutrition habits, regular physical activity, stress management, and adequate sleep that support metabolism and prevent weight regain.

However, obesity represents chronic medical condition influenced by genetics, metabolism, and environment – not just willpower failure – meaning some patients benefit from long-term medication therapy just as diabetics need ongoing insulin or hypertensive patients require continued blood pressure medications.

Your physician discusses medication duration during your treatment planning, monitors your metabolic health throughout weight loss, and helps you determine whether tapering medications or continuing therapy better supports your long-term health goals based on your individual metabolic response and weight maintenance success.

Most patients experience mild nausea, especially when starting GLP-1 medications or increasing doses, though this typically improves within 2-4 weeks as your body adjusts to the medication.

Other common side effects include decreased appetite (the intended effect), occasional vomiting or diarrhea, constipation, and stomach discomfort, with symptoms usually mild and temporary.

Your physician starts medications at low doses and increases gradually to minimize side effects while maximizing effectiveness, provides strategies managing nausea and digestive symptoms when they occur, and adjusts your protocol if side effects persist or significantly impact your quality of life.

Your Craft Concierge membership covers physician consultations, metabolic testing, and medical oversight with no per-visit charges, with the Vitality membership ($175/month) including quarterly lab testing and monitoring visits that medical weight loss requires.

GLP-1 medications (Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic) are prescribed separately through pharmacies and cost $900-$1,400 monthly without insurance coverage, though many insurance plans cover these medications for patients meeting medical criteria including BMI over 30 or BMI over 27 with weight-related health conditions.

Your physician helps navigate insurance coverage for medications, provides prior authorization documentation when needed, and explores patient assistance programs or alternative medication options if cost creates barriers to treatment.

Many patients achieve successful weight loss through lifestyle modification, metabolic optimization, and comprehensive medical support without GLP-1 medications, especially when testing reveals treatable barriers like hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, insulin resistance responding to metformin, or hormonal imbalances affecting metabolism.

Your physician assesses whether medications represent necessary intervention for your situation or if optimizing thyroid function, addressing insulin resistance, correcting nutritional deficiencies, improving sleep, and managing stress might achieve weight loss goals without adding expensive prescription medications.

However, for patients with significant obesity, metabolic syndrome, or history of unsuccessful weight loss attempts, GLP-1 medications often provide critical tool making sustainable weight loss achievable when lifestyle changes alone prove insufficient.

Yes, Craft Concierge provides comprehensive weight management services in both Tampa and Tulsa, with both locations offering access to fellowship-trained obesity medicine expertise, comprehensive metabolic testing, GLP-1 medication prescriptions, and quarterly monitoring through direct primary care membership.

Tampa features specialized obesity medicine focus, while Tulsa provides weight management services with holistic approach emphasizing nutrition, fitness, and sustainable lifestyle modification alongside medical interventions when appropriate.