7 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Weight Loss Clinic

by Anand Thakkar, M.D.  ~

Are you looking to lose weight but you don’t know how? Many people try and try again to lose weight with unsustainable diets and exercise programs that leave them worn out, beaten down, and ready to give up.

A weight loss clinic might be your answer. Weight loss treatments and programs at the clinic are going to be guided and specially formatted for success.

If this sounds appealing to you, you’re in the right place. You’re taking the first step on a path toward wellness.

Keep reading to learn about how you can choose the weight loss clinic that’s best for you.

1. Long-Term Customer Results

Do they have customer success stories? These don’t have to be put on the website in an obvious place (some patients would be uncomfortable with that) but they may have portfolios online of customer results over time, or they may be able to tell you stories about them.

Weight loss clinics aren’t helpful if the results aren’t long-term. You need to be able to keep the weight off, not just lose it. Otherwise, you’ll be back at the clinic in no time.

2. Good Reviews

References and reviews are everything for a business like this one, and luckily we’re in a time where these reviews are accessible for anyone.

Look at all of the standard review sites and see what customers and patients have to say. This is another place to see if long-term results are coming from this weight loss clinic.

If the clinic has good reviews exclusively, make sure you read them carefully to avoid bots. If you keep seeing bad reviews, check the reasoning behind the review and see if it applies to you.

3. Methodology and Options

Not everyone wants to lose weight in the same way. What kind of options does this clinic provide for you, and are they the ones that you want to be pursuing?

Do they focus on exercise, medications, or nutrition? Do they break their focus down into several categories?

If they’re focusing on medicine, do they have a legitimate medical staff available to help you? Weight loss medication is tricky and requires an experienced hand.

If they’re focusing on nutrition, do they have an experienced nutritionist?

All bodies are different and require different things. Some people have food intolerances. Some people have special diet limitations.

Make sure that the options that are provided to you align with your wants and goals when it comes to adjusting your life and losing the weight.

4. Sustainability of the Program

As the saying goes, “slow and steady wins the race.”

In this context, that means that when you’re taking your weight loss slowly you’re more likely to sustain it long-term.

It might be exciting to lose a bunch of weight all at once. When the extra pounds melt from your body you’ll be excited and enthusiastic about your clinician’s work.

Without a slow approach, though, you won’t be doing yourself any favors in the long run. Weight loss requires lifestyle changes even if you take medications or get surgery. If you return to your old habits or get overwhelmed by the pace (and disappointed when it slows down), that weight gain will pick back up again.

If a program claims to help you drop more than a pound or three per week (the heavier you are to start with, the more weight you can lose), you should be cautious.

Remember, the best kind of weight loss is the kind that you can sustain forever. Strict nutrition guidelines, dangerous medications, and daily high-intensity interval training will burn you out.

5. The Experience of the Clinicians and Staff

How experienced are the people that are going to be helping you? Have they had success stories? Are they themselves successful in losing weight and keeping it off?

Maybe they have advanced degrees in nutritional or exercise science.

Try to get the background of some of the weight loss doctors who will be treating you before you begin your weight loss clinic program.

6. The Way the Clinic Makes You Feel

You don’t want to feel bad about going to a weight loss clinic. You’re there for a good reason! You’re trying to help yourself feel better and look the way you want.

Unfortunately, weight loss clinicians are human and some may be more likely to shame you for your weight until you’re more “acceptable” to them.

While some may consider this motivational or “tough love”, it’s not. It’s cruel and unnecessary and may drive you to leave the clinic. Instead, you’re looking for compassionate clinicians that can help you lose weight while also building you up.

It may take some time for you to gauge how the clinic functions, but keep this factor in mind.

7. The ‘Homework’

What are you meant to do when you’re not at the clinic? Are you given homework in the areas of exercise or nutrition?

This “homework” is the most important part. This is how you do the work and continue the weight loss when you’re no longer at the weight loss clinic.

Ask clinicians and staff what they recommend for people when they’re not at the clinic. See if it aligns with your goals.

Have You Decided on a Weight Loss Clinic?

Choosing a weight loss clinic is tough, but it’s the best first step toward a healthier you. You want to make the right decision!

Take everything into consideration before making the jump. It can be helpful to talk to staff beforehand and get a “feel” for the place before you get started.

If you’re interested in sustainable weight loss managed by trained staff, we might be the weight loss clinic for you.

Check out our site to see if we have the weight loss options that appeal to your personal journey. Interested in hearing from our patients? You could listen to their success stories here.

Dr. Anand Thakkar is a licensed Internal Medicine physician. He is Board Certified in Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. He has been a member of the teaching faculty for students at Chicago Medical School and has been featured on ABC, FOX, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes as a recognized authority in wellness, fitness & nutrition, weight loss, anti-aging, hormones & metabolic medicine, holistic medicine, lifestyle coaching and women’s & men’s health.

Learn more about Dr. Thakkar and Chicago Weight Loss and Wellness Clinics here.

This blog is for informational purposes only. Do not make any major changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise without the supervision of a licensed medical professional.

This post had originally had been originally published in October, 2020. New content has been added to make it more accurate.