Obesity and Weight Loss | Jacksonville, FL

Weight fluctuations are a natural part of life, and there are certain periods and events that can cause extra weight to pile on. There are also medical conditions that can cause women to put on extra weight for seemingly no reason, one of these being PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). At PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center in Jacksonville, FL, your medical weight loss journey will start with an evaluation and blood work to determine the root cause of your weight gain. We will determine if polycystic ovarian syndrome is the cause, and if not, we can still help you lose weight! The foundation of the PCOS Sisters Weight Loss Program is a personalized diet and exercise plan, along with any further necessary treatment. Dr. Lynsey Johnson, DNP, FNP-C encourages patients to weigh themselves without clothes or shoes prior to their visit to get an accurate-as-possible read of their weight. We're proud to treat patients in the following states and cities:

Florida

North, central, and south Florida, including Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and Orlando.

Georgia

Including cities of Atlanta, Savannah, Columbus, Augusta, and Macon.  

New York

New York City (Manhattan, Upper East side, Upper West side), Queens, Brooklyn, Rochester, and Buffalo.

When you start to gain weight without any changes being made to your diet or daily routine, it can cause a lot of grief and uncertainty. But rest assured that you have options to help you return to a weight you feel comfortable with. Managing the cause of your PCOS can help regulate your weight, but we also offer treatments to address weight gain individually. Semaglutide is just one medication offered to treat PCOS and obesity. 

How fast will I lose weight?
Most weight loss occurs in the first 3 – 6 months of starting weight loss program. Even after you have reached a weight you feel comfortable and confident with, it will be important to stay on top of your nutrition and diet plan. If using Semaglutide weekly injections, you can expect to lose around 10 lbs per month. It is not safe to go beyond this rate of weight loss. 

How does Semaglutide work? 

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that targets receptors in the stomach to slow emptying making you feel full longer, stimulates the pancrease to release more insulin helping you process carbs, and reduces sugar production in the liver. All of these effects help to lower your cholesterol, prevent fatty liver, as well as reduce risk for diabetes and stroke. Semaglutide research is ongoing to determine it's potential use as a neuroprotective agent to prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Given it is used to increase insulin sensitivity, semaglutide is an ideal medication to treat not only obesity in PCOS patients, but it also treats the root cause of PCOS....Testosterone. By decreasing insulin resistance, testosterone levels are balanced. 

How much do we know about the safety of semaglutide?

Semaglutide was approved in 2017 for diabetics and 2022 for medical weight loss. Similar GLP-1 agonists have been on the market for 20 years for use in diabetics. It is considered safe for long term weight loss usage and is FDA approved for this purpose.

What are possible side effects of Semaglutide?

Nausea, vomiting, "sour stomach", heart burn, constipation at higher dosages. Usually easily managed with an over the counter heartburn medication.

Who qualifies for Semaglutide?

You must have a BMI of 30 or greater or 27 and greater with co-morbidity such as as hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes

Are there any contraindications?

Contraindicated in those who have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or a rare endocrine disorder called MEN2. 

How often do I inject?

You inject once a week for 2-4 weeks. Your dosage will be adjusted every 4 weeks at telehealth visit to reach your goal of 10 lbs per month weight loss.

What can I do to help Semaglutide work?

Your insulin receptors are on your muscles, so working out and exercise will not only help it work, but keep your cost down as it takes less Semaglutide to reach effectiveness. 

Will I gain weight back after stopping Semaglutide? 

Just like any other medication, if you do not change your lifestyle and diet, you will return to your former metabolism and could gain weight back. As long as you lose the weight at a slow steady rate and change your diet and lifestyle, it is unlikely you experience rebound weight gain. If you have PCOS, keeping the testosterone level lower will also help maintain weight loss. 

Do you offer FitBit®, Apple, Garmin, MyFitness Pal integration?
Yes, we do! Just follow the instruction in the portal to connect your Fitbit account or you can integrate with Trainerize directly.

What platforms do you use for the fitness and diet plan? We have developed our own PCOS Sisters personal trainer App on the Trainerize exercise and nutrition platform with custom exercise videos, fitness targets, body stats, tracking, rewards, PCOS support community, as well as daily personalized meal plans designed for PCOS women.

Do you prescribe other medications for weight loss?

Yes, we do prescribe other medications to aid in weight loss. Dr. Johnson will perform an evaluation to determine what medications are needed and if medications are right for you. 

Do you accept insurance?

PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center offers both pay per visit and membership subscriptions. We are a cash pay only practice, meaning we do not accept insurance. Cash pay includes credit cards and debit cards. We cannot accept Medicaid or Medicare patients, even if you agree to pay cash as we do not bill insurance. If you have insurance that covers your labs, imaging, and medications, you may use it, but you might find that our discounted prices are cheaper if you self-pay.

Don't let sudden weight gain shake you. At PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center, we can help patients lose weight, whether they have PCOS or not. Family nurse practitioner Dr. Lynsey Johnson provides personalized medical weight loss programs to help women reach their goals and improve their health. If you live in Florida, New York, or Georgia, contact our team to schedule a virtual weight loss consultation.

PCOS Sisters Telehealth Clinic & Wellness Center provides primary healthcare and treatment for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. One component of the program is metabolic optimization achieved through a personalized PCOS exercise and diet plan. Our trainers will customize your unique workouts, which you can access online or through your smartphone.