I am seeing some people who have gained all or much of the weight they had lost back during Covid. I have already written about the physiology and medical benefits of losing weight again. But, how does one approach the task of feeling like they are starting over? Today I am writing about the psychology of the “restart.”

So, you’ve lost 22% of your body weight in 3 months, now what? I am so happy when people ask me in their initial consultation, “What is your maintenance plan?” I had a conversation with a patient the other day about the name “Rainier Medical.” I did not choose it just because we are close to Mt. Rainier. In fact, after I opened, I realized how many businesses are named “Rainier” and wondered if it was the right choice. But, I have seen that it is perfect! Why? Because losing

Anybody who has been to Rainier Medical is all-too-familiar with the InBody analysis! Stepping on the machine every week or month is a rite of passage and is consistently reported as an integral part of the accountability which makes the program so successful. Why is it so much better than just the scale? Well, let’s see what information we can get from the InBody that we can not get from a simple scale and how that information potentially translates into important health pro

Happy National Obesity Care Week! Did you know that only 1-2% of individuals with the condition of overweight/obesity receives medical care for this condition? Did you know that health care and pharmaceuticals for the condition is excluded from many health plans, has to be "opted into", and coverage only “kicks in” after a person develops a health condition associated with the condition? Did you know overweight/obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the United

News flash: There are many weight loss plans out there! Some are 500 calories with HCG shots, some are meal replacement without exercise, and some are intense exercise with meal plans, to name just a few! At Rainier Medical, the program is an evidence based medical protocol. Today’s blog is covering the important topic of exercise while on the 800 calorie a day meal replacement portion of the plan. This is crucial, because the type and amount of exercise significantly affect

We are making progress in our research and conversations of the disease of overweight/obesity, but there are still huge, gaping holes and I think the role of the hypothalamus fills one of them. Let’s talk hypothalamus today!

Maybe you have noticed that there has been a movement from the old adage of a low-fat diet to a low carb diet. Most people who come to me have tried some version of a “keto” diet. I am concerned because when I take the dietary history from many people, there is a high prevalence of foods that are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This means that while their weight may be coming down, their risk of cardiovascular disease may be going up. Yes, you heard

Rainier Medical offers a medical intervention known as a very low calorie diet using a medically formulated liquid diet transitioning to...

Anyone who has done the Rainier Medical program before (or knows someone who has) knows one thing for sure: if you follow the program, the program works. So, what’s the problem? As Nike says, “Just Do It,” right? Well, sometimes! What is that unicorn thing called motivation? Where does it come from? Why do we feel so focused sometimes, like it is easy to do the thing we are trying to do, whereas other times, it seems like we can make the best plans and wake up everyday sayin

Let’s be real, getting an effective plan is crucial, and highly reinforcing to see results, but the most common thing that I hear when...

For most, the fist step in losing weight is lowering insulin levels. The crucial first step in effective weight management is to accept, internalize, and admit that body weight is not as simple as “calories in, calories out.” One of the reasons that this is true is because of hormones. (It’s always comes down to the hormones, right?!) Insulin is the main anabolic (causes growth) hormone in the body. There is a big debate out there in the world of Obesity Medicine physicians:

(This is not medical advice. Consult your physician for medical advice. For reference only.)

It is January 2, 2021. Assuming January 1st was for celebrating or recovery, today is the most popular day to begin a “diet” or New Year’s Resolution. There is a saying among some that “diets don’t work” that is meant to reflect that a dieter’s mentality can lead to weight cycling, and yet we know how important diet is to a healthy body weight, so I would like to propose an alternative approach that is more specific than the long term lifestyle change that we all know is the

This week’s blog is highlighting the paradigm change that is happening now due to the lessons learned from the intensity of this pandemic as it relates to obesity. I believe we are at a turning point where awareness of the need to address one’s underlying intrinsic health, and not just managing chronic disease, has confronted us. Unfortunately, we are learning that healthcare is not always available and/or successful, and reversing chronic disease is more important than ever.

Taking a medication for weight management is not nearly as simple as it may sound.  This is illustrated by the vast number of people who have taken a medication for weight loss and have been disappointed by the results and the fact that the most commonly used one today (phentermine) has been approved since 1959 and yet the epidemic of obesity is still increasing and only approximately 1-2% of people with the disease is receiving treatment. Pharmacotherapy (FDA approved medica

This week’s blog is to congratulate everyone who has participated in a Rainier Medical Program in the past! Our results were accepted for presentation at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting in November, 2020! I will share our results below and share an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the Gastric Balloon for Weight Loss as well. While these are not a “head to head” trial and so the results should not be directly compared, it may be interesting to s

I am so pleased that insurance companies have gotten this one right: many of them are now covering something called “Remote Patient Monitoring.” I have long lamented the fact that our health care model was based mostly on discrete episodes of care while most of a person’s health is determined during the 525,500 minutes a year that they are not in their doctor's office. This conundrum is frequently highlighted in much of health research: how do I, as a physician, actually pa

Valerie Slocum Sutherland, MD Melanie Slocum Saulsbury, BA Medical Director Program Director This week will likely be a very...

I am thrilled to introduce our new program this week! I heartily endorse this program from a medical standpoint for several reasons...

I really enjoy answering questions about exercise: how much, how often, how hard, what kind? While it really is true that any exercise...