I am NOT here to ONLY prescribe the medication. Yes, the medication “takes away the food noise.” You will most likely lose weight with or without my coaching. But I want to optimize your metabolism. I want you to lose the weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.

My full lab panel:

CBC

CMP

Hgb A1C (average blood sugar)

Insulin, fasting

Iron, Ferritin

B12, Folate

Vitamin D

TSH, Free T3, Free T4, TPO antibodies, thyroglobulin antibodies

Many times, I will find that someone with a nutrition deficiency (usually iron, ferritin, B12 or folate) is so tired they cannot even consider exercise. Or their metabolism is all but shut down. No matter what they do, they cannot lose weight.

Your insulin level and Hgb A1C provide clues about when eating or fasting would benefit you.

Vitamin D of course is a hormone involved with metabolism, energy and so many other processes.

I also draw a FULL thyroid panel. I look for OPTIMAL levels. We want the TSH to be as close to 1.0 as possible. Traditional medicine considers anything below 5.0 as “within normal.” And TSH 5-10 is “subclinical hypothyroidism” even if the patient is experiencing symptoms. Thyroid antibodies indicate autoimmune thyroid issues that can be controlled with diet changes.

I recommend my full panel at least once in the first 6 months of my program. If there are significant findings, I recommend at least one repeat.

My full panel of labs can be obtained from Lab Corp (using cash, not insurance) for $120! You can also make a well adult appointment with your primary care provider and ask for these labs. Most don’t know this, but with private insurance, if you have an annual physical or well adult exam, almost any lab is covered 100%. This is the time to get your labs drawn!

Having this full picture allows me to provide supplements or lifestyle recommendations where we can truly create sustainable weight loss.