Why it starts with labs
Weight that refuses to move is rarely a willpower problem. Dr. Wood teaches her patients that appetite runs on hormones — ghrelin, leptin, GLP-1 and others — and that is why the first visit measures before it prescribes: a comprehensive metabolic panel, thyroid testing, hormone levels, blood pressure, glucose and lipids, plus a body composition analysis that separates fat from muscle.
The following week you go over the results together. That conversation, not a standard handout, is where your plan comes from.
What the program includes
- A nutrition plan written for you — a meal plan, macro targets and meal-prep guidance built around food you can buy in Columbia on a weeknight.
- Medication when it fits. Dr. Wood weighs several FDA-approved options, GLP-1 therapy among them. It is not for every patient, and some people do better on a different medicine.
- Monthly visits with Dr. Wood while you are in active treatment.
- Progress labs every 8 to 12 weeks and a repeat body composition scan, so you can see muscle kept and fat lost rather than one number on a scale.
What the practice will not do: prescribe weight-loss medication on request. Every prescription here follows a visit, an exam and your labs.
How the months go
| Phase | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | Week 1 | A 45-minute visit with Dr. Wood; labs drawn on site |
| Results review | Week 2 | Your numbers explained, your plan written down |
| Active treatment | Months 1–6 | Monthly visits, labs every 8–12 weeks, medication adjusted |
| Maintenance | Month 6 on | Quarterly visits and yearly labs |
Do you have to exercise?
Not to begin. The plan starts with food and, when appropriate, medication; activity is added in steps your knees and your calendar can live with. Dr. Wood’s guide to exercise and weight loss covers where to start, and the federal activity target it works toward.
Why modest numbers matter
You do not need to reach a “goal weight” to be healthier. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that losing 5% to 10% of your starting weight may lower blood sugar, blood pressure and triglycerides (NIDDK). That is why progress here is tracked in labs as well as pounds.
Other ways in
If you would rather begin with a fixed structure, the Bariatrix Ready Steps program uses meal replacements for a time. If medication is what you are wondering about, read what to know before starting a GLP-1. And if hormones may be part of the story, the same labs feed hormone care.