Losing weight can be difficult, but keeping it off is often tougher. And, a weight loss approach that works for someone else might not be what’s right for you. At the University of Miami Health System, we offer a doctor-supervised personalized weight loss plan – a program designed for your unique needs.

Successful weight loss is more than just cutting back on calories. Long-term weight loss requires a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing follow-up to ensure you keep the weight off. We learn about your underlying medical conditions, food preferences, budget, short and long-term health and weight goals to create a plan that offers a long-term weight management solution. Together, we set realistic expectations and goals to help you live your best life.

Weight Loss Services

Evaluation

We do a comprehensive evaluation to learn about your health history, lifestyle, eating habits, and weight loss challenges. We discuss your goals and expectations, and together we create a realistic plan to achieve your goals. We consider any underlying health conditions – such as diabetes or heart disease – to develop your personalized weight loss plan. We help you lose weight and improve or eliminate related health conditions.

Nutrition education and counseling
We learn about your food preferences, allergies, intolerances, and family unit to develop your nutritional plan. We educate you about nutrition and eating well to ensure you know how to make healthy choices that benefit you and your family. You have regular, in-person or virtual visits with a dietitian to keep you on track and support you throughout your weight loss journey.

Weight loss medicine
For those with a body mass index (BMI) over 27, depending on your underlying medical conditions and preferences, your plan may include medicines to make it easier to follow a lower-calorie diet. Medicines can help reduce your appetite and make you feel full sooner.

Exercise guidance
We help you set safe, realistic exercise goals. We begin with a walking program and suggest ways to add more activity to your lifestyle gradually. We also offer guidance for beginning resistance training to help you maintain healthy bones and lean body tissue.

Pre- and post-bariatric surgery care
You get personal guidance to help you develop healthier eating and lifestyle habits before bariatric surgery. After surgery, we work together with bariatrics specialist to provide you with continued support to reinforce new, healthier habits that will last a lifetime and help reduce the risk of weight regain

Intragastric balloon
This nonsurgical approach is for people with a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40 who either have well-controlled underlying conditions or don’t have any health problems and want to lose weight more quickly. We use an outpatient upper endoscopy procedure to place a saline-filled balloon in your stomach. Once in place, we add more saline to make the balloon the size of a grapefruit to make you feel full.

The balloon will stay in place for six months to give you time to develop new, healthier eating habits. You have regular virtual visits with a dietitian – and a social worker to develop coping strategies – to help you stay on track and meet your goals. And, you have easy online access to your doctor for added support. You can expect personalized support every step of the way. At the end of six months, we use an endoscope to remove the balloon.

This approach isn’t right for people who’ve had stomach surgery. It’s also not suitable for people who take blood thinners or have a bleeding condition, heart or liver problems, or poorly controlled diabetes. Talk to your doctor to find out if an intragastric balloon is right for you.

Note: This procedure isn’t currently covered by insurance.

Why Choose UHealth?

Personal attention. Weight loss isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan. You get a customized program that gives you the nutritional knowledge and support you need to keep weight off for a lifetime.

Comprehensive care for long-term weight management. Our weight loss experts work as a team with specialists throughout UHealth – endocrinologists, cardiologists, bariatric surgeons, orthopedic experts, and others. That means you get complete care from a team focused on your health and well-being.

Compassionate, attentive care. Our doctors are leaders in their fields and are consistently ranked among the country’s “best doctors. You can count on personal attention and guidance from doctors who care.

Leading-edge care backed by an academic medical center. Through our partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, we’re able to offer innovative treatments and the latest approaches more quickly – advancements you can’t find anywhere else nearby. You benefit from our advanced technology and the latest methods developed by leading medical researchers.