Virtual Small Group Weight Management Course

Hello!
I’m thrilled to have you inquire about my upcoming Small Group Weight Management Course. Please see below for more specific information. **If you decide you would like to enroll, please email lindsey@merritthw.com ASAP and I’ll send you a questionnaire to fill out, an acknowledgement/privacy form, and payment information (if needed). Don’t delay. This class will fill up fast.** 
WHY DO A GROUP CLASS FORMAT? 

  • You will get 90 minutes with a medical provider who has successfully helped many patients achieve healthier body weights for the same insurance cost as a typical 20-30 minute individual visit. 
  • An extended time format allows for more education. Patient education is the #1 factor for adherence to lifestyle change. 
  • Research shows people enjoy, and find more comfort in small group settings with peers who have similar health issues. 
  • I first did this class series in 2017. Various circumstances prevented me from doing it the past few years, but the people who enrolled in the first series and who’ve remained my patients are still succeeding with their health improvement journey 

WHEN IS IT?

  • Classes will begin Wednesday September 22nd. There will be 1 class per week, for 6 weeks in a row, ending October 27th.
  • If there is enough interest, I will consider adding a second time slot during the week. That would likely be Monday mid-morning, or afternoon. (you would always be able to swap class times during the week if you had a scheduling conflict)
  • If you have to miss a week, I will email the zoom recording, and handouts that were given. I do encourage live participation in this format to keep yourself accountable. 

HOW LONG IS THE CLASS TIME? 

  • 90 minutes. 

WHAT VIRTUAL PLATFORM IS BEING USED? 

  • Zoom. This has the option of keeping yourself anonymous to other participants if desired. Anyone can join with video or just audio. 

WHAT IS THE CAPACITY? 

  • This is flexible, but I’d like to cap at about 14 people per class. 
  • There will be only 5 total spots for those with Medicaid insurance, or 10 if two class offerings per week are done. 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? 

  • TWO OPTIONS
    • Insurance Billing: The code billed will be a “99214”, similar to a regular 20-30 minute individual office visit. 
      • Deductibles and/or co-pays will apply in the same way they do for a regular office visit. If you don’t know what your coverage is like, call your customer service and have them review it with you.
      • Late cancellations (w/ in 24 hours, unless for a true emergency) and no-show fees will be $50.I will be firm with that policy. If you late cancel/no-show 2 times, you will be removed from the class. 
    • Cash Pay: If you choose to not bill insurance (such as if your deductible is really high), or do not have insurance, the out of pocket price will be a prepaid, non-refundable $400 for the 6-week series. 
      • Please note: Cash pay will not carry over to individual appointments or other services at the clinic. This offering is an exception for this course alone 

CAN A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER JOIN? 

  • YES, and this is encouraged! People will always do better with lifestyle changes if they have an accountability partner in their day to day life. 
  • If you want to enroll a friend/family member that is not already a patient at our clinic, they will need to complete New Patient Paperwork ASAP, and we will need to verify insurance coverage. From there…
    • I will do an abbreviated 30 minute individual appointment with them to go over health history (phone, zoom, or in-person) before the class series begins. 
    • This initial appointment will be billed to insurance, but for the actual class series they will still have an option to pay the one time fee of $400 in the event of a high deductible plan. 
    • If we don’t accept their insurance, then we cannot add them to the class. 

WHAT IS THE CLASS FORMAT?

  • Part 1: Educational overview on 1 or more issues related to weight management to help you better understand the complexities of this challenging health issue. 
  • Part 2: Detailed guidance on how to succeed with weight management in your day to day life. This will focus on attainable small habit change for whatever topics(s) are presented in the education overview, discussion on “flexible dieting” (which is in fact not a “diet” at all) as well as options for tools to implement into your day to day life that enhance success (such as a continuous glucose monitor, or activity tracker, etc)
  • Part 3: Review curated take-home information which could possibly include grocery lists, kitchen tool lists, meal ideas/planning tips, exercise information, macro-nutrient guidance (optional), supplement lists, etc. 
  • Part 4: Question and answer time

IS THIS CLASS JUST FOCUSED ON WEIGHT LOSS? DO I HAVE TO REPORT MY WEIGHT? 

  • NO and NO. “Weight loss” is actually not the biggest focus point for this class. I used the term “weight management” since weight loss is a goal for so many, and it’s an easy to understand catch phrase instead of using “healthy metabolic and body composition group class” 🙂 
  • If you are going to track your weight, I’d suggest doing it 1-2x per week. I’d also suggest every 2 week body measurements, and every 2-4 week photos to assess progress (those do not have to be “turned in” to me, but certainly can be) 
  • I am focussed on helping you implement and and succeed at the small day to day changes that are critical to make in order to achieve long-lasting, healthy weight loss and improved body composition (ie: Healthier body fat to lean tissue ratio).
  • I am also focused on explaining the “science” of why this has been so hard for you and what we can do to make it easier. 
  • So, “weight loss” is more of the side effect you will be getting from all the other areas of positive health improvement in your life. 
  • In addition, when the right approach is taken for weight loss, patients also report increased energy and strength, better sleep, less pain, boosted confidence, less depression and anxiety, less gastrointestinal distress, better skin health, improved menstrual cycles/menopause symptoms, reduction of metabolic illness (high blood pressure, diabetes etc) and so forth- sometimes those things being more rewarding than the weight loss itself!

WHAT DOES THE CLASS CONTENT INCLUDE THEN? 

  • A variety of topics will be presented/discussed that pertain to weight management including heavy focus on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep- an intertwining it with behavior change-  but also some discussion on gut health, and  hormonal health as these topics very much matter in our efforts achieving a healthy body weight. 

IS THERE A DIET I HAVE TO FOLLOW?

  • NO. Rather, I will be providing a broad overview of general nutritional principles that are research proven to be most successful for obtaining a healthier body weight. There is not a single diet plan that works for everyone, and plenty of options will be discussed. 
  • In general, I’ll keep reminding people that the best diet for you is the one that makes you consistently feel your best!  

DO I HAVE TO COUNT CALORIES OR MACRONUTRIENTS? 

  • NO. This will be an option for those who choose to do it, with individual goals given. It is not necessary for everyone, and alternatives to detailed “nutrient tracking” will be discussed.

ARE YOU MAKING A MEAL PLAN FOR ME? 

  • NO. In my opinion writing up a specific meal plan does not foster the right educational approach for long term weight management, nor the right relationship with food. We all have different food preferences, and eating styles. We all have periodic “hiccups” in our day that might cause a detour from a “plan.”  If using a strict meal plan, we’re more likely to throw in the towel when life throws a twist.  My goal is to teach you how to stay on track when life gets hard, develop better nutritional knowledge and kitchen confidence, create a healthier mental relationship with food, understand “flexible dieting” (aka not dieting)  and give you plenty of tips/tools/meal suggestions to succeed on your own without it being overly time consuming.

WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR EXERCISE? 

  • While movement is critical for long term success, there is not a one size fits all approach to exercise. 
  • I will offer education and guidance on the best types of exercise for long term weight loss and body composition improvement
  • For an additional pre-paid, non-refundable,  $75 fee, I will write up a 8-week exercise routine (focussed on body weight/resistance/strength exercise) that would be easy enough to complete in your home (w/ or w/o a few pieces of equipment),  local park, or at a gym. The format would be 2-3 sessions per week for 30 to 60 minutes depending on current fitness level and time.  

I HAVE NO WAY OF CONTROLLING THE STRESS IN MY LIFE. WILL THAT PREVENT ME FROM SUCCEEDING?

  • NO. I really focus on teaching patients that stress is your own perception and experience of it. It’s true that sometimes we can’t avoid all of the distress that comes our way, but we can learn to eat better, sleep better, and implement rest or exercise tools- all in a time-efficient manner that will lessen our perception of the stress being loaded on us. 

IS ORDERING BLOOD WORK INVOLVED?

  • At the beginning of the class series, if you would like to have some labs done, I am happy to order them for you. We’d then schedule a quick phone consult or a longer one-on-one appointment (if needed) to go over them. That individual lab review appointment would be billed to insurance. 
  • I do encourage updated labs to be done on everyone. Sometimes abnormal results in our bloodwork are the underlying hindrance to our weight loss goals. 

IS MEDICATION BEING PRESCRIBED? 

  • I will discuss medications that directly or indirectly relate to weight management in the educational portion of our class. 
  • If medication discussed piques your interest, then we can then have individual appointment to discuss prescribing it. 
  • I will also suggest supplements that can be supportive of your weight management journey. 

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CLASS SERIES IS DONE? 

  • My hope is that a 6 week crash course (not to be mistaken with crash diet) provides you plenty of education, tools, and motivation to build an awesome foundation for making long-lasting health changes. 
  • If the class cohort you are in would like to schedule periodic accountability check-ins (1x per month or so) I am happy to do that, AND/OR, you can do individual follow-ups with me, AND/OR you are always welcome to join the next 6-week series. I plan to try and offer them every 3 to 4 months, and down the road might implement a beginner, intermediate, and advanced course. 

**Again, If you decide you would like to enroll, please email lindsey@merritthw.com ASAP and I’ll send you a questionnaire to fill out, an acknowledgement/privacy form, and payment information (if needed).**