Weight Treatment Center

Call (573) 556-5774

The JCMG Weight Treatment Center offers a variety of strategies to help you lose weight and maintain a healthier weight long-term. We conduct free information meetings every two weeks; please contact our office at (573) 556-5774 to register.

Three-Phase Approach

The JCMG Weight Treatment Center utilizes a three-phase approach: VLCD > LCD > Maintenance

At each point throughout these phases, you will be working with a multidisciplinary team of physicians, registered dietitians, and, if helpful, psychologists upon referral to help explore and navigate your relationship with health, food, and nutrition. Our program offers two different approaches for weight loss: a Very Low-Calorie Program Phase (VLCD) and/or a Low-Calorie Program Phase (LCD).

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VLCD

The VLCD is a weight-loss strategy in which New Direction meal replacement products are utilized for 100% of the participant’s daily intake. Qualifying criteria is a BMI of 30 or above. Typically, participants will see 3-5 pounds of weight loss per week, with females obtaining closer to the lower end of that average and males at the higher end of that average. The VLCD utilizes a limit on caloric intake for weight loss combined with ketosis to curb hunger.

This initial phase allows participants to get a head-start on weight loss, meet qualification guidelines for surgeries, decrease or discontinue medications, and move more comfortably with less body and joint pain. Medical monitoring and education consist of a weekly phone-based consult plus monthly in-person physician visits and labs.

LCD

Once the participant has met their goals for initial weight loss, the next phase is introduced, the ‘real-life practice’ low-calorie program phase (LCD). The LCD phase utilizes a combination approach of two meal replacements in combination with healthy food-based snacks and meals plus practice of new skills and behavior changes. Participants in this program should expect 1-3 pounds of weight loss per week with females obtaining closer to the lower end of that average and males at the higher end of that average.

Medical monitoring consists of a phone-based appointment every two weeks with continued medication monitoring/adjustments as necessary. Even though most of our participants choose to start on the VLCD phase, it is also an option to start on the LCD phase if a better match for participant needs and preferences.

Maintenance

During the final phase of the program, the Maintenance Phase, participants will continue to work on their critical skills they have been developing throughout the previous two phases. Participants will continue to work alongside their dietitian to develop a personalized maintenance plan to promote weight management and encourage a well-rounded approach to lifestyle and eating habits.

During this phase, sometimes participants find it helpful to continue using meal replacement products in controlling caloric intake, especially for those with busy mornings and hectic workday schedules. The products can be utilized to replace 1 meal a day while the remainder of your dietary patterns will be through grocery foods. The New Direction meal replacement products can continue to be used while participants remain in the Maintenance Phase.

Keep in mind, some participants may find it useful to schedule phone-call appointments with our Registered Dietitians during this phase to help continue behavioral reinforcement and lifestyle changes but is not mandatory.

Your Weight Loss Team

Our multi-disciplinary staff includes physicians, nurses, dietitians, counselors, and exercise specialists to provide safe and effective weight loss plus education for successful maintenance.

Your JCMG Weight Treatment Center Team, pictured left to right:

Adam Weaver, Registered Dietitian
Mary Ulm, Administrative Assistant
Alan Rauba, M.D.
Lisa Finley, Registered Dietitian
Christopher Case, M.D.

Meet Our Program Coordinator, Adam Weaver

Adam Weaver joined the JCMG Weight Treatment Center team as our clinic coordinator in fall of 2021. He has a passion for health and wellness, always putting the overall mental and physical health of his patients above all else. Here’s what he has to say:

Growing up in Mid-Missouri I was fascinated by the strong agricultural roots in our state. I recall the endless corn and soybean fields that lined the Missouri highways as our family road trips navigated through the midwestern river bottoms. At the time, I didn’t appreciate the captivating world of agriculture.

From seed to fruit, agriculture and nutrition share a common theme: food. It was during my adolescent high-school years when I realized the significant connection between these two. At the time I was struggling to grasp nutrition concepts in my efforts to “be healthier”.

As I started to unwind my personal connection to food, a burning desire and curiosity to learn more about nutrition and health grew within me. While studying for my M.S. in Dietetics at the University of Missouri, I also discovered a passion for teaching and encouraging others in their quest for health. I found this particularly rewarding in the practice area of medical weight management.

As a registered dietitian, I’m aware there are many factors which influence weight management—not just food and exercise. These factors come into play throughout our youthful beginnings and carry on into our adult lives. Factors may include genetics, hormones, medications, behaviors, sleep, stress, and of course, food choices. While these focus areas are influential, it’s also true that each individual has a unique history and experience with food. So, one can imagine there is no cookie-cutter approach to long-term successful weight management.

Much like the multidisciplinary aspect of our own personal relationship to food, a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss is an effective strategy in long-term success. With the varying degree of factors that affect weight management, the “balancing act” of food and nutrition can be difficult to navigate. Now, in my position as the Weight Treatment Center Coordinator at JCMG, I further witness the value in having a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, psychologists, and registered dietitians work with clients to explore and navigate their relationship with food and health.

In summary, providing a comfortable, respectful, and nonjudgmental approach in a multidisciplinary treatment setting helps patients meet and overcome obstacles of successful lifestyle change needed to succeed at weight management.