Our Program

We teach the current science of how to safely lose weight and keep it off, our goal is to also teach you how to prevent, delay, and possibly even reverse many chronic, debilitating, and life threatening diseases, a few of which include Heart Disease and Stroke, Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Joint Disorders, and Cancer. Overweight and obesity are foundational causes of these and many other chronic diseases.

Dr. Thaxton teaches you what works and what doesn’t so you will have the knowledge and skills to get heallthy and stay healthy. The best time to fix or prevent a problem five or 10 years from now is today.

Before you embark on your weight loss journey, Dr. Thaxton will sit down with you and discuss your health and your goals. During that consultation he will take a full medical history and perform a routine physical examination.

The Advanced Medical Weight Loss Augusta staff will also perform a comprehensive panel of blood work, urinalysis, blood pressure and pulse and weight and body fat measurement. We will provide you with information about food selection and exercise to help you develop the tools you need to reach your goals. Dr. Thaxton may also prescribe a safe and effective FDA-approved appetite suppressant.

Follow-up visits

The cornerstone of our practice is our physician supervised weight loss program that combines scientifically-based, physician supervised care with individually tailored plans to help you lose weight safely and keep it off for life. Our plans are easy to follow, and are structured to help you avoid hunger and cravings that are typical on a regular diet.

Program Overview

Throughout the program, we will continue to monitor, encourage and support you in reaching your weight loss goals. The program uses three phases to approach your weight loss:

Step 1: Active Weight Loss Phase

During the Active Weight Loss period, the goal is to help patients lose weight quickly and safely. More importantly, we focus on losing the fat and preserving the muscle.

One of the reasons so many people fail to succeed long-term is that they find themselves yo-yoing. They lose weight initially which is composed of both fat and muscle, but when they inevitably regain their weight, the vast majority of the weight regain is from fat. Since muscle is the powerhouse for burning calories, this asset is lost and people struggle as their weight gain returns.

Progress is initially monitored weekly so that short-term and long-term success is maximized. Once an appropriate weight loss pattern is established, visits are spaced out to every 2-4 weeks. Patients also have the opportunity to review concerns and to celebrate achievements. Real life challenges, such as hunger patterns, work schedules, and family or personal habits can be addressed at these visits, as well.

Patients are ready to transition out of the Active Weight Loss Period when they have reached their weight loss goal.

Step 2: Transitional Weight Loss Phase

Patients are ready to transition to this phase as they have reached their weight loss goal. During this phase, visits and medications are spaced to find the lowest dose of medication and the lease number of visits that keep the disease under control. Once the weight loss goal is clearly established and stable, patients are ready for the final phase of their journey.

Step 3: Maintenance/Relapse Phase

This phase is a unique part of our program and is designed to prevent weight regain or to stop it if it starts. Successful weight loss depends on lifelong management of the underlying condition. Regular visits will be reduced from monthly to every two, three, or six months depending on your individual needs. During this period, we will implement new strategies to maintain your weight loss while offering continuing education and counseling. Eventually, you will not need to return to the office. However, some patients return to us on a 6-12 months basis because they find that it helps them to maintain their weight loss. This is a very common practice when dealing other chronic diseases like hypertension, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes. Depending on your personal needs, we are always here for you.