Medical weight management may be appropriate if you've struggled to lose weight or maintain weight loss through lifestyle changes alone, or if you're interested in learning whether medication could be a helpful part of your treatment.

During your initial consultation, we'll review your health history, previous weight-loss efforts, current medications, goals, and other factors that may influence your weight. We'll then discuss whether medical weight management is appropriate for you and which treatment options may best fit your needs.

When medication is appropriate, Aurora offers treatment options that may include semaglutide or tirzepatide. These medications belong to a class of therapies that work through hormone pathways involved in appetite, satiety, blood sugar regulation, and metabolism.

The right medication is not the same for everyone. We'll consider your health history, goals, previous treatment experiences, potential risks, and individual needs when discussing which option may be most appropriate for you.

Rather than promising a specific number or rate of weight loss, we'll monitor your progress and adjust treatment based on how you're responding. Our focus is meaningful, sustainable progress while supporting your overall health throughout the process.

No. Your medication dose is based on your individual response to treatment—not simply how long you've been taking it.

If you're losing weight, experiencing good appetite control, and tolerating your medication well, there may be no reason to increase your dose. We'll evaluate your progress, side effects, and overall response before recommending any change.

Our goal is to find the lowest effective dose that supports your progress while minimizing unnecessary side effects.

The most common side effects of GLP-1 medications are gastrointestinal and may include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, decreased appetite, or indigestion. These symptoms are often most noticeable when beginning treatment or after a dose increase and may improve as your body adjusts.

More serious side effects are less common but can occur. Before starting treatment, we'll review your medical history, potential risks, contraindications, and symptoms that should prompt medical attention so you can make an informed decision about your care.

If you experience side effects, we'll work with you to determine the most appropriate next step. Depending on your symptoms, this may include nutrition or hydration adjustments, strategies to manage specific symptoms, delaying a dose increase, or adjusting your medication or dose when appropriate.

You won't be expected to simply “push through” significant side effects. Our goal is to find a treatment approach that is both effective and well tolerated, with ongoing guidance available as your needs change.

Some loss of lean muscle can occur during weight loss, particularly when weight is lost quickly or when protein intake and physical activity are inadequate. Our goal is to help you lose weight while preserving as much lean muscle as possible.

That's why adequate protein intake and resistance exercise are important components of the Aurora program. Throughout treatment, we'll provide practical guidance to help support muscle preservation, strength, and overall metabolic health as you lose weight.

Laboratory testing is used to evaluate your overall and metabolic health before treatment and to monitor important health markers as your care progresses. Recommended testing is individualized based on your health history, current medications, and previous lab results.

We'll review what testing is appropriate for you and when it should be repeated. Laboratory costs are separate from your monthly treatment price, and recommended testing and associated costs will be discussed with you before labs are ordered.

There is no single timeline that's right for everyone. How long you remain on medication depends on your health, treatment goals, response, and ability to maintain your progress over time.

For some patients, continued medication may be an important part of long-term weight management. Others may be able to reduce their dose or transition away from medication with appropriate monitoring and support.

As you approach your goals, we'll work together to determine the maintenance strategy that makes the most sense for you rather than assuming that everyone should follow the same path.

Reaching your goal is an important milestone, but maintaining your progress is just as important. Once you're ready to transition from active weight loss, we'll develop a maintenance plan based on your individual needs.

Your plan may include continuing medication at an appropriate maintenance dose, adjusting treatment over time, and continuing the nutrition, activity, and lifestyle strategies that helped you reach your goals.

When you transition into Aurora's maintenance phase, your monthly treatment price is also reduced by $50 per month while continuing to include your medication and clinical management.