Core Primary Care Houston provides medically supervised weight loss programs for adults across the greater Houston area. Our weight loss doctors use evidence-based protocols to build individualized treatment plans that target the root causes of weight gain. If you are managing type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, or have struggled to lose weight through diet and exercise alone, our internal medicine physicians and dietitians can help you reach a healthy weight and keep it off.
Treatment plans may include:
We treat weight loss as a medical condition. Every patient receives a thorough medical evaluation, body composition analysis, and a personalized weight loss plan built around their health history, metabolic profile, and personal goals. Our approach combines prescription weight loss medication, clinical nutrition counseling, physical activity planning, and behavioral support under direct physician supervision. We also offer weight loss programs at our Sugar Land, Katy, and Needville locations for patients outside the Houston Medical Center area.
Medical weight loss is a physician-supervised approach to weight management that focuses on the medical causes of weight gain instead of short-term dieting. It combines a thorough medical evaluation, prescription weight loss medication when appropriate, nutrition guidance, physical activity planning, and regular follow-up with a doctor who tracks your progress and side effects.
It differs from commercial diet programs in one important way: a licensed physician builds and adjusts your plan, orders labs, prescribes medication, and manages related health conditions. It’s also a non-surgical option. Many patients reach a healthy weight without bariatric surgery, and those who need surgery get a referral and continued primary care support.
Our programs combine:
Unlike commercial weight loss programs, medical weight loss addresses obesity as a chronic medical condition linked to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and metabolic disorders.
Medical weight loss takes a one-of-a-kind approach to weight management. The team at Core Primary Care uses their health and wellness expertise to develop a personalized program based on your goals and baseline health.
They also utilize pharmaceuticals such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and Mounjaro™ to assist patients in achieving their weight loss goals. They use these as a bridge therapy while patients get the rest of their lifestyle changes in place for long term success.
As you go through your medical weight loss program, you check in with the team regularly for updates and weigh-ins. You can bring up any concerns you have with your plan so the team can adjust it accordingly. Your personalized medical weight loss program option might involve:
The team also provides treatment for any medical conditions you have that might be linked to your weight and the habits that affect it.
Health-minded weight loss can offer a variety of health benefits as long as you work closely with your physician. Losing just a few pounds can reduce your risk of multiple diseases while also improving the conditions you already have.
Medical weight loss can improve or prevent conditions like:
Managing your weight can’t control other risk factors like your genetics, but it’s an important component in your overall health and wellness.
Our weight loss program is designed to help adults struggling with obesity or weight-related health conditions. FDA-approved medications for weight management are generally prescribed for people who have:
The program is also a good fit if you:
Regaining weight after losing it is common and does not mean you failed. As you lose weight, your metabolism slows and hunger hormones rise, which pushes the body back toward its old weight. It usually means the prior plan lacked medical oversight or didn’t address those metabolic factors. Our approach to weight loss builds long-term weight maintenance into your treatment plan from day one.
Starting with weight loss is as simple as visiting Core Primary Care for a detailed health consultation. The team performs a physical examination and discusses your medical history with you in detail. During this portion of the visit, you should offer any information that may be relevant, including dietary restrictions and exercise habits.
Your initial exam might also include some lab tests to measure your blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol. The team weighs you and calculates your body mass index (BMI) according to your height and weight. They then help you set realistic weight and wellness goals before developing your personalized weight loss program.
A personalized weight loss program may be the answer to your many questions and concerns about weight management. Call Core Primary Care or book an appointment online for a weight loss consultation today.
Getting started takes three steps, and your doctor stays with you through all of them.
Your first visit is a thorough medical evaluation. Your doctor, an internal medicine or family medicine physician, reviews your medical history, current medications, eating patterns, sleep, activity level, and past attempts to lose weight. We check your weight, BMI, and blood pressure and complete a body composition analysis to measure fat and muscle, not just total body weight. Lab testing usually includes blood sugar or A1C, cholesterol and triglycerides, kidney and liver function, and thyroid levels.
Based on your results, your doctor builds a treatment plan with you. It may include a prescription medication, a realistic nutrition plan, a physical activity plan that fits your schedule and joints, and treatment for related conditions. We set weight loss goals and health goals together, such as lowering your A1C or blood pressure, so progress means more than a number on the scale. Our physicians follow current obesity medicine guidelines when choosing treatment.
During active treatment, most patients see their doctor about once a month for weigh-ins, side effect checks, and dose adjustments. Once you reach your goal, visits usually shift to every few months to help you keep the weight off. Obesity management is ongoing care, so the goal is sustainable weight loss, not a 12-week fix.
Every patient receives a customized treatment plan designed around their health profile and weight loss goals.
Treatment recommendations may include:
Our goal is to help patients lose weight safely while improving energy, mobility, and overall wellness.
Weight loss medicine has changed a lot in the last few years, and today’s medical treatments work far better than older options. Still, medication is a tool, not the whole plan. Your doctor recommends one only when the benefits outweigh the risks for you, based on your health conditions, other medications, and goals.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 medication that acts on appetite signals in the brain, slows digestion, and helps you feel full on smaller portions. Wegovy is the semaglutide brand FDA-approved for chronic weight management, given as a once-weekly injection. Ozempic contains the same active ingredient but is approved for type 2 diabetes. In the STEP 1 clinical trial, adults taking semaglutide 2.4 mg lost about 15% of their body weight on average over 68 weeks alongside diet and physical activity changes. Your doctor starts at a low dose and increases it slowly to limit side effects such as nausea. Patients injecting GLP 1 semaglutide receive ongoing physician monitoring and treatment adjustments based on progress and health outcomes.
Tirzepatide acts on two hormone receptors, GLP-1 and GIP. Zepbound is the brand FDA-approved for chronic weight management, and Mounjaro is the same medication approved for type 2 diabetes. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, adults on the highest dose lost about 20% of their body weight on average over 72 weeks. Like semaglutide, it’s a once-weekly injection started at a low dose.
GLP-1 medications aren’t right for everyone. Depending on your health history, cost, and insurance coverage, your doctor may recommend another option, including weight loss pills.
| Medication | How It Works | How It’s Taken |
| Phentermine | Suppresses appetite | Daily pill, approved for short-term use |
| Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) | Reduces appetite and increases fullness | Daily capsule |
| Naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave) | Acts on hunger and craving pathways in the brain | Tablets, usually twice daily |
| Liraglutide (Saxenda) | Older GLP-1 medication | Daily injection |
| Orlistat | Blocks absorption of some dietary fat | Capsule with fat-containing meals |
Planning for maintenance matters as much as choosing a medication. Many people regain weight, often a large share of what they lost, within a year of stopping a GLP-1 medication, so your doctor talks through the long-term plan before you start, including if and when to adjust or taper your dose.
Every patient moves at a different pace, but most follow a similar pattern on GLP-1 medication.
If progress stalls, that’s normal. Your doctor looks at your dose, nutrition, sleep, stress, and other medications, then adjusts the plan to help you succeed.
Medication recommendations are based on your metabolic profile, chronic conditions, and physician evaluation.
Medication helps control appetite, but lasting results come from habits you can live with. Our providers and care team help you build a healthy lifestyle around real Houston life: long workdays, restaurant meals, and summer heat that makes outdoor exercise tough. We don’t push one diet. Some patients do well with a lower-carbohydrate plan, others with a Mediterranean-style pattern, and your plan fits the foods you actually eat.
Patients who want more structure can add one-on-one health coaching in Houston for regular check-ins on meals, activity, and stress.
Obesity is linked to more than 200 medical conditions. At Core Primary Care, our weight loss doctors focus on improving overall health — not just reducing the number on the scale.
Our medical weight loss programs are integrated with our chronic disease management services, allowing providers to treat weight-related conditions and metabolic health concerns together.
Losing even 5–10% of body weight may help improve or reduce risk for:
Because our weight loss doctors also provide primary care services, treatment plans can be adjusted as your health improves. Patients receiving semaglutide or other GLP-1 medications may experience better blood sugar control, allowing providers to reevaluate medications used for diabetes management and long-term chronic care support.
This integrated approach helps patients achieve sustainable weight loss while improving overall metabolic health.
Many patients can achieve meaningful results through physician-supervised medical weight loss without surgery. For others, bariatric surgery is an important option. Here’s how the two compare.
| Medical Weight Management | Bariatric Surgery | |
| Approach | Medication, nutrition, activity, and regular follow-up | Surgery that changes the stomach and digestion |
| Typical candidates | BMI 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with a weight-related condition | Generally BMI 35 or higher, or lower with conditions such as type 2 diabetes |
| Recovery | No downtime | Hospital stay and several weeks of recovery |
| Typical weight loss | About 15% to 20% with newer medications in clinical trials | Often 25% or more of body weight |
| Ongoing care | Regular physician visits | Lifelong nutrition monitoring and follow-up |
If weight loss surgery looks like the better fit for patients with obesity and serious health risks, we coordinate referrals to bariatric surgeons in the Texas Medical Center and continue your primary care before and after the procedure.
There’s no single right way to lose weight, and Houston weight loss options range from med spas to online programs that mail medication to your door. Here’s what changes when your weight loss doctor is also your primary care physician.
A standalone weight loss center focuses only on the scale. We manage your blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and medications at the same time, so your treatments work together and nothing gets missed.
Your plan starts with lab work and a physical exam, not an online questionnaire. We look for thyroid problems, insulin resistance, and medication side effects that can make weight loss harder. That’s how we help patients who’ve been stuck for years.
As a primary care practice, we bill most major insurance plans for office visits and lab testing. Many cash-only clinics don’t.
We’re still your doctor after the weight comes off. That matters, because maintenance is where long-term weight loss success is won or lost.
Patients may also qualify for telemedicine visits for medication follow-ups, treatment monitoring, and ongoing weight management support. Virtual appointments provide a convenient way to stay connected with your provider while continuing your medical weight loss program from home.
Telemedicine visits may be used for:
Virtual care helps patients maintain continuity of treatment while reducing unnecessary travel and in-office visits. Patients in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, and surrounding communities can access convenient telehealth services as part of their long-term weight management plan.
Yes. Primary care physicians can evaluate you, order labs, prescribe FDA-approved medications, and manage related conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. At Core Primary Care, your doctor handles all of it and refers you to a bariatric surgeon or other specialist only when you need one.
A standalone weight loss clinic focuses only on weight. At Core Primary Care, your weight loss doctor is also managing your overall health. If obesity is linked to diabetes, hypertension, or another chronic condition, we treat all of it in one place. When a patient loses weight and their blood sugar drops, we adjust their diabetes medication in the same visit. That coordination does not happen at a standalone weight loss clinic.
How much weight you are going to loose with medical weight loss program is vary based on medication, adherence, metabolic health, and lifestyle changes. Many patients using GLP-1 medications lose 10–20% of body weight with ongoing physician supervision.
Medical weight loss is not a 12-week program you finish and walk away from. Obesity is a chronic condition that requires ongoing management. Most patients see their weight loss doctor monthly during active treatment and transition to quarterly visits during the maintenance phase. The goal is long-term weight management, not a short-term fix.
Semaglutide is FDA-approved for chronic weight management and prescribed under physician supervision. Providers monitor treatment progress, side effects, and metabolic health throughout care.
Coverage depends on your plan. Office visits and lab testing for this kind of care are covered by most insurance plans, especially when you have a related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. Coverage for the medications varies much more. Some commercial plans cover Wegovy or Zepbound with prior authorization, and others exclude weight loss drugs entirely. Medicare rules for these medications have been changing, so we check your current plan before you start.
Our staff verifies your benefits and helps with prior authorizations. If a medication isn’t covered, your doctor will walk you through lower-cost options so cost doesn’t stall your progress.
Most patients attend monthly follow-up visits during active treatment, followed by maintenance appointments based on progress and long-term goals.
All medications we prescribe are FDA-approved and have been studied in large clinical trials. GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have strong safety profiles when used under medical supervision. Side effects vary by medication but are typically manageable with proper dosing. Your weight loss doctor monitors labs and vitals at every visit to catch any issues early. Patients with certain conditions such as pancreatitis history, medullary thyroid cancer, or pregnancy are not candidates for GLP-1 weight loss therapy.
Appetite usually returns, and many people regain a large share of the weight within a year. That’s why we don’t treat medication as a short-term fix. If you need to stop, your doctor will plan the transition and strengthen your nutrition and activity habits to help you keep the weight off.
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card, a list of your current medications and supplements, and any recent lab results. It also helps to jot down past diets or medications you’ve tried and how they worked for you.
No. Core Primary Care treats adults only. For children and teens, we recommend a pediatrician or a pediatric weight management program.
You don’t have to keep starting over. One consultation gives you a clear picture of what’s driving your weight and a plan your doctor will adjust with you as you go. Our weight loss doctors are accepting new patients and ready to help you lose weight and improve your health.
Call: (713) 636-2621 to schedule an appointment
Book online: Request a consultation through our patient portal, 24/7
Visit: 2244 W Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
