Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult, especially when factors such as insulin resistance, metabolic health, hormones, sleep, stress, nutrition, and lifestyle are working against you.
At Balance Functional Medicine, Shirley Olson, NP-C, FMCP-M, provides individualized medical weight management designed to help you lose weight safely while improving your overall metabolic health.
Our approach combines appropriate weight-loss medication, nutrition and lifestyle support, laboratory monitoring, and ongoing medical care to help you achieve meaningful and sustainable results.
A Personalized Approach to Weight Loss
There is no single weight-loss strategy that works for everyone.
Your program begins with a comprehensive medical evaluation to better understand your health history, previous weight-loss efforts, current medications, nutrition, activity, sleep, metabolic health, and individual goals.
When appropriate, laboratory testing may also be used to evaluate factors that can influence weight and metabolism.
Together, we develop a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
Weight-Loss Medications
For appropriate patients, prescription medications can be an effective part of a comprehensive weight-management program.
Depending on your medical history, treatment goals, insurance coverage, medication availability, and clinical needs, options may include GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide or tirzepatide, as well as other FDA-approved weight-management medications when appropriate.
Medication is not intended to replace healthy nutrition, movement, sleep, and other lifestyle habits. Instead, it can make those changes more achievable by helping regulate appetite, hunger, food intake, and metabolic function.
Your response to treatment will be carefully monitored, and medication doses may be adjusted based on effectiveness, tolerability, and your individual needs.
More Than a Number on the Scale
Successful weight management is about more than simply losing pounds.
Our goal is to help you improve your body composition, metabolic health, strength, energy, and long-term health while preserving lean muscle as you lose body fat.
Your individualized program may include guidance in:
- Nutrition and adequate protein intake
- Resistance training and physical activity
- Maintaining lean muscle during weight loss
- Blood-sugar and insulin management
- Sleep and stress management
- Digestive and metabolic health
- Healthy habits that support long-term weight maintenance
Ongoing Medical Monitoring
Medical supervision is an important part of safe and effective weight-loss treatment.
Follow-up visits allow us to evaluate your progress, discuss appetite and nutrition, monitor for side effects, and adjust your treatment when necessary.
Laboratory testing may be recommended periodically based on your health history and medications and may include assessment of blood counts, glucose and metabolic markers, kidney and liver function, cholesterol, and other clinically appropriate markers.
Continuous glucose monitoring may also be considered for selected patients when it provides useful information about glucose patterns and metabolic health.
Maintaining Your Results
Weight management is not a quick fix.
Some people may eventually be able to reduce or discontinue medication, while others may benefit from longer-term treatment. These decisions are individualized and made together based on your health, weight trajectory, response to treatment, and risk of weight regain.
Our goal is to help you develop a strategy that is both effective and sustainable for the long term.
Virtual Medical Weight Management
Balance Functional Medicine is a virtual functional medicine practice serving patients in Colorado and New Mexico.
Your care is provided through convenient telehealth appointments, allowing you to receive individualized medical guidance and ongoing support from home.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are interested in medical weight management, schedule an appointment with Shirley Olson, NP-C, FMCP-M, to discuss your goals and determine whether medication-assisted weight management is appropriate for you.
Take the next step toward healthier, sustainable weight management with Balance Functional Medicine.