re:vitalize Weight Loss vs. Medical Weight Loss

There are countless approaches to weight loss, and it can be a challenge to find the right one for you. re:vitalize, a holistic weight loss and wellness approach, and medical weight loss both offer effective weight loss options for a variety of lifestyles. An honest comparison between the two can help you make an informed decision on which is best for you or whether you may benefit from both.

re:vitalize’s Approach

re:vitalize programs take a holistic approach to weight loss and wellness, focusing on your unique nutritional needs to achieve sustainable weight loss, developing a personalized roadmap for your weight loss success grounded in an understanding of your unique needs, quantitative biodata, and metabolic considerations.
Using our cutting-edge BioScan™ technology, our team of skilled nutritionists and weight loss coaches work with you to develop a roadmap that addresses both mind and body. We provide direct support with consistent daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins to monitor your progress to ensure results as you lose weight eating whole foods.
re:vitalize also works in conjunction with other medical weight loss programs. A number of re:vitalize members, either due to personal preference or doctor recommendation, are currently on weight loss medication AND following re:vitalize’s program. re:vitalize empowers members to come off these medications while keeping the weight off over the long term.

Key features and benefits of re:vitalize

• Personalized consultations and assessments – Every re:vitalize program begins with a private 1:1 consultation with an empathetic specialist to discuss your goals and weight loss needs. No rushed visits with a practitioner, no fulfilling prescriptions, and no long doctor-office wait times. These personalized consultations include a Body Composition & Metabolic Age Analysis (in person only) so we can discuss specific internal health targets beyond just your weight and how our program can help you reach them. re:vitalize programs work within your unique lifestyle needs, including options for virtual weight loss programs and corporate weight loss programs to help you gain the most from our team of expert health coaches.
• Nutrition recommendations – Our team features some of the best nutritionists in Arizona. As board-certified nutrition experts, they offer valuable guidance based on your unique metabolic needs and our years of supporting members just like you to develop bespoke nutrition plans with nutrient-rich and delicious whole foods. According to a recent survey published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, most doctor students receive an average of only 11 hours of nutrition training throughout an entire medical program.
• Behavioral coaching and support – Part of our holistic approach includes behavioral coaching and support to address the mind as well as the body. This coaching and support increases the chances of long-term success, empowering you with the tools to carry on healthy habits beyond the program. In fact, we often come alongside doctors and their patients to help them lose weight and get healthy because the typical medical spa or medical practitioner does not have the staff or bandwidth to support patients on a daily and weekly basis, which is often needed for long-term success and empowerment.
• Integration of lifestyle, habit, and mindfulness practices – Your physical health starts with your mental health. During our holistic program, we encourage healthy habits, positive affirmations, and lifestyle practices to promote lasting success. Our members don’t just lose weight—they feel healthier too. Many of our members report sleeping better, having more energy, improved love lives, and even having a better handle on their overall health.
• Emphasis on body composition change and metabolic age improvement – Other approaches can certainly help you lose weight in the short term, but they often do more damage to your body’s biochemistry and internal composition, actually hurting the metabolism and causing you to regain the weight in the future. In fact, many quick-fix solutions actually bank on you regaining weight. re:vitalize’s programs are different. We focus on empowering YOU for long-term success, both internally with a more efficient metabolism and externally with tools, support, and lifestyle habits. With re:vitalize’s biometric technology, you’ll be able to benchmark, measure, and track not only weight loss but also fat loss, visceral fat (the fat in your trunk around your organs) levels, hydration levels, muscle mass, and most importantly–metabolic age improvement. Through this lens, we target the root causes of weight gain and promote sustainable results

Medical Weight Loss Programs

Medical weight loss programs use a variety of methods to support individuals in achieving weight loss, from prescribing and injecting medications—like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or HCG—to highly invasive surgery. These programs are supervised by a team of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and dietitians.
Medical programs can look very different depending on the individual and their needs. Typically, they will start with clinical assessments and measurements to monitor health metrics and determine the best weight loss plan.

Key Features and Benefits

• Comprehensive medical evaluations – Medical programs use thorough medical assessments, including bloodwork, to develop a weight loss plan. Some of these include physical exams, lab tests, an assessment of your medical history, and screenings for any medical conditions.
• Nutrition recommendations – In some medical treatment programs, a bariatric nutritionist will provide a pre- or post-operation nutrition plan. They will often provide a list of foods and meals based on your situation. Keep in mind, though, that this is not common for most medical programs, and when programs do offer nutrition plans, these plans are often generic and one-size-fits-all. They also rarely address the need for meaningful diet and lifestyle changes that equip patients with the tools for long-term success.
• Monitoring of health metrics – Medical programs will monitor metrics like your weight, body mass index (BMI), and even blood pressure to assess progress. However, they don’t often consider important metrics like metabolic improvement and body composition, focusing solely on weight loss and less on holistic health. There is also very little follow-up care in between visits for injections or treatments and little focus on meaningful lifestyle changes, especially compared to holistic programs, like re:vitalize, that offer the opportunity for daily check-ins and consistent follow-up that leads to long-term success.
• Prescription weight loss medications – With access to prescription medications, medical programs may be able to aid in weight loss. However, these depend on the person and the program based on the input of your medical provider. In some cases, patients are not supervised and are getting these drugs through less-than-reputable sources like medical spas or compound pharmacies, to which the FDA has issued warnings.
• Advanced interventions, like surgery – Medical programs offer more intensive options than holistic programs, which focus mostly on lifestyle changes. For intensive weight loss, medical programs can provide options like gastric bypass.

Comparing re:vitalize vs. Weight Loss Drugs

Weight loss medications — most recently semaglutide and related drugs — have skyrocketed in popularity due to claims that they can provide quick and effective weight loss. However, as with any popular weight loss approach, they come with some big disclaimers anyone considering a medical intervention should be aware of. Before you turn to these seemingly “miracle” weight loss drugs, consider how they stack up compared to re:vitalize’s holistic, “food-is-medicine” philosophy.

Semaglutide

Semaglutide comes in many names, but it is a medication used primarily to treat type 2 diabetes and, more recently, obesity. Semaglutide mimics a hormone in the body, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), to help regulate blood sugar, promote insulin secretion, and reduce glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar). This medication also suppresses appetite by stimulating a hormone that slows stomach emptying and makes you feel full, which can cause you to eat less and lose weight.
Despite the potential benefits of semaglutide, it has limitations. Weight loss from semaglutide is often unsustainable and can be slow. While the weight loss results of a 68-week study of semaglutide users were not insignificant, when compared to re:vitalize’s holistic, guided approach (or even to traditional dieting), the results on a per-week basis were far below average — averaging roughly 0.5lbs per week.
Studies have also shown that much of this weight loss, as much as 40-60% of it, is due to lean tissue and muscle mass, not just body fat. These results mean that even if you’re getting lighter, you’re not losing the unhealthy weight you want.

Ozempic and Wegovy

Ozempic and Wegovy are two highly popular types of semaglutide medications. Ozempic was originally developed for treating type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is the same medication but branded exclusively toward weight loss. Like other semaglutide medications, Ozempic and Wegovy are designed to promote healthy blood sugar by reducing glucagon secretion and mimicking GLP-1, which also suppresses your appetite and slows stomach emptying.
Ozempic and Wegovy can help people lose weight by suppressing appetite, but they come with a big caveat. The research is clear — if you stop taking Ozempic or similar medications, you’re likely to regain your weight right back, meaning you have to commit to taking it for life to sustain your weight loss.
This need for consistency appears to be the case for all semaglutide medications. Not only is this a massive commitment, but it can also be incredibly expensive—just one month of Ozempic can cost up to $1,000.
Ultimately, like most semaglutide medications, Ozempic and Wegovy are band-aid solutions to weight loss and don’t address the root causes of why you gain weight or have difficulty maintaining weight to begin with. This is where the value of a holistic program like re:vitalize, which takes a more well-rounded approach to weight loss, nutrition, and lasting lifestyle change, comes in.

re:vitalize

re:vitalize prioritizes eating nutritious foods and incorporating positive lifestyle changes for healthy, sustainable weight loss and improved metabolic health. Where semaglutide supports short-term weight loss while taking medication, re:vitalize builds habits that you can carry on for life. After all, medications can’t overpower a poor diet or unhealthy habits.
The truth is that you CAN achieve weight loss without lifelong medications, and re:vitalize makes this ability a reality. With a re:vitalize program, you can lose visceral fat, not lean tissue, without the commitment to weight loss drugs or the fear of immediately regaining the weight back, all while promoting your overall health and wellness through life-giving foods and positive lifestyle changes.
Not to mention, the same amount of weight loss we see from semaglutide in a year to two years, we see achieved in 6-9 weeks through re:vitalize’s holistic approach.

Comparing re:vitalize and Medical Weight Loss Programs

Both re:vitalize and medical weight loss programs can offer several benefits. Before you decide on the right option for your personalized needs, it’s important to have a complete breakdown of how these programs vary in a few key areas.

Approach and Philosophy

Holistic approaches and clinical approaches are inherently different but don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Clinical programs often focus solely on the physical, medical side, while holistic programs address both mind and body. Holistic programs, like re:vitalize, tend to be more sustainable, as addressing your mindset allows you to tackle the root causes of your weight gain and develop healthy habits you can maintain beyond a weight loss program.
A number of re:vitalize members, either due to personal preference or doctor recommendation, are currently on weight loss medication AND on re:vitalize’s program to be fully empowered to come off these medications while keeping the weight off over the long term.

Services Offered

As you decide between re:vitalize and medical weight loss, you should consider which services and supports you value most, as well as which will be most appropriate for you and your unique needs.
Some of the differences to consider include:

• Nutritional guidance and meal plans – Both re:vitalize and medical weight loss programs can provide nutritional guidance to support your weight loss goals. re:vitalize focuses on your personalized preferences, featuring a robust member-only portal with meal plans, empowering resources, and over 80 recipes of delicious whole foods, making your program easy to follow. Eating better through a holistic program also offers many more additional health benefits than medical programs that focus solely on appetite-suppressing medications or injections, including improved energy and better overall health.
• Behavioral coaching and emotional support – re:vitalize focuses on behavior change and emotional support to guide healthy habit formation and lasting weight loss, guiding you during regular daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins. Medical programs are generally focused more directly on the physical side. However, some medical programs can recommend you to a counselor for additional emotional support.
• Non-invasive treatments – re:vitalize is non-invasive from the start. Even our most comprehensive biometric testing involves just stepping on a bioelectric impedance scale and resting your hand on a biocommunication hand cradle for 15-20 minutes. The invasiveness of a medical program depends on your specific treatment. Some options, like medically supervised diets and medications, are less invasive, while options like surgery are more so. 

Success rates and timeframes

Everyone’s body and situation are different, so timelines and success rates vary. Some factors that can influence your success rate and the timeline include:

• Underlying medical conditions
• Personal health habits
• Personalized motivation
• Support systems in place

Medical interventions may allow you to achieve results successfully and more quickly, as they offer direct medical supervision, but they are not always geared towards keeping weight off. A holistic program like re:vitalize can take longer to see results, as it emphasizes gradual lifestyle changes. However, these lifestyle changes mean you’re more likely to sustain your weight loss long-term.

Costs and Insurance Coverage

Between the costs of multiple doctor visits, consultations, and often varying treatments, the cost of medical programs can add up quickly. For this reason, re:vitalize’s holistic weight loss program is generally lower, as you receive everything you need all in one place. re:vitalize also offers multiple program options, so you can choose your ideal program based on your specific goals and your budget.
re:vitalize can even provide cost savings in other areas too. One re:vitalize member, Laurie, even did the math—she said, “Beyond the health benefits, we saw a huge reduction in our food costs. Eating at home actually saved us enough money (even buying the highest quality organic proteins, fruits, and vegetables) to break even on the program costs for both me and my husband.”
Some medical treatments may be covered by insurance, depending on the insurance provider and the type of treatment. Meanwhile, re:vitalize can be paid for with some HSAs, but it is often not covered by insurance.

Considerations for Decision-making

Ultimately, making the proper decision depends on your preferences, personal risk tolerance, your specific wellness and weight loss goals, and your comfort. re:vitalize is best for individuals seeking holistic wellness, while the medical program route is often the better choice for individuals experiencing obesity or in need of intensive interventions.
Still, you should take the time to consider both options closely and even discuss with your healthcare provider to see what may be best for you.

Potential Drawbacks of Medical Weight Loss vs. Holistic Approaches

Although medical weight loss does offer multiple benefits, it does come with potential drawbacks, so it’s important to weigh both before beginning a program.

Potential Side Effects

Weight loss is not worth compromising your overall health and wellness. Medical weight loss programs often involve the use of medications, like semaglutide injections, which can come with some concerning short-term side effects, and many of the long-term side effects are still unknown.
These side effects vary depending on the medication and the individual, so it’s an important point to discuss with your doctor. Meanwhile, holistic programs focus on incorporating healthy foods and habits, which have no side effects!

Risks of Medical Interventions

Some medical interventions, like bariatric surgery, can coincide with multiple risks, like complications, infections, and the need for ongoing medical follow-up. Even seemingly miracle weight loss medications offer their own risks—simply look at the FDA’s track record with weight loss drugs.
Over the years, we’ve seen many other drugs promising weight loss miracles: Phentermine, Sibutramine, Orlistat, Lorcaserin, and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).
Of these 5 more recent drugs approved, only one (Orlistat) is still on the market, and its results are questionable. The other four — Phentermine, Sibutramine, and Lorcaserin, and HCG — are no longer available for weight loss due to safety concerns.
It’s important to consider these risks, do your own research, and discuss them with a medical professional before committing to a program.

Focus on Symptoms

Weight gain is a complex issue. Medical weight loss programs often address the symptoms of weight gain, like the weight itself and any underlying medical issues. However, weight gain is often tied to emotional or psychological factors, like your habits or your mindset, which medical programs often do not address, compromising the sustainability of your progress.

Dependency on Medical Interventions

Medical interventions, like semaglutide injections, can demonstrate some success, but this success can often rely solely on the medication or intervention during the program instead of addressing nutritional education, behavioral, and habit changes.
As a result, many patients can gain weight back when the medical program or treatment ends. A holistic program like re:vitalize understands this and focuses on empowering you to take charge of your health, change your lifestyle, and maintain your weight loss long-term.

Potential Insurance Gaps

Doctor visits can be costly. Insurance can help bring down costs for some medical weight loss interventions, but coverage can be limited, which can push individuals to have to carry a significant portion of the costs.

Lack of Customization

Although medical programs feature medical supervision, they often do not offer extensive personalized guidance past the initial recommendations. Meanwhile, re:vitalize programs are designed to fit within your unique lifestyle, preferences, and goals.

Overemphasis on Numbers

Medical weight loss programs often prioritize numerical goals, like weight and body mass index (BMI), which can be discouraging if you don’t meet the exact benchmarks. What really matters is how you feel and your internal body composition metrics like body fat %, muscle mass, hydration, and metabolic age. Holistic programs recognize that your health is more than just the number you see on the bathroom scale.

Start Your Holistic Weight Loss Program Today!

Both re:vitalize and medical weight loss programs can offer great results, so the right answer depends on the person. We encourage you to assess your personalized goals and needs to guide your decision-making.
Schedule an initial consultation with us to see what re:vitalize is all about and how it compares to other options, like medications and injections, and we can decide together if our program is the right choice for you. In our initial consultation, we’ll discuss your Body Composition & Metabolic Age Analysis and cover your personalized goals so you have a full picture of what you can expect to get out of re:vitalize and feel confident in your decision. Contact us today to receive answers to any questions and learn more about the process.