Brigham And Women’s Hospital Program For Weight Management

This program is probably good for those who have a lot to lose, but do not know much about nutrition or exercise. For those with dieting and exercise experience, who don’t eat poorly because they don’t know better but for emotional reasons, this is not the right program for you. It may give you a temporary boost, but it won’t fix the underlying issues. The weekly monitoring and meetings can be helpful, but the medical oversight is minimal and somewhat cursory. I’ve found Weight Watchers to be just as useful overall, for less money. They do not take insurance, so the program and shakes can be quite costly. Additionally, even for those who really do need nutritional advice, the materials provided are dated and not vegetarian-​friendly. For example, the exchange lists don’t include edamame or quinoa and refer to «meats» versus «proteins»… not a big deal for someone who knows what to eat, but probably not very helpful for someone who is just learning. When I asked for referrals for eating disorder therapists, I was given a list that included someone they «highly recommended» — but his phone number had been disconnected and his website disabled. Overall, not a bad program for the right person… but not the right program for me.

After being diagnosed with severe apnea, it was recommended by the sleep clinic at the Faulkner that losing weight could help me and I was them who referred to this program at B&W.
The team here is super. I initially signed up with Mel who was extremely personable and made me feel very comfortable with the sensitive subject of losing weight.
The rest of the team that work the desk along with with the dietitians and physicians are knowledgable and compassionate. They are supportive in every way. I’m currently on my second 8 week program of food and formula and I’m thrilled with the progress I have made. What I also find wonderfully satisfying is the 45 minute plus group class run by Kathy. The group varies in size from week to week but Kathy does an amazing job explaining the pitfalls many of us face in our day to day battle of being overweight. You don’t get judged in this class and I find it to be a very supportive group of people. I can only speak with the highest amount of praise about this program, so if you have ever struggled with losing weight, don’t give up or give in. There’s hope and I would absolutely suggest you give this a try

I came to this program not as someone with a ton of weight to lose but enough that it was really bothersome that I couldn’t lose it on my own. While it’s great that there is physician oversight and also that there are group sessions for discussion, I don’t actually utilize those services much. Rather, I find it helpful to have a place to come check in each week to see how I’m doing. Each week I meet with whichever nutritionist is available, so I have seen most of them and, quite honestly, the variety helps. It’s always great to get a new perspective on what I’m doing right, what can be improved and what will help me keep moving along on my weight loss journey. I’ve never felt guilt or shame from any of the people that I’ve worked with here, which I think is one of the reasons that I keep coming back.

When you realize you’re ready to address your weight and get the help and support you need, this program is for you. This is a medically staffed program, with a Physician and Registered Dieticians. They have different programs to follow, and will guide you as to what is best for you. Besides your weekly individual session with the RD, you meet with the MD every 4 – 6 wks. And, every week, there are group sessions conducted with a RD. The support is phenomenal. When you’ve reached your goal weight, they have a Maintenance Program. So important to have support to keep the weight off.
I’ve been going for many years, lost the weight and have kept it off!