Frequently Asked Questions About "Your Weigh"

The Your Weigh program is a non-surgical weight management program that is medically supervised and led by experts in the field of psychology, nutrition and exercise. The program is called Your Weigh because you choose what meal plan to follow and what foods to eat.

This is a 16-week long program. Your success depends on attending all group sessions and clinic visits. To make your weight loss to last a lifetime, you will keep coming back to group sessions for continued support.

There are three meal plans to choose from:

• Full Meal Replacement Program: Eat and drink Optifast products ONLY. You will consume 800 calories a day. At the end of the meal plan schedule, you will gradually be taken off Optifast and slowly increase food intake.

• Partial Meal Replacement Program: Combination of three Optifast products and two food meals per day, totaling around 1,000-1,200 calories. Meal plan provided.

• No Meal Replacement/Full Food Program: No Optifast products. Eat three meals and two snacks per day totaling 1,000-1,200 calories. Meal plan provided.

We will help you decide what plan is best, but the decision is left to you. It is important to consider factors such as cost of the program, insurance coverage, and commitment to your meal plan for 16 weeks, support from your friends, family and coworkers and what weight loss plans have been best for you in the past.

The Emory Bariatric Center is part of the General Surgery Department. We are located in The Emory Clinic across from Emory University Hospital. We are part of the General Surgery department, located on the 3rd floor of Clinic Building A, across the street from Emory University Hospital. Our address is 1365 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322. You may park in the visitors’ parking deck or with valet parking.

The Your Weigh program currently is held in the on Thursday evenings. The group sessions begin at 6 p.m. and last for one hour. Your visit with the physician takes place before the group meeting. We suggest that you arrive between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on the weeks you see the physician. You are seen by the physician in the order in which you arrive at the clinic. Please arrive no later than 5:30 p.m. on the weeks in which you do not see the physician.

Weight loss will depend on the meal plan that you choose your resting metabolic rate, and your commitment to making the necessary lifestyle changes. When you enroll, you will have a metabolism test done. From this test, we give a good estimation of how much weight you can expect to lose each week. On average, participants lose between 2 and 7 pounds per week.

Yes – increased physical activity is essential for your success and an important part of our program. However, when you are on a very low-calorie diet, your activity cannot exceed the low intensity level. Low intensity exercise includes walking, light water aerobics, leisurely bike riding, gardening, and housework. Anything above a low intensity level may lead to stalled weight loss.

You will have an opportunity to discuss your goals and concerns with the physician and the registered dietitian. Depending on your situation, you may have an option to extend your program for an additional 16 weeks at an additional cost. You must receive permission from our medical director to do so.

A Program Fee of $1,374 is charged for each type of meal plan. This is payable upon enrollment. The program fee includes two metabolism tests, 4 visits with a Registered Dietitian, 16 weeks of group educational sessions, supplies and ongoing support.

A separate Product Fee is charged for the Optifast products, depending on the meal plan option you choose.

• Full Meal Replacement Program: $1,788 for 16-weeks of Optifast products. If the Program Fee and Product Fee are paid in full at enrollment, we offer an additional 5% discount off the total price of $3,162, for a total of $3,004. Alternatively, you can opt to pay the Product Fee each week before picking up your product order. The weekly product fee is based on the number of products you will use each week, starting at $147 for the first week, followed by $122.50 for the next 11 weeks, and $73.50 for the final 4 weeks.

• Partial Meal Replacement: $1,176 for 16-weeks of Optifast products. If the Program Fee and Product Fee are paid in full at enrollment, we offer an additional 5% discount off the total price of $2,550, for a total of $2,423. Alternatively, you can opt to pay the Product Fee each week before picking up your product order. The weekly product fee $73.50 for the duration of the 16-week program.

• No Meal Replacement/Full Food Program: No Optifast products are utilized in this meal plan option, so there is no product fee. Only the program fee of $1,374 is due upon enrollment.

To compare your current weekly expenses with the expenses of the Your Weigh program, use our cost analysis tool (download a PDF).

The Program Fee and Product Fee (Optifast products) are not covered by insurers. These are non-billable, out-of-pocket expenses.

Your insurance will be billed for the physician visits, lab tests, and EKG(s). You are responsible for any applicable co-pays and/or unmet deductibles, in accordance with your insurance plan, at the time of service. In the event that your insurance does not cover or denies payment for any services billed, you are responsible for payment at the standard Emory Healthcare fee rate for the services rendered.

We highly recommend that you do not commit to this program if you know in advance that you will not be able to participate for the entire 16 consecutive weeks. If some unforeseeable situation arises making it necessary for you to miss a session, we will work with you to adjust scheduled doctor visits, RD visits, and/or lab studies with in reason. We ask that you give us as much advance notice as possible. There are no make-up group sessions. Reimbursement is not allowable for unattended doctor or RD visits and group sessions.

Many programs are designed to be one-size-fits all and make the assumption that everyone can be treated the same. Our program is designed by you and guided by experts. Other weight loss programs focus on just weight loss (which almost always leads to weight regain). The main goals of our participants are to achieve improved health and weight maintenance, not just weight loss. Successful weight maintenance requires a positive attitude, knowing how to eat well, being physically active, and committing to positive behavior and lifestyle changes, and through ongoing support from staff and fellow participants.