If you live anywhere near the southwest area of the United States, you’ve likely heard of Red Mountain Weight Loss. It’s a chain of 15 medical weight loss centers located across Texas and Arizona—with more planned to open in 2020. While you might hear “medical” and think That’s not for me, I don’t need a doctor’s help, it’s similar to hiring a health coach, fitness trainer, or nutritionist. “We live in a society where more than two-thirds of us have overweight or obesity, and it’s not a weakness to invoke the help of a professional,” says Suzanne Bentz, D.O., founder and chief medical officer of Red Mountain Weight Loss.

What is the Red Mountain Weight Loss program?

Everyone starts with a medical exam. “All of our patients are overweight, but the reasons for it are very diverse,” says Dr. Bentz. “We take a full history and have to be an investigator and dive in to figure out what are the patient’s problems. Why are they overweight? What is their lifestyle like? What things are difficult for them? How are we going to help them?” Then a personalized plan is created for the person.

The Red Mountain Lifestyle program includes a diet plan based on a patient’s nutritional and caloric needs as well as their lifestyle and activity levels. Essentially, it gives you macronutrient guidelines to follow. Meanwhile, the RM3 program is a bit more intense and consists of a customized diet plan, a patented medication, weekly shots, and supplements. Dr. Bentz won’t disclose the ingredients in their proprietary products, but says, “We use vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and things that support your own body’s metabolism and energy levels and help to inhibit cravings and appetite.”

What does Red Mountain Weight Loss cost?

Plans range from $200 to $500 per month. However, you may be able to use your Health Savings Account to pay for it if you’re losing weight because of a medical condition diagnosed by a doctor.

How much weight can you lose with Red Mountain Weight Loss?

It depends on your plan, your age, your metabolism, and how much extra weight you have, but Dr. Bentz says patients can drop an average of 10 or 20 pounds per month. “Because we’re a medical weight loss program, we’re not really for that patient that can just pick up a diet in a magazine and lose a few pounds,” she adds. “We’re for the people that are really struggling and may have a genetic predisposition to obesity, be taking multiple medications, or have other factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or metabolic syndrome.”

Do you have to eat special food?

Unlike some weight-loss programs that require you to purchase specific packaged foods, Red Mountain lets you eat normally. “Our programs all consist of real foods that patients are buying from the grocery store because we want to make sure that they know how to eat for life,” says Dr. Bentz. For instance, she says they share over 300 plan-friendly recipes with clients and teach them what to order at restaurants so they don’t have to avoid gatherings with family and friends.

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