Frequently Asked Questions

Our comprehensive medical weight loss membership at Sarah Stombaugh, MD is designed to provide personalized care and support for individuals on their weight loss journey. For $349/month and a one-time $500 enrollment fee, the membership includes a consultation with Dr. Stombaugh, where she will assess your medical history, current health status, and weight loss goals. Additionally, the membership includes monthly visits with both Dr. Stombaugh and our health coach, allowing for ongoing monitoring, guidance, and adjustments to your weight loss plan as needed.

In our clinic, you’ll work directly with Dr. Sarah Stombaugh to review your complete medical and weight history. She will provide weight loss recommendations with your health conditions in mind. This may include prescriptions to support weight loss goals, lab testing, and monitoring of other health conditions.

A health coach is a trained professional who works with individuals to help them achieve their health and wellness goals, including weight loss. At Sarah Stombaugh, MD, our health coaches provide personalized support, guidance, and accountability to patients as they navigate their weight loss journey. They work with patients to develop sustainable lifestyle changes, set achievable goals, and provide motivation and encouragement. Our health coaches also offer education on nutrition, exercise, and healthy habits, helping patients to make long-lasting changes that lead to improved health and well-being. By addressing the unique needs and challenges of each patient, our health coaches play a crucial role in ensuring that individuals have the tools and support they need to successfully achieve their weight loss goals.

The meet and greet visit is a free 30-minute call which takes place by Zoom. You’ll get to share your weight loss goals and learn more about Dr. Sarah Stombaugh and the medical practice. You’ll have an opportunity to address any questions you have about the practice or working together.

Yes, weight loss medications such as Contrave, Qsymia, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound are prescribed for patients who are interested and who meet medical criteria to use these medications. Coverage for the medications is determined by an individual’s insurance plan, and Dr. Stombaugh will work with your insurance to help get medications covered, if possible.

Please visit your insurance website to check the medication formulary. You should look for medications such as Contrave, Qsymia, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Even if these medications are not covered by your insurance, there may be other options available, which will be discussed at your initial appointment. Dr. Stombaugh will complete prior authorization paperwork, if necessary, to help with medication coverage.

Dr. Stombaugh will review all of your current medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, to determine if any medications may be helping or hindering your ability to lose weight. Dr. Stombaugh can work with you and the rest of your care team to adjust your medications if necessary.

Dr. Stombaugh focuses on providing evidence-based medical care for her patients. Many of the supplements on the market are unregulated or provide unsubstantiated weight loss claims. Supplements for weight loss are not routinely recommended for our patients.

During the initial consultation, we will discuss your medical history and weight history. If there are symptoms like hot flashes in perimenopausal women or symptoms of low testosterone in men, we can discuss evaluation and treatment for these conditions to best support your overall health goals.

Everyone's weight loss goals and journeys will be different. It is our goal to support patients in their health and weight goals. We will discuss goal weight at the time of your meet-and-greet visit.

Dr. Stombaugh recommends that her patients follow a diet that emphasizes protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Each patient is supported to customize their diet to meet their health and weight goals. Dr. Stombaugh does not routinely recommend calorie counting or macro counting but does encourage daily food logging with a hunger scale to meet one's individual goals.

Our comprehensive medical weight loss membership includes an initial consultation with Dr. Stombaugh and monthly visits with both Dr. Stombaugh and our health coach.

Our comprehensive medical weight loss membership is $349/month, after a $500 one-time enrollment fee. This includes monthly visits with both Dr. Stombaugh and our health coach.

Yes, all new patients are required to participate in our comprehensive medical weight loss membership, which includes monthly visits with both Dr. Stombaugh and our health coach. This membership is designed to provide personalized support, guidance, and medical expertise throughout your weight loss journey. However, we understand that there may be special situations where joining the membership may not be feasible or necessary. In such cases, exceptions may be made for former patients of Dr. Stombaugh or in other unique circumstances. We are committed to providing the best care and support for our patients, and we are willing to work with individuals to ensure they receive the care that best fits their specific needs.

At this time, Dr. Sarah Stombaugh is licensed to practice medicine in the states of Virginia and Illinois. She can accept patients who live in either of these two states. At this time, we cannot see patients from other states. If you live in a state other than Virginia or Illinois, please reach out and let us know you are looking for help losing weight. We’d be happy to connect you with an obesity medicine physician in your area.

Learn more about our program here. If you have any questions, you can schedule a free call with a member of our team.

View details about our program here. If you're ready to enroll, select the "Enroll Now" button, where you will be taken to the membership signup page. There you will fill in your contact and payment information. If you have any questions before you enroll, you can schedule a free call with a member of our team.

No. At the time of the meet and greet visit, Dr. Stombaugh will review your current weight, health conditions, and weight loss goals to determine if you are a good fit for our practice. While most of our patients have clinical obesity with or without medical complications, we do support patients with normal BMIs who have had weight gain as the result of binge eating disorder, menopause, or other medical conditions.

Yes! Many of our patients have medical conditions that may be associated with their obesity, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, acid reflux, polycystic ovarian syndrome, fatty liver, heart disease, thyroid conditions, depression, anxiety, and others. Dr. Sarah Stombaugh's background is in primary care, in which she treated patients with many complex medical conditions. Dr. Stombaugh will work closely with you to tailor your weight loss program to your health conditions. She will work with you and the rest of your care team to adjust medications, if necessary. She can also order labs and evaluate related medical conditions, when necessary.

Yes. We work with patients who have experienced weight regain after bariatric surgery. For patients who are planning to have bariatric surgery, it is common for your insurance and/or surgeon to require 3-12 months of medically supervised weight loss prior to surgery. Our visits can qualify for medically supervised weight loss, but you must notify us if you are planning bariatric surgery.

Yes, we provide evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for patients with lipedema.

Yes! We love working with women during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time in which many women face excess weight gain that may impact them for the rest of their lives. While weight loss is not advised during pregnancy, we work closely with our patients to help them achieve healthy weight gain goals during pregnancy.

Yes! We love working with new mothers. Our program is 100% tailored to the individual patient and can work well for women who are interested in losing weight postpartum. We can provide guidance for weight loss while breastfeeding, and recommendations for return to exercise, including pelvic floor physical therapy referral if indicated.