Medical Weight Loss in Westchester County, NY

Medical weight loss in Westchester, in brief

Medical weight loss means a licensed provider evaluates you, decides whether a prescription medication is appropriate, and manages that treatment over time. At Protocol Health in Scarsdale, that usually means a GLP-1 medication — semaglutide or tirzepatide — alongside labs, nutrition guidance and regular follow-up.

Patients come to our Scarsdale clinic from across Westchester County, from Yonkers and New Rochelle to Chappaqua and Peekskill. Eligible patients anywhere in New York can also start and continue care by telehealth, so the drive is optional rather than required.

The medication is one part of the plan. The evaluation, the dose adjustments and what happens after you reach your goal matter as much as the prescription itself — and they are the part a pharmacy cannot do for you.

Semaglutide vs tirzepatide: what the trials showed

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are the two GLP-1-based medications most Westchester patients ask about. Both are weekly injections. Both were tested in large randomized trials in adults with obesity or overweight, and both produced substantially more weight loss than placebo.

Tirzepatide works on two hormone receptors, GLP-1 and GIP; semaglutide works on GLP-1 alone. That difference is one reason tirzepatide produced more weight loss on average in its trial. It is not the only thing that decides which one suits you — side effects, medical history, cost and coverage all weigh in.

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound: the brand names and the medicine

Most people in Westchester search for a brand name — Ozempic or Mounjaro — when what they want is a medication. Ozempic and Wegovy both contain semaglutide. Mounjaro and Zepbound both contain tirzepatide. Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy and Zepbound are approved for chronic weight management.

Your Protocol Health provider will talk through whether a brand-name product or a compounded formulation fits your situation. That choice has real consequences: compounded medications are not FDA-approved, were not studied in the brand trials above, and the brand approvals do not transfer to them. The FDA has published specific concerns about unapproved GLP-1 products worth reading before you choose.

Insurance coverage varies by plan and by diagnosis. Many plans cover these medications for type 2 diabetes but not for weight management, so checking your benefits before you start avoids surprises.

Who is a candidate for GLP-1 weight loss

The FDA-approved weight-management versions of these medications are labeled for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

GLP-1 medications are not appropriate for everyone. They are not used in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, or during pregnancy, and a history of pancreatitis needs careful review. Your provider confirms eligibility at the evaluation — the quiz is a starting point, not a prescription.

How medical weight loss works at Protocol Health

1. Evaluation. A provider reviews your history, medications and goals, in person in Scarsdale or by telehealth, and orders labs where they add information.

2. A plan, not just a prescription. If a GLP-1 is appropriate, your provider chooses the medication and a starting dose, and sets out nutrition and activity targets alongside it.

3. Gradual dose increases with follow-up. Doses start low and rise over weeks, which is when side effects like nausea are most likely. Regular check-ins are how those get managed rather than endured.

4. Maintenance. Reaching a goal weight starts a different conversation — staying there — which is the part most programs skip. See below.

What happens when you stop a GLP-1

This is the question most weight-loss pages in Westchester do not answer, and it is the one that matters most over years rather than months.

In the STEP 1 trial extension, participants who stopped semaglutide regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost within a year, and the cardiometabolic improvements largely reversed. The medication works while you take it; it does not permanently reset appetite.

That is why a plan at Protocol Health includes a maintenance strategy from the start — whether that means staying on a medication, tapering deliberately, or building the habits that hold more of the result — rather than treating the goal weight as the finish line.

Keeping muscle while you lose weight

Some of the weight lost on a GLP-1 is lean mass, not fat. Losing muscle slows metabolism and makes the weight easier to regain, so protecting it is part of doing this well.

Two things help most: enough protein, and resistance training. At our Scarsdale clinic, a SECA body composition scan measures fat and lean mass separately, so you can see what you are actually losing rather than just what the scale says.

Medical weight loss across Westchester County

Protocol Health’s clinic at 700 White Plains Road in Scarsdale sits near the center of the county. Patients come from every town below, and eligible patients can continue care by telehealth. Each town has its own page with local details:

Medical weight loss in Westchester — frequently asked questions

Do you prescribe Ozempic in Westchester?

Protocol Health providers prescribe semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — and tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, when a medical evaluation shows they are appropriate. Your provider will discuss whether a brand-name product or a compounded formulation fits your situation.

Where is the clinic?

Our clinic is at 700 White Plains Road in Scarsdale, central to Westchester County. Eligible patients anywhere in New York can also begin and continue care by telehealth.

How much weight can I lose on semaglutide or tirzepatide?

In their main trials, semaglutide averaged 14.9% of body weight at 68 weeks and tirzepatide up to 20.9% at the highest dose at 72 weeks. Those are averages; individual results vary widely, and not everyone is a candidate.

Does insurance cover GLP-1 weight loss medications?

It depends on your plan and your diagnosis. Many plans cover these medications for type 2 diabetes but not for weight management. Checking your benefits before starting is worthwhile.

What are the common side effects?

Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation are the most common, usually while the dose is being increased. Rarer but serious risks include pancreatitis and gallbladder problems, which is one reason follow-up visits matter.

Can I do medical weight loss by telehealth from Westchester?

Yes, if you are eligible. Many Westchester patients start with an in-person visit in Scarsdale and continue by telehealth, or do the whole program virtually.

What happens if I stop the medication?

Most people regain a significant share of the weight — about two-thirds within a year in the STEP 1 extension. A maintenance plan built in from the start is how Protocol Health approaches that.

Related

Important safety information

GLP-1 medications carry a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, based on studies in rodents. They are not used in anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Seek care promptly for severe or persistent abdominal pain, which can signal pancreatitis. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and were not studied in the brand-name trials.