Review Dr. Geidl’s philosophy regarding treatment of metabolic conditions. If it sounds like this might be what you are looking for, check out our simple fee structure, and then call or contact us to schedule your first appointment. If you will be a patient at Northwest Metabolic Medicine, below is a summary of what you can expect during your visits with Dr. Geidl.
Initial Consultation
We recognize the value of the time, energy, and finances you are considering investing with us. Before you make that decision we want you to be confident that our practice is a good fit for your goals and that it is clear what you will receive in return for your commitment. Your first visit with Dr. Geidl will be used for this purpose. After Dr. Geidl assesses your medical history, you will have an opportunity to ask questions, learn how participation will look for you specifically, and then decide if Northwest Metabolic Medicine is right for you at this time. If so, the first step will be to arrange the laboratory testing needed to assess your metabolic status. Also, follow-up appointments can be scheduled at this time.
Metabolic Evaluation
This visit can be scheduled as soon as two weeks after your consultation and will include a thorough review of your medical history and a focused physical exam. Dr. Geidl will also explain the results of your lab tests, and the nutritional direction that will be most effective for you. Occasionally, additional labs or other tests, like an EKG, may be needed and arranged. She will explain any medications that may be appropriate for you to consider. Additionally, she will assess whether any medications you are currently taking can be modified, reduced, or eliminated. Dr. Geidl will communicate with your primary care provider about your test results and any changes she suggests. You will leave with initial recommendations and instructions for the body composition testing you will have at your next appointment.
Measurements and Plan Design
This visit will be scheduled one to two weeks after your evaluation. During this visit Dr. Geidl will measure your muscle and fat tissue using the InBody 570. This information, in addition to your lab results and initial evaluation, is used to engineer your next 2–4 weeks of nutritional strategy. Your response to any medication changes in the previous visit will also be discussed.
Follow-Up Visits
With your plan underway, appointments can now occur less frequently. Dr. Geidl will help you modify your nutrition, physical activity, and medications, if applicable, each appointment. Once you are progressing and comfortable with your plan, the next two or three visits generally occur monthly. Your body composition will be re-measured each month to assure that you are continuing toward your goals. At the 3-month mark, appropriate lab work is repeated to ensure these results are improving as well. After this point, visit frequency varies. What our most successful patients have taught us is that most people do best when they continue to follow up at regular intervals. We’ve also learned that certain times are especially critical to come in for a visit, so that we can help you. These are: when you feel like you’re starting to lose ground, you’ve hit a plateau, or you are at your goal and trying to stay there.
A Word About “Staying the Course”
Almost everyone who has ever embarked on a quest to improve their health can point to successes they’ve had. But often these improvements are temporary because “maintaining” can be substantially harder than making the change in the first place. There are powerful metabolic and environmental reasons why this happens. By developing specific strategies to combat these, we help you avoid the cycle of weight loss and regain that so many people have suffered through in the past. We’ve learned that it takes about 18–24 months of consistent stability before a new body composition “set-point” is likely to be established. Patients consistently tell us that having a future appointment scheduled, even if it is three or four months out, helps them “stay on track”. One other tool we offer to help you with this is the low-cost option to self-measure your body composition on the InBody once Dr. Geidl approves this for you.
