Meet and Greet [Affinity]
- HC: Good Morning Sally, good to see you again. How have you been doing? After reviewing your paperwork, I noticed that you were referred to our office by John Smith—how do you and John know each other?
- PT: Answer
- HC: He is a great patient and had amazing results on the MetaLife program and has referred many family and friends that have also had amazing results on the program.
- HC: I’m curious…what exactly did John say to you that made you want to come in and learn more about the MetaLife program?
- [If the NP is outside referral – Talk, Workshop, Screening or Teleseminar / Webinar ask:] I’m curious…what did I say specifically that made you want to come in and learn more about the MetaLife program?”
Major Complaint
- HC: Sally, you noted that being overweight was your primary complaint. Do you have any other health problems whether or not you think it’s related to your weight gain?
- [Make sure you review the Subjective Health Assessment section of the Health Appraisal form to comment on those symptoms in addition to asking the question].
- PT: I also suffer from chronic fatigue and joint pain on a daily basis and occasional earaches.
- [If there are symptoms that are not related to weight gain than table them and focus on the primary symptom that is attributed to the weight gain. If there are multiple concerns that are directly attributed to the weight gain, find out which is their biggest concern and consult on that condition and its association to weight gain because that is where they have the strongest emotional connection.]
- HC: Fatigue and joint pain can be directly caused by being overweight and therefore reducing your overall weight can eliminate both your fatigue and joint pain. If you could get rid of your joint pain or your chronic fatigue which one would you like to get rid of most?
- [Find primary symptom associated with weight gain.]
- PT: “Fatigue”
- HC: Okay, I’m not going to ignore the joint pain, but for the purpose of the consultation, let’s focus on your fatigue associated with your weight gain. Since the earaches are not related to the weight gain, we can table it for now and we can give you some guidance on how you can get that problem corrected later.
The Life Affect / Goal Getting
- You want to find out how the weight gain and their primary symptom is affecting them in their daily life. How does it take away from their quality of life? How does the excess weight or their primary symptom affect their relationships, their kids, their productivity?
- Listen intently to the answers to these questions because this will provide clarity on the problem. Remember weight gain is NOT the problem:
- Complaint = Weight Gain/Symptom
- Problem = Life Effect
- Cause = Lifestyle
- Life Effect (Problem) – First Agreement
- We are first going to agree on the problem (the Life Effect) which is what their complaint has prevented them from doing in their life.
- The Goal – Second Agreement
- Make sure that you agree on the objectives of the program which are the actual goals you are trying to achieve together. You must be aligned when it comes to the goal(s) surrounding the program– otherwise, it will be a frustrating relationship/experience for you both.
- Get specific info on the participant’s goals:
- Immediate Goals
- Short-Term Goals
- Long-Term Goals
- It is critical that you agree on what you are trying to accomplish. If today they are at Point A (Describing their symptoms and Life Effect) then their goals are point X, Y, and Z.
- The Path – Third Agreement
- Your recommendations will be The “Path” from A to Z and this is vitally important for the participant to understand so they have an opportunity to see it is possible and they can be empowered to commit to the path. You must have strong CONVICTION with your plan and they must have great CLARITY for them to embrace the plan.
- The Plan – Fourth Agreement
- The plan is the commitment they need to make to initiate the program. This incorporates a commitment of time, money, focus and energy.
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[Complete the Life Effect in regards to both the primary symptom and the weight gain.]
- HC: Sally, we have found that most people don’t start a weight loss program simply because they gained weight. They usually start a program when the weight starts interfering with their life negatively. So before we dive into the details of the weight gain and the associated fatigue, I would like to know what activities and functions do you want to regain that the fatigue and the weight gain have prevented you from doing, either partially or totally.
- PT: I am unable to enjoy my family because I am sedentary and can’t join in activities.
- HC: So getting rid of the fatigue and weight gain to enjoy your family would be a goal of yours.
- PT: Yes
- HC: That is a great goal.
- HC: What about a long-term goal if you didn’t have the chronic fatigue or excess weight?
- PT: I would like to get back into working out instead of coming home with fatigue and lying on the couch all night.
- HC: That is a great long-term goal.
- HC: How has it affected your relationships?
- PT: It has stressed by marriage because I feel insecure.
- HC: How would losing the weight and reducing the fatigue affect your marriage?
- PT: I would feel better about myself and be able to have a better mood with more energy. This would all improve my relationship with my spouse.
Severity
[Ask this question in reference to the symptom versus the weight gain.]
- HC: When your fatigue is at its worst, tell me what it’s like….when it is at its absolute worst.”
- PT: Answer
- [Notate exactly how they describe it because their description will be emotionally charged and when you explain the program it is always important to use the exact words used by the participant.]
- HC: Wow I can see how that can affect your [LIFE EFFECT]. Like I mentioned earlier, the MetaLife program is exciting because you will not only see a weight reduction, but we can also expect a significant change in your fatigue.
What Have You Done Already?
- [Your goal is to showcase that they have tried multiple weight loss programs and nothing has created long-term results. For this section, we will focus on BOTH the fatigue and the weight gain. Do this process on the symptom first and then the weight gain and at the end tie the two together.]
- HC: So what have you tried to get rid of the fatigue?
- PT: Nothing but drinking excessive caffeine.
- HC: I would assume when you drink caffeine the fatigue is reduced and if you stop drinking caffeine the fatigue would return…potentially worse. Would that be a fair statement? [Repeat for all the things they have tried.]
- HC: Okay now in regards to the weight gain, you noted in your paperwork that you’ve tried ____ to lose weight and it didn’t work? I assume when you did “X” you lost weight and when you stop you gain the weight back. [Repeat for all the things they have tried.]
- PT: I have tried Weight Watchers and the Atkins Diet and I lost some weight but I ended up gaining all of it back.
- HC: I am sure it was very frustrating to lose weight only to gain it all back. I would be frustrated as well, so I want to make sure you learn how to not only lose the weight but keep it off.
- HC: Did you have your body fat and muscle mass measured each week on the previous program?
- PT: No [Notate on Consultation Notes]
- HC: Was your program based on your individual metabolism?
- PT: No [Notate on Consultation Notes]
- HC: Did you have any laboratory testing done?
- PT: No [Notate on Consultation Notes]
- HC: Okay so your experiences so far with weight loss programs have been in regards to general programs that were not customized to your body. The difference of the MetaLife program is that it is the only program on the market that is customized to your body where your muscle and fat percentage, as well as your metabolism, is monitored on a weekly basis, it is based on real food, it will enhance fat-burning hormones while reducing fat-promoting hormones and lastly it will not only assist in long-term weight loss but will also assist in the reduction or potential elimination of you [primary symptom]. Every day during the program, you will note your energy levels, pain levels, mood and quality of sleep in a log and you can expect to see a significant impact on all four of those categories as well. Although the MetaLife program is a weight loss program it is often considered a life-changing program because it impacts a person’s entire life not just their waistline.
Weight Loss-No Action
- HC: What do you think would happen if you decide to do nothing today?
- PT: The fatigue will probably get worse as will my weight gain.
- HC: I agree.
Commitment
- HC: Now the last question is about commitment. First off, it is important to understand this is not a fad diet where you lose weight for a month and go back to your old diet and gain it all back. This program is designed to implement a lifestyle to create permanent weight loss as well as better overall health but you must understand this is a Done-With-You Program, not a Done-For-You-Program. You must engage in the process or it will not work. So the question is from one to ten with ten being the highest, what level of commitment will you have to initiate changes to your diet and lifestyle in order to make this the last weight loss program you will ever need?” I know you don’t have all the details of the program so I am wanting to know more about what is your commitment to YOURSELF to follow the program.
- PT: 10
- HC: Great
- [If less than ten you will need to ask them why they gave that number. Then tell them that your commitment is a ten and one of the components of qualifying for the program is having a full commitment. If they are not committed, it will affect their results and your reputation and you are not willing to compromise on either.]
- Let’s go over your body composition test.
