The long journey to managing your weight and finally looking and feeling the way you can envision it can be both inspiring and frustrating at the same time.
I’ve been a registered dietitian for over 10 years now and trust me when I say this, a lot of us struggle with weight management.
Weight care is the new buzz word, but what we’re all after is some good old fashioned weight loss. It’s the desire for a slim, toned-looking body – and at the end of the road seeing that before and after picture literally wow you, motivating you to keep that weight off.
Sometimes the truth hurts, and the facts are that nearly 1 in 3 adults (30%) are overweight, and more than 2 in 5 adults (42%) have obesity. This is all according to the CDC Adult Obesity Facts.
What’s interesting is I look around every day at the average person and I can’t believe how Americans got so sloppy. From the unhealthy foods we eat (long lines at McDonalds), to the socially acceptable alcohol consumption (happy hour every Friday ritual), it’s no wonder why we are fattening up.
It’s not OK to be fat, contrary to what the media tries to serve you up on a silver platter – “fat is beautiful.” My advice, don’t eat it.
Make no mistake about it – fat is not beautiful, beautiful is taking care of your body by eating healthy, staying active, and not drinking (cough: poison)… alcohol.
The good news is some of us get so sick and tired of looking at our fat selves in the mirror every day and start taking action, whether that’s changing up our diet, committing to an exercise plan or trying every weight loss supplement under the sun.
The bad news is there’s not a one-system-fits-all-approach. Unfortunately, some people are at a genetic disadvantage from the start while others are just pure lazy, or even worse – quitters.
In this article, I want to talk about a specific weight loss program, called NextMed, that offers prescription medication to those who qualify. I’m going to cover everything you need to know about the nextmed weight loss program, from the perspective of a dietitian, including alternatives to consider, pros, cons, pricing, what to expect, medications offered, and customer success stories.
Before we get into that though, let’s talk about online weight loss programs and prescription medication, so you get an accurate understanding of what it’s all about, and, if it’s the right choice for you.
Telehealth Weight Care Programs, Do They Work?
Telehealth weight care programs, otherwise known as medical weight loss programs, which have the capabilities of prescribing GLP-1 prescription medication, claim to have significant weight loss results from their “patients” super fast.
Most online weight care programs have a first year (or even first 3 months) 10% weight loss guarantee, also claiming that you don’t need a restrictive diet or intense exercise to lose the weight. In other words, the science-backed FDA approved prescription medication does the work.
Now that sounds like a get-slim-quick-scheme to me, but is it true?
The truth is these prescription weight loss medications do work. However, as a Registered Dietitian, I do not recommend them.
Why?
Because most of the time it will be a short-term fix, rather than a long-term solution.
Let’s talk a little bit about medications designed for weight loss.
Losing Weight With Prescription Medication
There are a number of FDA-approved weight loss medications out on the market right now and you can even get them online through multiple accredited vendors.
Is it safe?
According to the companies who offer these medications, they will tell you it is safe. But any medication will have its side effects, and the truth is, these medications are very new and no one really knows the long-term side effects just yet.
Is it the best option?
For some people, especially those who have a BMI of 29 or higher, this could be the best option to lose weight. That said, you should still make necessary dietary changes and get on a serious exercise regimen so you can make healthy lifestyle changes.
My opinion as a Registered Dietitian: Weight Loss Medication vs Dietary Changes
I’m always going to choose dietary and lifestyle changes over prescription weight loss medication any day of the week.
Why's that, you ask?
Because eating healthy and exercising daily has been proven over and over again to be the best long-term weight loss strategy.
The truth is, most people don’t have the discipline to sustain eating healthy and/or working out on a daily basis. In other words, the average human being that is overweight is also extremely lazy, which explains why FDA-approved Rx weight loss medications are becoming super popular, as well as brands like Nex Medical that offer these medications.
Quick Summary of NextMed Weight Loss Review
| Product: | Next Medical Weight Loss Program |
| FDA-approved Rx weight loss medication: | Yes, you must qualify to be prescribed medication |
| Weight loss meds offered: | Wegovy, Saxenda, Contrave, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus |
| Best Alternatives: | Found, Form Health, Fella Health (for men only), Calibrate |
| Support with real medical doctors: | Yes |
| Pricing: | Starting at $99 per month, but price goes up after the first month |
| Website: | joinnextmed.com |
| Avg. Customer Rating: | 4.7/5 (Over 3,000 reviews) |
| GW Rating: | 3.5/5 |
NextMed Weight Loss
What is Next Medical AKA NextMed?
Next Medical, or nextmed, claims to be America’s #1 weight loss experts, offering personalized, doctor-backed weight loss medicine (prescription medication). The one thing they do very well is work in a timely fashion – they make it super easy and accessible to get prescribed medication same-day.
All of their claims on weight loss have been backed by science, although many of these science-backed claims have been funded by the company, so they’re kind of skewed in my opinion.
Some highlights that you’ll see on their official website that will make you want to get started include:
- Science-backed FDA-approved medication
- No need for a restrictive diet or intense exercise – (they claim you can just take the medication and you’ll lose weight)
- First year 10% weight loss guarantee
- Their members lose over 53 lbs on average
Alternatives Compared to NextMed Prescription Weight Loss
Paragraph or two talking about the alternatives, then lead the readers into a comparison table
There are plenty of Next Medical alternatives that have been in the game longer and have more customers. That doesn’t make one better than the other, but in my experience covering weight loss brands like these, it’s all about the customer service.
The brands you will see below can all prescribe FDA-approved Rx weight loss meds, but here are my thoughts working with each of these brands. I’ve been on the phone with many of their CEOs.
Form Health
This is a really good brand that’s mainly run by women, but the service is for both men and women. Form Health really cares about their customers, they do a great job with customer service, offering consultations with real doctors. They also don’t charge you month after month.
Learn more by reading my full review here.
Found
Found is by far the most popular Rx weight loss brand and they’ve had a lot of success with their members. However, their customer care isn’t the greatest – mainly with rebilling when people just want to cancel – they make it extremely hard. On the other hand, they are most appealing because their pricing starts at $99 per month.
I review this program, which you can find here.
Fella (Best Alternative for Men)
Fella is a men’s Rx weight loss program, which is really nice to see because it helps men conquer their obesity or excessive weight gain problems. They have an excellent support system and I would highly recommend them for any male that thinks they qualify for Rx medication.
Learn more here about Fella Health, in my review.
Calibrate
Calibrate is another great brand that has many weight loss success stories from their members. It’s for men and women who qualify. They have a great support system, probably one of the better ones to be honest. The only drawback with Calibrate is you need a 12-month commitment, and most people don’t like that option because it can be very pricey (thousands of dollars).
I go super in-depth reviewing Calibrate here, if you want to dive deeper.
GLP-1 Prescription Medications Offered by NextMed
- Wegovy (GLP-1)
- Ozempic (GLP-1)
- Rybelsus (GLP-1)
- Saxenda – Liraglutide (GLP-1)
- Naltrexone & Bupropion (Generic Contrave)
- Mounjaro (dual GIP and GLP-1)
Weight Loss Programs and Pricing
If you navigate to their pricing page, you’ll find all of NextMed’s weight loss programs. Let’s take a look at what’s included in each program.
Contrave Weight Loss Program
This program includes a monthly subscription to FDA-approved generic Contrave for weight loss. Sometimes Contrave is just as effective as GLP-1s and it doesn’t require insurance. Membership includes:
- Monthly prescription of generic Contrave
- $25 per month medication, no insurance required
- Customized weight loss plan
- Support system with expert Doctors
Price: $99 for the first month, then $138 per month
GLP-1 Weight Loss Program
This program is a monthly subscription to FDA-approved weight-loss medications and includes diagnostic testing to help personalized your treatment plan.
Membership includes:
- Monthly prescription of GLP-1s (Ozempic, Mounjaro, Saxenda, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Victoza)
- Metabolic lab testing and analysis
- Customized weight loss plan
- Support system with expert Doctors
Price: $99 for the first month, then $138 per month
GLP-1 Weight Loss Complete Program
The complete program is the most comprehensive of all three packages. With it, you’ll receive quarterly diagnostic testing and an Apply Fitness+ membership to help you through your weight loss journey.
Membership includes:
- Monthly prescription of GLP-1s (Ozempic, Mounjaro, Saxenda, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Trulicity, Victoza)
- Quarterly metabolism, hormone and thyroid testing
- At-home lab testing
- Support system with expert Doctors
- Apple Fitness+ membership ($200 value)
Price: $99 for the first month, then $188 per month
How Much Weight Can You Lose With NextMed?
It is reported on Next Medical's website that their customers lose an average of 35 pounds in their first year, and keep all the lost weight off in their second year. NextMed also guarantees a 10% weight loss in the first year if you stick with their program.
Overall, how much weight you lose is going to depend on how much extra effort you put into your program. Yes, the medication will work in the short term, but how much weight you keep off by adopting healthier eating and exercise habits will be the big difference.
Real NextMed Reviews and Weight Loss Success Stories
On TrustPilot, there are plenty of honest Next Medical weight loss reviews from over 3,000 verified members to comb through. This is a strategy I always use before purchasing any product or service. Overall NextMed has an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 stars on TrustPilot, which is a very good score on that platform. There are also very recent reviews of NextMed left by customers, which is nice because you can get a good feel of how people are liking it relative to time.
One person wrote a review (I took a snippet of it below for you to see for yourself) saying, “was able to lose a lot of weight in a little time. Wegovy has turned my life around.”
While that review may sound great, as a Registered Dietitian, I still believe using medication for weight loss like Wegovy is a “quick fix.” Hopefully the member who left this positive review is now starting to change their lifestyle habits, including eating healthier and committing to an exercise plan.
Final Decision: Should You Use NextMed for Weight Loss?
We have reached the final destination of this article on the Next Medical weight loss program, but the question still remains: if you qualify, should you use it?
In my expert opinion, I think dietary changes and physical fitness is the long-term solution to losing weight. It’s also the hardest to accomplish, which is why most people aren’t the healthiest versions of themselves.
That said, using a service like Next Medical, or an alternative, could be beneficial to those who have type-2 diabetes or classified as obese. Perhaps it could get you going on your weight loss journey and then you can start changing your eating habits and working out more.
If you’re going to use prescription weight loss medication, I highly recommend one of the alternatives, as they are a little more sophisticated at the moment and provide outstanding customer service.
Those alternatives are:
Check them all out before going with any of them – that way you can choose the right one for you. Remember, if you do decide to go with one of these programs, you’ll still need to put some extra work in if you want to lose weight for good.
