Columbia weight loss expert uses expertise, personal experience to help others transform

When MUSC Health nurse practitioner Amanda Clark helps people in Columbia manage their weight, she brings not only her training but also her own experience to the table. “I've had gastric bypass surgery, and I'm diabetic, and I've been on GLP-1s.”

She proudly shows her before and after photos to others who are struggling with weight to show them what’s possible. “They're like, ‘What did you do?’ And I was like, ‘It wasn't just one thing. It was definitely a progression.’ There's not a magic something. It’s a journey that when you figure it out, you're like, ‘Oh, this makes good sense. This is so simple. Why didn’t I do this before?’”

 

“This” is the relatively new weight management program at MUSC Health in Columbia. It launched about two years ago. Since then, Clark has worked closely with the MUSC Health Weight Management team in the Charleston area, which has been around since 1974. It includes a Weight Management Center that provides coaching on diet and lifestyle changes, experts who can prescribe weight loss medications and weight loss surgery. Clark said the emphasis in both locations is on medically sound recommendations.

“This isn't a trend. This isn't just compounded medication. This isn't just the newest thing. This is us saying we have a big problem, specifically in South Carolina, and this can cause a lot of other issues. We're going to look at this, and we're going to work on getting a long-term solution for weight management.”

She tailors that solution to patients’ wishes, needs and insurance coverage. That appealed to nurse Tiffany White, who lost about 45 pounds with Clark’s help. “My whole family's diabetic, but I wanted to try this without having to go on a medication,” White said.

 

“It was kind of like when, not if, I was going to be diabetic. My A1C was creeping up.”

These days, her A1C, a blood test that measures the average level of sugar in her blood, is back in the normal range. White is also back in smaller clothing sizes. “I went from a size 12 to a size 2 or 4.”

She described how she achieved both better health and an appearance she feels better about. “You do a baseline comprehensive metabolic panel at the beginning,” she said, referring to a blood test that lets the health care provider diagnose and/or keep an eye on health conditions and side effects of any medications the patient is taking. “Then, every three months, we did blood work.” 

White also took nutrition classes, which are offered in person and online. “And it's just like how to eat healthy, exercising, working with a dietitian. You learn about diversifying your plate, mixing colors of food.”

Diversifying your plate means making sure one half of it has fruits and vegetables, the other proteins and grains. Mixing colors of food means choosing food from different color groups. For example, red and pink foods include beets, strawberries and tomatoes. Yellow and orange foods include acorn squash, corn and yellow apples. 

 

While White chose not to use medication to lose weight, Clark does explore a range of medication options for people who want and need them. That includes not only weight loss drugs but also treatments for health conditions linked to weight. “I look at your medical history. If you have a medical history of diabetes or kidney failure, heart conditions, things like that, that opens or closes doors for different medications,” she said.

Clark also continues to follow her patients’ progress. She sees White monthly, and White said she’s been able to keep the weight off. “The program is easy to do because it's common sense, but it’s also holding you accountable, which helps. It’s a judgment-free zone.”

Clark is thrilled to see White’s success. “Makes me so happy. I love it.”

The nurse practitioner knows from her own life that a reduction in pounds can have a life-changing impact. “To be honest with you, it's not even necessarily just the weight. I feel more in control of myself,” Clark said.