Today we’d like to introduce you to Rupal Mathur.
Hi Rupal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve known since elementary school that I wanted to be a doctor to help people. I was pre-med at Rice University, graduated from Baylor College of Medicine with Honors, and completed my residency at Harvard Medical School focusing on primary care. Upon graduation from residency in 2015, I took a job as a primary care physician at a busy practice in the Texas Medical Center. While there, I was able to help a lot of people, but I felt like I was practicing “sick” care instead of health care.
Then in 2016, I got a very unexpected medical test result from my own physician. My blood sugar was in the prediabetes range. I was shocked. I was a vegetarian. Isn’t plant-based eating supposed to keep one healthy? Not if it includes Fritos, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and Oreos, apparently. I did a lot of independent reading and learning about nutrition and weight loss. I took a deep look at my diet and changed it completely. Three months later, my blood sugar dropped to the normal range, and I had lost 15 lbs. At the same time, I started counseling my patients on how to change their diets to improve their health. But I quickly realized that the system I was operating in did not allow time for preventative medicine. I felt like my job was to put band-aids on wounds instead of treating the cause of the injuries.
Therefore, in 2017 I opened my own medical practice called Lifelong Weight Loss, and I devoted my career to purely preventative medicine. Specifically, my mission was to help individuals to lose weight, since excess weight is the root cause of so many chronic medical conditions. Since then, I have helped countless patients have a better understanding of their nutritional needs to help them lose weight and reverse or prevent chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. My patients, in turn, with their bravery, kindness, and determination, have helped me to truly practice health care.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with all small businesses, the first two years were a struggle. I had zero presence on the internet and a very limited budget for marketing. But the practice began to grow through word-of-mouth, and I was so happy doing something I loved. The pandemic in 2020 definitely made things hard again, but a feature in the Houston Chronicle late that year helped people to find me. Since then, the practice has continued to grow, and I am eternally grateful to everyone that has helped me along the way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Board Certified Internal Medicine physician, and I practice weight loss medicine. I focus on dietary counseling to help individuals choose the right foods for their bodies to lose weight. I also prescribe FDA-approved medications that target the metabolic dysfunctions that result in weight gain. My practice is very different from a traditional doctor’s office. I need to know my patients extremely well to understand what nutrition and weight loss plan will work best for their lifestyle and body type. Therefore, the initial consultation is 80 minutes long, and follow-up appointments are at least every month, and sometimes sooner if needed. Obesity is a chronic medical condition that is very complex and requires individualized medical treatment rather than a one-size-fits-all plan. There is also no weight-shaming nor accusations about overeating at my practice. My staff and I care about our patients and want them to succeed, and that is what I am most proud of.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the world is finally acknowledging the importance of wellness. More medical practices will focus on keeping patients well instead of simply treating them when they are sick. Individuals are also recognizing the importance of self-advocacy and will start asking more of their medical providers in understanding how the environment and nutrition can impact their health. Finally, I believe both genomics and gut microbiome analysis will play a much larger role in health care as we learn more about how these factors can shape our wellbeing.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@lifelongweightloss.com
- Website: www.lifelongweightloss.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifelongweightloss/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LWLHOUSTON/
