Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Dr. Summers is accepting new patients to the weight loss clinic at this time. Both male and female patients are welcome at all five weight loss clinic locations. Read More >

Yes, both men and women are welcome to be treated by Dr. Summers in the weight loss clinic. Read More >

You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the weight loss clinic. Dr. Summers will allow obese patients younger than age 18 to participate in the weight loss clinic if he feels that a medically supervised weight loss program is the best option for the particular person. In this situation, Dr. Summers requires a parent/legal guardian to be present at the initial weight clinic consultation and at every follow up appointment. Read More >

Dr. Summers does require new weight clinic patients to have an appointment for his or her first appointment with the weight clinic. Return patients are not required to have an appointment for 30 day follow up visits or for injections. Read More >

During your first "new patient" weight clinic appointment with Dr. Summers, you will be asked to fill out some medical paperwork and provide a copy of a valid ID to be kept in your file. We encourage new patients to print the new patient paperwork from our website and bring the complete paperwork to the first appointment. This is not required, but many patients prefer to do so. Dr. Summers and his weight clinic staff will weigh you and take your vitals in order to make sure that you are on a safe program for your state of health. After your weight loss goal is determined you will be provided with a suggested nutritional diet, with a certain number of calories to try to eat per day in order to reach your goal, along with a weekly menu with suggested meal plans. Dr. Summers also provides written prescriptions to appetite suppressant medications and lipotropic injections. You will be given the option to do the lipotropic injections 1 or 2 times per week, as well as the option of double injections which have more of the lipotropic solution in each injection. You will be given the option to participate in the blood work we offer, which is highly recommended. The blood work is more thorough than the average blood work you have gotten in the past and focuses on looking for problems with metabolism that need to be treated in order to help you lose weight. The blood work is free for patients with insurance and $85 for patients without insurance. The fee of the "new patient" appointment is $85, plus the cost of lipotropic injections ($10/injection). We require you to come in every 30 days for a follow up visit in order to obtain a refill. The cost of each 30-day follow up visit is $35, plus the cost of lipotropic injections. Read More >

No. Dr. Summers does not distribue medications directly to patients. Patients are provided with written prescriptions that may be filled at any pharmacy. This allows our patients to use the pharmacy of his or her choice to have the prescription filled and also gives the patient the opportunity to have insurance cover the medication. Furthermore, this allows the patient to choose between purchasing name brand or generic medication. Ask our staff to help you choose the most affordable pharmacy for the medication you are prescribed. Read More >

The answer to this question depends on the stability of your medical problems and the types of medications you are taking. Please be sure to include details about any medical problems you are currently being treated for and list all of your prescription and over the counter medications on your new patient paperwork. If any of this information changes while you are being treated for weight loss, please be sure to tell the nurse during your appointment. Please be sure to let Dr. Summers and his staff know if you have any of the following conditions: uncontrolled blood pressure, chestpain (Angina), history of heart attack or heart disease, history of stroke, Mitra Valve Prolapase, Glaucoma, pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemic. Read More >

Each injection is $10 and contains 1cc of the Lipotropic or Vitamin B12 solution. We recommend that our patients do at least 1 injection per week on a consistent basis (over several months) in order to see maximum results. Many of our patients choose to do more than one injection per week and/or request double injections that have 2cc of the solution in each injection. Double injections (which contain 2 ccs of the solution in each syringe) are $20/injection. Read More >

No. Dr. Summers does not make anyone purchase special diet foods in the weight clinic. We want our patients to adopt a lifestyle that can be followed for years to come. We do not recommend any fad diets or special foods because that is not a program that can be followed for the long term. Read More >

No. If you are both a gynecology and weight clinic patient, please remember that during the months that you come in for your annual gynecolgy appointment you do not need to also visit that weight clinic for that particular month. During your gynecology appointment talk to Dr. Summers about your progress with the weight clinic and he will write refills on any needed medications during your gyn appointment. Read More >

After determining the most effective weekly dose B6 - B12 - Lipotropic injections to meet your individual goal, you will be given the option to take the injections home for self administration or to come in each week for a nurse to administer the injections for you. If you decide to self-administer the injections, please follow the directions on the instruction sheet given to you by Dr. Summers and his staff. If you are doing single injections (with 1 cc of solution in each syringe), then please wait 48 hours between injections. If you are doing double injections (with 2 cc of solution in each syringe), the please wait at least 48 hours between injections. Lipotropic injections are most effective in enhancing weight loss when taken on a consistent basis, minimum being at least 1 time per week. Read More >

Yes. Dr. Summers allows his patients to do more than one injection each week. Patients are also allowed to request double injections, which contain double the amount of weight loss solution in each syringe. Read More >

Yes. We do offer the lipotropic solution in a pill form. One month's supply of the lipotropic pills is $40 (the same price as purchasing 4 injections). While we do recommend the shots because they offer greater absorption rate than the pills, we have seen many patients have great success with the lipotropic pills as well. Be sure to ask about the lipotropic pills during your next appointment. Read More >

We do not require a return patient to pay the $30 follow up visit fee if he or she is only stopping by to purchase lipotropic injections. The patient is only required to pay for the cost of the injections themselves. We do not charge any additional fees to administer injections to our patients, although we do give our patients the option to take the injections home for self-admistraion as well. To purchase additional injections before your follow up appointment is due or after you have completed the medication phase of your program, just tell the weight clinic receptionist how many you would like to purchase and she will assist you. Patients may choose to do a single (1cc)or a double (2cc). Read More >

Our most successful patients take the appetite suppressant medication and participate in the weight loss injections at the same time. When it is time to come off of the medication, we recommend that you stay on the lipotropic injections to help maintain your weight loss and to continue recieving the many additional health benefits. The medication is to be taken daily and the weight loss injections are to be taken 1 - 2 times per week, depending upon the type of injection, recommended dose, and amount in each syringe (meaning if it is a single injection or double injection). A single injection has 1 cc of the solution and a double injection has 2 cc of the solution. Read More >

The cost of each 30-day follow up visit in order to obtain medication refills is $35. Patients are are NOT required to have scheduled appointments for follow up visits or for stoping by to purchase additional Vitamin B-12/Lipotropic injections, products or supplements. Read More >

The address is 462 McQueen Smith Road South, Prattville, AL 36066. Read More >

The weight clinic accepts the following forms of payment: cash, debit cards, credit cards (Visa and Mastercard), and medical flex cards. We no longer accept checks. Read More >

The weight clinic does not accept insurance for appointments, but we encourage you to contact your health insurance agency to see if you can be reimbursement from them due to legitimate health benefits to losing weight through our program. We do accept insurance for the optional blood work. Our weight clinic accept the following forms of payment: cash, debit cards, credit cards (Visa and Mastercard). We no longer accept checks. Read More >

Gynecology patients attending the weight clinic for the first time are not required to pay the $75 new patient appointment fee. Instead, they are only asked to pay the $30 follow up visit fee as a new patient in the weight clinic. Read More >

The address is 1516 Montclair Road, Birmingham, AL 35210. Phone: 205-582-9316 Read More >

No. Dr. Summers requires weight clinic patients to be seen in the office every 30 days in order to receive a written prescription refill on all appetite suppressant medications. Read More >

In order to achieve your weight loss goals and to maintain weight loss, it is very important to exercise on a regular basis. Dr. Summers recommends an exercise program that is reasonable, based on your ability to exercise, current state of health, and other factors. For the majority of our patients, our weight loss program introduces a moderate amount of exercise that significantly improves overall health, well-being and quality of life. Read More >

Yes. Dr. Summers and his medical team will determine the number of calories you should eat each day based upon your current weight and weight loss goals. You will be given a weekly sample menu to help you choose healthy food. We suggest that you follow a low calorie diet that consists of lean proteins, favorable carbohydrates and "good" fats. It is proven to lower blood insulin levels, which increases the body's ability to burn fat and curb sweet and starch cravings. Dr. Summers allows you to choose the foods you buy from the grocery store and does not make you purchase any special food. Read More >

In addition to appetite suppressant medication and nutritional counseling, Dr. Summers recommends that his patients participate in the weight loss injections to help maximize weight loss efforts. These injections are administered directly into the hip muscle for increased absorption. The 3 types of weight loss injections available are: 1. Lipovite: This injection is a mixture of 13 different B vitamins, lipotropic fat burners and various supplements which boost energy, increase metabolism and help burn fat. Due to its color, it is also known as the "orange" injection to many of our patients. 2. MIC w/B12: This injection is a mixture of 3 lipotropic fat burners (Methionine, Inositol and Choline), along with B-12. Due to its color, it is also known as the "pink" injection to many of our patients. 3. Vitamin B12 Injections - This injection contains only Vitamin B12, which is known as the "energy vitamin" because it is used in the metabolism of every cell in the body. It provides an energy boost and is commonly used to treat fatigue. Due to its color, it is also known as the "red" shot to many of our patients. Read More >

Each of the 5 weight loss clinic locations have different hours of operation. Read More >

Yes. Optional blood work is offered every new patient session. The basic blood panel is $45 and is not covered under insurance. Results arrive in around 48-72 hours. Each patient will receive a letter with lab results along with any prescriptions needed to treat any abnormal lab levels or problems discovered via the lab work. Read More >

Vitamin B-12 injections are used to keep energy high during the restrictive caloric phases of dieting. Lipotropics, which are compounds consisting of amino acids, are used to break down fats and enhance fat metabolism. When vitamin B-12 is combined with lipotropic agents (such as the 3 lipotropic amino acids found in our lipotropic injections: methionine, inositol, and choline), fat metabolism is enhanced, and energy is increased. Dr. Summers recommends taking Vitamin B-12 and Lipotropic injections as part of your weight loss and maintenance programs. Read More >

1516 Montclair Rd, Birmingham, AL 35310 Phone 205-582-9316 Fax 205-582-9317 Facebook: www.facebook.com/theweightclinic Read More >