Physician-supervised tirzepatide and medical weight loss programs — with comprehensive lab work, body composition tracking, and monthly provider check-ins with Dr. Long.
A $75 deposit secures your appointment and applies toward your first visit.Weight resistance isn’t a character flaw — it’s a metabolic condition. Hormonal shifts, thyroid changes, insulin resistance, and the natural slowing of metabolism after 35 all work against you, regardless of how carefully you eat or how consistently you exercise.
GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists like tirzepatide work by targeting the biology that’s working against you — not by asking you to try harder at something that wasn’t working for biological reasons in the first place.
The prescription is not the program. Medication alone — without labs, without body composition monitoring, without protocol adjustments, without a plan for what comes after — produces different long-term outcomes than a structured, supervised program. That difference is what we’re here to provide.
Comprehensive metabolic panel, thyroid, insulin, hormones, and inflammatory markers before your first dose. We treat what’s actually driving your weight resistance.
We track fat mass vs. lean muscle mass throughout — not just scale weight. GLP-1 medications can cause muscle loss if not managed. We manage it.
Regular follow-up appointments with Dr. Long — not a chatbot, not a nurse line. Your protocol adjusts based on how you’re actually responding.
Nutritional and movement guidance specifically designed to preserve lean mass during weight loss — so you’re losing fat, not strength.
Tapering, maintenance, and long-term metabolic health planning. We discuss what happens when you reach your goal before you even start the program.
medAge was founded by Dr. Laura Ellis, MD. Dr. Long holds board certification in family and primary care. This is a clinical practice, not a wellness brand.
Tirzepatide (brand name Zepbound for weight management, Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes) is an FDA-approved once-weekly injectable that activates two separate hormone receptors: GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). This dual-action mechanism distinguishes it from semaglutide-only medications.
Together, these pathways reduce appetite, slow gastric emptying so you feel full longer, improve insulin sensitivity, and support fat metabolism. Clinical trials have shown tirzepatide to be among the most effective FDA-approved pharmaceutical interventions for weight management currently available.
Individual results vary. Clinical data reflects trial populations; your outcomes depend on adherence, metabolic baseline, and program compliance.
Your initial appointment covers medical history, goals, and a comprehensive lab panel. We identify any underlying metabolic contributors (thyroid, hormones, insulin resistance) and establish your InBody body composition baseline. Medication candidacy and starting dose are determined at this visit.
Starting at the lowest dose to allow your body to acclimate. Most patients experience reduced appetite within the first week. Nausea, if it occurs, is typically mild — we provide guidance on timing, food choices, and hydration to minimize it. Dr. Long is accessible for questions during this phase.
Dose is adjusted upward based on your response and tolerance. This is where most patients begin seeing consistent weight loss. InBody check-ins confirm fat loss while monitoring lean muscle preservation. Protocol adjustments are made as needed.
Continued monthly check-ins, lab monitoring, and body composition tracking. As you approach your goal, we begin introducing the nutritional and movement habits that make results durable.
When you’re ready, we build a tapering protocol and a long-term metabolic maintenance plan. This conversation starts early — not as an afterthought. The goal is a body that holds its results.
Program pricing is discussed at your consultation. Medication cost varies based on dose, insurance coverage, and pharmacy. We will review all costs in full at your initial visit.
Dr. Long is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with advanced training in functional and longevity medicine. She approaches metabolic health from a whole-body perspective — meaning she isn’t prescribing tirzepatide in isolation. She’s looking at the full hormonal, metabolic, and lifestyle picture and building a program around what will actually work for you.
As founder of Foundation by Dr. Live Long, Dr. Long developed the practice’s metabolic medicine approach specifically to address the gap between what most weight loss programs offer and what medically complex patients actually need.
Tirzepatide (Zepbound) is FDA-approved for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. It is not appropriate for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, or for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Candidacy is determined at your consultation after a thorough medical history review and lab work.
Many programs prescribe the medication and consider their job done. What they typically don’t provide is the clinical infrastructure around it — comprehensive labs before you start, body composition monitoring, regular provider check-ins, muscle preservation guidance, or a plan for what comes after. When patients come to us after other programs, the most common complaint isn’t that the medication didn’t work — it’s that they lost weight but regained it, that no one monitored their muscle loss, or that they had no guidance when they hit a plateau. A supervised program is more involved, but the long-term outcomes reflect that investment.
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and reduced appetite. These are most pronounced during dose escalation and typically diminish as your body adjusts. We use a slow titration schedule specifically to minimize this, and we provide guidance on food timing, meal composition, and hydration that significantly reduces discomfort for most patients. Serious side effects are rare but are discussed fully at your consultation. Because you have ongoing access to Dr. Long throughout the program, any concerns are addressed promptly.
GLP-1 and GIP medications can cause muscle loss alongside fat loss if the program doesn’t actively work to prevent it. Our program includes InBody body composition monitoring to track fat mass and lean mass separately throughout your treatment, along with specific nutritional guidance and movement recommendations designed to preserve muscle. If we see lean mass declining at a rate of concern, we adjust the protocol.
Insurance coverage for Zepbound (the weight management formulation of tirzepatide) varies significantly by plan. Some commercial insurance plans cover it; many do not, or require prior authorization. Mounjaro (the diabetes formulation) has broader coverage for patients with type 2 diabetes. Manufacturer savings programs are available and can substantially reduce out-of-pocket cost for eligible patients. We discuss cost and coverage options in detail at your consultation.
There is no universal answer — duration depends on your starting point, your goals, your metabolic response, and your long-term plan. Some patients use it for 6–9 months to reach a goal and transition to maintenance. Others benefit from longer-term use as part of a chronic metabolic health strategy. Tapering planning is part of the program from the beginning, and the habits you build during treatment are designed to make your results sustainable.
Possibly — and it’s worth a conversation. Tirzepatide’s dual GLP-1/GIP mechanism produces meaningfully different results than semaglutide alone in clinical trials, including in patients who had limited response to semaglutide. Tolerability profiles also differ, and our slow titration approach addresses many of the nausea and GI complaints patients experienced on other programs. A prior unsuccessful semaglutide experience is not a disqualifier for tirzepatide. Bring your history to your consultation and we’ll assess it together.
New patient consultations at medAge require a $75 deposit to reserve your appointment time. This deposit is applied in full toward your first visit — it’s not an additional fee, it’s a credit. It ensures that the time Dr. Long sets aside for your evaluation is protected for patients who are serious about starting. If you need to reschedule, we ask for 48 hours’ notice.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Long to discuss your history, your goals, and whether a tirzepatide program is right for you.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Tirzepatide is a prescription medication and requires evaluation by a qualified healthcare provider. Individual results vary. medAge Customized Medicine & Aesthetics offers physician-supervised medical weight loss through Foundation by Dr. Live Long at Biltmore Park, Asheville, NC. ©2026 medAge.