Weight management guide: build a plan that fits your life

Make your weight management plan practical

Choose one health goal and two realistic actions for the coming week. For example, plan a regular lunch and a short walk that fits your routine, then note what helped and what got in the way.

Bring your weight history, medicines and previous approaches to the discussion. Our first consultation guide and blood-test guide explain how to prepare for an individual assessment.

Food, movement and everyday routines

Build meals around nourishing foods you enjoy and can access, with regular opportunities to eat and drink. Start activity at a level that suits your health and ability, and discuss pain, fatigue or other barriers with your clinician.

Our dietitian support focuses on making eating workable. If you use Wegovy, eating with a changed appetite needs attention too.

Understand treatment options

Medication is one possible part of a wider plan. Suitability depends on your health history, current medicines, goals and the medicine’s prescribing criteria; an assessment does not guarantee a prescription.

Read about medical weight-management options and our Wegovy vs Mounjaro comparison. If you already use Wegovy, our guide to discussing a switch to Mounjaro covers preparation for a review.

Choose your weight management support

Stela offers doctor-led weight management by telehealth across New Zealand. An initial doctor consultation costs $300, a doctor follow-up $150 and a dietitian follow-up $125; medicine costs are separate.

Use the appointment guide to choose the right support and the budget guide to plan ongoing costs. We encourage coordination with your usual GP.

Review more than the scales

Record your longer-term weight trend alongside appetite, meals, symptoms and everyday wellbeing. If treatment includes medication, bring the current dose and any missed injections to each review.

Our follow-up guide explains ongoing appointments, and the progress review checklist helps when progress changes. Monthly follow-up during the first three months gives you regular opportunities to discuss the plan.

Start here

1. Prepare for your first consultation with your health history and questions.
2. Choose an appointment for the support you need.
3. Plan your treatment budget, including follow-up and medicines.

Explore this topic

• How do I book my first doctor consultation?All patients start with a doctor at Stela. Complete the questionnaire, then pre-pay and book if your BMI is 25 or above. Email the clinic if it is below 25.
• Prepare to discuss your weight-management optionsA consultation is a place to explore what is appropriate for you. You can bring preferences and questions without choosing a medicine or committing to a particular approach in advance.
• Prepare for your first weight-management consultationA useful first appointment starts with your health history, your priorities and the questions you want answered. You do not need to arrive with a treatment already chosen.
• Get ready for online weight-management careStela offers weight-management consultations online. A private space, a working connection and a clear backup plan can help you use the appointment well.
• Blood tests and your weight-management assessmentIf tests are needed, your clinician should explain what they are for and how to arrange them. You do not need to choose a test package yourself to prepare for Stela.
• Keep your GP involved in weight-management careYou do not need a GP referral to approach Stela. The clinic recommends keeping your GP informed, especially when more than one clinician is involved in your care.
• Plan the full cost of weight-management careAn initial consultation is one part of the budget. Make space to ask about follow-up, tests and any separate pharmacy costs before deciding on a plan.
• Dietitian support for everyday weight managementNutrition advice needs to fit the way you live. A dietitian appointment is a place to discuss your food routines, preferences and practical barriers.
• Make your weight-management follow-up usefulA review is a chance to discuss what has changed, what is difficult and what you need next. A short agenda can help you use the time well.
• When weight-loss progress feels stalledIf your current plan is not meeting your expectations, prepare a review with your clinician. Use the conversation to understand the pattern and discuss what should happen next.
• PCOS: considering medicine for weight managementPrepare for a weight-management medicine discussion when you live with PCOS, with questions about eligibility, other medicines and coordinated care.
• Wegovy vs Mounjaro: comparing treatment in NZCompare Wegovy and Mounjaro in New Zealand, including weekly injections, medicine reviews and practical questions to bring to your Stela consultation.
• Is Wegovy funded in NZ? Approval, funding and your costsFind out whether Wegovy is funded in New Zealand and understand medicine approval, private pharmacy costs and questions to ask before treatment.
• Switching from Wegovy to Mounjaro: prepare your care planConsidering a switch from Wegovy to Mounjaro? Prepare a prescriber-led plan for doses, timing, symptoms and costs with this practical Stela guide.