Today we’d like to introduce you to Montria Martin.
Montria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew a passion for health as a child who was overweight. I was first introduced to wellness and taking care of my body when I started taking dance classes. I began to learn how food fuels my body and how movement benefits my health and wellbeing. In high school, I was introduced to the skill of nursing and I decided to become a nurse. In college, my weight loss journey continued and I developed a passion for research in obesity. After years of beside nursing and successful weight loss, I decided to advance my career as a family nurse practitioner with the goal of starting my own virtual practice in obesity medicine. While in graduate school, I revisited my journey in caring for my natural hair and dealing with dermatitis of my scalp. I started selling the products I would make for my own hair. Today, I am the founder of Harvest Weight & Lifestyle Medicine, bridging the gap between weight, medications, and your heath. Harvest provides dietary, exercise, and behavioral counseling to support individuals in building sustainable healthy lifestyle habits for weight loss and using weight loss medications as a supplement instead of the main source of their weight loss results. The mission of Harvest is to reduce the mortality impact of obesity related to other conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Thus, it is imperative to monitor weight loss progress with routine blood work related to those conditions. This comprehensive approach also allows me to optimize how I serve my community by associating weight loss to reducing the impact of chronic diseases that could otherwise become fatal.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Several challenges that came along the way were COVID, which made me uncertain about the path of my career. The pandemic led me to my first virtual position and allowed me flexibility to start graduate school. While in graduate school, I still worked full time as a nurse both virtually and at the bedside.
Once I graduated, I learned the practice of obesity medicine under a corporation.
After gaining my first experience in obesity medicine, I was hired by another hospital to start a medical weight loss program from the ground up. In this position, I learned so many new skills outside of my clinical expertise, such as marketing, networking, business development, interviewing, and leadership skills. Those were the major challenges that produced growth and confidence in me to start my own practice! I also give credit to my mentors who have supported and guided me along the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Harvest is a fully virtual telemedicine practice that provides dietary, exercise, and behavioral counseling to support adults and children in building sustainable healthy lifestyle habits for weight loss while using weight loss medications as an optional supplement to their lifestyle instead of depending fully on medications. What makes Harvest special is that it offers empathy from my personal experience and focuses on the behavioral roots of weight management. I have experienced weight as a challenge throughout my life ever since childhood, which comes with mental, social, and physical stressors. It is vital that weight loss is addressed at the root because it will still be a part us even after we have lost weight and have a different physical appearance. Healthy coping mechanisms must be developed to sustain a healthy lifestyle that does not involve detrimental restriction, starvation, and drastic lifestyles that could result in organ damage and fatal outcomes.
Harvest provides highly individualized care because weight is a very sensitive and personal experience that cannot be measured based on a one size fits all template.
Weight loss medications are not mandatory, but they are offered as a supplement for those who are medically eligible.
Insurance coverage has been one of the greatest burdens especially within this specialty.
Harvest is a self-pay program that serves individuals who are not under Medicare or Medicaid services.
Harvest accepts HSA/FSA/CareCredit.
Harvest provides a complimentary call, a complimentary program summary pamphlet, and an affordable weight loss kickstarter guide for those interested in learning more about the Harvest approach and expectations of the program.
The initial visit encompasses a full medical history, full panel of blood work, weight history intake, behavioral counseling, goal setting, and a medication overview for $195.
Follow ups are biweekly or monthly for $75 per visit.
Weight loss medications are paid separately and range from $0-99, $149-$299, and $349-$1000 per month depending on the medication that is recommended. Harvest remains up to date with clinical practice guidelines based on evidence based research. Only FDA regulated medications are used. Compound medications are not used. I have helped many patients lose nearly 100 lbs and lowered HbA1c, cholesterol, and blood pressure values!
I also have digital products related to hair care, wellness, and weight loss.
My plant based ebook, weight loss kickstarter, and hair care bundles are all available under my services on my website!
How do you define success?
Success is doing what you are passionate about, doing well at your best, and benefitting the welfare of the community.
Pricing:
- Initial comprehensive visit (intake, labs, counseling) $195
- Monthly follow ups $75
- Harvest Hair Growth bundle $30
- Harvest Lifestyle bundle $50
- Weight loss kickstarter $10
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.harvestweightandlifestyle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestweightlifestyle?igsh=MW53dTYzNWlvMzlubg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BU5kWANAY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
