Heart and Metabolic Health
Weight Loss That Protects Muscle, Metabolism & Longevity
At Nova Wellness, weight management is about more than losing weight. Especially after 35, changes in metabolism, hormones, muscle mass, sleep, stress, and lifestyle can influence body composition and long-term health. Our physician-led approach focuses on sustainable lifestyle changes that support metabolic health, preserve muscle and strength, and help you stay active and healthy as you age. Rather than focusing solely on the scale, we look at the bigger picture and create a personalized plan around your health, lifestyle, and goals.
Why Weight Loss Changes After 35
Most traditional weight loss programs focus primarily on eating less and seeing the number on the scale go down. But as we get older, maintaining a healthy body composition becomes more complex.
Muscle mass can gradually decline with age, while hormonal changes, sleep, stress, activity levels, nutrition, and metabolic health can all influence how your body changes over time. This can be especially noticeable during midlife, including perimenopause and menopause, as well as with age-related hormonal and metabolic changes in men.
At Nova Wellness, we look beyond weight alone. Our goal is to help you understand the factors affecting your health and develop sustainable habits that support muscle, metabolic health, energy, mobility, and overall well-being for the years ahead.
The Nova Approach: Muscle First
Every weight management plan begins with a comprehensive understanding of your health, lifestyle, and goals. Rather than focusing solely on weight loss, we consider body composition, strength, nutrition, movement, hormones, sleep, stress, and other factors that can influence long-term health.
Your personalized plan may include:
- Strength & Muscle Preservation:Strategies focused on maintaining lean muscle, physical strength, and function as you age.
- Nutrition & Metabolic Health:Individualized nutrition guidance designed to support healthy body composition, energy, and metabolic health.
- Movement & Exercise:Sustainable recommendations for strength training, cardiovascular activity, mobility, and everyday movement.
- Sleep & Stress:Attention to lifestyle factors that can influence appetite, energy, recovery, and metabolic health.
- Hormonal Health:Evaluation of hormonal factors when clinically appropriate, particularly during midlife and menopause.
- Ongoing Guidance:Continued physician-led support as your health, lifestyle, and goals evolve.
The goal isn’t simply to weigh less. It’s to support a strong, capable body and healthier metabolic foundation as you age.
Your Physicians
Two Physicians, One Plan
Dr. Knight, an internist and integrative medicine physician, and Dr. Di Giorgio, a cardiologist, share one plan for each patient, so your heart, hormones, and metabolism are looked at together.
Physician-Led, Longevity-Focused Care
Nova’s approach considers cardiovascular health, metabolic health, hormone health, nutrition, movement, body composition, and other factors that can influence healthy aging.
Rather than treating weight as an isolated concern, our physicians consider how it fits into your overall health picture and develop recommendations around your individual physiology, lifestyle, medical history, and long-term goals.
I.
Dr. Chris Di Giorgio
Dr. Chris Di Giorgio, a board-certified cardiologist and former Chief of Cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center, brings a prevention-focused approach to cardiovascular and metabolic health. His expertise includes insulin resistance, inflammation, cholesterol management, longevity medicine, and identifying cardiovascular risk long before disease develops.
II.
Dr. Jenn Knight
Women’s health at Nova is led by Dr. Jennifer Knight, a double board-certified physician and certified menopause specialist with advanced training in integrative and longevity medicine. Whether you’re navigating hormonal changes, unexplained symptoms, or simply want to optimize your health, our goal is simple: understand the whole story, identify the root causes, and create a personalized plan that helps you feel your best.
Who This Program Is For
Nova’s physician-guided weight management program is designed for adults who want to take a more comprehensive approach to their health as they age.
It may be appropriate for:
- Adults experiencing changes in weight or body composition with age
- Women navigating perimenopause or menopause
- People concerned about metabolic or cardiovascular health
- Individuals who want to maintain muscle, strength, and mobility
- Adults looking to establish sustainable nutrition and movement habits
- People interested in taking a proactive approach to healthy aging
- Anyone who wants to understand how weight and body composition fit into their broader health picture
What to Expect
I
Discovery Call
A brief introductory call to discuss your goals, symptoms, and whether the program is the right fit.
II
Comprehensive Evaluation
Your initial consultation considers your medical history, current health, lifestyle, nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, body composition, and personal goals.
III
Individualized Health Assessment
When appropriate, your physician may recommend testing or additional evaluation to better understand factors that could be influencing your metabolic health and overall well-being.
IV
Personalized Lifestyle Plan
Your recommendations are built around your individual needs and may include nutrition, movement, strength training, sleep, stress management, and other lifestyle strategies.
V
Ongoing Support
Your plan can evolve as your health, lifestyle, and goals change, with continued guidance focused on sustainable progress and long-term health.
Before Your Visit
Frequently Asked Questions
Is This Just a Weight Loss Program?
No. Nova Wellness takes a broader approach to weight management. While achieving a healthier weight may be one part of your plan, the focus is on supporting metabolic health, maintaining muscle and strength, improving lifestyle habits, and promoting healthy aging.
Will I lose muscle while losing weight?
Preserving muscle is an important consideration when body composition changes. Your plan may incorporate adequate nutrition, protein intake, resistance training, and other strategies intended to support lean muscle and physical function.
Do I Have to Follow a Restrictive Diet?
The goal is to develop an approach you can realistically maintain. Nutrition recommendations are personalized around your health needs, lifestyle, preferences, and goals rather than relying on a single restrictive diet for everyone.
Why Can Weight and Body Composition Change During Perimenopause?
Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can coincide with changes in body composition, sleep, energy, muscle mass, and metabolic health. Nova takes these factors into consideration when developing an individualized plan for women in midlife.
Is This Approach Focused on Longevity?
Long-term health is a central part of Nova’s approach. Maintaining a healthy body composition, preserving muscle, staying physically active, and supporting cardiovascular and metabolic health can all be important parts of healthy aging.
Lose the Weight, Keep the Strength
Weight management isn’t simply about weighing less or changing how you look. It can be part of a broader commitment to protecting your metabolic health, maintaining muscle and mobility, and supporting the way you want to live as you age. Nova Wellness provides personalized, physician-led guidance designed to help you build sustainable habits and a stronger foundation for long-term health.
Start Here
Request a Consultation
We started Nova because the appointments we were trained to give were too short for the questions our patients were asking. That is why a first visit here is 90 minutes, and why the two of us work from the same plan. We both see patients in Roseland, and we would be glad to meet you.