Virtual Endocrinology & Obesity Medicine
Online Weight Loss Doctor
Virtual self-pay care for patients in Florida, New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. No referral required.
Anyone Can Write You a Prescription. That’s Not Medicine.
Dozens of websites will send you a weight-loss prescription after a five-minute questionnaire. No exam. No bloodwork. No doctor who actually knows your name. If that’s all you need, they’re easy to find.
If you want to understand why your body holds onto weight, and want an online weight loss doctor who is a triple board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist managing your care, not just your prescription, that’s what we do.
This Is for You If
- You’ve tried a GLP-1 medication, or you’re considering one, and you want it managed by a specialist rather than a call center
- You’ve lost weight before and regained it, and you want to understand why
- You suspect something hormonal or metabolic is working against you, not just willpower
- You want lab work, a real evaluation, and a plan, not a prescription mailed to your door
- You’ve been rushed or dismissed in weight conversations by doctors who don’t specialize in this
- You want your weight, hormones, and metabolic health treated as one connected picture instead of separate problems
Weight Loss Is Endocrinology, Not Just a Prescription
Body weight is regulated by a complex system of hormones: insulin, thyroid hormone, cortisol, leptin, and others that shape hunger, metabolism, and how your body stores and burns fat. When that system is out of balance, whether from insulin resistance, PCOS, thyroid dysfunction, or another cause, weight loss becomes far harder than “eat less, move more” accounts for.
A GLP-1 medication can be a genuinely useful tool. But a tool is not a treatment plan. That is the difference between a prescription service and an online medical weight loss doctor who treats the system underneath the symptom.
What Makes This Different
An Endocrinologist and Obesity Medicine Specialist, Not a Prescription Pipeline
- Care from a triple board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, not a general telehealth provider
- A real evaluation: bloodwork, medical history, and an assessment of the hormonal and metabolic factors affecting your weight
- Medication management when appropriate, GLP-1s or other options chosen based on your physiology, not a default protocol
- Attention to what’s often missed: insulin resistance, thyroid function, PCOS, and other underlying conditions
- A plan that goes beyond the prescription: nutrition, movement, sleep, habits, and accountability
- Ongoing medical supervision, not a one-time script and silence until your refill
The Metabolic Membership
Go Beyond the Scale and Beyond the Prescription
Weight loss medication can move the number on the scale. It doesn’t tell you whether you’re losing fat or muscle, whether your metabolic health is actually improving, or what happens when you eventually come off it.
The Metabolic Membership pairs ongoing endocrinology care with a health coach, so you have:
- Regular medical supervision of your treatment, including medication if appropriate
- Body composition tracking, not just weight, so you know what’s actually changing
- A realistic, personalized plan for nutrition, movement, sleep, and daily habits
- Accountability between visits, not an appointment once a quarter
- A physician thinking about your long-term metabolic health, not just short-term weight loss
$225/month
How It Works
Start with a comprehensive consultation.
Meet virtually with Dr. Bernal to review your history, your previous weight-loss attempts, and your goals.
Get a real evaluation.
Bloodwork and assessment of the hormonal and metabolic factors affecting your weight.
Build your plan together.
Medication if appropriate, plus the nutrition, activity, and habit strategy to support it.
Stay supported.
Ongoing medical supervision and health coaching through the Metabolic Membership.
Meet Dr. María Bernal Riera
Dr. Bernal is a triple board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. She treats weight as what it actually is, a complex, hormonally driven medical issue, not a willpower problem to be solved with a prescription and no follow-up. Her approach combines evidence-based medicine, a real evaluation, and a treatment plan built around each patient’s full health picture.
- Board Certified · Internal Medicine
- Board Certified · Endocrinology
- Board Certified · Obesity Medicine
Pricing & Self-Pay Disclosure
Apex is a self-pay telemedicine practice and does not bill insurance. That’s what makes a real evaluation and ongoing medical supervision possible, instead of a rushed intake form.
- Initial comprehensive consultation $435
- Metabolic Membership $225/month
- Available to patients in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Referral Not required
If you’ve been searching for medical weight loss in St. Petersburg, or for a weight loss doctor in St. Petersburg, Florida, you can work with Dr. Bernal entirely from home. Care is delivered by telemedicine across Florida, no waiting room, no commute, no time off work.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve already tried a GLP-1 from another platform. Can you help?
Yes. We can evaluate what has been working, what hasn’t, and manage your treatment with a full picture of your health rather than just issuing a refill.
I have a thyroid condition. Can I take a GLP-1?
It depends on the condition. GLP-1 and thyroid history need to be looked at together, and certain thyroid conditions require careful review before these medications are considered. This is exactly the kind of question that benefits from an endocrinologist who treats both. Dr. Bernal will review your thyroid history as part of your evaluation and talk through what’s appropriate for you.
Will I definitely get a prescription?
Medication is considered based on your evaluation. It isn’t automatic, and it isn’t the only tool we use. Some patients need it, some don’t, and some need to address other issues first.
What if I don’t want medication at all?
That’s a legitimate choice. We can build a plan around the hormonal, nutritional, and lifestyle factors affecting your weight without medication if that’s what you prefer.
Do you accept insurance?
Apex is a self-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly. Some patients choose to submit a superbill for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on their plan.
Can you see me virtually in my state?
Yes, if you are located in Florida, New York, Minnesota, or Wisconsin.