Thriving As A Physician: How to Lose Weight & Love Your Life

Do you ever look around and it seems like other people can be way more free with their food choices, or their portion sizes, and it doesn't seem to affect them at all? If you have a body that holds weight more easily, or a brain that's really focused on food, some days that just feels unfair — and it can start to feel like there's something wrong with you. In this episode I talk about why that feeling is legitimate, why it's worth dealing with instead of just carrying it around with you, and five things that help — including what happens when you try to change your eating from a place of being mad at your body, and why "I wish I could just eat normally" isn't a fair comparison to hold yourself to.

For years I looked for the one "right way" to fix my eating — the perfect diet, the magic amount of willpower, the finish line where I could finally relax. Turns out most of what I believed about weight loss and my stress eating wasn't just wrong. It was making the whole journey harder. In this episode I walk through five myths (plus a bonus one) that keep so many of us stuck, exhausted, and convinced we're failing — and what to believe instead so your eating actually gets easier. If you've been trying harder and harder and wondering why it's still not working, this one's for you.

"If it's in my house, I'll eat the whole thing. So I just don't buy it." Ice cream, chips, cookies, the good chocolate — whatever yours is, you've been handling it by keeping it out. And that works fine… until the food shows up at work, or at a party, or at your friend's place, or on the dessert menu. Because you can keep it out of your house but you can't keep it out of your life. This came from a question on a live Q&A call with my Thrive Academy for Overeating members. I'm walking you through the actual skill — how to be around that food without fighting it, and how it eventually stops being interesting at all. Chips were one of my biggest foods. They never lasted. Now there are half-open bags in my cupboard going stale because I forgot about them. I know that sounds impossible right now. I promise you it isn't. Listen to the full episode today to learn how.

You know how you're always the one taking the photo? Never in it. You tell yourself you'll get in the pictures once you lose the weight, or fit the clothes, or just feel a little better about your body. Here's the hard truth: there's no magic day when it gets easier. If you don't do the body image work, your brain will still find something to pick apart — even after you lose weight. In this episode, I'm giving you a pep talk about getting in the photos of your own life. We'll talk about why summer makes body judgment louder, why the memory matters way more than the stomach roll, and why your body is worthy of being in the picture right now. If you've spent years hiding from the camera, this one's for you.

For years I assumed I'd lose weight over the summer. Warm weather, fresh food, more time off — it just felt like lighter eating should happen on its own. It took me way too long to notice the truth: summer was actually the hardest time of year for me, and I usually gained. If that's you too, this episode is for you. I walk through the four things that quietly make summer eating harder — disrupted schedules, camping and lake time, vacations, and the never-ending parties and barbecues — and exactly how to handle each one so you can still enjoy your summer without feeling out of control. You'll walk away knowing why your brain keeps telling you "it'll just be fine," why that's usually a lie, and how a little planning (not perfection) lets you eat food you love and still feel good at the end of the day. Perfect for any woman physician who's tired of summer running away from her.

You set the goal: get the weight off before the long weekend, before the conference, before you see those people again. And you're great at it… for a couple weeks. Then you get sick, or your kid gets sick, or you have a week from hell — and one off day turns into "well, I blew it, I'm done." In this episode I sit down with registered psychotherapist Brian Baumal to talk about why that keeps happening, and why it has almost nothing to do with willpower. We get into the quiet shame hiding underneath the rush, why slowing way down actually works better, and a surprisingly simple place to start that has nothing to do with changing what you eat. If you've ever thought "it's just a fact that I always fail at this" — this one's for you. You can find Brian at alivapsychotherapy.com.

You overate last night, so today you tell yourself you'll be "extra careful." A light salad. Maybe skip lunch. It sounds smart. It sounds like the responsible thing to do. But that little plan to make up for it? It sets up your next overeating episode. In this episode I break down the binge-restrict cycle — the hidden loop that keeps almost everyone stuck. I'll show you why trying to stop yourself right before you eat almost never works, why beating yourself up after only makes it worse, and the easiest place to step out of the cycle (it's probably not where you think). If you've been working so hard and still feel out of control around food, this one's for you.

Do you think about food almost all day — what you ate, what you shouldn't have, what you really want, how to finally fix it? I didn't realize how much space food was taking up in my brain until I started to get a handle on it. In this episode I walk through five reasons your brain won't stop thinking about food — and a couple of them you've probably never heard before — plus the practical things that actually quieted it down for me, including one slightly ridiculous trick that worked. If you're tired of food running in the background of every quiet moment, this one's for you.

Ever come home from a vacation feeling like you have to spend the next two weeks undoing it? I get it. In this episode I'm talking with Dr. Krystal Sodaitis, host of the Luxury Cruising podcast, about how to make cruise vacations actually work — for your wallet, your family, and your eating. Krystal shares her best tips for booking the right room, finding deals without going generic, and using a travel agent to save money and stress. And we get into how she keeps cruise eating from turning into a week-long buffet bender (without feeling restricted or missing out). If you've ever wanted to try cruising — or if vacations have a way of throwing all your work out the window — this one's for you. Find Krystal at luxurycruising.net or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You know that pattern. You decide a food is off limits. You white-knuckle through the first few days. Then you cave — and somehow eat way more of it than you would have if you'd just let yourself have some in the first place. In this episode, I'm flipping the script on that whole approach. Your desires around food are valid. The crunch, the saltiness, the convenience, the spontaneity, the way it feels like a little break in your day — those are real needs, and pretending they're not is why every diet eventually falls apart. I'll walk you through the exact questions to ask about a food you keep going back to, and why finding alternatives that truly hit the spot — not consolation-prize versions — is the piece that makes healthy eating actually sustainable. If you've tried every version of restriction and keep ending up in the same place, this one's for you.

Have you hit the wall? You've tried to lose weight or change your eating more than a few times now. Maybe it worked for a little while. Then it didn't. And now you're sitting there wondering if there's even any point in trying again. I recorded this episode for you, because I know how exhausting it is to keep trying and yet keep feeling like you're failing. In episode 350 of the Thriving As A Physician Podcast, I'm digging into why trying has felt so exhausting, so defeating, and so personal — and why that's not actually your fault. The way we've been taught to try is the problem, not you. I walk you through why the failure lens most of us use is distorted and actually gets in the way of your success, why building something that feels good to do is the whole point (not a bonus), and what it looks like to approach weight and eating as a practice instead of a diet. This one is for you if you feel battered and bruised and aren't sure you have another try left in you. I promise it's worth a listen.

The appointments that drain you most aren't always the hardest clinically. They're the ones where you said all the right things and the patient still left frustrated. Or the encounter where something felt off and you couldn't name it — but you carried stress from it through the day (and maybe into a 3pm break-room raid). In this episode, I talk with Christine Miles — a listening expert and CEO of EQuipt — about a skill that's under-taught in medicine: how to actually make people feel heard. She shares the six simple questions that help patients tell their story faster, a 90-second technique that changes how safe people feel with you, and what to do when someone walks in already angry. Listening well matters - it can make your clinical days better but also will help in your personal relationships. And anything that makes your days go smoother will help with your eating. If your days regularly leave you empty — this one's for you. Learn more about Christine at https://thelisteningpath.com/christine-miles/

You've tried the diets. You've made the plans. And yet, there you are at 3pm, or after a brutal clinic day, or standing in the hotel breakfast buffet, eating more than you meant to — and feeling awful about it after. Here's what nobody has told you: the problem isn't that you can't stick to a plan. It's that every plan you've been given has been pointed at the wrong target. In this episode, I'm sharing a four-step "start here" plan that actually works. We're not talking about what to eat or what to cut out. We're talking about understanding why you eat the way you do — and how to actually change it in a way that doesn't require more willpower or more energy you don't have. I cover why shame is the first thing that has to go, how to find the patterns hiding in your last two weeks of eating, why you should absolutely start with the easiest thing (not the hardest), and why failure is not only expected but actually part of the plan. If you can't figure out why you keep hitting the drive through (even though you know it isn't healthy) then this episode is for you.

You've tried the diets. You know what you're "supposed" to eat. And yet there you are at 3pm, somehow in the break room eating cookies you didn't even plan to touch — and spending the rest of the afternoon beating yourself up about it. Here's what I want you to hear: that's not a food problem. And diet culture has been handing you the completely wrong answer for years. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why diet culture was never designed to help with stress eating, emotional eating, or binge eating — and why trying to apply diet rules to these struggles is like putting a band-aid over something that needs actual stitches. I talk about why your brain is using food to solve other problems (and why that actually makes sense), why perfection-based approaches set you up to fall apart every single time, and why the scale might be making everything worse when you're already feeling out of control. This episode is for you if you know exactly what to eat but can't figure out why you keep eating when you don't want to. You're not broken. You've just been given the wrong tools.

You submitted the questions. Now here are the real answers. In this episode, I'm sharing a replay of a live Q&A I did the other week — and I answer the questions you're probably too embarrassed to ask out loud. Why can't you stop eating after supper even though you know better? Is it worth tracking macros? Do supplements actually work? What about exercise in menopause? And is change even possible if you've struggled your whole life? The answers will surprise you. Because the way I talk about this stuff these topics is very different from the standard "just eat less" mentality. Be sure to listen. And then listen again - this one is packed with a LOT of tips. This episode is perfect for you if you're exhausted from trying to fix your eating in the evening, frustrated that your workouts aren't moving the scale, and ready to hear something that actually makes sense for your real life.

If you've lived life in a larger body, you know what it's like when you just feel "too big". You look at a group photo and instead of seeing a great memory, all you see is how much space you take up. You second-guess what you order at a catered lunch because you're sure someone's watching what the overweight doctor eats. And that shrinking doesn't stop at your body — it starts showing up in your opinions, your needs, and how you move through the world. In this episode, I dig into the "too big, too large" belief — where it actually comes from, how it quietly runs way more of your life than you realize, and why the place you make changes from matters just as much as the changes themselves. This one's for you if you've ever tried to make yourself smaller in any way — physically or otherwise.

Welcome to Part 3 of our annual Thriving in the New Year interview series! Every January, I sit down with physician coaches to hear how they're thinking about the year ahead—and there's always something that shifts my perspective. I'm joined by Dr. Sonia Wright (pediatric radiologist and midlife sex coach), Dr. Sarah Smith (family physician and charting coach), and Dr. Lea Grace Famularcano (family medicine and obesity medicine physician, health coach). We got into why the "push, push, push" approach we learned in training doesn't work for reaching your personal goals, how small pivots beat giant overhauls every time, and what it looks like to focus on experience instead of achievement. If you're exhausted from trying to achieve your way to feeling better, this conversation offers a different path forward. Featured Guests: Dr. Sonia Wright – Pediatric radiologist and midlife sex coach for women. Find her at soniawrightmd.com , on Instagram/TikTok @SoniaWrightMD, or listen to The Midlife Sex Coach for Women Podcast Dr. Sarah Smith – Family physician and clinical day advisor. Find her at chartingcoach.ca or listen to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast Dr. Lea Grace Famularcano – Family medicine and obesity medicine physician, health coach. Find her at thepivotingphysician.com

Welcome to Part 2 of our annual Thriving in the New Year interview series! Every January, I sit down with physician coaches to hear how they're approaching the year—and I always walk away with something that shifts my thinking. I'm joined by Dr. Maneesha Ahluwalia (life coach and former infectious disease physician), Dr. Nora Vasquez (internist and high-performance coach), and Dr. Ladan Davallow (pediatric endocrinologist and coach). We got into what to do when your January has already gone sideways, why physicians are so bad at celebrating wins, and the difference between living in the gap versus the gain. If you're feeling behind on your New Year's intentions, this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh air. Featured Guests: Dr. Maneesha Ahluwalia – Former infectious disease physician, now full-time life coach. Find her on Instagram @LifeCoachingForIndians Dr. Nora Vasquez – Internist and certified high-performance coach. Find her at renewyourmindmd.com Dr. Ladan Davallow – Pediatric endocrinologist and coach for parents of kids with diabetes. Find her at endoMDhealth.com and diabrite.com

Welcome to the first episode of our annual Thriving in the New Year interview series! Every January, I sit down with physician coaches to hear how they're approaching the year ahead—and I always learn something that shifts my own thinking. This year is no different. I'm joined by three brilliant physician coaches: Dr. Jessie Mahoney (pediatrician and mindfulness coach), Dr. Allison Anderson (cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and relationship mentor), and Dr. Wendy Schofer (pediatrician specializing in eating disorder prevention). We got into words of the year, what it means to feel whole, why satisfaction is so hard for physicians, and how to approach goals in a way that actually feels good. Jessie shared her words for the year—strategic and focused, wealthy and healthy, brave and bold—and her decision to filter everything through one question: is it fun? Wendy opened up about surviving the hardest year of her life and landing on "whole" as her compass for saying no. And Allison gave us a completely different approach to New Year's intentions: focusing on experiences you want to have and setting monthly themes instead of rigid goals. We also talked about why working harder backfires in certain areas of life, how we were literally trained not to feel satisfied, and what it means to stop just "plugging holes" and start bringing your whole self to your life. Featured Guests: Dr. Jessie Mahoney – Pediatrician and full-time physician coach offering mindful coaching and retreats through Pause and Presence. Find her at jessiemahoneymd.com Dr. Allison Anderson – Cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and dating/relationship mentor for women physicians. Find her on Instagram @AllisonAndersonCoaching (two L's in Allison) Dr. Wendy Schofer – Pediatrician specializing in eating disorder prevention through her Family in Focus program for parents. Find her at wendyschofermd.com

You've made it through another year. Maybe the holidays went well. Maybe you've eaten more cookies than planned and you're already dreading January. Either way, here's what I want you to know: Nothing is wrong with you. In this episode, I share my year-end love letter to you—a physician who's probably being too hard on herself. We'll talk about why your experience around food isn't a given (even with years of "evidence"), how to stop the internal tug-of-war with food, and why acknowledging your own needs matters more than any diet plan. This is for any woman physician ready to head into the new year without the shame spiral.