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

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.

In medical school, we learned to push feelings down, distance ourselves from them, and keep working no matter what. That is an essential skill as a doctor - we have to be able to keep a clear head in intensely emotional times. But it's also the reason why food feels so hard to control as doctors. In this episode, I'm breaking down: why emotions drive so much of our eating (even when it doesn't feel like "stress eating"), how to actually notice what you're feeling before you're elbow-deep in the chip bag, and simple techniques you can use between patients to process emotions without anyone knowing. I'll share my own story of how frustration with getting my kids out the door was ruining my entire day and driving my eating—and how working on that one emotion had ripple effects I didn't expect. This episode is for you if you're tired of feeling out of control around food and ready to understand what's really going on underneath.

You're standing in front of the break room donuts at 2pm wondering: Am I actually hungry? Or have I already eaten too much? Should I eat this? What if I'm eating when I'm not really hungry? If you've ever questioned whether you're "really" hungry, this episode is for you. Diet culture taught us to stop trusting ourselves. Eat less, less, less. And medical training taught us to ignore our bodies - skip meals, hold our bladders, function alert on no sleep. No wonder you're second-guessing every hunger signal. In this episode, I break down what physical hunger actually feels like versus other common types of eating I see with physicians. I explain why post-call hunger hits different (hello, increased ghrelin, decreased leptin, and impaired frontal lobe). And I give you specific strategies for each type of eating so you can actually do something about it. This episode is perfect for any physician who's tired of questioning every hunger signal and wants to start trusting herself again.

You keep doing the same thing with food over and over. And you can't figure out why. Here's what's happening: there are hidden obstacles between you and healthy eating. You just can't see them yet. Because we're not trained to look for obstacles - we just blame ourselves instead. And that's not fair. In this episode, I teach you how to spot the hidden obstacles that keep tripping you up with food. I'll show you why forcing yourself doesn't work and give you the exact questions to ask so you can problem-solve instead of self-blame. Perfect for you if you keep repeating the same eating patterns or you're exhausted from trying so hard without seeing results.

You've started over so many times. Every Monday, every January 1st, promising yourself this time will be different. Then a few weeks later you're right back where you started, eating takeout in your car after clinic, wondering what's wrong with you. Here's what nobody tells you: It's not that you failed. It's how you started. In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how I would start over with everything I know now. Six strategies that make the difference between white-knuckling it for a few weeks and actually creating change that lasts. This isn't another "try harder" pep talk—it's about setting yourself up so you can keep going without the constant battle. Perfect for physicians tired of starting over and ready to do weight loss differently. Listen today and share with someone who needs to hear this!

You've delivered babies, managed codes, diagnosed complex cases. So why can't you figure out your eating? If you've ever thought "I'm a doctor, I should know better" while reaching for food you didn't plan to eat, this episode is for you. I break down exactly why food feels so much harder than everything else you've mastered - and why it has nothing to do with being stupid or lacking knowledge. You'll learn the five real reasons physicians struggle with food (none of them are what you think), why focusing on the food itself is like watching the magician's assistant instead of where the trick actually happens, and how shame creates a brick wall that blocks any chance of change. This episode is perfect for any woman physician who's tired of feeling like she's the only smart person who can't figure out something that "should be simple."

Ever feel like you're either "all in" or completely off track with your eating? Like you need to do everything perfectly or you might as well not try? In this episode, I dive deep into the perfectionism block that keeps so many physicians in the frustrating cycle of trying harder but always feeling stuck. I share why there's actually no "right way" to lose weight, despite what diet culture tells us. You'll discover how perfectionist thinking creates obstacles that make it nearly impossible to start OR stick with healthy changes. More importantly, I'll show you what actually works: finding YOUR path that fits your real life (not some idealized version where you have endless time and energy). If you're tired of the all-or-nothing rollercoaster and ready to build consistency that actually lasts, this episode is exactly what you need to hear. Listen now.

You know that awful feeling after a weekend of eating way off-plan? The shame, the self-blame, the "I'll start over Monday" drama? There's a better way to handle these situations - and it's something you already know how to do. In this episode, I share exactly what happened during my recent lake weekend where I ate way more chips, pizza, and treats than usual, and how I approached it using the same no-blame mindset we bring to M&M rounds. Instead of spiraling into shame, I got curious about what was really driving that eating. You'll learn why that "out of control" weekend eating usually has nothing to do with the food itself, and discover my simple process for understanding what really happened so you can course-correct quickly without the drama. I break down the real reasons physicians eat differently on weekends and share my personal "get back on track" strategy that doesn't involve cutting out food groups. This episode is perfect for any physician who's tired of beating themselves up after eating off-plan and wants to learn how to get back to healthier eating more quickly and easily.

Think summer should be easy for healthy eating? Ha. You're covering for everyone on vacation, your kids are home with zero routine, and you're stress-eating in your car between patients. I'm sitting on my deck talking about why summer is actually brutal for physician eating. It's not your fault - summers create the perfect storm of schedule chaos, family stress, and social food pressure. But here's the thing: you don't have to restrict all the fun stuff or wait until fall to "get back on track." I'll share what actually works when your life is upside down and why changing your brain's automatic food responses beats willpower every time. Perfect for any woman physician who's tired of the summer struggle and ready for an approach that works with your real life, not against it.

This is Part 2 of my live Q&A series where I dive into the deeper questions that keep physicians up at night. The stuff that makes you wonder if you're broken (spoiler: you're not). In this episode, I answer: Is it food addiction or emotional eating? When it feels like "I must eat and I don't know how to not do it" - and what labels actually help vs hurt What to do about sweet tooth cravings hitting every 4-5 days when you're eating low carb high fat How to handle identity shifts when your health finally improves after years of limitations These aren't surface-level questions. This is about figuring out what empowers you vs what makes you feel broken, practical solutions for low carb adaptation, and navigating the weird space when your body can suddenly do things it couldn't for years. Perfect for physicians who want to understand what's really driving their cravings and are ready to feel empowered instead of controlled by food. Listen today! Pssst…Make sure you listened to Part 1 where we covered emotional eating during chronic stress, those brutal 2 AM call room binges, and why starting feels so impossible.