Episode 37: Twin Dietitians Share Their Analysis of Weight Loss Medications for lasting results

Are weight loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro actually safe or sustainable?

In this eye-opening episode, twin dietitians Tammy and Lyssie Lakotas (NutritionTwins.com) break down the science behind GLP-1 drugs—how they work, shocking side effects, and critical mistakes to avoid.

Want more health secrets? Grab their free 3 Simple Secrets Guide 

 

Listen to the Audio Podcast:

 

 

OR Listen on Your Favorite Platform

Podcast Transcript:

Hello world and welcome to Choices, Books and Gifts where you always have choices. My name is Jay Depaolo and I am the owner of choices, Books and Gifts in New York City, a store dedicated to health, wellness and recovery. For over 30 years, I am the host of our podcast. You always have choices where we dive deep into stories of transformation, healing, and personal growth.

So, for you new folks, we have a couple of, wonderful ladies who have done a few podcasts with this, which I am so happy when they're here and they do these podcasts with me. Believe me, we're all blessed. Are you guys going to enjoy this? Trust me when I tell you. So before I get started, I'm going to read a little bit about them.

So you know who we're interviewing. So here goes. Today we're excited to welcome back twin sisters Tammy and Lyssie Lakotas. Nationally recognized registered dietitians, personal trainers, and nutritionists? With over 15 years of experience, they have dedicated their careers to helping individuals transform their health, achieve personal goals, boost energy, and reach peak performance.

Recognized by The Huffington Post as among the top 20 nutritionists, experts to follow on Twitter and named a Top Influencer on Pinterest with over 4 million followers. They continue to be leading voices in the wellness space. Join us as we dive into another compelling discussion on weight loss management, weight loss medications, and sustainable health habits. Welcome back ladies.

I'm excited to have you both on the podcast again. I, I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thanks for having us. We love being on it. Love it. So we're so excited to dive into today's topic. I know it's a biggie. Yeah, it is a biggie. It's really it's really the whole world today.

The whole it's a everyone from the poorest to the richest. So I'm going to start right off and ask you your first question. Right. With the pro, proliferation of weight loss medications in the last few years, what are your thoughts on them? Oh, it's a great question. I honestly, for us I think we get this question a lot because we've been waiting, what? We're registered dietitians, personal trainers and we're weight loss experts and we have a really, really high level of success with people that lose weight and keep it off. So everyone wants to know, what do you think about this drug? And our answer will probably our perspective will probably surprise you. But before we get to that, I think it's really important that we just kind of explain how these drugs work in our body.

And so we're on the same page. Oh, yeah. So we want you to be able to make an informed decision for yourself aside from our what we think as well. So please educate us. Okay. So these medications, they're designed to mimic our body's own natural increase in hormones and encouraging hormones are secreted when we eat certain nutrients.

And so when we do that, it tells our pancreas to take to release insulin and take the sugar from the blood to the cells. It takes our tells our muscles to pick up sugar from the blood and take it into the muscles. And it tells our liver not to let our glucose, which is sugar, into the cells, and it also slows digestion.

So when it makes us feel satisfied and effects that it binds to receptors in our brain to make us less hungry for and for appetite regulation. So if you think about it here, we're saying that it, improves blood sugar markers for diabetes. So it's great for diabetic diabetes, diabetic management. And it also tells you up to and satiates do in the brain.

So it's great for weight loss. So you can see why these medications have taken the world by storm. But there's a few. It's sounds like a miracle drug. Yeah. Well yes and no. Yes and no. But yes, it really could be. And that's why you're seeing such good results. It can be in some ways. There's a few important things to keep in mind that are very interesting that most people don't know, but it's registered dietitians and professionals in the field.

One of the crazy things is that we make our own natural GLP one hormone, as we just mentioned, and when we release it, it stays in the body for about two minutes, two minutes. Now keep in mind these drugs. That's it. Two minutes. It does stay in there but it's two minutes. So you know you're quelling your appetite two minutes.

These drugs stay in your body 24 hours a day, seven days a week until they're bad. It's not good or bad. Well, it can be both. So it's just important to keep in mind because it's going to push down your appetite for that long. It's going to steady your 24 hours seven days a week. And so what I'm sure we'll get into this a bit more on what the pros are and the possible cons are of it, that we've seen both of and we've seen with our clients.

 

So, yeah. So it's just something to keep in mind that most people don't realize it's a very short time, and it does do very well for many people in keeping us satisfied. It doesn't do as well on others, which is the next important point. As we mentioned, we make these hormones ourself. They're made in our small intestine, these harm in our gut, in our digestive tract and in our gut lining.

And they also respond to when we eat certain nutrients. It's our natural. We're going to naturally let out more of it than others. Just want other nutrients or other things that we want. Cause it to get out the same way. The other thing that's important is that since it is made in the digestive tract and the gut lining, if you have digestive issues or injury to your gut lining, which can happen from stress, from alcohol, from a poor diet, from toxins in the environment, from our personal care products, not being, having, you know, and just think about that, stress alone.

So many of us have an injured got lining, which means our receptors are impaired. However, our how we produce the GLP one is impaired. Cannot be fixed?

 Yes, it can be. So very good question Jay. It can be. Many people don't realize that. So keeping that in mind will come back to your original question of what we just asked you.

So what do we think about these weight loss medications? And like we said, our answer may surprise you, given that we've had such a really, really high level of success for people that lose weight and keep it off that without the medications. But that they keep it off. I love that, that they keep it off, because that's so much of the problem. Yeah. Thank you so much.

That's all. Honestly, that's all we hear about anyone can starve themselves and lose weight, but there's a huge cost and we're going to be talking about that as well. Yeah. So that said, we have seen these weight loss medications to be an incredible tool for so many people in helping them to get on the healthy path. Keep in mind, we've seen people who have never been able to lose weight their entire life.

They've been overweight their entire life. They've really struggled. They've never felt like a part of society. Now they've lost the weight because. Because finally in the past, they never could. They always had cravings. They always had food noise. They never felt satisfied. So they had all this food noise. It's gone through noise where you're like, oh my gosh, you finished your meal, or you're having a conversation with your friend and everyone's eating dinner and just talking, and you're like, who's going to have that last piece of pie in your head?

Like, am I going to have that last meal that for me never shuts off? So those people, we've all had those situations, but you know, when it feels like nonstop, that's how your brain is or like, you know, you're out working all you can and you shouldn't be hungry. But all you can think about is that piece of pie that's coming at your next meal or whatever my meal.

I know, I could be bored and I'd eat something. Exactly. There's so much food. I mean, so there's some people that can that could never shut that off. And for some of the reasons that we already just suggested, but there's others. And so for the first time in their life, it's like all that noise, they're full and they can start to go on a healthy path.

And we see this many times like, wow, I'm like, the brownies are calling my name all the time. I'm always having broccoli this and I'm not hungry for more. Its almost like these drugs help you guys help them even better Is that what we're saying? I wouldn't necessarily not remember. We have a very, very high success level of people that come to us losing weight and keeping it off.

However, there are people that maybe haven't come to us and they're using this tool and they're starting to say like, whoa, it's now I can make healthier choices. And now I feel better. Now I, I'm not embarrassed to go to the gym, and I'm losing weight and I'm staying on track. And I finally feel confident. I've never felt confident in my entire life.

So, you know, we're seeing that people. It's a game changer for their confidence level. Yeah. That alone. There's so much to be said for that. We have friends, we have clients, we have family members that have come to like we have kinds of contrasts on the medications, which I'm sure we'll talk about later. And they're just so happy.

They're like, I'm losing weight and I'm with them. You wouldn't even recognize they've lost so much weight right? Yeah, yeah. And so and this is so important for them. These people have been judged their whole life for being overweight. Like, oh, you must be lazy. Oh they don't, they feel like outcasts. Oh, they're not sexy. They just don't feel.

And now they're feeling like a whole like it's a whole new level of confidence. And so that said, we see that, right? Oh my God, we want this to stay for them. They deserve it so much. Like it makes me want to cry. Like they're finally feeling what they we all deserve to feel like a part of society, you know, and not being judged, but so we have to keep in mind that these, these weight loss tricks are a tool.

They're just that they are not the end. They're not alone. Going to cause sustainable weight loss. Yeah.

It's a tool. But it's not for all over. Exactly, It's not an all over. It's not. And they're not right for everybody I know. And that said too, yes, I, can tell you because I know a few people and the effect they just couldn't take one is my niece.

She's, you know, God bless her. She she's heavy, the young lady, and she's tried several of them and she can't do it. Yes. And what I would talk about the side effects as well, but with it it's important to know it's not right for everybody. And not just that as great as they can be for people, there are side effects.

But on top of that, they as we said, they're not the answer for sustainable weight loss. And anyone that goes on the medication, you should just not go on medication without a game plan. You need to have a comprehensive plan and it's really important. It was so important that if you're going on these medications, you need to make sure that your metabolic health is all in check or it just won't be successful for you.

And there's a lot of pieces to that puzzle because it can really backfire. And an important thing to keep in mind is that with everything like, what if? What if you have what if you get pregnant? You have to come off the drug. What does it start? Stops working for you? What if that's where we really come in.

Because so our clients generally come to us that are on it and they're saying, I feel so good, but it's not working for me. I'm scared out of my mind. I've come this far. I it would be. It's even more torturous to lose all that weight, feel amazing. Finally have confidence in them. You know they and that.

Yeah. Back to the old. Yeah. So that said I think and Tammy I know you do too that we think of these drugs like if you're on a you're learning to ride a bike. Right. And your first time on a bike because for some people it's the first time feeling full and satisfied the first time. And they're asking about food all day long.

Yeah. And then you get on the trail, you put on the training wheels, and some people will just take the medication. And when they do this, they're going to lose weight rapidly, which is a sign of metabolic disaster for the future. Metabolic all want to lose the weight quickly. Yeah. Because you'll lose so much more. Or that. But the riding off and it's like almost like if you're on this bike and you're on one side of the training wheel wheels riding full speed ahead, and then you're like, oh.

It stopped working. And then you get a little like leaky tire, and then you're like, fly off and skin your knee or hit your head. Where is what we like to use the drug for. And everyone should have a comprehensive plan going into this. Just because obesity is so complex is that you want to get on the training wheels like, oh, I'm feeling good.

All right. Now let me address everything else that was originally causing the problems. So when those training wheels are taken off and smooth sailing. Right. So it's like what were those why did I have this cravings in the first place? Was my blood sugar balance. What if I had nutrient deficiencies that were causing metabolism problems? Was my lifestyle?

Was my sleep throwing everything off with my cortisol and stress and inflammation? There are so many factors. Yes. It was funny. She's not. I didn't get a word in understanding her. Go. She's got this training, this I often offered. How do you you're riding off the side on one on one training wheels right off the back. Just getting your knee back on the bike when she's not letting me on.

Are you going to be always on those training wheels? All right, so we have a lot to take to talk about. Yes. Yeah. So we'll just finish that part. Yes. We'll just finish that thought with the fact that when we really we do, we get really upset if we see people going on the medications from like a med spot and they're like, oh, take this medication and be on your way.

It really needs a comprehensive plan. That's why we personally we look at all these factors, but we have really cool partners. And shout out to doctor I sorry. Kristen. Hi there. And with ether medicine he is amazing. He'll give you know, he gives them medications in a safe dose and we monitor our people. He monitors those same people.

We all work combining to look at their metabolic health and making sure that, again, you have to look at what their system is first. You just shouldn't started right after that. Everything's right inside ?Yeah, definitely. And so you have markers to see what's going on like beforehand. And are you really getting metabolically healthier or are you losing muscle, losing metabolism, losing nutrients.

So yeah. So it's a whole process and that's what's super important. And most people don't realize and they just get on the bike and get off on the, you know, one time the training wheels. And that's scary. Just like, tell me. All right. Is that, that that was a great explanation. Wonderful. And I'm sure so much of this is so related that it's going to keep going in this direction.

Do you have clients that are using them and what is their feedback and experience? You covered it a little. Yeah. Yeah. Great question. So we absolutely have clients who are using it. What we do with them is we really help them to get metabolically in a healthy situation. So we're looking at their blood sugar. We're making sure everything that was originally the problem is now we're working towards like we're making sure their gut is working very well because that's where they absorb their nutrients.

If they're not absorbing their nutrients, their metabolism is not going to be functioning at full speed. Yes. And we'll get into that a bit more later, I think. But yeah, that's what they think of it. So a lot of them, they come to us already on the medications and they're feeling great. And they're so, so for lack of better word, freaking scared of coming off of it.

And just like, lose it. I'm terrified. They're terrified right there. That's what I want to say. Once on it, do you have to stay on it forever in order to success?

So here's what the research shows. And I think you, we were going to talk about this later, but we can talk about this now. The research really shows that when you go on the medications, the most weight loss comes really in the first six months.

It kind of slows down by the year and by two years it's kind of stalled out, kind of sold out. And that said, what they also see is that when people come off the medication, they gain two thirds of the weight back within a year. And so that's really scary. We can say we have not seen that with our clients.

So that's the silver lining there, which is why we're telling everybody like to make sure you have a comprehensive plan, because we are making sure all those metabolic factors, everything's in check so they can wean off the medication. And they've been working on everything else. So the people that come to us, they realize this and  they're nervous.

And they realize that we're going to be taking care of them and helping to address all of the previous demons that kept their weight high. Because those you can never you can never get rid of those. That would give me more confidence to working with people, professionals that I know instead of, you know, stopping it. And then starting to gain this weight.

Right. And the other thing about that, too, is, when you're working with a professional, you want to work with someone that has experience in this kind of thing, not just like any like dietician or any but someone that has experience with it. Because what we find is that a big mistake and we kind of alluded to this is the weight loss can be very rapid.

And that's why it feels so good. Oh yeah.  It’s Exciting. But it's a metabolic killer because disaster that means we really want to keep weight loss to about one two people that do not. People that work with us do not have rapid weight loss. And we will not allow it because on the medication they don't have rapid weight loss, Right.

Because no, And even with their on the medication we do not want them having rapid weight loss. We'll have them talk to their doctor. What happens is we have some with their diet to not have rapid weight loss and to deal with the possible side effects of their having, because what we know from rapid weight loss, which is kind of crazy.

Yeah, we all should probably watch The Biggest Loser. Afraid of it. Oh, that's people that lost weight so rapidly. Research has been done on them. And now, you know, most of them have gained back the way. That was a very unrealistic and more right for. That's exactly the point, J. Because the research shows that every time you mess up your metabolism with rapid weight loss, what used to work becomes it no longer works anymore.

And that's because you're losing lean muscle tissue, which is your metabolic fire. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn while you're sleeping. So it's so important. And the other thing too. And what are the yo yo dieting and the yo yo? The fact of doing that, the more times you do it, the harder it is.

So when people say, oh, I this used to work for me. I used to do this dieting used to work. You no longer works. That's that from the from the rapid weight loss from the past. So it has to be avoided. So also keep in mind when you lose muscle, when you when you lose more than 1 to 2 pounds per week consistently, you're going to be losing lean muscle tissue.

There's no way that you're not. And keep in mind that your heart is a muscle, so that's scary in itself. To your heart is losing muscle and becoming less efficient even in working out hard? Well, if it's rapid, I mean, think about it. The people in The Biggest Loser, they were working out hard. They lost a lot of weight.

Yeah. So it's the fast. It's the rapid weight loss that's a metabolic disaster. Like you cannot make up for it because you can't you can't make up for it with when you're losing weight that fast. You also have to have a huge amount of. And of course, the weight lifting helps if you're, oh, exhausted. One of the most important things for people on the medications to be doing.

But if you're not, give it. If you're even if you're giving your body right, I think we're going to talk about it later. But even if you're giving your body enough protein, but you're not giving your body enough calories, your body has to get those that energy, those calories from somewhere. So it's going to have to take it from your muscle if you're not frying you just enough calories.

Right? Okay. If it's coming off rapidly 1 to 2 pounds, your body can adjust and just take friends, right? So our clients on the medication, we make sure they don't lose more than that and they're happy with that a lot of these people have never lost weight before. And they know they trust the process. And I've heard that I think their bodies get used to it.

Like if, you know, if it takes you a year to to lose 50 pounds, that's really good because you. Yeah. Right. Oh yeah. I mean that's fat. That's amazing. Yeah. That is great. Trust me, if someone sees you one year prior and then you've lost 50 pounds, they're not going to recognize you that next year. 50 pounds lighter.

That's a lot of weight. A lot of weight loss. Alright. Beautiful. How effective are weight loss medications in the long term. And do people tend to regain weight after stopping them? I know we've  discussed that a little but  Yeah. So without a comprehensive plan and all the factors in place, research does show that within that first year, two thirds of the weight gain back.

But as Lyssie mentioned, we haven't seen that with the people we're working with because we're getting all of their factors in place. We're making sure that their, blood sugar stable. We're making sure that if it was every demon, that was it was like maybe even hurting their weight under cover in the past. We're addressing everything. We're looking at their gut health.

We're looking at their metabolic health. We're looking at inflammation and cortisol as we all can get stress and lifestyle and the food choices they're making and then also lifestyle, having the brain, you know, the cravings, that kind of thing. And then also we're helping them to really just kind of wean off the medication rather than like just come off.

We have a very comprehensive plan. We see you make sure everything is in place in in good first. Yeah.

All right. So what are the most common side effects associated with these drugs and how do they impact daily life? The people that I know could not withstand the side effects.

 Yeah. Interesting. So some people can. It's very interesting. Some people everyone I feel like most people have at least a minimal amount of side effects.

And that's due to the slowing down generally of the gastric emptying. There's a lot of common side effects, and there's ways that we help our clients mitigate that around it.What are the side effects? okay. So some of the side effects because it slows digestion. It's going to be constipation because you're just not able to get the food.

You're not moving it along quickly. And also because you're not as hungry you're not eating as much food. So that's one of them. And the problem with that, though, it's not just like, oh, it's uncomfortable. Like this is a metabolic disaster. So we really help our clients with this because constipation, when we lose fat, we keep toxins in our fat source.

That's where it's like out here, the organ rather than when we when we get toxins in our body, they are taken to shut the fats out to be stored, rather than putting our organs in harm's way. So we're mobile, that fat. It's coming right out in our body. We got to get rid of it after that. So we have a lot of people come to us and that's it.

It's like they feel like they're on the floor. They feel like they have the flu because those toxins have come out of the fat cells, are making them feel exhausted. And those toxins, by the way, when they're in the fat. So they make the fat so very difficult to get rid of because your body doesn't want to release it.

So just if you're restricting that, it's because it's inflamed and inflammation makes weight gain easier and weight loss harder. So the toxins cause inflammation in the fat. And if you're not getting rid of those toxins and you're recirculating them and you're causing metabolic disaster in there, it's a disservice act because it's beyond being sick. Yeah. It's making your health it's putting your health at risk.

So we always have a risk because you're putting the toxins back in your body. They're circulating. You're exposing yourself to toxins which are dangerous to your body in the first place. Try to keep them away from the tissues and organs. So it's putting them in the fat cells and you're releasing fat. So where's it going? Where are those toxins ending up to do the damage.

So super important. So we really try I mean knock on. Well we work very hard not to have our clients have many of the side effects. And if they do and if they're continuing, I'll put this as a warning for anyone out there. If you are given, if you have side effects and your dose of medication is supposed to go up, tell your doctor I know, right?

Especially for some of the other side effects as you ask. Some of them are nausea. There can be diarrhea, and if you're having diarrhea, you're not absorbing your nutrients. Nutrients are what you need for a quick, speedy metabolism and also to feel okay. And then some of the other side effects. One more thing about that though, if you are, the reason that you don't want to be increasing your medication, if you're having side effects because you're still nauseous or full, you don't need more medication.

It's working just fine. You're still full. Why do you need more medication? it's job. You don't need to give yourself more side effects. So that's what we're talking about when we work with partners that are really like they're very good about making sure this doesn't happen. And so yeah. So then if like Tammy saying is the diarrhea or something, then you're not absorbing your nutrients.

And those nutrient deficiencies could have been some of the very reasons that your metabolism was messed up in the first place and that you couldn't lose weight. So you could be compounding the issues.

And then and then also the side effects, of course, if you're losing weight too rapidly, then again, it's that muscle loss. It's really messing with your metabolism and slowing your metabolic rate. So you need fewer calories to maintain your weight.

And then also there's like in addition to the nausea, there's fatigue. And for fatigue, it can sometimes be because you're not eating enough, but very often it's because you're dehydrated, which is another side effect. You these people are not even realizing they're thirsty at all. So if you're full so they're not thinking getting the new the water right, which is very important.

And you need enough water and also enough fiber to move the bowel. So that's why there's constipation involved. And you need it for every process in the body and particularly for energy. So if you don't have energy then, you know if you're not getting water you're not going to have energy. So these people are very fatigued often.

So it's a matter most of it though, I will say, like with the water you can you really most people need a form of electrolyte, a good quality one. Not none of the cheap stuff with all the additives and stuff like that, but a good one because that if you're just peeing all the time, you're not actually absorbing the water, you're peeing it out.

So you need to get those electrolytes in there. If you're going too fast, Do you have any recommendations with those? Because I, I think I do A0 Gatorade right now. Right. Okay. So yeah. So we like trace minerals, electrolytes there are come straight from the UFC. There's no additives.

We also like BOY that is a better flavor if you're someone who if you want to put your electrolytes in, like your smoothie or something, that's great.

Then for the trace minerals. But if you're someone who can't handle the flavor of, just the minerals by themselves, then something like you do you? Although I will say none of my clients seem to complain about the flavor of the minerals, I think I just do because it puts so much in one glass so that I'm like, oh, you can spread it out throughout the day.

Yeah, I just do it all in one big shot, you know, just in the morning we do the straight nutrients with no combine and then my water bottle at the gym too. Yeah. There's no additives. And then they come straight from the see they're the same concentration as our body and they have trace minerals. So just a lot of good stuff that you really can't find in most of the other ones.

Right, A lot of it I do myself like I put in CMOs turmeric nice Jay protein, you know, the organic protein. Awesome. Good jay little fruit. Just the berries. Oh good. See then you would do well with the trace minerals because you wouldn't taste it in your smoothie. I'd be great.

But you do a great. That sounds good. You're a healthy. Yeah. You always are. That's why he owns choices for making healthy choices. You live in a different place. But your sister, she's such an inspiration when you. Oh. Thank you, I mean it it's unbelievable. We. You know, you the talk of the gym. You just want you to know that's not true.

But thank you. I appreciate that so much. She's the same way. She just does it right? Elsewhere. Yeah, elsewhere. I know I'm not at your gym. We want you to be. Thank you.

Are there long term side effects? Oh, this is a really good question. It's. It's kind of the million dollar question. We don't know. We don't know the reason is if you think about it okay. Like your assets initially suddenly we're flooding our body with this hormone 24 seven. This is a hormone that we normally naturally have for two minutes in our body. So does this mean over time that our brain does become resistant or body becomes resistant to our own normal, will it just completely stall out?

You know, we know that of course, it's a relatively, I don't know, is it a five years thing so far, five or six years, so we don't know long term. How long have these things been on the market. So some of the medications have been being used for a while for diabetes. And they seem to be effective for diabetes for weight loss.

It's new. And I think, that's where a lot of the questions come in, you know, and so for the management of weight loss. Yeah. And so we really just don't know. We see that it stalls out. We don't know that people stay on it for a long time, you know. So

yeah. Okay. What supplements should people consider if on these meds?

Well that's a great question. So there's a lot to consider because of the reason that, first of all, a lot of people are eating a lot less food. And unfortunately, some of the people are only eating. I hear people on the street and I heard a husband and wife talking. She said, you know, you just like this medication because you could eat your fried chicken and that's all you have to eat and be on your way, you know?

And I was just like, I was just in the back. I was like, that's the way a lot of people think. So these people, even though they might have weight to lose or be overweight, they're malnourished. Right. So a lot of people are going to need a how good quality. But and I will say this, like for our clients that come to see us like we only supplement where we see they need it.

So we test their labs. We're testing the whole body. Very unique approach. Yeah. With different supplements for different people. Right. Right there on they have their unique body chemistry and hormones and all of that. However, there are some that can be saying are we generally have to most people will be the, the multivitamin B vitamins B items are important because that's how you make your usable energy.

They'll have to prevent fatigue and we see B vitamins go down, we see B vitamins and D go down for a lot of people on the medication. So we're always watching that. And those have metabolic effects. They can also affect homocysteine which is an inflammation marker. So there's those in general are really important to D like and also important for bone health.

Is Sea and fish oil good for you? Yeah. So especially fish oil because we're typically when people are going through this their bodies are very inflamed. And fish oils great at ,so anyhow, they're great at tamping down their, inflammation and inflammation makes a weight gain eased weight loss harder.

So anytime that we can tame the inflammation, that's great. So Fisher was really good at that. It also is good for keeping your, brain healthy and your body healthy and so that was a great call. And just like a lot of people just aren't getting enough of the fish oil. And it's very it's very good for longevity.

Another thing that I'd say we see a lot of people remember how we mentioned, like they got to have everyone needs help with God got work. I would say like at least for starters, are probiotic. Most of our clients we have to do like we do particular testing. We do like a whole gut reset. So we really get their gut going.

But at least at a basic level, most people will need a probiotic. And that's also really important when I What’s Probiotics? So probiotics would be we like to use the pharmaceutical grade ones, but like an example of one, maybe a line or something that you see in the grocery store. We like a little more powerful ones, but what that does is there's in our gut, we would like a balance of good bacteria versus bad bacteria, a good balance, a healthy balance.

Because when that shifts to an unhealthy balance, that's when it favors weight gain. And also, it also affects the GRP that our body makes in our gut lining. So we want to really, make sure that got health is good to go. So we're just saying probiotics a good starting point for most of our clients. We have to do a good bit more when we dig in and see what they're doing.

But in addition to that, me, I'm sure you do this too. But I, for most of my clients, use a digestive enzyme or a whole digestive protocol because, remember, their whole digestive track, it's like taking a hit is slowing down. It's just not working as well. In order for us to get the nutrients that we need, we need to be able to break those nutrients apart and re assimilate them and absorb them.

And it's really hard for all of that to happen. So digestive enzyme, it kind of eases the pressure. We usually put them on a specific gut protocol that that really helps to, help with our pancreas enzymes and everything else. It just really helps them just feel better and not have the side effects actually really helps. So yeah, but if you can start sometimes with just a good digestive enzyme, that can be a good place to start.

Okay. Yeah. Great. Great information. Can you tell me what is Ozempic face and butt and are there ways to avoid it? Oh yeah. Okay. Yeah. You heard of it Jay interesting. So that's one of the big things and one of the big things keeping people from away from doing, they're like, I want to do something face or eyes.

Epic. But and that is that when you put that on face, the flat butt, Is that because you lose weight too rapidly? Yes. Jay you have your hand on it. Yeah, major, you're right there. Exactly right. So the way to prevent and so it's if you read a lot of the tabloids though, they'll say some of them, celebrities who are on it have as who are on it have Ozempic face, Ozempic butt,

But, one of the ways to prevent it is avoid the rapid weight loss, because then you're not losing the lean muscle tissue and the sagging skin. So that's important. Yeah. So, so and then also working out at the gym, is a huge one to prevent those, big butt and even the face because you got to keep the muscle going.

And then also water hydration is huge. People don't think about it, but especially when you lose weight quickly, though, when you see people's skin sag, water fills the spaces between the cells, so it helps to keep the skin looking alive and prevent it from sagging. It keeps it, you know, can only prevent so much if you're losing too quickly.

But it does happen a lot in that way. Right? And then you also want to make sure you're getting enough calories so you're not having the rapid loss. And also enough of those calories from protein. And also collagen can be helpful for some people because it helps to, stimulate the last the elasticity of the skin, which then back to your point about vitamin C.

Vitamin C is important because it's needed for college information. Okay. So that's all within the skin to kind of prevent from sagging. I'm just like, I'm in school. I'm getting a whole it's is fantastic. There's been

 over celebrities and influencers promoting these drugs. Do you think this is helping or harming the weight loss conversation? What's interesting, it kind of can go both ways, because it's good that they're opening up the conversation about it, and especially if someone needs if it's a the celebrity says, overweight, it's they've seen some benefits.

And as long as they're showing both sides of what can happen, you know, some of the celebrities we see that go on and they want to lose 5 pounds and suddenly they're on it to prove that not only that, you should not be on this if you just want to lose 5 pounds. Yeah. It's like, yeah, it's just so that that can be harming the conversation.

Because anyone who wants to lose 5 pounds and we've seen it, we've seen plenty of this where people come to us and they just want to lose 5 pounds in their on and that they shouldn't have been prescribed in the first place. But some of them, I have to say, are getting it online. They're not getting it from their doctors, which is even Is that legitimate Ozempic?

It sometimes can be for sure. I mean, well, let's put it this way, it's not necessarily Ozempic, but it can be this. It can be the same, properties and any glue type. Yes. Yeah, exactly. Just. Yeah. Off label. Off label for sure. It can be. And sometimes it's just it's not necessarily that, you know, you might have heard that they're dangerous.

It's not even necessarily that. It's just that's not an appropriate candidate for this. Not for 5 pounds. 5 pounds. This is, you know, this is it. The drug's a big deal. It's pretty powerful. It's powerful. Yeah, yeah. And there's a lot of things to consider. All of these, possible side effects and long term effects that we don't know about.

So. Right, But. All right. Do you think weight loss medications could replace traditional approaches like diet and exercise in the future? I even know the answer to that one. I think I you're right, you're right. Your intuition is right. There will never be anything to replace diet and exercise. Although I will tell you that they are coming up with, they're currently working on these other ones that help you to preserve your muscle mass while you're losing weight, which is great, drugs? Yes!

So there’s more coming out, there's a lot on the part, I can tell you. There's a lot in the pipeline. And it's to address a lot of the good side effects that, we don't appreciate the side, those side effects or the problems with it. But I just believe the most important thing anyone can do is work to keep getting their body healthier and healthier.

Medication will always work better when they're healthy. So. Yeah, you know, I, I half of the reason why I exercise. Of course, it's the health benefits, but it's such a sheer pleasure. Like when I see you work out. Yeah, you're smiling and happy and, you know, you're so sweet, you two. Yeah. You're always happy. And you were actually worked so hard.

And you're in great shape and you're boxing. You're killing it all of the time. You go from pickleball, boxing to lifting. You're a machine. You are a machine. So yeah, but you know how also the brain benefits just how it makes you. So yeah, Yes, they're so happy. What do they call the hormones, I guess? endorphins and the chemical serotonin brain counterparts.

Yeah, I've on them. Okay, cool. So what advice would you give to someone considering weight loss medication for the first time? Say I walked into your office and, you know, I wasn't sure. Do I just go with you guys and not them and not the medication? Or how do you figure out, oh, if someone comes first? Yeah, that's a great question.

If someone comes to us, we all we want to look at first what's going on under the hood. They might not need the weight loss medication, but like we said, we have a very high success rate with people without medication. They just haven't had the right support in the right, plan in place for them and their body.

So we always, if we have the option, we'll always be trying to do that first. But we might say like, you know what? I've, I've certainly had clients that I said, I think it might be a good, a good way to help you to get, you know, kind of on the training, like get the training wheels on so we can like for some people really like as we get your gut health better, as we get work on these things so that you can start seeing results because people need to see results sometimes quickly to stay on path, and it can help them to do that.

So it incentivize them when they lose a little bit they want. Yeah, yeah. And also help them, like if they're not feeling great about themselves, it helps them to get confident, which is so helpful and stay on the path. And then they know that they're working with someone that's like that alone, knowing that they're working with someone that's addressing the underlying issues. And then it's, you know, then from there, they can either decide to come off soon or just, you know, just to get the ball rolling.

And we do explain to them that it's just a tool and they really, really have to follow a comprehensive plan so that they are set for success. Use it is the tool. But listen to all the other stuff, the stuff. Right. And changes have to be made. Yeah, yeah. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

So we're coming to an end. Do you have any parting thoughts you would like to share with the audience on this topic, or any other?

Well, thanks, Jay. Yeah. Well, I think it's just important to realize that this can really be so beneficial for people, but they really have to take everything into consideration from the side effects to they have to be mentally ready to also make changes, not just accept that the medication will do everything for them.

It might temporarily, but then it's like then they can be in a scary place when they want to come off and their body is not ready to come off. Oh, and I forgot to mention one thing that I've seen with a lot of my clients. I'm sure you have too. Is that some people, you know, if you're used to relying on food and that brings you like happiness and suddenly like you eat when you eat food, you're not excited food because it doesn't make you feel good.

You don't have an appetite. This is a true sadness for people. They feel a loss like they used to turn to it, and it would bring them so much joy. You know, they look forward to going out to dinner at this place or that place and like it's just kind of sad for them. Like they're feeling all the feelings Or their mental health is affected.

Yeah, yeah. So, that's an important thing too, when if you are one of these people, when you come off, you want to make sure that you've addressed that, because when you come off and you're feeling the joy of food again, it can spiral for you. So, so that's something that we've heard that. Oh, I mean, I've heard that a lot.

I'm sure you have. That sadness, it's like an unintended consequence. And that's what we don't know. Also, with the medication down the road, like, you know, people are going in the hospital. Is anyone asking, how long have you been on the medication? Like, it's like noticing those kind of side effects. That's where we say we don't really know long term.

We're sure or find out long term. But there's just unintended consequences. So you it's really, you know, obesity is  complex and there's so much to consider. So just fixing it with a medication is not going to be the answer. Right. Any of us if possible. Well I don't know because I'm afraid I may say the wrong thing, but you know, you want to do it more naturally the way, you know, with diet and with and, you know, so you're not dependent on something is what my thinking is, right?

Of course, that's always the best way. We don't want to be relying on anything but our own bodies to really make us our best. So of course, that would be ideal in the ideal world. Yeah, we've been living in that ideal situation for a long time, and a lot of people are not able to do it, you know, so we have a really big obesity problem.

So that's why we find this is a really good tool for people. It's definitely helping cut it that just we don't want that. We don't want that on the other side. It's just be just as bad for people. So that's why like you just going into it for eyes open with it. Do not go on medication without a comprehensive plan to and an exit strategy really so that you like get the heck out there if it's not.

And like good for you. Keep in mind too, if you just to point out to people if someone has had need surgery you I friends who have anesthesiologists who they require their patients to have a medicine 3 or 4 weeks because that's how long it stays in you and they don't want you to aspirate.

So something keep in mind that it really stays with you quite. It is quite some time. So if you have a procedure coming up, like keep that in mind. And are, are, are pregnant women allowed to have it?  No, no So yeah that's right. Like a lot of you and I had someone come to me pretty recently and she's like, I'm so upset this way.

She came to me though, she's like, I'm pregnant and I don't want to come off it. I'm seeing great results. And so it's now she's like, great. Now, on top of that, I'm also pregnant and I'm going to gain ten times a week. You know, it's like it's a scary thing. Yeah. And especially with pregnancy, you normally gain weight usually after eating for two.  Yes. that's wonderful. You know what?

 

Wonderful. You know you guys were really, really helpful. Thank you. You know, it's always a surprise, but I hope we are with you in another three weeks. With a month. And, you know, I love when you guys choose the topic. So you tell me, because you seem to be, you know, knowing what's happening in the world because you live it, you're in it.

You're taking care of people every day. And helping people. I mean, God bless you both. Really. Thank you. Thank you so much. We really enjoyed. You're the dynamic duo, the dynamic duo you are. Thank you jay Yeah we love our show. Yeah. Thank you so much for having us.

Yeah. All right. So in closing, I'd like to wrap up this episode of choices podcast. I hope our time together was inspiring and motivating, and that you learned some good stuff today. Stay empowered and stay well. You can watch this episode and all episodes on our website. Choices Gifs.com. And as I said, the girls have been on several times, so you should really look them up. If you've enjoyed this podcast, look them up and look at the other ones that they have, you know, enlightened us with because that's what they do.

They come on this show and they enlighten us. Thank you. So God bless you. Thank you both. Thank you Jay! Bye!