The Dr. Francavilla Show

What if we changed our mindset so the number on the scale was simply informational and not an emotionally distressing commentary on how poorly we're doing at life?

It's funny because there are lots of numbers in healthcare ... but I don't see people in my clinic feeling ashamed about a low potassium number! No one is beating themselves up when they learn their respiratory rate isn't in the normal range!

We simply examine those numbers and figure out how to get them where they need to be.

The number on the scale is no different.

You don't need to be hard on yourself if it's higher than you want. You just need to take the first step, whether that's talking it over with your physician or going back to what was working—we all stray and lose track sometimes!

It's not a judgment, just like there's no shame in your vision changing from one appointment to the next. That's why you check in! You gather the info and make a plan for managing your _______ (fill in the blank: eyesight/potassium/respiratory rate/WEIGHT!).

Take in the info and take the first step!

I can help. Just listen to this episode of the Dr. Francavilla Show. 

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Lack of sleep has a negative effect on weight loss, so how can we make sure we're getting the sleep we need to support our health?

Think back to childhood and re-adopt a bedtime routine.

It doesn't have to include a story, bath, and lullaby (though it can!), but it does need to be something that signals to your brain and body to wind down for restful sleep. For the best results, stay away from screens and bright lights for at least 30 minutes before bed.

There are so many reasons you will love getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night—one being lower stress, which leads to better eating/weight loss! Get the details in today's episode of The Doctor Francavilla Show Podcast!


More from my guest, Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers, DO:

FB/IG: @essenceofhealthwellnessclinic
Ebook: https://essenceofhealth.link/e-book
Website: www.EOHcoaching.com
Podcast: Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/teatimeeoh/

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In this episode, Dr. Matthea Rentea gives incredible perspective on emotional eating. She highlights the phases of emotional eating/overeating, and they are SPOT ON:

1. Recognizing you've overeaten after the fact.
2. Noticing you're in the process of overeating and telling yourself you shouldn't be doing that (but you keep doing it).
3. Before you eat, you tell yourself not to overeat, but you still do.
4. THIS is the stage where you take a different action due to the progression of awareness you've developed in stages 1–3; you use your tools to keep from overeating.

Do you see patients (or yourself!) going through these phases? Many people think they can jump right to the final step, but that's not how it works. It's important to encourage our patients to keep going through all the phases—they'll get to Step 4 in due time.

You'll want to listen to the whole episode to get her insight and tools for managing emotional eating.

Matthea Rentea, MD, is Board Certified Internist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She has 10 years experience as a primary care physician and weight-loss specialist. She owns and operates the Rentea Metabolic Clinic, a Telehealth clinic for Indiana and Illinois residents that provides comprehensive weight management. She takes a dual medical and behavioral evidence-based approach to helping her patients. She is the host of the podcast The Obesity Guide with Matthea Rentea, MD. 

Connect with Dr.Rentea on social:
Website: www.RenteaClinic.com
Podcast: The Obesity Guide with Matthea Rentea MD 
TikTok: MattheaRenteaMD
IG: MattheaRenteaMD

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Poop is a common topic in my office.  💩 I frequently hear from patients about changes in bowel movements after starting or changing medications, so I address that (and other FAQs!) in today's episode (#24) of The Dr. Francavilla Show Podcast.

I go over the range of normal when it comes to bowel movements and what changes patients can make to be sure they're in that normal range.

And for those who would rather stay away from that stinky topic, I also cover feelings that come with weight loss, weight loss surgery as a treatment option, and weight loss medications as they related to children.

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There is sooo much judgment around food.

Can we just agree to drop that and focus our health goals on feeling well and fueling our bodies?

If you have been operating under this assumption that carbohydrates are bad, but you find a moderate amount of oatmeal to really satisfy you and keep you full all morning, that doesn't seem bad to me! That's your experience with that food.

Mindful eating lets us experience the food, really enjoy it, get pleasure from it, and it also lets us see how each food actually affects us as individuals.

Check out this episode The Doctor Francavilla Show Podcast for an easy (and yummy!) exercise for practicing mindfulness around eating! 

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Whether it's CrossFit or Peloton or kids' sports, coaches are a huge part of our lives.

Regardless of their area of expertise, coaches all have something in common: They push us forward. They motivate us. They help us find our path to reach our goals in fitness, sports, or even life itself.

If you're struggling with weight loss, consider looking for someone in the field of life coaching. There are life coaches with health specialties, and they just might have the answer to what's getting in your way with weight loss and how to get around it.

You will love episode #22 of The Doctor Francavilla, "All About Life Coaching with Dr Sarah Stombaugh MD."

More about my guest:
Dr. Sarah Stombaugh is an Obesity Medicine Physician and Life Coach. She runs a telemedicine-based weight loss practice and sees patients who live in Illinois and Virginia. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.sarahstombaughmd.com or listen to her weekly podcast, "Conquer Your Weight."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conquer-your-weight/id1607376873

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It seems to be the same handful of things that keep my patients from achieving their health goals. There are 5 lies they're telling themselves that, if addressed, could really change the trajectory of their wellness!

The first one is the "I'll start tomorrow" lie. 

Or maybe it's next week or this summer or in the new year.

Whenever it is, it's a false projection that things will be better or goals will be easier to achieve at a later time, and that's just not something anyone can predict! Sure, maybe after a certain work project is done there won't be that stressor to worry about, but do you think there won't be another thing that will cause stress or busyness or any type of hardship? This mindset leads to yo-yoing and doesn't make for sustainable change.

Instead, it's best to go ahead and make small changes right away. Up veggie intake by a serving or start lifting weights for 10 minutes a day. Do what's doable now, even with a looming work project or whatever might make next week a "better" time to start! After all, any health plan that's worth starting will need to see you through busy seasons, vacations, stressors, etc.!

Get more on this and the other 4 lies we tell ourselves in today's Dr. Francavilla Show podcast episode, #21.

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Whether it's for you or for your patients, your questions about weight-loss medications have been so great. I dedicated today's whole podcast episode to answering them, and I can't wait for you to hear the answers and share with colleagues, friends, and family!

The question I seem to answer all. the. time. is about Wegovy and its huge price tag.

The excitement surrounding Wegovy weight-loss injectable medication is for good reason! It's worked to resolve health risks for so many people suffering from obesity.

But the expense and lack of insurance coverage keeps many from being able to access it.

I share some solutions in today's episode of The Dr. Francavilla Show Podcast. Send me your questions at [email protected] and I'll answer them in another podcast episode!

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Weight bias happens on playgrounds, when the child struggling with obesity is bullied. But it happens in subtle ways, too, and it even happens in our medical offices.

Combatting this kind of bias takes education and advocacy, which is why I invited Dr. Leslie Golden to join me on today's Dr. Francavilla Show podcast episode.

Dr. Golden is an obesity medicine physician with graduate-level training in behavior change.

One important type of weight bias she detailed was internalized bias—the negative ideas we have about our own weight. We believe and buy into the idea that our weight issues are our fault, and that can really get in the way of people seeking care, causing long-term harm.

It's critical to recognize obesity as the disease that it is. It's not something everyone can control by moving more, eating less, trying harder.

And, it's important to recognize healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Our patients and our society tend to assume small means healthy and large means unhealthy.

Small does NOT necessarily mean healthy. Large does NOT necessarily mean unhealthy.

These biases can keep people from getting the help they need. Some of these biases even affect insurance coverage of weight management medication.

We as physicians and members of our community can help to mitigate biases by understanding that weight is biological and that medication is a tool necessary for many.

After you listen to this week's Dr. Francavilla Show Podcast episode, Understanding Weight Bias with Dr. Leslie Golden, you can contact your Senator or Congressperson about the importance of covering obesity treatment: https://www.obesityaction.org/troa/

You can connect with Dr. Leslie Golden here:

https://www.facebook.com/weightingoldwellness
https://www.instagram.com/weightingoldwellness/
www.weightingoldwellness.com

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**** Let’s eat better together. Save up to $65 off your first Daily Harvest box: https://bit.ly/3Caqqr4 ****

When it comes to nutrition plans, exercise plans, or really just about anything in life, getting comfortable with the "gray zone" is important. Sure, the black-and-white, all-or-nothing mentality might make for some successes when it comes to diet or exercise (when you're all in, you likely see some great wins!), but inevitably there will be a day when you can't be all in (or in at all) ... and then what? Typically that's when people give up altogether. Any and all wins go by the wayside.

It's simply not sustainable or realistic to approach food, dieting, exercise, etc. with black-and-white thinking. Never going out to eat, for example, might be a good way to control what food goes in your mouth, but is it realistic to think you'll never need or want to eat at a restaurant? Life happens; you start dating and find yourself at restaurants or injury/illness/busy weeks cause you to turn to restaurant meals for convenience. Going to a restaurant doesn't have to mean throwing your nutrition plan out the window! It just means you have to have some intention about ordering something that will be as close to on-plan as possible.

That's the gray zone, and it seems to be where most of life takes place. So in today's Dr. Francavilla Show podcast episode, I share how to make a nutrition plan that's moderate—somewhere between all-or-nothing and something that's sustainable for real life. I debunk the the top 3 myths you tell yourself, so you won't want to miss this!

Let’s eat better together. Save up to $65 off your first Daily Harvest box: https://bit.ly/3Caqqr4


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