For decades, people with obesity were told the solution was simple: eat less, move more, try harder. When that didn’t work, they were blamed. But science has always told a different story: obesity is a chronic, biologically driven disease, just like diabetes or hypertension. And right now, we’re witnessing the most significant transformation in obesity medicine that has ever happened.

The new GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound are making headlines everywhere, but with breakthrough treatments come big questions. Who should take them? How do you know which one is right for you? What happens when you stop? And with millions of people getting these medications online or from providers with little expertise, how do you ensure you’re getting safe, effective care?

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Louis Aronne, one of the true pioneers who shaped this revolution from the very beginning. For over 30 years, Dr. Aronne has been on the front lines, treating patients and conducting research at one of the premier obesity centers in the country. He’ll share the real story behind these medications, what he’s learned from treating 9,000 patients, and where obesity treatment is heading next.

Discussed on the episode:

• The mouse experiment from the 1980s that changed everything about how we understand weight
• Why some people feel amazing on Wegovy while others do better on Zepbound
• The creative dosing strategies that help patients who can’t tolerate standard doses
• What happens to the majority of people who stop taking GLP-1 medications
• The surprising parallel between treating obesity and treating high blood pressure
• Why registered dietitians could be the perfect providers for obesity care
• The 15 new medications coming in the next five years that will transform access
• How these medications prevent 94% of diabetes cases in people with prediabetes
• The simple eating strategy that works almost like taking medicine
• What it really means when people say taking medication is cheating

You’ve done it. You’ve lost the weight. But then something shifts. The hunger gets louder. Food becomes more tempting. The scale starts creeping back up. You’re doing everything right, yet your body seems to be fighting you at every turn. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and more importantly, it’s not your fault.

The truth is, after weight loss, your body launches a powerful biological response designed to bring that weight back. It’s not about willpower or discipline. It’s about survival mechanisms that were built for a world without grocery stores on every corner. Understanding what’s actually happening inside your body after weight loss changes everything from how you approach maintenance to how you talk to yourself when things get hard.

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Paul MacLean, one of the world’s leading experts on the biology of weight regain. You’ll discover why keeping weight off requires completely different strategies than losing it, what your metabolism is really doing after weight loss, and the science-backed tools that can help you succeed long-term despite your biology working against you.

Discussed on the episode:

• The powerful rubber band analogy that explains why your body fights to regain weight
• What’s really happening at the cellular level when you lose weight (and why it persists)
• Why the speed of weight loss may matter less than you think
• The controversial truth about whether metabolic adaptation ever goes away
• One scientist’s personal journey with weight struggle and GLP-1 medications
• The myth about starting with a “clean slate” after weight loss

You’ve heard it everywhere: “You can’t outrun a bad diet.” Or maybe it’s “Exercise doesn’t matter for weight loss.” Or wait, is it “Just lift weights and you’ll be fine”? The conflicting advice is enough to make anyone throw their hands up in frustration. What if the real answer isn’t choosing between diet and exercise, but understanding how they work together?

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Robert Ross, one of the rare researchers who has spent over three decades studying both sides of the equation. Ross is a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and he’s led groundbreaking research on how exercise, diet, and body fat interact, especially that stubborn visceral fat that drives metabolic disease. His work has shaped clinical guidelines and challenged long-held assumptions about weight loss. You’ll discover why the bathroom scale might be lying to you, what your belt buckle reveals that the scale doesn’t, and why being a “non-responder” to exercise might be a myth.

Get ready for a conversation that will fundamentally change how you think about managing your weight, whether you’re considering GLP-1 medications, struggling to keep weight off, or just trying to figure out if you should be doing cardio or lifting weights.

Discussed on the episode:

• Why the bathroom scale has done more harm than good in obesity management
• The belt buckle test that reveals more than any scale ever could
• What happens to visceral fat when you exercise without losing weight
• The truth about exercise “compensation”: Do you really eat more when you work out?
• Why 5% weight loss being “clinically meaningful” might be the wrong message.
• How cardiorespiratory fitness protects your health even if you have obesity
• The intensity question: Does working harder actually matter for fat loss?
• What we’re losing (literally) when we only focus on GLP-1 medications
• The myth of exercise “non-responders” and what the data really shows
• Why resistance exercise becomes critical as we age
• The one simple movement activity Ross recommends if you only have 10 minutes.

Writing a book isn’t just about putting words on a page. It’s about translating decades of research into something that can actually change lives. After two years of late-night rewrites, deleted chapters, and countless debates over how to explain complex science in simple terms, Holly and Jim are finally ready to pull back the curtain on their new book, Losing the Weight Loss Meds.

This episode is different. Instead of diving into weight loss science, Holly and Jim are taking you behind the scenes of their creative process. You’ll hear about the “messy middle” of writing, the chapters they rewrote twenty times, and the moment they realized this book needed to exist now. More importantly, you’ll discover why weight loss maintenance, once the “opposite of sexy,” has suddenly become the most critical challenge facing millions of people.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to create a science-based guide that works in real life, or if you’re curious about the future of weight management in America, this conversation will give you a front-row seat to both the struggles and the breakthroughs that shaped this groundbreaking book.

Discussed on the episode:

• The surprising moment Holly realized weight loss maintenance was finally having its day.
• Why don't half of the people stay on weight loss medications for even a year
• The three profiles that help you identify which strategies you need most
• The framework that turns scientific principles into plays you can actually use
• What happens to our country if we win (or lose) the weight maintenance game
• The vulnerable truth about putting your life’s work out into a noisy world

Resources Mentioned:

• weightwisdom.com - Order Losing the Weight Loss Meds, access free resources, and sign up for the January 7th live Zoom Masterclass with Holly and Jim

2026 is about to bring a massive surge of people starting GLP-1 medications. Maybe you're one of them. These powerful drugs can deliver incredible weight loss results, but here's what nobody talks about: starting the wrong way can cost you muscle, money, and momentum before you even get going.

Most people unknowingly sabotage their success, not because they're doing something wrong, but because no one taught them how to start smart. The difference between struggling and thriving on GLP-1s often comes down to avoiding a handful of critical mistakes in those first few weeks and months.

Join Holly and Jim as they reveal the 10 biggest mistakes people make when starting GLP-1 medications and exactly what to do instead. Whether you're about to start your first dose or helping someone else navigate their journey, this episode is your insider roadmap to setting yourself up for the best possible results and avoiding the pitfalls that derail so many others.

Discussed on the episode:

• Why doing it alone could be the costliest mistake you make
• The surprising problem of eating too little on GLP-1s (and why it backfires)
• When you should start exercising and why waiting is a mistake
• The one thing most people ignore until it's too late (hint: it's not about food)
• How fast is too fast when losing weight on these medications
• The simple percentage formula for pacing your weight loss perfectly
• Why body composition matters more than the number on the scale
• The nutrient deficiencies showing up in GLP-1 users and how to prevent them
• What to do differently if you already know you don't want to stay on the meds forever
• Holly's personal concern about starting a GLP-1 (even as an expert)

Resources mentioned:

Download their free guide at www.weightwisdom.com

Ever wonder why you lose weight everywhere except where you actually want to? Or why your body seems to have "favorite spots" for storing fat? It's not in your head, and it's not random.

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Mike Jensen, one of the world's leading experts on body fat distribution from the Mayo Clinic. His groundbreaking research has revolutionized how doctors understand fat, revealing that where your body stores it matters just as much as how much you have. You'll discover why some fat depots are actually protective while others signal metabolic trouble, and most surprisingly, what you can actually do about it.

This conversation will change how you think about your body. From the simple "pinch test" that reveals your visceral fat status to the unexpected truth about hip and thigh fat being beneficial, Dr. Jensen shares insights that could transform your approach to weight management and metabolic health.

Discussed on the episode:

• The surprising reason why having fat on your hips and thighs is actually good for your health
• A simple at-home test to determine if you have dangerous visceral fat (hint: it involves pinching)
• Why two people with identical weight can have completely opposite health risks
• The "fall guy" theory that explains why visceral fat accumulates in the first place
• What happens to your fat distribution as you age (and why elderly people often have thin limbs)
• The one type of exercise that may specifically target visceral fat
• Why liposuction doesn't improve metabolic health despite removing 20+ pounds of fat
• The concerning truth about GLP-1 medications and what happens when people stop taking them
• How stress response styles (fight vs. freeze) may determine where you store fat
• The easiest habit change that reliably reduces visceral fat

The holidays are here, and so is the annual tug-of-war between enjoying festive foods and dreading the scale come January. But what if you didn't have to choose? What if you could indulge in grandma's famous pie, raise a glass with loved ones, and still walk into the new year feeling great?

Join Holly and Jim as they tackle the science behind holiday weight gain and, more importantly, how to outsmart it. They're bringing in reinforcements this time: Kelly Berg and Maddison Garcia from UAB's Metabolic Kitchen share clever swaps, simple tricks, and dietitian-approved hacks that cut calories without cutting the joy. From reimagining your cocktail to rethinking your plate size, you'll walk away with strategies that actually work in the real world.

Discussed on the episode:

• The sneaky reason those first few post-holiday pounds might not be what you think
• A "tasting plate" strategy that lets you try everything guilt-free
• The dessert hack that slashes calories by half (and still satisfies your sweet tooth)
• Why your plate size matters more than your willpower
• A simple mocktail switch that saves you hundreds of calories
• The mac and cheese upgrade that adds nutrition without sacrificing comfort
• How to handle food pushers without hurting feelings
• A post-feast recovery plan that doesn't involve starving yourself
• The one holiday food each host and guest admits they can't resist

You're doing everything right. You've been consistent with your plan, staying active, watching what you eat. But then it happens, the scale refuses to budge. For days. Then weeks. The frustration creeps in, and suddenly you're wondering if all your effort is even worth it.

Here's the truth: when your weight loss stalls, it doesn't mean you've failed. It means your body is doing exactly what it's designed to do. The plateau you're experiencing isn't a roadblock. It's actually a sign that something important is happening beneath the surface.

Join Holly and Jim as they dive into the science of weight loss plateaus. You'll discover why plateaus happen to everyone, what's really going on in your body when the scale stops moving, and most importantly, the strategic "cards" you can play to break through and keep progressing toward your goals.

Discussed on the episode:

• The surprisingly long period you need to wait before you can actually call it a plateau
• Why people with larger bodies don't have slower metabolisms (this myth needs to end)
• The hormone shifts that make your body fight back as you lose weight
• How GLP-1 medications are pushing plateaus from 3-6 months to over a year
• The "cards" you can play when your weight stops moving, and which one to try first
• Why simplifying your meals might be more powerful than you think
• The controversial science debate about "adaptive thermogenesis"
• When a plateau is actually your body telling you it's time for weight loss maintenance
• The surprising "vacation strategy" that can unstick a stubborn plateau
• Why Holly hits plateaus all the time (and what she does about it)

What if you could sit down with your younger self and share everything you've learned about weight loss? Not the textbook advice, but the hard-won wisdom that only comes from living it. The kind of insights that make you think, "I wish someone had told me this years ago."

Join Holly and Jim as they share powerful reflections from state-of-slimmers and listeners who've been through the journey. You'll hear honest, transformative advice about what really matters when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. These aren't just tips, they're the truths people discovered about themselves along the way.

This episode will shift how you think about your own journey. Whether you're just starting out or looking for that missing piece, you'll find wisdom here that could change everything.

Discussed on the episode:

• The mind state shift that separates temporary results from lasting change
• Why "progress over perfection" might be the most important thing you'll ever learn
• The surprising connection between self-care and stress eating (and why it matters most when you're busiest)
• How movement became a way of life for successful maintainers and what they wish they'd known sooner
• The truth about scales, food journals, and other tools you might be using all wrong
• Why visualizing your goals isn't just feel-good advice, it's actually rewiring your brain
• What Jim would tell his younger researcher self (hint: it took him decades to figure this out)

Ever wondered why your body does strange things during weight loss, but felt too awkward to ask? You're not alone. From unexpected physical changes to confusing emotional responses, weight loss brings surprises nobody warns you about. These unspoken questions deserve genuine answers, free from judgment and shame.

Join Holly and Jim as they tackle the questions people whisper about but rarely say out loud. They're diving into the weird body stuff, the mental games, and the relationship shifts that come with losing weight. Whether it's why certain areas change first, how to handle friends who seem threatened by your progress, or feeling like a fraud when people compliment you, this episode goes there.

If you've ever had a question about weight loss that felt too personal or too embarrassing to ask, this conversation is for you. Holly and Jim bring science, compassion, and a healthy dose of vulnerability to topics most experts avoid.

Discussed on the episode:

• The fascinating biochemistry of where fat actually goes when you lose it
• Why some body parts seem to change before others (and why you can't control it)
• The unexpected reason you might feel colder after losing weight
• Why does your mind take longer to catch up than your body does
• The truth about why we sometimes underreport what we've eaten to others
• How to handle partners or friends who seem threatened by your success
• Why the fear of regaining weight actually means something positive
• The surprising ways relationships shift when your body changes
• Why you might still reach for larger clothes even though they don't fit
• The question that caught Jim completely off guard (involving sexual positions and calorie burn)

Send your awkward, embarrassing, or "too weird to ask" weight loss questions to Holly and Jim for their next episode!