The Surprising Secret Behind My Mind-Blowing Physician Coaching Transformations
Trick Your Mind Into Achieving Your Health Goals and Get Scientific Solutions for Common Weight Loss Struggles
By Dr. Ali Novitsky, M.D.
Are you feeling frustrated that you are already exercising and eating well, but still not seeing the results you want?
Or, do you feel like no matter what you do your body composition doesn’t change?
As a physician coach, I’ve spent countless hours researching the science behind why it is so hard to get past that weight loss plateau, that feeling of never feeling satisfied, and the frustration of reaching your goal only to gain the weight back too soon.
What I learned is this — the chemical responses that we set into motion when we start a new fitness or nutrition program naturally negate our efforts.
Just avoiding it won’t work either because, as you know, self-care is SO important for healthcare professionals! We have to practice what we preach right?
So, how do we outsmart our biology and trick our minds and bodies into maintaining the results we work so hard for?
Just check out these transformations:
My Physician Coaching Philosophy is Mind Over Matter
As women physicians, we know how the nervous system works, but we rarely apply what we know scientifically to what happens in our personal journeys.
When we know why our bodies react a certain way, we can gain control over our minds and re-wire our brains to achieve the optimum health and fitness results we desire. It really is mind over matter.
Whether you are looking to cure physician burnout or just curious about what I use as a life coach for women physicians in my intensive, hands-on group training, I promise you will learn some things that surprise even the most seasoned physician by the end of this article!
The philosophy I use as a life coach for women physicians is a scientific, evidence-based approach to fitness, nutrition, and overall health. Often we leave the mind out of our wellness programs for healthcare professionals and, let’s get real, most of our bad habits start with self-defeating thoughts we allow ourselves to believe.
This makes us feel like we are stuck in a rut, where we either achieve some results, then hit a wall, or give up and go back to square one.
Dr. Ali Novitsky - Life Coach for Women Physicians
Below, I am sharing some of the tried and true principles I use in my physician life coaching programs with you. These are just a few examples.
In my women’s life coaching wellness programs, I work with you very closely to overcome these biological challenges together.
How to Use Science to Overcome Common Health & Weight Loss Challenges
1. Strength Training to Overcome Lost Lean Body Mass
Problem: When we lose weight, we also lose lean body mass.
Lean body mass can be from muscle, bones, organs, or water, etc. This happens when we lose weight because, when we are in a calorie deficit, our body burns fat but also muscle to get energy.
The Solution: Strength training just 2-3 times per week will decrease the loss of lean body mass. For every pound lost on the scale, without strength training, up to 25% of lean mass is lost. With strength training, for every pound lost on the scale, the number decreases to an 8% loss. As this article from livestrong.com, mentions, “Some of the most common reasons for excess muscle breakdown include losing weight too fast, cutting calories too low, not meeting protein needs, and not being active enough.”
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2. Using Refeed Meals and Carb Cycling to Combat Hunger Triggers
Problem: As we lose weight, our Leptin levels decrease. This causes our body to hold onto fat because our body believes we are starving. As leptin levels decrease, our body stops losing weight. Our bodies protectively hold onto fat stores because we have triggered its innate starvation mode. In this article, they explain how, when our leptin levels drop, our body sends a signal to our brains that it’s time to eat, making us hungry.
It’s easy to see how this creates a vicious cycle where we work out, get hungry, then eat again. Pretty soon we are right back where we started, frustrated and disappointed.
Solution: Refeed meals or carb cycling. Refeed meals are very important during weight loss. They remind our bodies that we are not starving. Refeed meals are often recommended once per week and sometimes more depending on the level of activity.
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3. Add Protein to Your Diet to Keep the Weight Off
Problem: As we lose weight, our ghrelin levels increase, stimulating our appetite and making us hungry. This makes it difficult for us to maintain a healthy weight and keep off the weight we have lost.
According to the stats in this article, most people gain the weight they lose back within one year. Ghrelin, which is found in our gut, is often the culprit. This can be extremely frustrating if you have worked hard to get the weight off only to see it sneak back in slowly over time. This chemical tells your brain it’s hungry and causes weight gain if unchecked.
Solution: Learn to recognize true hunger utilizing a balanced approach to nutrition with a focus on protein. Protein is the macronutrient that will help maintain lower levels of ghrelin. If you are working on losing weight, finding ways to incorporate more protein in your diet will keep you from gaining back all the weight you have worked so hard to lose while maintaining a healthy weight.
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4. Get Enough Sleep to Keep you from Over-Eating During the Day
Problem: Lack of sleep causes your weight loss to stall. We have all heard this over and over again but why IS sleep so important? When we are sleep deprived, we become more insulin resistant and our ghrelin levels increase, causing us to become tired and hungry. And, let’s face it, as women and doctors, we are often running on empty and working long shifts making sleeping 8 hours a day feel like an impossible dream. But, getting enough sleep is crucial for weight loss.
Solution: Plan to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night if you want to keep the weight off and feel good. If you know you are going to be working overtime, make sure to get more sleep ahead of time to balance it out. A study mentioned in this article at the University of Chicago, even found that a lack of sleep affects us on a molecular level in the endocannabinoid system, responsible for pleasure and reward. It states:
“When sleep-deprived, participants had eCB levels in the afternoons that were both higher and lasted longer than when they’d had a full night’s rest. This occurred around the same time that they reported increases in hunger and appetite.”
It is easy to see, then, why we feel we have to reach for high-calorie jumpstarters like that Venti Starbucks Frappe to get us through the day when we are drained of energy and need a “quick fix”. Making this a habit soon leads to weight gain and that crummy, always tired feeling.
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The secret to my unique physician coaching formula is simple — it’s science!
If you are curious about how I coach physicians to live healthier, more fulfilling lives, and overcome these difficult weight loss struggles, click here to schedule a call with our concierge team.
These are custom-designed wellness programs for busy women physicians that are easily done at home on your own time with the support of your peers!
Join other women physicians like you who are focused on self-care and wellness.
Feel better starting now. Not just in your body, but in your mind — and for good! Wellness for physicians is not just important, it’s VITAL to prevent or reduce burnout and, more importantly, to feel happy again!