Lean Into The Journey… Trust The Process

We are in full swing over here at Life Coaching for Women Physicians as we have just wrapped up our summer luxury retreat, we started our 4-week Jump Start™ program, we are currently enrolling our amazing Limitless™ program, we are taking enrollments for Transform® 5.0, we are preparing for our fall retreat in Utah, and Mark and I are currently in Amelia Island where I am leading Mind-Body workouts at the Women Physician Wellness Conference.

Things are busy.

I have to be honest; I found myself more restless than normal. And, what I realized is that I was not taking my own advice and leaning into the moment. My mind was 10 steps ahead. Everything was feeling so fast.

I realized I was falling into old patterns of expecting that if I take action as quickly as possible, then the results will follow as quickly as possible, too. And, what I know about this pattern is that it is a HIGH PRESSURE way to live.

I did a deep dive and realized that I was marrying the result of everything in my life.

So, I was completely bypassing all of the amazing things that were available to me on the journey. Embracing the journey is where the magic lives because this is where LIFE happens. The journey is our life bookmarked by thousands of different results. But, you see - the results are just the bookmarks.

Think about this.

What would happen if you leaned into your journey? How does it feel? What sensation comes up? What if we could believe that leaning into our journey would actually allow us to achieve the results that are the most authentic to us?

Leaning into the journey requires you to understand you… to spend time on investing in you. What do you want for you? Have you thought about this recently?

When we bypass the journey and continue to focus on the result, we will be limiting ourselves to the things that are available to us right now.

You can be happy now.

You can find peace now.

You can be content now.

You can work toward your optimal health now.

You can create dreams now.

You can make the next best decision now.

There is so much available to you now. Do you see?

Leaning into the journey gives you more time. One of our biggest complaints, right?

Here is my example. This comes up all the time.

When someone wants to lose body fat, they often complain the results are slow! This would imply that time is going slowly… right?

So, if we want time to slow down, then why don’t we embrace “slow results?” When I thought of this analogy, I decided I wanted my results to take as long as possible. It also did something amazing for me… It allowed me to trust myself more and to trust the process.

The process is the journey. If you can lean in to your authentic journey and trust the process, you can trust yourself. Self-trust leads to more self-compassion and ultimately a better relationship with ourselves.

What if, today, we can simply commit to letting go of all the burdens and expectations… and just BE?

Nothing needs to be done right now. No decisions need to be made. At this moment, what do you need right now? Can you lean in? Try it.

Then tomorrow… take a moment and do the same. If you go through this process on rinse and repeat, then your bookend results will likely surprise you.

Do not limit your success by confining yourself to the results that you “think you should get.” Surpass them by leaning into the journey. Trust The Process. You are worth it.

Wishing you an amazing week my friends!!! And, I invite you to check out some of the amazing things we have planned this year for you!!!

Xoxo,
Ali

P.S.

Check out our All-Access Program, Limitless™. Our program runs November 2022 - October 2023 and includes every single one of our offerings!! It’s an All-Access Pass to the most amazing year of your life. 204 CME credits available.

All programs can all be taken on their own. We are now open for enrollment for Transform® 5.0. You can learn more HERE. If you deposit for Transform® 5.0, we are including our November Jump Start™ with Ali Program. This is an additional 12-CME credits that will offer the ultimate onboarding experience to Transform® 5.0.

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

When 17 Women Physicians Get On a Party Bus…

This past week was filled with putting the final touches on my intimate summer retreat for some of my dear women physician clients.

I chose to have our retreat at my home because FAMILY is a top core value of mine, and when I invite others into my house, I am welcoming them into my family. We have worked to create an experience where my ladies can feel completely taken care of. I even hand-delivered poolside drinks on roller skates.

But, Friday night was EPIC.

You see, you are combining relaxation with a whole lot of fun. So, we surprised the group with a party bus that took us to the Philadelphia Art Museum so we could run the exact stairs that Rocky Balboa did. I stood in the back of the crew to just watch as everyone giggled and dashed up the stairs. The first to the top??? Dr. Linda who just celebrated her 63rd birthday on Thursday of the retreat!! Talk about inspiration.  

We then headed over to Pat’s Cheesesteaks so they could experience what it is like to order a true Philly Cheesesteak. Wiz Wit and Wiz Without. And - they all nailed it. Running the stairs and having the cheesesteaks also really hit our principle of - BALANCE.

This weekend has been filled with delicious food, relaxing by the pool, mind-body workouts, frosé as the poolside frosty drink of choice, thought work, processing emotion, connecting, laughing, crying, dropping burdens, creating vision boards, inner child work, being curious, a private concert, getting inspired… and I could keep going.

I have not laughed for this many days in a row in a very long time. This weekend has been transformative for me. 

I am so thankful that I get to create these experiences. They fill my heart with joy and love beyond measure. I am inspired to keep creating, so we can continue to have memories that will last a lifetime.

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Saturday, July 30th, is Food For Thought: Emotional Eating Workshop. This is an amazing day, 10am-4pm ET, where we hit emotional eating from all angles. You can join this incredible event HERE. 

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Reverse Dieting: An Underutilized Tool

We returned from vacation and now we are getting ready for my Luxury Summer Retreat for clients at my home!! If you are not following me on social media, be sure to follow me on Instagram at alinovitksymd. I will be posting about this experience.

One of the attendees, Dr. Amanda, who will be at the upcoming retreat, is a physician I have been working with for the past year. And, her story is fantastic. She is allowing me to share.

Dr. Amanda is amazing. Fit, strong, and very knowledgeable with exercise and nutrition. She had a goal of body fat loss. During our time thus far, Amanda has utilized most of the tools I teach, including intuitive eating strategy, my Mindful Macros® Program, and calculated macros. Because Amanda was already very fit, and her progress had stalled… she made the commitment to use calculated macros.

Dr. Amanda spent a lot of time on her mindset with macros. She started to see macros as data; something that she could adjust as needed. The key with calculated macros is consistency. Within 2 months, Dr. Amanda met her body fat loss goal. But here was the issue: she had to decrease her calories and create a significant deficit to hit that goal. She knew that she wanted to eat more, and her goal changed.

It is so important to keep checking in on our goals. Her new goal was to focus more on definition and lose inches in her midsection. To do this, we agreed that a focus on increasing muscle would be key. To increase muscle, we knew we had to increase nutrition. Dr. Amanda was very concerned that by increased nutrition in the form of extra calories, that she would gain.

Now - I must say… to perform reverse dieting, we have to be even more consistent and disciplined for it to work. And Amanda was.

Over the next several weeks, we carefully adjusted her plan. I am proud to report that Dr. Amanda went from eating under 1,200 calories per day to now eating 2,000 calories per day with NO INCREASED WEIGHT GAIN OR FAT GAIN. In fact, she is eating so much food that it is hard to keep up. And she is getting stronger and moving toward her goal.

I share this story because our bodies are not broken. There are strategies to help heal us and nurture us. All that is required is trusting the process. Dr. Amanda has inspired several other clients to take on the same approach, so we will have some good data coming for you all.

Remember, you get one body. Treat it well. Show up for it. Learn about it. Figure out what it needs. Show up for yourself authentically.

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Announcements:

1. Food For Thought Emotional Eating Workshop on Saturday, July 30th. A full-day experience is now enrolling. Cost-free for women physicians. You can ENROLL HERE.

2. Limitless™, our year-long, All-Access program is absolutely amazing and we are revealing it on Monday, July 25th. You do not want to miss this announcement. You can get on the interest list HERE.

3. Follow me on Instagram: alinovitskymd

4. Jump Start with Ali and Jump Start Your Genetics - Now Enrolling for August 1st start. You can learn more HERE.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Your Heart Knows…

We are in the last leg of our summer trip - Vegas Baby!! I have to say, while I am ready to get back home… we are having a blast. Turns out, we loved Disneyland! It was so easy to manage and get around. We ate great food, had fabulous weather, and we went on most rides due to less of a crowd than the Florida location. We will be back for sure!!

This extended trip has given us the space and time we all needed to reconnect in more of a fun way. We definitely are relearning how to play. The extra space has also allowed me to reflect and be proud of the direction I have taken with my career.

I wanted to share this with you all because I know many of you may feel as though you are at a crossroads. Maybe you feel confused about the next best decision for you. Let me share.

I knew that I wanted to become a doctor as early as Kindergarten. I had my mom make me a doctor kit that I would carry around with me wherever I would go. I wanted to fix, heal, save. I wanted to be the person that others could lean on in the scariest moments. I had the goal and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. 

Medical school was amazing for me. I trained at Temple University, which is such a wonderful place to learn, where I met Mark. I really felt that I hit the ground running because of literally growing up in a doctor’s office. I chose pediatrics and then neonatology. I loved every second of my rigorous training at Jefferson/AI duPont Hospital for Children. 

We got married in our 3rd year of residency and we put off starting our family until the end of my fellowship. These were great decisions for us. We somehow knew what we could handle at one given time. 

But, when we had our kids… everything changed. And, quite honestly, I just let the story unfold. I didn’t know exactly what my heart’s desire held, but knew it was something different than what I was doing. A series of job changes led me to having weekends off, which allowed me to attend 1 retreat that would change everything. In 2017, I learned about life coaching. And, I became a coach for women physicians in 2018.

Another series of twists and turns plus success and set-backs allowed me to use my passion for nutrition and exercise to create my current space. The space where I help women physicians focus on mental, emotional, and physical health. I believe that being here is where I was meant to be.

So, wherever you are in your life, I want you to listen to your heart. It will never lead you down the wrong path. It will be uncomfortable, you will make mistakes, there will be uncertain times where you wake up in the morning with the anxiety meter at 10. But, keep listening and keep going. You already know what you want… so let it unfold. Let it unfold and allow it to grow beyond what you thought possible.

You can do anything you want. Now is your time to decide what that is. We find courage by allowing fear - not necessarily getting rid of it.

I believe in you and I am sending you so much love.

Xoxo
Ali 

ANNOUNCEMENT:

1) Food For Thought: An Emotional Eating, Day-Long Event is coming July 30th!! You will want to keep your eyes peeled for this announcement because it is cost-free for women physicians. If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, you can follow me HERE. I will be announcing the event on my social media platforms.

2) Next Jump Start with Ali (12-CME) begins August 1st!! This is a 4-week program that includes group sessions which will allow you to:

• Learn to Audit Your Nutrition.

• Choose Intuitive Eating, Mindful Macros®, or Macro Based Eating for your nutrition strategy and begin implementation.

• Learn the G.O.A.L.S. principles to help you heal the relationship with yourself, your food, and your body.

• Understand your unique body type so you can choose strategies that will allow you to work with your strengths.

• Identify your primary goal which could be Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Improved Fitness, or Overcoming Emotional Eating.

• Create an effective "work smarter, not harder" strategy to achieve your primary goal.

• Learn strategic tools that will allow you to increase your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) in a realistic way.

You can LEARN MORE HERE.

3) Our Year Long, ALL-Access LCWP Program will begin early enrollment July 25th, and will include and INCREDIBLE BONUS. This program includes ALL of the programs, we have to offer plus 1:1 coaching and our LCWP in-person retreat. It is our most comprehensive program to date. You can join the INTEREST LIST HERE.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Self-Discovery During a Disney BootCamp

I always say, take every opportunity to learn something about yourself. I am not saying that this will be super comfortable, but as women physicians, we deserve the careful attention toward learning who we are.

Since Covid, I have avoided group exercise at a gym or facility. But, during our vacation, I have come across multiple opportunities for group exercise outdoors. In fact, as I write this email… I have just completed a Beach Bootcamp. And, it was AMAZING.

Because I lead so many workouts, it is a treat to be led by a great instructor who pushes me. It is also a treat to connect with the class and add to the community.  

Here is what I noticed about myself today along with my observations, during a BootCamp at Disney’s Aulani in Kapolei, HI.

1. I knew where the bootcamp was being held, but I didn't want to be the first one there. My observation is that I didn't want to appear too eager. I mean, we are on vacation after all - what if my intensity would be judged? HA HA HA. I am laughing because I have done a lot of work around allowing others to be wrong about me. And, would they be wrong? I am intense. Intensity is my love language. I can own that authentically.

2. When I made my way over to the workout area, I was looking for someone to talk to. Interesting, because I am not an extrovert by any means. But, I love connection. My observation is that I am a curious individual who loves to meet others and learn their story. I was recently told that I bring people together, which is true. I just never honored and celebrated this about myself. I think I will start to.

3. This next one is good. During the warm-up, I positioned myself all the way at the end. My observation is that I like to do my own thing and not draw attention to myself. For example, in the past I would often hold myself back because I wanted to fit in. If I was running in the middle, running ahead would be obvious. But, staying to the side… maybe not so much. Why do I do this? Easy. I don't want to offend or outperform so that others can feel good, too. Another HA HA HA. No one is looking at me. No one is feeling bad about how I choose to run. This is on me. I can still choose to run on the end, but because I like the view better.

4. This next one is interesting. When we had to select medicine balls and kettlebell weights, I hesitated because I wanted everyone to pick what they wanted first. My observation is that I wanted others to pick first because I know that I can get a great workout with any weight (even no weight) but also… I wanted to be intentional about what I picked, so I needed to give myself a minute to think. I was proud here because I often don't give myself that pause. I selected something slightly lighter than I could have handled, but it was a great decision.

5. My exercise and nutrition principles work. Today's bootcamp was challenging. Beach sprints on sand, weights, pushups, kettlebells, etc., etc. I felt great. I felt strong. I felt proud. I know what I teach and do alongside my clients, works. My observation is that there is not one strategy to achieve optimal health… there are many. I am just so thankful to have found the ones that I love and can follow for the long haul.

At the end of class, the instructor complimented me and asked if I was a CrossFit Instructor. I said no, but I do get to work with the fiercest athletes out there… Women Physicians!! And, as per usual, I felt pure gratitude that I get to do what I do.

You are all fierce and amazing! I encourage you to go through scenarios and make observations about yourselves; so much exponential growth can happen in these moments.

Sending love to you all!!!

Xoxo
Ali

P.S. We have an amazing announcement coming soon… so SAVE THE DATE FOR SATURDAY, JULY 30th. I mean for real, you will want to clear the calendar that day.

 In the meantime, check out our August 1st Jump Start and Jump Start Your Genetics program.12-CME. LEARN MORE HERE. It is going to be awesome.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

To My Daughters…

I have been struggling with how I will explain to my daughters all that is happening in our world right now. So, instead… I am going to share my heart with you all. I do not have the perfect words. But I want you to know that I see you and I am grateful to be among you.

When I was pregnant, I secretly wanted to have girls so badly. In fact, I was so worried about being disappointed about not having girls, that I convinced myself both times that we were having boys. We waited to find out. When each was born, I couldn't believe that my dreams became real.

I wish I could tell you exactly why I wanted daughters. If I dig deep, I would say - I want to create a legacy of strong women in our family. I wanted to bring more members to our tribe. 

Early on, I did not think about the challenges that we would face. I did not expect to be explaining to a 7 and 10 year old that they don't have free range to make decisions about their bodies. That while they can decide who they love and want to partner with, they might not be legally "allowed."

It all feels so heavy, and as though we are standing on wobbly cobblestones at the same time. 

I don't know what our future holds… but this is what I want to say to give you hope that we can find solid ground and we can release the burden that we were never meant to carry.

I will fight for you. I will help you find a way. You will never be alone. I will always be your soft landing spot.  

To all of you, my sisters in life. Thank you for holding down the fort as the fierce tribe I get to be part of. I feel peace in your presence.

I will fight for you and help you find a way so that you never feel alone.

Sending you so much love.

 Ali

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Allowing Myself to be Inspired by Others

We spent all day yesterday touring San Francisco. My brother, Chris, is getting married in Napa this week, and we had the pleasure of spending an entire day with Chris and his beautiful bride-to-be, Sarah. Chris and Sarah are world travelers, and Chris knows how to strategically and brilliantly get us from point A to point B. We had an absolutely glorious day filled with connection, laughter, and fun.

We ended the day watching the sunset, which gave me a few moments to reflect… and I want to share my reflections with you. My reflections are on the family members I was blessed to spend the day with, and I just wanted to share how they left me inspired.

First, my amazing husband, Mark.

At this point, I have known him half of my life. We have been married for 14 years, and he is my person. Recently, he has restructured his practice to create more time for our family, and in the meantime has also become an AMAZING photographer. I am inspired by his artistic talent and while he is so very go-with-the-flow, he also knows exactly what he wants. He balances my often nervous energy with his calm demeanor, and is able to help me be in the moment. We continue to learn together, to make mistakes together… and keep wanting to repeat both together. Mark inspires me because he makes me feel young and free, similar to the way I felt 20 years ago when we first met. Mark inspires me to dream big.

My first born, Betsy.

She is an old soul. She is deep and insightful, shy and loving. She sees the beauty in her surroundings. She is a gifted artist and talented writer. The thing I love most about Betsy is that she makes me feel calm (most of the time). There is something about her energy that soothes my soul. She is a person I could spend endless hours with and feel content. She is accepting. But what really inspires me is that she struggles with being flexible, yet, every day she is working on being more flexible. She loves everything cozy, including oversized jammies and stuffed animals. Our high-energy dog, Lilly, seeks Betsy out and sits next to her quietly… a testament to Betsy’s ability to calm us all (most times ).

My second born, Charlie.

Well… she now goes by Charlotte if this tells you anything!! She is the CEO of our family. She is smart and resourceful; she is hilarious and a social butterfly. She likes to wear lipstick and shop for eyeshadow palettes. She 100000% shares my empathy. This kid feels so deeply. And, because of this, Char has been one of my greatest teachers. How do I help a kid who feels so deeply process emotions that even I have trouble processing at times? I have learned to be more patient with myself by learning through her. Charlotte reads between the lines and picks up on every detail. She is a child who will leave her mark on this world and my work as her mom will be to create a soft landing spot so she can find self-acceptance, instead of indulgence in perfectionism. And, for this… I am inspired to embrace the self-acceptance that I continue to work on.

Sarah!! My new sister.

I grew up with 2 brothers and wanted so desperately to have a sister. When my younger brother married Sanda, I got my first sister!! And, now I get a second. Sarah is also a gifted artist, which is one of the reasons my girls adore her. Sarah is so beautiful inside and out, and has allowed me to witness what unconditional love looks like. She is a person who shows up eloquently in this world with her sweet nature and sense of adventure. I feel as thought I have known Sarah my entire life, and she is a true companion. Sarah inspires me to be the absolute best version of myself, in a way that is difficult to explain. I am inspired because she has allowed me to be who I am - authentically.  

My older brother, Chris.

He is the model design of what you could imagine in an older brother. He has always been a protector. In fact, he joined dance class with me (when I was 5) so that he could “protect me.” He is incredibly intelligent, confident, and strong. He has traveled to every continent in this world (often solo). He is also SO MUCH FUN. His strong sense of family has pushed him to create amazing experiences for our parents. I would have to say that Chris is the glue of our family. Year after year, even without having a lot of in-person time, I continue to feel closer to him. Chris inspires me because he lives each day with purpose while seeking adventure. He shows up. I am so proud of him on so many levels, and the possibilities for him are endless.

Yesterday, as we closed the day watching the sunset on the beach, I got to see the most beautiful vision. Chris ran down the beach barefoot with Betsy and Charlie (hand-in-hand), despite it being 50 degrees, so they could put their toes in the ocean. Sarah stood by taking in all the beauty and appreciating the adventure that Chris was creating for the girls. Mark had his camera and was capturing every moment. I stood by and observed, which I often do, and realized that feeling inspired is a good place for me to land. Inspired I will remain. Inspiration leads to impact, which leads to more inspiration.

Sending you love… and gratitude to you all… you, too, inspire me.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky, a Physician Coach, specializes in optimal health and sustainable weight loss. She is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, and is a physician speaker and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with brain-based science and intuitive principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians® on Apple Podcasts.

Emotional Eating? What Our Genetics Can Tell Us.

Many of us are predisposed, and we are just finding out now!

I have so much excitement to share with you. I spent this past week on sessions with Daniel VanDorn, co-creator of Genomind Mental Health Map, to help me put the finishing touches on my latest offering: Jump Start Your Genetics!!

So, let me give you a little background first.

Almost 10 years ago my husband Mark, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, started to use Genomind testing to help him select proper medications for his patients. The days of prescribing just any medication for anxiety, depression, ADHD are becoming a way of the past. Our genetic testing can actually reveal how our brain is wired and firing, so that we can give it the correct pharmacology.

Once I saw how many people he was helping, I became a huge fan of Genomind. When the mental health map came out a couple of years ago, I knew that I wanted to use it in my health coaching, but I also knew that I needed to learn more.

Fast forward. Over the past 4 years, I have developed optimal health programs. I have also obtained my board certification in obesity medicine. And, over the past year, I have really upleveled my programs and have been able to help more people.

My G.O.A.L.S. principles are fabulous and really help us to learn the principles of intuitive eating, but this is what I was starting to see. A segment of my population continued to struggle with never having balanced hunger and fullness feelings. In other words, they knew when they were hungry, but had a very difficult time stopping when “full” or “satisfied" as they didn't experience these feelings. With my obesity medicine training, I learned that some patients may require mediation to truly feel “full,” which pushed me to dig deeper into genetics.

Many of my clients who don’t feel “satisfied” or “full” actually have a variant in their MC4R gene, the gene that controls satiety.  This doesn’t mean that they don’t have any satiety signaling, but the signal is very weak. This weakness in that signaling causes us to eat more energy than our body requires, which leads to results that we don’t want.  

The problem is that my clients feel defeated because they REALLY are trying.

What I can tell you is that 9 out of 10 of my clients who complain of this are showing a variant in the MCR4. The good news is that I have the strategies to better help with a MC4R variant now that I am aware of the impact that it has. In fact, this is the program I have created which I am now offering… I will tell you more about it in a bit.

Now imagine this. Let’s say that you have a variant in your MC4R gene, so you potentially have low satiety, AND you have a variant in your gene that predisposes you to emotional eating, the ANKK1 gene. Then, let’s say you also have a variant in your gene that controls your level of empathy, the OXTR gene. So, you potentially have so much empathy that you are taking on ALL of the emotions of others, plus you have a tendency to eat emotionally, and you have poor satiety. I call this the triple threat to constant struggle with food and achieving optimal health.

This information is allowing our optimal health programs to move to cutting-edge with their effectiveness.

We have created a program to help you Jump Start Your Genetics. You will learn what you are dealing with and how to work with your genetic code.  

I am beyond thrilled to announce my late summer offering. On August 1st, you can work with me as we Jump Start together. The first 4-weeks are all about understanding who you are mentally, emotionally, and physically. We will then decide on your primary goal and will immediately begin implementation on your custom strategy to achieve optimal health.

Because I will be working with you intimately, the first 4-weeks are crucial for me to get to know you so that when we move to the genetics portion, I can give you even more specific programming. Plus it will give you enough time to send off your genetic kit (completed in the comfort of your own home and takes 1-minute with a cheek swab) so that we have all of your information for the genetics program.

On September 7th, we begin Jump Start Your Genetics. This program comes second because I want you to be prepared with the concepts of the strategies we use so that once you know your genetics, we can direct you toward your focus to get your best health results.

The full experience is 8-weeks, with me as your guide. You can also choose to do just one or the other, but the full advantage will come with combining them. Jump Start with Ali includes 12-CME, whereas Jump Start Your Genetics does not include CME. By combining the offer, you can use your CME for the bundle package. While you can do each program separately, because this is our first offering, we are honoring our Beta Pricing-  which is AMAZING. I always tell my clients to get in on the first offering.

You can learn more about Jump Start with Ali and Jump Start Your Genetics HERE. 

Enrollment is now open, so grab your seat! Spots are limited because of the high level of support we provide to each client.

ENROLL HERE!!!

Can’t wait to see you inside!!

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Get Snobby with Your Extras

A simple nutrition strategy for enjoying your favorite foods this summer

I hope you are getting super excited to jump into summer. I sure am!! My older brother, Chris, is marrying the beautiful Sarah on June 22nd in Napa!! And this is just the beginning: we are headed to San Francisco, L.A., Hawaii, and Vegas to follow. A whole 3-week excursion!

So, I am starting to plan now. I know that as part of my nutrition plan, I will be utilizing intuitive eating, Mindful Macros®, and even some Macro Counting… but I will be doing it in a way that works for me. My primary goal: To share some AMAZING experiences with my family, and feel good doing it. I know that I have the tools to do this.

So, what strategies do I pull from?

I want to share one of my favorites with you today, and also a principle I will be sharing as I prepare to write my first nutrition book, “Mindful Macros®”. The strategy is to ‘Get Snobby with Your Extras.’

What do I mean by this? Well, I know our trip will include some of my favorite treats. And, my mom is 100% Italian, so our love language is food. Plus, Chris and Sarah do not skimp on throwing an amazing party.

So, if I get snobby with my extras… this just means that I will allow the things I want, but I will be snobby if they don’t taste all that great. If this is the case, I will have a bite or taste and then choose to stop.

Getting snobby with your bread and your cake and your bourbon is a kind thing to do for yourself. It is saying, you can have anything you want AND you - yes, YOU - deserve the best.

When I get snobby with my extras, I know my focus is on solid, balanced meals, and then my extras can be a detail that I have high expectations for. It allows me to be in control and have the choice on how this will go for me.

Getting snobby with my extras also requires an extra layer of mindfulness that I will include surrounding my food and drink consumption. This encourages me to utilize the G.O.A.L.S. Society principles: get hungry first, slow down, observe for fullness, and just make the next best decision.

So… as you move toward summer, can getting snobby with your extras help you???

We have an amazing program for women physicians starting August 1st. And you won’t believe all we are offering at our Beta Pricing. Jump Start with Ali™ (12-CME) with an option to add Jump Start Your Genetics™.

Imagine knowing your genetics so we can even better strategize your optimal health plan!! We have that capability!

We will be announcing details next week. For now, get on the interest list HERE.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

4 Strategies To Transform How You Feel About Your Body

It’s all about navigating our thoughts and focus.

Here is what I have for you…

1) Focus on Body Composition, Not Weight Loss

As we talked about last week: Don’t let the scale fool you — you can lose fat and still be the same weight, yet your body will look completely different.

Under the definition of “body composition” on Wikipedia, it says, “Two people of the same gender and body weight may look completely different because they have a different body composition.”

Healthy body composition is achieved when the percentage of lean mass is greater than the percentage of body fat. I wanted to give a reference range below to point out that an average and healthy amount of body fat is up to 30% for the average woman.

See guidelines below for healthy body fat percentages for women:

Female Athletes: 14-20%

Optimal Fitness: 21-24%

Healthy Body Fat Average for all Women: 25-30%

As a health coach for women physicians, I’ve seen firsthand how, when you change your body composition, you may still weigh the same but have a completely different body.

Would it surprise you to know that while you get fitter you may actually GAIN WEIGHT? This is exactly why we shouldn’t focus on just the scale.

But, how do you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? This is what everyone wants to do, but I want to caution you. These are 2 very different goals that require 2 very different strategies.

To reduce your body fat, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. But to build muscle, you have to eat more calories than you burn. However, if you have a mesomorph body type, you may be able to eat in calorie maintenance AND gain muscle slowly.

2) Stop Comparing Your Body to Unrealistic “Perfect” or “Ideal” Women

The unrealistic images in ads and online subliminally teach us that our natural body types aren’t desirable or attractive enough as they are, causing shame around our weight and issues with our confidence.

We are constantly fed images in the press of what society’s “perfect body” is supposed to look like. Social media feeds are full of overly-filtered influencers and magazine covers tend to only feature airbrush-perfect, photoshopped models whose bodies are touted as the “ideal.”

Yet, we often feel an overwhelming desire to look the same way as other women and we unfairly compare ourselves to unachievable images of “perfection” that aren’t even real.

Setting an arbitrary goal weight or trying to meet an imaginary standard that isn’t possible for your body type is only going to cause disappointment and frustration.

We must focus on working with our body, instead of fighting against it.

3) Learn to Love Yourself Through Body Positivity

I’m sure many of you have heard of the body positivity movement, but have you taken a minute to think about what that means and how it relates to you?

In reality, we are all built with different structures and have different genetic make-ups, so it’s pointless to compare ourselves to other women and feel like our body has to look a certain way to be “attractive.” 

It is about self-acceptance and owning who we are, and that is so empowering! We can start the journey of self-acceptance by setting realistic goals and expectations.

The research-based fitness plan I use in G.O.A.L.S. Society® can be a tool for body composition change for busy physicians, but that is not the focus. The focus is on feeling confident in how you look, accepting your body’s natural structure and challenges, and learning how to get stronger and fitter despite them.

4) Discover Your Natural Body Type & Practice Self-Acceptance

This doesn’t mean we stay complacent and stop reaching for our goals; it just means we shift our mindset around them. Remember, you are a masterpiece AND you can also choose to be a work in progress.

There are 3 main body types or “somatypes” called Endomorph, Mesomorph, and Ectomorph. Once you know which body type you are, you can learn what kind of fitness training and nutrition strategy that your unique body type will benefit from.

5) Surround Yourself with Others Who Are Striving for the Same

You know what they say, we tend to reflect the group we hang around with. I have even heard things like, “you are the sum of the 5 people you hang around the most.” Even if this is 10% true, surround yourself with people who are working on body acceptance, body positivity, and a strong desire to move away from diet culture and into the space of intuitive and gentle approaches to optimal health.

We have MANY exciting things happening at Life Coaching for Women Physicians. I will shortly be announcing a special program coming August 1st, where you will have the opportunity to dive into understanding your genetics… and I may have secured the actual EXPERT of the genetic test I use to be involved in this programming. If you want to get on the interest list, you can do so HERE. You will be among the first to hear.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Deceiving Scale Stories

Why Measuring Body Composition is More Beneficial
By Ali Novitsky, MD - Life Coach for Women Physicians

The scale does not give the full story.

It simply measures our gravitational pull on the earth. But because the power of the scale is still so strong for so many of us, it is hard to give up our old beliefs. Things like, “I should weigh less,” “My plan isn’t working,” “My body is broken,” are often loaded up and ready to come out the moment we step on the scale and don’t like what we see.

Then we go down the pathway of, “Am I retaining water?”, “Did I put on muscle?”, “Is the scale broken?”, “How is my thyroid?”, “Do I have inflammation?”, “Is my cortisol high?”  We overthink and over complicate it. Then the scale continues to retain its power.

This week, I wanted to share a couple of success stories from my women physician clients, where we took data beyond the scale and instead looked at a body composition analysis through an InBody Scan. If you are not familiar, an InBody scan is a fairly accurate way to determine weight, fat mass, and skeletal muscle. I have clients use InBody Scans and measurements, plus before and after pictures in my programs so that we can track fat loss, muscle maintenance, and/or muscle gain.

Let me share a story about the utility of an InBody Scan.

This lovely client has a goal of fat loss and muscle maintenance. She is using calculated macros. The plan was for her to be super consistent with her macros for just 1 week. So she was. At the end of the week, she stepped on the InBody Scale and noted that she had not lost any total weight. Now, if she only had that measurement alone, she would have felt disappointed. Perhaps thinking that all of her hard work was not worth it.

But, the InBody Scan revealed a 2 lb fat loss and a 2 lb lean mass gain. Lean mass is not skeletal muscle only… but rather water, glycogen, bone, organs, and ligaments.

Often when we lose body fat, our body tries to keep our empty fat cells full with water, so often our total scale weight will not change despite fat loss. This is exactly what happened for my client. And, if she didn’t have this data, she would not have the full picture. She is instead reassured that her plan is working and she is motivated to keep going.

Now let me share a story about the utility of traditional waist circumference measurements.

My amazing client has a goal of fat loss and muscle maintenance. In the past, she has used my program Mindful Macros® to achieve results. More recently she has been using calculated macros. She has been on point and honoring her authentic body with her exercise and nutrition strategy. In 4 weeks, she has maintained her weight. But, she has lost 2 inches off her waist. Inches off waist with same weight in a 4 week time frame, says to me that we have fat loss, and we could possibly have some muscle gain. She does have a mesomorph body type, so this could be possible. But, fat loss is definite. She is motivated, feeling great, and excited to keep going.

How about a story of overcoming emotional eating?

My open-minded, growth-mindset client wanted to adopt an intuitive style of eating to heal the relationship with food and her body. She knew that she could have secondary results of fat loss, but her primary goal was to heal. In the past, she was very restrictive with her food and would then overeat.

In the past month, she has used her hunger cues, she has not restricted food, she has become snobby with her extras, and I am happy to say that she reports the feeling of “freedom.” She is not having episodes of overeating out of emotion, and she loves the idea that if she eats chocolate, she will eat the best chocolate.

The diet culture has had influence for way too long. It is time to do things differently. As female physicians, we know what our bodies need, and we can always just make the next best decisions to honor our authentic bodies.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

What My Genes Revealed!

I am all about data, especially data from our genetic make-up!! My husband, Mark, lead psychiatrist at Boutique Mind Doctors, has been using genetic swabs to prescribe proper medications for years!! So, when I found one that looks at genes related to our overall health, I was intrigued.

Recently, in my coaching programs, I have started to use genetic swabs to learn more about my clients as a whole. And let me tell you, looking at your genetics is fascinating. So, I decided to join the fun and look at my own.

I wanted to share with you some of the different things that popped up for me. None of them were surprising to be honest. I will highlight just a few since there are so many different things that the genetic tests look for.

Here were some of the highlights for me:

GENE: CRHR1, FKBP

HEIGHTENED STRESS RESPONSE.

“We detected a variant was detected in one of your core STRESS HORMONE REGULATION genes (CRHR1) that predisposes you to a HEIGHTENED STRESS RESPONSE. The feelings we associate with being stressed result primarily from STRESS HORMONES that are released as part of the STRESS RESPONSE. Your genotype is associated with significantly higher levels of these hormones when exposed to stress.”

My AHA Moment: No wonder I actually gain body fat when I am over-exercising! No wonder I gain body fat when my nutrition is not optimized. When I strategize my nutrition and exercise, I see results… makes so much sense now. I tend to be an overproducer in cortisol when in stressful situations. I can’t change my genes, but I can change my lifestyle.

GENE: CRHR1

MID-LIFE BRAIN FOG.

“We detected a variant in one of your core STRESS HORMONE REGULATION genes (CRHR1) that predisposes you to a HEIGHTENED STRESS RESPONSE and MID-LIFE BRAIN FOG. A chronically activated stress response system can cause fatigue and a decline in WORKING MEMORY as people age, and you may be particularly sensitive to this. In a large study testing the effects of stress on memory, people with your genotype who were 31-59 years of age tended to score lower on tests of WORKING MEMORY.”

My AHA Moment: When I go on vacation and give myself brain rest, I come back as a new, sharper woman. I know that managing my stress is key for me. I also know that I can do things to alleviate my chronic stress such as listening to classical music, making lists for myself, and giving myself some brain rest.

GENE: HTR1A

IMPULSIVITY

“You may be predisposed to choosing immediate gratification at the cost of long-term gain. This is likely due to how SEROTONIN is used in an area of the brain responsible for memory and impulse control. We detected a variant in one of your SEROTONIN RECEPTOR genes (HTR1A) that is associated with decreased SEROTONIN activity. This is thought to be why people with your genotype tend to be more IMPULSIVE.”

My AHA Moment: I have done a lot of work to overcome emotional eating, which I believe would start with restlessness and then trigger urges that I would act upon impulsively. Knowing this has given me validation. I have worked through this despite my genotype. And because of this, I am empowered and proud.

GENE: ARID3B

SKIPPING BREAKFAST

“Your genotype is associated with an increased tendency toward SKIPPING BREAKFAST. Scientific research is emerging on how some genes may play a role in our meal timing preferences, and it seems that CELL CYCLE REGULATION (how cells throughout the body metabolize nutrients) may be a key factor. We detected a variant in one of your CELL CYCLE REGULATION genes (ARID3B) that may influence whether or not you feel like eating first thing in the morning. In a large study of Caucasian volunteers, people with your genotype were more likely to SKIP BREAKFAST.”

My AHA Moment: Knowing this information reminds me to tap into my unique hunger cues. It allows me to be curious about when I prefer to eat. It supports my desire to be an intuitive eater. I know that fasting for me is not difficult, and this explains it.

GENE: MC4R

OVEREATING

“Your genotype is associated with a tendency to OVEREAT, likely due to decreased FULLNESS SIGNALING. FULLNESS SIGNALING is how the stomach messages the brain that it is full. Unfortunately, many of us continue to eat well after our stomach says ‘I’ve had enough.’ This may be even more troublesome for those with your genotype, as you are predisposed to decreased FULLNESS SIGNALING and increased caloric intake.”

My AHA Moment: I was an overweight child and I can remember that I always felt hungry. I could eat way more than my friends. As I have adopted intuitive eating and strategic nutrition, I now can sense my satiety extremely well. And because of this, I am now 50 lbs lighter than I was at the age of 18. Nothing has gone wrong. Knowing my genetics just helps me be well prepared.

There were so many other pearls that I gained from understanding my genetics. This assessment was extremely powerful. I was able to take my data and validate what I was currently doing, make changes for what was not working, and quite honestly… I gained a whole heck of a lot of self-compassion in this process.

Because this testing is so powerful, my team is planning to offer something special in the near future. To be the first to hear about our future offering, join the interest list HERE.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

What is the Right Nutrition Plan for You?

When I talk to my clients, I always stress the importance of understanding who they are mentally, emotionally, and physically so that we can strategize the best nutrition plan for them. As a physician life coach, I have worked with hundreds of physicians who are stretched for time, and deciding on and committing to a nutrition plan seems daunting. Well, you came to the right place.

Deciding on a nutrition plan will help you achieve optimal health by focusing on a primary goal - whether it be fat loss, muscle gain, improved fitness, ending emotional eating, avoiding restrictive eating patterns, and/or staying far away from diet culture mentality.

When I discuss nutrition strategy, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, we have to know your history of dieting. Any individual who has "dieted" in the past runs the risk of having leptin resistance. With leptin resistance, I often hear, "I'm eating 500 calories per day and the scale isn't budging.”  Leptin is a hormone made in our fat cells. When we have adequate body fat, our leptin levels are high. When we start to lose body fat, our leptin levels start to decrease. When our leptin decreases low enough, it signals our body to stop releasing body fat. With leptin resistance, our body does not sense that we have adequate leptin and our body will not release body fat despite having plenty.

There are many weight loss doctors out there along with many coaching programs that address nutrition. I am board certified in obesity medicine, and I am also a certified physician coach. But, I do not consider myself a weight loss doctor or coach. I consider myself a physician coach who specializes in optimal body composition by focusing on body fat loss while preventing muscle mass loss. This is something that mainstream weight loss programs do not address, and it is essential to understand.

The diet culture focuses so much on "weight loss," but what that indicates is that our body is losing mass and we don't know from where. We want to preserve lean muscle mass and focus on fat loss so that we can preserve our basal metabolic rate. We can do this by incorporating strength training along with proper nutrition. To lose body fat, we have to be in a calorie deficit. To gain lean muscle mass, we typically have to be eating maintenance calories or be in a calorie surplus, depending on our body type. For example, a mesomorph body type that has a tendency to put muscle mass on may be able to do so by eating maintenance calories, while an ectomorph or naturally thin body type may need to be eating in a surplus.

When you are looking for a program to help you adopt a nutrition strategy to honor your authentic body, we want to make sure that we are keeping a few things in mind. Will the nutrition strategy that you adopt be sustainable so that you can achieve long-term weight loss, which is focused on body fat loss and lean muscle mass maintenance? Next, does it incorporate mindset strategies to allow for the understanding of how our thoughts create our actions? 

If we want different results, we must have different beliefs. To keep getting the same results, we can keep the same beliefs. For example, if we believe, "I will have to change, restrict my eating, and go hungry to reach my goal," then this will make us feel unmotivated to take action. But, if we believe, "I can learn a new process that is enjoyable and will allow me to achieve my optimal health," we will be curious, motivated, maybe even excited. Physician wellness and preventing physician burnout involves us feeding our body in a way that is not only strategic, but enjoyable.

Now, let's get to it.

I typically start educating my clients on understanding their unique body type so that they can start to honor who they are. Our body types, also known as somatotypes, are unique to us. So, what we are born with, we will keep throughout life. Now, our body composition can change over time, but our body type cannot. With that being said, we can optimize our body composition at any phase of life. Many of my clients in menopause are now sporting their most optimized body composition to date.

The 3 somatotypes include ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Ectomorph is the naturally thin body type that may have more difficulty gaining muscle mass, mesomorphs are the naturally muscular body type that can gain muscle with ease, and the endomorph body type is one that has a decent amount of muscle and tends to carry additional body fat. Most of us are a combination body type with mesomorph-endomorph being the most common type. It is so empowering once we do understand the body type we were given because it can help us to develop a "neutral scale" mentality. And, once we understand our body type, we can identify our primary goal so that we can select our nutrition strategy.

Let's start with intuitive eating. The first thing I want to clear up about intuitive eating is that we choose intuitive eating to build a better relationship with ourselves, our bodies, and our food. It is not the plan that we should adopt with the intention of losing body fat or gaining muscle. Now, those things can happen as a secondary effect. But, the primary goal is to heal ourselves from within. If you have emotional eating that has created endless amounts of food chatter, and you are engaging in a lot of negative self-talk toward your body, intuitive eating is what I recommend to help the healing process.

Many are afraid to jump into intuitive eating because it may feel like a loss of control. But, let me say this. On the other side of that feeling of "loss of control" is a discovery of "self-trust." Intuitive eating is about trusting the process and committing to meeting your authentic body when you honor it. We don't know what your authentic body will weigh, what its body fat percentage will be, or even how it moves. But, you will get to meet it and love it and embrace it and heal from all of the shame and disappointment that the diet culture teaches us.

Intuitive eating relies on becoming in touch with your hunger scale. This is where we commit to getting hungry before we eat. We then become more aware and begin to learn what our cues are for when we are satisfied with eating. Observing for fullness is what I like to call it. Intuitive eating encourages us to allow our feelings. Again, if putting an end to emotional eating is your focus, then intuitive eating is the top strategy. With intuitive eating, we start to move our bodies in a way where we get to actually love movement. Intuitive eating often feels peaceful when we pursue it in the way it was meant to be selected. I believe that taking time to become an intuitive eater is one of the most powerful things we can do to not only understand, but to heal the relationship we have with food and our body.

Mindful Eating is being present with your hunger, your fullness, the experience of eating, the flavors, and the textures of food. It is using all 5 senses to experience your food. Like intuitive eating, the goal is to listen to our body in order to honor what nourishment we prefer. On a recent trip, we indulged in a dining experience for the senses. It was a 12-course meal that required you to see, smell, feel, hear, and taste the food. The experience lasted 4 hours, and it was incredibly satisfying.

Mindful Eating and Intuitive Eating do have subtle differences. Mindful Eating engages the senses and promotes reduction in distractions during meals, while Intuitive Eating incorporates mindfulness and other tools to reconnect with the body and strengthen the relationship we have with food and our body. Intuitive Eating and Mindful Eating can be done together. Mindful Eating is typically adopted for a more healing approach to nutrition, however, secondary results like body fat loss, improved fitness, and lean muscle mass maintenance are common.

Traditional Calculated Macros can sound intimidating to some. And if mindset work is not incorporated well before calculating macros is attempted, then it can very much feel like a strategy soaked in diet mentality. But, if we can go through the steps of healing ourselves with intuitive eating, becoming more mindful, and then choose a specific goal that will honor our authentic body, then Calculated Macros can be a very powerful strategy.

The benefits of Calculated Macros is that we can optimize nutrition for any goal we may have, whether it be body fat loss, muscle gain, muscle mass maintenance, improved performance, and the list goes on. It is also a great way for us to get data so that we can direct our strategy as we move forward in the process. For example: for body fat loss, if we are not optimizing our macronutrients, then we have potential to lose muscle along with body fat. When this happens, our basal metabolic rate can decrease, and we will inevitably regain weight over time. For some, calculating macros is empowering because it takes the guesswork out. But, I do not love starting with Calculated Macros for someone who is working toward moving away from diet mentality and trying to heal through intuitive eating first. 

Mindful Macros® is my trade-marked nutrition program. Mindful Macros® encompasses strategies from intuitive eating, mindful eating, and Calculated Macros. We target our primary goal by adopting a nutrition strategy that requires us to eyeball portions and balance our food groups, but without weighing or measuring. Great for someone who wants a gentle but highly effective strategy.

Bottom line. Any plan can work. But, for long-term sustainability, we have to meet you where you are. 

So, where are you? What speaks to you? The decision is yours and this can be amazing, pleasurable, empowering, and effective. Small changes over time that you can be consistent with is the winning strategy, no matter what plan you pick.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Transformation When You Honor Your Authentic Body Type

Showing up for your authentic body is one of the most amazing things you can do for yourself. It’s not about restricting your food or exercising every day or even about your goal body weight.

It’s about finding what works for you and your body type and choosing to honor that every day. From the exercise that feels good, to food that nourishes you, to the sleep that supports you, to the clothes that feel authentic - let’s unpack how to show up for your authentic body.

Support Your Authentic Body By:

• Identifying your body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph)

• Eating foods that nourish your body type

• Finding movement that your body loves

• Figuring out your ideal sleep schedule

• Wearing what you want and what your body feels good in
  

Find Out Your Body Type

Showing up for your authentic body means doing the things that feel good for it, regardless of what you “should” do. This might take some trial and error to find how your body functions best, but trust me when I say it’s worth it.

A big part of showing up for your authentic body is figuring out what your body type is.

There are three main body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph.

Each body type responds differently to exercise and nutrition, and it’s up to you to choose how to honor that.

Eat, Move, Sleep, and Dress to Support Your Authentic Body

The other keys to supporting your authentic body stem from knowing what your body type is. Each body type needs to follow some more specific nutrition guidelines - but that’s all they are: guidelines. It’s up to you to figure out what works best for you.

It’s also so important for you to find a way to move your body that feels good for you. If you don’t like to run, don’t run. Exercise should be both enjoyable and make you feel good, so if it doesn’t do either of these things, don’t do it.

Finding your ideal sleep schedule is an important step to supporting your authentic body. You may need more - or less - sleep than your friends and both are totally valid. In my recent podcast episode Honoring Your Authentic Body, we also talk about how to dress to support your authentic body, and the importance of the words you use for yourself.

Think about how amazing your ideal body is. Do you want to get to know it better? Today you are in your amazing body. You start showing up for your authentic body now. How does it like to be talked to? Rested? Fed? Worked out? Dressed? Ask those questions and dive in. It’s so worth it.

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Want to learn more about how my coaching programs help women physicians achieve optimal health? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Don’t Choose A Goal Weight… Choose Your Authentic Body

I wanted to share something very powerful that came up this week.

We just finished my 6-month program, Transform® (round 3.0), and every Transform®, I set my own goals and do it with my group. These past 6-months, I chose to go all-in on my physical health. I had a primary goal to decrease my body fat percentage while maintaining my lean muscle mass.  

So, I went to work.

I adjusted my nutrition, I planned to prioritize my protein, I cut my added sugar, I strategically planned my exercise commitment. I went all-in on my sleep. I was not perfect in the process. But, I surpassed my goals - big time. I decided to use the principles that I teach my crew. I maintained all of my muscle mass (which can be tricky if you are eating in a deficit), and I lost 7% body fat.  

But, here is what I learned.

It wasn’t about body fat loss. It was about owning my authentic body. Feeding it when it was hungry, working through my emotions when I wasn’t hungry but wanted to eat, making a conscious effort to reduce added sugar, moving my body out of love… I leaned in to the journey. It wasn’t comfortable. It still is not. In fact, the comfort and the discomfort both feel good. Leaning into the discomfort allows me to grow.

Being in my authentic body is where I am right now. I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel unstoppable. I have a better mood, less anxiety, and I am having a lot of fun with this transformation process. Transformation is not about changing who we are, it is about owning who we are - authentically.  

My mom always told me that I was a late bloomer, that I would hit my peak at 45! Ha. Moms know best. But I don’t want to believe that I ever will peak… I am enjoying the journey to the peak too damn much.

I share this with you because being in your authentic body is available to you. So, let’s go discover it. Or, maybe you are in it already. Let’s love, honor, and show up for our authentic selves.  

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Want to learn more about my coaching programs? Click HERE for a private info call with our Concierge team!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

I Will Feel Better When… I Shift My Thoughts

By Ali Novitsky, MD
Life Coaching for Women Physicians

Let’s play a game. I want you to read through thought process 1 then thought process 2. See if you can notice your experience by just simply shifting a few words.

THOUGHT PROCESS #1

I WILL FEEL BETTER WHEN… 

I have extra motivation to focus on my health.

I make progress.

I am committed to taking care of my body. 

I stop setting unrealistic goals.

I stop trying to do too much all at once.

I can maintain my results.

I am no longer confused on what to eat and how to work out.

I can be an intuitive eater.

I understand my unique hunger cues so I can honor them appropriately.

I can process emotions.

Exercise is a joy - not a drag.

I can recognize how perfectionism is showing up and how it is holding me back.

THOUGHT PROCESS #2

I FEEL BETTER BECAUSE… 

I have extra motivation to focus on my health.

I am making progress.

I am committed to taking care of my body.

I stop setting unrealistic goals.

I stop trying to do too much all at once.

I can maintain my results.

I am no longer confused on what to eat and how to work out.

I can be an intuitive eater.

I understand my unique hunger cues so I can honor them appropriately.

I can process emotions.

Exercise is a joy - not a drag.

I can recognize how perfectionism is showing up and how it is holding me back.

It’s a simple shift, but it will change everything. It is a great idea to notice the language that we are using with ourselves all of the time. Thought process #1 takes away our power… Thought process #2 allows us to own our power. Notice where you can shift a word or 2 to create a totally different experience.

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Hi, I’m Ali.

My passion is to help female physicians achieve optimal mental, emotional, and physical fitness. Simply put, “STRONG” inside and out.

Want to learn more about my coaching programs? Schedule a private call with my Concierge team to see if Life Coaching for Women Physicians is a fit for you!

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Woman Physician’s Optimal Health Plan for Improved Fitness and Decreased Anxiety

On my recent vacation, I did a lot of thought work on revisiting my current priorities. And, one of my top 3 right now, is my own mental, emotional, and physical health. 

I want to put effort into creating my Optimal Health Plan… the one that I will use for the next 6 months. My goal? Improved fitness, decreased anxiety, and more automatic thoughts that serve me!!!

Then, I had a huge wave of excitement come over me. I thought, why don’t I create the program that I need right now AND invite women physicians to join me?? I am extremely motivated to make some solid strides toward my own health, and I am using all my good stuff. In fact, I have put together a 7-Day Coaching Experience to help guide you!! 

Watch the Video Below to Hear About This AMAZING Opportunity. Honestly, it is a NO-BRAINER. In fact, look at what Dr. Linda Street has achieved in just 1-month using the program I am going to share with you!

The program is beyond amazing, and all you have to do is SIGN UP HERE.

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About Ali Novitsky, MD

Dr. Novitsky is certified by the Life Coach School, Obesity Board Certified, a physician speaker, and fitness enthusiast. Ali helps women physicians achieve their optimal health with scientific, yet intuitive, principles that work.

Follow Ali Novitsky, MD on Facebook or Instagram.

Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts.

Optimal Health is NOT code for Weight Loss

I remember one time I heard a thought leader in the coaching industry say, “Achieving optimal health is another way of saying achieve weight loss.” And, this is not completely accurate. Optimal health looks different for everyone. And, while the science shows that losing 3-5% of body weight can reduce incidence of chronic illness, not everyone will require weight loss to achieve their optimal health.

It’s just about weight Loss For Doctors - Optimal health also extends past our physical health.

When we are talking about optimal health, we are talking about vibrant mental, emotional, and physical health. So, how do we define optimal health for ourselves? How do we know that we have achieved it? What data do we use? What parameters are useful? How do we set goals based on our desire to be in our optimal health?

Today, I want to share with you my simple check-in so that I can frequently evaluate where I am on my optimal health scale. I ask myself these 3 questions:

- Is my head clear? Scale of 1-10.

- Is my heart open? Scale of 1-10.

- Is my body balanced? Scale 1-10.

Let’s break down each a little further.

Clear Head.
I am asking myself if I am aware of my thoughts. Am I able to see how my thoughts are playing out at the moment? Am I able to hold onto thoughts or let go of thoughts, depending on how I want to feel? I take ownership for what I am creating. I know that I will often revert to automatic thoughts in specific circumstances and that is ok. But, my head is clear enough to see it all.

Open Heart.
Am I willing to feel my emotions? If we are not allowing feelings, we are resisting them, reacting to them, distracting from them, or thought spirals. An open heart allows vulnerability and empathy to flow freely. It allows us to feel anything with a curiosity that is patient.

Balanced Body.
How am I taking care of my body? Am I accepting where I am? Am I embracing my nutrition to nurture my body… am I moving to stay strong? How does it feel to be in my body right now? What does it need more of: Sleep? Water? Rest? Exercise? Hugs? Is there anything that I need to address that is negatively impacting my health? If so, how am I addressing it?

When we focus on a clear head, open heart, and balanced body, we can continue to honor the masterpiece that we are while choosing to be a work in progress too.

Over the past couple of months, I have been personally working on all 3. By asking these simple questions every day, I have learned to maintain the strongest consistency I have ever had in terms of taking care of myself. Optimal health is a journey… fitter at 40, fitter at 50, fitter at 60, at 70, at 80, at 90, and beyond. We get to decide how this goes.

Sending you love… and optimal health… in mind and body.

Maintain Your Progress or Make More On Vacation

I’m sharing my top 5 strategies for having a “fit” vacation because we are entering spring break time and because… one of the most common things I hear is, “I’m worried that I will lose my momentum and reverse my progress on vacation.”

And… this does not have to be true. What if on vacation we made progress?

Ok, here are my tips to feel amazing and honor your vacation by connecting with yourself and those you love most.

1) Eat when you are hungry, don’t eat when you’re not. This allows you to eat whatever it is that you would love to have, but you are doing it when you are hungry. This is a great opportunity for you to work on your “food rules” and get in touch with your intuitive side.

2) Plan your other meals around your most “social” and exciting meal - if you have one. I always make sure we have a late lunch or early dinner planned that we are looking forward to. I check out the menu, get an idea of what I’m having, then plan my other meals for the day to complement that special meal. The other meals I keep very simple… so maybe grilled chicken salad, egg white omelette, low sugar protein bar, etc.

3) Have an alcohol and sweets plan each day. Have these things, but each day set the amount that you will commit to. A glass of wine at dinner, ice cream on the boardwalk. Get snobby with your extras. If the wine is vinegar-tasting, send it back. If the ice cream has freezer burn, get a new one.

4) Focus on your step count as your main form of exercise. Make a challenge to see how many you can get per day. If you want to do more, great, but these steps add up and are more effective overall at keeping your metabolism revved up.

5) Hold space for your sleep. Vacation is a time to rejuvenate… sleep prioritization will have you feeling amazing by aiding in stress management and keeping your hunger hormone at bay!!

Happy Travels!

Click here for your free, 15min, private consult with our Concierge Team to learn more about our programs, and how they might be a fit for you!

Want My Nutrition Strategy Cliff Notes?

We often make our nutrition strategy way too complicated. And, then we start to believe that it is just not sustainable. I keep it super simple. And, if anyone were to implement my top 3 strategies I’m sharing below into their world… they would get 95% of their results with just these!!

The first step is to know what your true hunger feels like. Get really familiar with it. Don't be afraid of it.

I have many ladies who tell me that they get anxious when they think about getting hungry. Nothing has gone wrong. Your brain is working just as it should. Back in the day, this type of thinking would help you survive. Instead of pushing the anxiety away, allow it. When we do this, we aren’t so afraid of it, which takes away the urgency to eat. When we do this, we can make our best decisions.

Once you understand what your true hunger feels like…

…then take one day where you only eat when you are hungry. Make it a game. Check in to see if there are times that you are driven to eat but are not hungry.

Think about this: If we only ate when we were hungry, what would be different than it is now? Perhaps this is what you are already doing. But if not, what are your thoughts? Once we are eating when we are hungry, the next step is to observe for fullness. This is when we stop. At first, easier said than done. Truth be told, this is where 80% of most of my clients’ success comes from. And, this could take months to become efficient at this. So, the point: we can’t rush this process if we want it to be long-term and sustainable.

Next, we go to protein.

For most ladies, I recommend aiming to get 3 servings of protein per day. This is the size of our palm, eaten at 3 different times. There are plenty of ways to get your protein in - from veggie sources, to meat, to protein powders… tons of options. Getting 3 servings of protein per day is going to keep our hunger hormone, ghrelin, at bay, help us to keep our basal metabolic rate up, and help us to preserve lean muscle mass.
  

My next tip is to become aware of the amount of added sugar we are eating.

Most of us underestimate this number. I find that most of my clients who desire “fat loss” have to keep this number at bare minimum to start seeing consistent results. Not to mention, when we decrease the amount of sugar we are eating, our food desire and false hunger actually decreases.

Then we get to balancing macronutrients without weighing, measuring, or counting. I teach this in my custom nutrition program, Mindful Macros®. This is where we do not label foods as good or bad, but rather sometimes foods and all-the-time foods. Mindful Macros® helps my ladies change their body composition by recommending the optimal amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates - but in a mindful way. It is excellent for significant results that are sustainable long-term.

And, finally… we can also calculate our basal metabolic rate and customize our macronutrient ratios based on our unique physiology.

This may require us to use keto macros, low carb macros, balanced macros, or higher-carb macros. Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all approach. I find that those who have invested in mindset work, understand their true hunger, are eating enough protein, limiting added sugar, and understand Mindful Macros® are the most successful at calculating and sticking to the traditional macro style nutrition plan. Because, it is not for everyone… If we don’t understand the purpose of it or how it fits in our life, we may start to feel restricted.

In recap:

1. Get Hungry First, Observe For Fullness

2. Adequate Protein

3. Limit Added Sugar

4. Learn Mindful Macros®

5. Consider Calculated Macros

In my programs, I offer the intuitive eating approach, the mindful approach, and the calculated approach. In fact, we have an obesity expert team that will be managing the customized nutrition in our next round of Transform®. Transform® 4.0 begins April 25th, but you can start working with me now. We are letting all of our new Transformers into G.O.A.L.S. Society® now so you can get started- literally tomorrow.

As you can tell, we love what we do… and we are excited to share with all of you. We now offer private 15-minute info calls with our Concierge Team, so you can find out more about how our programs could be a great fit for you. You can book your private call HERE.