On Health with Houston Methodist

Weight Loss Misconceptions: Factors Beyond Diet & Exercise

• Houston Methodist • Season 9 • Episode 3

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Few health topics get more oversimplified than weight gain and weight loss. Poor diet and lack of exercise take the brunt of the blame — and while these can of course contribute to weight gain or sabotage weight loss, the reality is far more complex. In this episode, we unpack the assortment of factors that influence weight — from metabolism and genetics to mood and sleep. We also challenge conventional wisdom around weight loss goals and discuss why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for most people. 

Expert: Kimberly Gallien, Licensed Social Worker, Houston Methodist Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery 

Notable topics covered: 

  • Think weight loss is just about losing weight? Think again. 
  • The myth of “just get off the couch” — why it’s not that simple 
  • How focusing on an end-goal weight can actually derail weight loss 
  • Why “planning power” is for more effective than willpower 
  • The importance of consistent micro-adjustments to your routine 
  • Movement vs. exercise — and why both matter 
  • When BMI is helpful and when it’s not 
  • Why a healthy weight range is more realistic than a single number 
  • Weight management strategies should evolve over time 
  • Taking action: Making the shift from knowing to doing 
  • Embracing the idea that health is a journey, not a destination 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.

♪ ♪

ZACH MOORE:

Welcome to On Health with Houston Methodist. I'm Zach Moore. I'm a photographer and editor here, and I'm also a longtime podcaster.

TODD ACKERMAN:

I'm Todd Ackerman. I'm a former medical reporter, currently an editor at Houston Methodist. So Zach, would you say you consider yourself a fairly enlightened person about people with weight issues?

ZACH:

"Enlightened" is such a strong term as if I've uncovered, you know, the secrets to the life or something. I would say that over the years, I've come to understand that weight loss and weight gain is a more complicated issue than some people might think.

TODD:

Have you felt that yourself?

ZACH:

Yeah, I think so. I think the general understanding is, like, eat less, you work out more, everything's gonna be fine, right? And I think in short spurts, that can be true. I mean I've experienced that myself on and off over the years, right? But there's a lot more to it than that.

TODD:

Yeah. I always, kind of, was struck that I would know -- see somebody that I knew in their college years, their 20s, and they'd be very fit, and I'd see them ten or fifteen years later and they had put on some amount of weight, which I think over the years after that would probably just kinda continue. But I never really thought it was because they were overeating and being slothful as stereotypes that people have about why someone is overweight, so much as that that was just their genes, that their parents were probably -- that was their body type.

ZACH:

And then you make your assumptions, and then that's where these misconceptions come in.

TODD:

There are a lot of misconceptions about this, aren't there? ZACH: Yeah, I think there are. And that's what we're gonna talk about today. Weight gain and weight loss misconceptions. So, we talked to Kimberly Gallien. She is a licensed clinical social worker here at Houston Methodist. Thanks so much for being on the podcast, Kimberly.

KIMBERLY GALLIEN:

Yeah, yeah, yes. Thank you for having me.

ZACH:

We're talking about weight loss and weight gain misconceptions… KIMBERLY: Yes. Here. And you know, The World Health Organization has called obesity a global epidemic.

KIMBERLY:

Yes.

ZACH:

Now, what's your interpretation of that?

KIMBERLY:

Well, I think there are so many moving parts to that, I would agree. I don't think it's as cookie cutter as you eat too much and then because of that, the result is weight gain, or you eat too little and the result of that is weight loss. I think we can get to either of those destinations by doing a couple of things and so I think with them, you know, listening to that, it just allows people to have a broader scope, broader perspective of what obesity is and how we view it.

ZACH:

Now, the quote, unquote,"conventional wisdom" is like, "Hey. Get up, get off the couch, work out, eat less."

KIMBERLY:

Absolutely.

ZACH:

It's very simplified and it's very --

KIMBERLY:

Very black and white, yes, yes, yes.

ZACH:

And, you know, as we have grown as a society and as healthcare professionals, we've, kind of, started to learn the nuances of this, and that's what I wanna talk about today. So, the myths, if you will, of weight loss and again, weight gain. And number one, obesity is primarily caused by lack of will power and self-control. Let's start with that one. So, it's -- again it's like --

KIMBERLY:

Just do something different.

ZACH:

Yeah, get up off the couch, right? There's obviously a component to that,'cause you have to put in the work…

KIMBERLY:

Mm-hmm.

ZACH:

But there's so much more than just, you know, people being, you know, lazy, which I think unfortunately is what a lot of this is attributed to. KIMBERLY: Absolutely. And you said something great, putting in the work. The work looks different for every person's body, right? So, the work doesn't look like getting off of the couch for a certain person. Maybe the work looks like having your hormones checked or making sure that you're eating a more structured diet, or you're eating around the same time, or not skipping meals. So, absolutely I think that that is a huge myth, and I think oftentimes, we also tend to take that in as individuals, and then we make decisions or choose not to make decisions based on that, and it can cause us to feel stuck, like,"Well, maybe I'm meant to be this way. Or, "Maybe this is so frustrating that I don't even wanna tackle it anymore," you know? But yeah, allowing that myth, specifically, to, kind of, live in your head, can be derailing. Yeah, and there's so many factors too, like access to healthy foods, right? Stress, things like that. You know, it's not just, you know, the internal but also the external. KIMBERLY: Absolutely. It's not always like,"Do I have the access or the means to food?" But maybe sometimes I don't know where to start with this, right? So, I'm eating all of the right things but maybe I'm eating too much of the right things, because that can also still then yield the same results, right? And so, I think it's making sure that when you're taking, like, kind of, like, a comprehensive approach to what you're doing, right? So, it doesn't always need to be boiled chicken, vegetables, and drink your water, right? Like that doesn't always lend the same results. And I think that's where a lot of us can feel frustrated because we feel like we're doing the right things, but maybe the nutrition isn't always where we should start. Maybe we should look at, well, how are you -- How's your sleep pattern? Like, how does that? Because sleep can impact metabolism. Mm-hmm. KIMBERLY: Right? What is your water intake? How much are you moving? And then what does movement look like for you? And so, again, being able to sit down individually with people and, kinda, navigate those situations I think. Well Houston specifically is a commuter city, right?

KIMBERLY:

Absolutely.

ZACH:

So, you go all around town in a car. So, we're sitting in a car, then we're sitting in an office, and we're sitting at dinner, we're sitting at a movie, you know. Unfortunately -- And there have been strides to improve this, but there's not a lot of public places, you know, walking spaces, obviously it's so hot in the summer so you really have to make an effort the become less sedentary, right? Especially in the city I would say.

KIMBERLY:

And that's where you go from using the term, like, will power to planning power, right? Like, knowing that on a perfect day, sure, in Houston, I might go to Buffalo Bayou, I might do this, I might ride the bikes, I might do those things. But how rare are those perfect days, right? You know, that you could have like a rainstorm, and then an hour later, it would be scorching again. And so, I often tell people not only do you need to plan for, like, the perfect day because we know what to do on those days, but we need to have, like, the planning power to say,"Hey, on my worst day, what can I do that's gonna allow me to feel successful? What's going to allow me to feel productive so that then I'm more motivated to keep this up, right? So, on the day where your coworkers have gotten on your nerves, and maybe you didn't eat the lunch that you packed, and so, you're already going downhill, right? It's very relatable. And so, it's like,"Okay, we're on this day, and I forgot to take out this and it's frozen. If I eat out, what is that go-to meal? And so, already having that aligned allows you to say,"This is not the best option, but it's certainly -- it certainly could be worse," right? And so, then you feel like,"Okay, I made an intentional choice that would benefit me." ZACH: Absolutely. No, I relate to that a lot'cause of the convenience of like, "Oh, well let me just go through drive thru on the way home. It's been a long day." And then it's like,"I'm getting the three piece chicken nugget," right? Where on my worst day, I might go for then the grilled option and I might get the mac and cheese. You know, until it's like,"Okay, I can compromise with myself."

ZACH:

Yeah, even those, if you wanna call them, you know, micro adjustments, go a long way, right?

KIMBERLY:

They do count because everything counts when we look at ways to change our behaviors, it's kind of like a pinball machine. Once you do something so many times, it doesn't even require your thought anymore, right? And so, on those stressful days, it doesn't require thought'cause then it's instantly like,"Oh, I'm just gonna eat this thing."'Cause, you know, that's just how we're operating. And so, I often tell people, if you already have that plan in place then your brain, you don't have to think another thing. You know, it's like,"Nope, here's my go-to meal. Here's what I'm going to do." ZACH: Planning power, I like that phrase. No, that's great. Leaning heavily on that.

ZACH:

Yeah, absolutely. Now, I wanna talk a little bit about stress. Now, obviously stress is something that, you know, we all try to control but sometimes we can't, right? So much of it comes from external. But you can do your best to control how it affects you, but what it does affect is your health and even your hunger in some ways that you might not understand.

KIMBERLY:

So, a lot of times, when we are feeling stressed, then we feel less in control like you stated. And so, what can then happen is our -- then the ability to make better choices, right, also goes out the window because we're no longer focused on our health or what we're putting in our bodies, but we're focused on alleviating this immediate problem, whatever that stressor is, you know? When I talk with people, a lot of times it's like,"I stress eat more at work because I'm trying to get this deadline done and I'm not really -- I'll come up for air when it's done." Or, "I couldn't even focus on that 'cause I knew I had to get this done. And so, while I was doing it, I ate things, and threw things in my mouth, and wasn't really paying attention to the calories," you know? So, they do add up in that way. But then also, when we have stressors, our body produces, you know, more cortisol. And if we're not getting rid of that, right? If we're not, because cortisol is in fight or flight, right? And so, if there is no real, urgent fight -- so to speak, then what we find is that then that cortisol then will kinda linger with us. And then that impacts our weight as well.

ZACH:

Okay, next misconception about weight loss, weight gain. People with obesity are less active. Now, a study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said that only 26% of men and 19% of women are adhering to the physical activity guidelines that they have. So, we're all not being as active as we should be. So, I think that's an unfair blanket to put on top of weight gain. KIMBERLY: Yes. One of the things I always remind people is that you just need to start. And whatever movement looks like for you. So, the term exercise can seem a little bit more daunting, right?'Cause it feels like another thing that we have to do in our day, and if that's not something that you enjoy or that's not a hobby of yours, then it's like, "Ugh, another have to," right? But I often tell people to consider the things that are already a part of your day, right? Where can we add in those little pockets of movement, which in our department, that's what we focus on. It's not necessarily exercise, but let's move more because the body doesn't say,"Oh Zach, you got on the treadmill for 30 minutes." The body says, "You moved for 30 minutes," right? It's not saying specifically what you did there. And so, the more that we can consistently then move, then it gets us closer to having that stable foundation to be able to grow from there. But I would say that not everybody benefits in a way when we talk about weight loss from exercise because I think we also have to, again, look at the comprehensive approach. And so, it doesn't just take exercise only to get you to your goal. ZACH: Yeah. Even again, micro adjustments. You know, if you're at a building and your appointment's on the third or fourth or maybe fifth floor, I don't wanna push people far.

KIMBERLY:

That's pushing it.[Laughing]

ZACH:

You can take the stairs, right?

KIMBERLY:

Yeah, do you what you can until you can do more, and then reassess, right? ZACH: Right. I often tell people,"Let's start with, like, a good two week goal, right?" What does that look like? If you're already doing 3,000 steps, let's do 4,000 for the next two weeks and reassess. How do you feel? Did you not really feel anything? Let's bump it up. Was that too much? Let's go a little slower, right? Because I think at each stage of our lives we have to understand that maybe the exercise or movement we've done before doesn't really fit where we are, right?

ZACH:

Right. You get desensitized to it, you gotta keep pushing yourself.

KIMBERLY:

Or it just no longer brings you joy or, you know, all of those things. I maybe used to enjoy, you know, doing Zumba. Now, I like it a little bit more slow. So, you have to figure out what works for you.

ZACH:

No, I can't speak for everybody, but I've had my own, you know, weight loss and gain journeys over these years. And when you run into a wall, it gets frustrating, right? And then you're like, "Well, I guess nothing's working." And then you do nothing, and then you're really doing nothing, and then you really --

KIMBERLY:

That's when you're really frustrated. That's when I say reassess. It's like, "Oh, I don't really find joy in that," or "That doesn't add, you know, to my day or to my mood." And it's like,"Let's just try something else,"'cause then we -- you don't wanna just, like, put yourself into this one space. It's like, "I'm allowed, you know, to try Pilates or to try just going for a walk.♪ ♪

ZACH:

After the break, more with Kimberly about weight gain misconceptions and how to overcome them.

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ZACH:

Next misconception. BMI, body mass index, is a good determination of healthy weight. So, tell me your thoughts on BMI. I know it can be surprisingly controversial topic.

KIMBERLY:

I think -- obviously, it serves its purposes, right? In the medical profession, I think it's necessary when we look at sometimes how to -- when physicians diagnose and things like that, or if we're looking for research purposes. But I think in our day to day lives, it can be, kind of, like this looming, dark cloud for patients because then they always feel like,"I need to get here," right? And then it becomes this very concrete thing."If I can get to this number then I'm okay," right? And that's not completely true, you know. Being at a certain BMI or a certain weight doesn't mean you alleviate everything or all health things. That doesn't match. So, what I often tell people is to focus on, like, the last time you felt great, and the last time your labs looked good. What were you doing? What were you eating? How were you moving? What was happening in your life environmentally around that time? Because I think, again, it goes back to as long as we're motivated, then we feel productive. If we feel productive, we tend to keep it up and do more, right? And so BMI kind of is, like, this number that's kind of looming, and it's like,"I'm not successful until I get there." And as a therapist, I just don't think that one, it's true, and then it's just -- that's not healthy, that's not a healthy approach, right? I think, like you said, we focus on the micro adjustments and then we celebrate the small wins, and then we reassess, and then we do it again. Exactly, exactly. So, taking the BMI out as our measure of success when it comes to weight loss, I think could be helpful behaviorally. ZACH: Yeah. I mean, it's a statistic and you can choose to do with that statistic what you want, but don't live and die by it. Yeah, we just wanna park it to the side until you feel like you're in a good grove.

ZACH:

And another thing about BMI is, people might not know this, but there're different kinds of fat and BMI doesn't differentiate or distinguish the two. There's visceral fat, there's subcutaneous fat. BMI isn't gonna tell you how much of what you have, it just says, "Fat."

KIMBERLY:

It just says,"Land here," and then, you know, like this is --"If you are this age, if you're this height, and this is where you should be," right? And that, again, we're not cookie cutter humans. And so, using that as your only form of measurement, I think, is kind of setting yourself up to be disappointed because, again, I often tell people when I work with them,"Let's create, like a range. What is a healthy weight range?"

ZACH:

Mm-hmm.

KIMBERLY:

Because what we find is that you can eat the same thing every day, get on the scale every day and get a different number, because our bodies are fickle. And so, I liked what you gave me today as your body, and so I'm gonna give you this number. Today, I didn't like it, so nope. You know, here's a pound up or here's a pound down. And so, I think BMI is great when we're using it, again, for like research and different medical diagnoses. But as far as, like, when it comes to weight loss, relying only on that can be tricky.

ZACH:

Another misconception about weight loss and weight gain. Obesity is a well understood disease. Now this surprised me. It wasn't until 2013 The American Medical Association officially recognized obesity as a disease, which is in the grand scheme of things, like, five minutes ago, right? KIMBERLY: Yes, absolutely. I think what we're finding over time is that there are a lot of, maybe, illnesses that derive from obesity. So, it's also understanding which came first, you know? And so, understanding that but also knowing when you work with patients that they're doing all of the things and then their body is not on board, right? And so, then we have to go back the drawing board and say, "It's not then you're eating too much, it's not then that you're not moving." Or you get here to this particular BMI and your labs are still off. And so, then we have to go back and say, "Wait a minute." We have to look at that differently and say we need to reconsider what this looks like. Yeah, because everybody is different and every body is different. KIMBERLY: Literally. Yes, yes, yes. So, I mean that's tough because I think we're all searching for some blanket answer, right?

KIMBERLY:

Mm-hmm.

ZACH:

Like, could you just give me a piece of paper and tell me exactly what to eat and exactly what to do so I can look and feel the way I want, and it's not that simple. KIMBERLY: Yes. It wouldn't be the same for you or I. And so, again, I often tell people, understanding that even when you think you have it all figured out, it's also okay to know that this might not work in 6 months, and we might need to add something else, or we might need to take it away, or we might need to readjust. And understanding that sometimes I think is the biggest piece when we look at, like, your weight loss or your health journey, it's not concrete. And so, giving yourself grace to say, like,"I have room to go here or there, and I'll try this and if my body doesn't like it, that's okay as well. Again, just not hanging so much weight on the weight. Do you know what I mean? Like, you know, not putting so much emphasis on the number but more so what is your body doing for you? How is it showing up each day? We just -- we love statistics, you know? We wanna count our calories and then do the math here and there. And that's where we are and those all play a role.

KIMBERLY:

Absolutely.

ZACH:

But you can get really lost in the numbers sometimes…

KIMBERLY:

Absolutely… ZACH: Don't know where to go. And you forget the other -- like, the human parts of it, right?

ZACH:

So, as we continue to try and understand obesity, genetics plays a big role, which influences your appetite, your fat storage, your metabolism, right? And that's something that really is out of your control. You can't choose what you were born with.

KIMBERLY:

Mm-hmm. It's very similar. And I love that they've also looked at it in that way too, like, when we talk about genetics because it's the same with obesity as we would look at, like, oh,"What's your family history when it pertains to diabetes? When it pertains to cholesterol?" Because doesn't necessarily mean because your mom or your grandparents had it that you will have it, but you are definitely more predisposed to it. And so, you wanna make sure that you're aware of that.

ZACH:

Absolutely. So, last misconception we'll talk about today. Weight loss is mostly about losing weight. We've kind of talked around this as we've been going here, but with obesity, the number one thing is like,"Oh, weight loss. My goal is to lose weight." And yeah, that's part of the journey but it's not the whole journey, right? KIMBERLY: Not at all. And I think when you start to look at it again from a bigger scope, a larger scale, you have to factor in,"What was my win this week? What am I gonna use and then how can I propel myself forward, right?" Your health and wellness journey, it's -- a part of it is your weight, but then there are also -- again, like I said, how's your energy? How's your mood? Are you expending too much energy and then you're feeling fatigued?'Cause then now you don't wanna exercise, now you don't wanna move, you know? Now, you don't wanna meal prep. All of these things tie into it, but then that will then lend you, where do you land on the scale when you look at that, right? Because if I'm not motivated, if I'm not doing the things that I have said I need to do to get here, right? So, focusing on the small victories and then using those to continue on. Focusing on things like how was my sleep? How was my stamina when I went for my run? Challenging yourself in those areas are just as beneficial as challenging yourself when it comes to switching up your nutrition or your exercise. Yeah, someone who, again, is on my own weight loss and gain journey over the years, fluctuations and what not, I can definitely identify with, you were talking about your sleep, your mood, like, how you wake up and how you feel, like, it goes just beyond, like, "Oh look, I look better in the mirror today." It's like, "No, I actually feel better."

KIMBERLY:

You feel better. And when you feel better, you wanna do more'cause you're like,"Oh, this is actually working for me," right? So, I often tell people,"Set yourself up for the small wins because the bigger ones will come," right? And so -- but then the small wins are like the small steps that get you there and you're like,"Oh, oh my gosh, I barely made it today, but I did it." ZACH: Mm-hmm. But if you only focus on that end number, that end BMI, sometimes it's just that's so daunting, right? I'll meet with people and they'll say, you know,"Yeah, this was great, but I need to get here. Yeah, this," -- and completely overlooking. Like, those things are what are gonna get you there, right? So, making sure that, again, one, you are allowing yourself to be flexible in whatever your plan is, but two, that you count those things that maybe you wouldn't look forward to before, right? That you pay attention to what is working well. I often tell people, start your week, like, on your Sunday or your Monday. What worked well for me this week as it pertains to my health and wellness? What area did I just kinda flub, and I just didn't make it? And then why? So, why did I succeed in this space and why was this area so challenging for me? Because then that will show you where you need to make those revisions. ZACH: Oh, I love that. And you approach this topic from a mental and behavioral angle, which is unique from a physical angle but they're all interconnected, right? And so, speak to that a little bit as we wrap up here and the importance that that aspect plays just as much as all the physical activity. When we look at the behavioral approach, what we talk about it reframing everything that maybe you've learned before and looking at it from not so,"How can I get here?" But what does it look like to get me there? Right? So, not so much black and white. Like, the end goal is 105, but how do I -- what is going to get -- What can I do this week to get there? How can I set myself up for success? So, behaviorally, what we do is we focus on not only getting there but making sure you're looking back at maybe triggers that will cause you to go off plan. Making sure that if you have a vacation or a social setting, how do we navigate that so that you feel like when you're going into this, again, having that plan, you're like,"Oh, I've got this," right?"I'm not gonna go down with my aunt's pie this year." You know, like, "I'm not -- that's not gonna be what derails me."

ZACH:

Calories count just as much on vacation. I hate to tell you, they do. KIMBERLY: They are still there. But yeah, oftentimes I think when we take it from a behavioral approach, sometimes people feel more empowered because a lot of times, it's not knowing what to do, it's doing, right? And so, it's moving from knowing to doing and putting that into action. You feel empowered by that. No, I love that. Absolutely. So, any final thoughts then as we wrap up here?

KIMBERLY:

I think just, kind of being open to trying new things just as you would anything else. Considering, like, your health and wellness as a journey. And I know that sounds cliché, but it is that because our bodies are ever changing as we age, as we are in different areas of life, right? It looks different, your availability looks different. So, your nutrition and your movements also then need to look different. ZACH: Absolutely. Well, thanks again so much for your time today, Kimberly. Yeah, thank you.

ZACH:

All right Todd, so my biggest takeaway in our conversation with Kimberly was will power versus planning power. What did you think about that? TODD: Yeah, I like that. As someone who tries to stay active, I know I really sometimes have to plan it out each day. Like, I know I'm going to do this then. When can I fit this in? It looks like it's raining out there. Can I do something at home or do I go to the gym? I'm always thinking about how to fit it into my schedule. No, I think that's part of it because I know for me, the first thing to drop off the to do list is exercise. I mean, you get busy and that sort of thing. But if you plan it out, put it on your calendar, then you kinda have to, like -- it's there, like do you wanna ignore it that way? Like, you gotta look at it and really make that decision. So, I think mentally, it does make a big difference if you really plan for it because you might still quit but you'll feel more obligated to do it if you plan for it, right? TODD: Yeah, absolutely. But at the same time, I think we can take a break someday where you're just pretty busy, but… Yeah.

TODD:

I think you then need to commit to making -- planning to do it the next day'cause you don't want to make a habit out of that. ZACH: Absolutely. You know, stress is another thing. I mean, I can relate to this. I mean, you worked newspaper, I worked in TV, you know the schedules of the industry and whatnot, and the whole like,"Well, I'm gonna skip lunch or get something quick, or that sort of thing," like, that stuff piles up over time, you know when you're having like a stressful time and you got deadlines and things, and then your health intake is probably the last thing on your mind, right? TODD: Yeah, that's true.

ZACH:

First thing to cut corners at.

TODD:

Yeah. Although, I must say, and this might nauseate you a little to hear, but I found a good way when you were stressed was go and kinda work it out, was to go to the gym. ZACH: See, that's the opposite. I'm like -- when I'm stressed, I'm like,"I'm gonna get a chocolate shake." Yeah. Just lie on the couch and chill.

ZACH:

We all cope in our own ways, Todd. A much healthier way to address stress, you than me.

TODD:

Thank you. One thing she said that I liked was the idea of, you know, breaking your goals down into small, manageable amounts. Don't think about, like,"I wanna lose 30 pounds here." Think, you know,"In the next couple weeks, I wanna get down a few pounds."

ZACH:

Mm-hmm.

TODD:

I think that's a healthy way to look at it.

ZACH:

Yeah, 'cause it's like,"I wanna lose weight." Okay, what does that look like? All right, chart that up, right? If it's this big goal.

TODD:

Those are daunting. ZACH: Yeah. I mean, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, right? Maybe not the best thing to -- not the best analogy to make when we're talking about weight loss here, but one on one bite at a time, right?[Laughter] Yes. ZACH: Yeah. No, but I think that's true. When you have these check ins, that can encourage you to maintain and keep moving forward… Yes.

ZACH:

'Cause if you don't -- And I've been there. Like -- you're like, "Ah man. I'm not seeing the results I want. I'm just gonna stop. Stop whatever I'm working towards." And then, you know,"How much progress did I make? I don't know, would I have felt better if I had, like, achieved some goals, some signposts along the way?" That sort of thing. TODD: Yeah. The other thing I found interesting was that obesity was just defined as a illness, 2015 did you say? Yeah.

TODD:

It was actually classified as a disease then so late in the game as you pointed out. What do you make of that?

ZACH:

Well, like anything else, you know, as our knowledge base grows about how we work, how we function as human beings, we're gonna be able to more properly identify things. You know, like, they didn't have a term for PTSD after World War II, right? And now we understand that,"Oh, it's not just shell shock." It's no, you have real problem here, a real diagnosable problem. And I think obesity might be in the same vein.

TODD:

Yeah. Makes sense.

ZACH:

So, as we continue to grow and identify things that we just, kinda, write off as bad habits or things of that nature, it's encouraging to know that no, it's not just about, like, baring down and white knuckling it. It's like no, no, no. You have an issue and there are things that can help you out there and you should seek out those things.

TODD:

So, you mentioned your weight's fluctuating over the years from time to time, is there anything you take from this to, sort of, prevent that from happening?

ZACH:

Yeah, you know it's more of a reinforcement than anything else if I plan things out and stick to the plan then over time, I'm gonna see results'cause it's just so easy to get discouraged. And, you know, people I think, they underestimate and undervalue the mental aspect of all this, right?'Cause that's what we're talking about here. It's not just, like, the ABC's of how to lose weight and be healthier. It's like what other factors are there? And I think the mental factor is a huge, underappreciated factor. TODD: Yeah. So, that's what I -- I just gotta, you know, lock in as they say, right?

TODD:

Yeah. Well, that's the hard part.

ZACH:

It is. It is the hard part, and there's no shame in not being able to, right? As often as you would like to. It's just the reality of life. And I think, you know, people who struggle with weight, and they carry this, like,"Ah, I should look like this or I should be doing that," and that's a whole 'nother kind of -- that's it own, no pun intended, but weight on your shoulders when you're trying to lose weight. TODD: Right. Yeah

TODD:

Yeah, well I know some days -- I know it's a gym day and I just have to drag myself there. And once I get there it's not as bad, but I can feel even then it's a chore. And some days, when I feel like that, I say, "Yeah, I'm not gonna work out today, I'll work out tomorrow."

ZACH:

Yeah. And every now and then that's fine. But once those become every time, that's when the issue starts, right? So.

TODD:

But don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just try to keep a good attitude towards it.

ZACH:

Exactly. All right, well that's gonna do it for this episode of On Health with Houston Methodist. Be sure to share, like, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We drop episodes Tuesday mornings. So, until next time, stay tuned and stay healthy.♪ ♪