In this week’s Group Meeting, Dr. Tro and Health Coaches Amy Eiges and Brian Wiley discussed Dr. Tro’s most recent published case study on lowering A1c with minimal weight loss using carbohydrate restriction. The team also discussed the ways patients with obesity are treated differently by doctors in the modern healthcare world. The conversation then turned to how to deal with compliments and personal question about your weight loss journey during social situations.

Discussion:

• Dr. Tro opened the meeting by discussing his recently published fourth published case study showing how A1c can be lowered with very minimal weight loss. This flies in direct contrast to the way mainstream medicine focuses on weight loss for diabetes control.
• There are many other factors that effect metabolic problems that are not tied to weight. This is why we should focus on health numbers first — metabolic improvements can happen with little to no weight loss. 
• A lot of doctors only focus on the patient’s weight, which can create frustration and discouragement for overweight patients. Many with obesity will avoid visiting doctors because of the shame, which can make problems worse.
• The conversation shifted to the topic of how to handle people’s questions and reactions to weight loss in light of social situations opening up again after COVID restrictions being  lifted.
• Many compliments and questions about weight loss can be uncomfortable even if they come from a genuine and caring place. For some of us the comments and focus on our appearance are reminders of the negative messages we got after living with obesity for years. For others, the compliments result in letting our guard down — we don’t need to chase weight loss anymore and can slip into old habits.
• Dr. Tro, Amy and Brian all agreed that staying focused on your inner beliefs is the best way to deal with both positive and negative feedback. In other words: what people think of you is none of your business!