#1 Menopause Doctor Masterclass Pt 4: GLP1s, Losing Belly Fat + Live Longer & Stronger Now! Dr. Mary Claire Haver

This has been one of the most shared series in this history of The Jamie Kern Lima Show, and Back by popular demand, she’s often called top menopause doctor in the world, Dr. Mary Claire Haver is here, in this Part 4 Menopause Masterclass Episode where today we’re talking all things GLP-1s and what Dr. Haver says are the risks vs rewards. Plus the true science and data you need to know for your body, health and weight, including how to truly feel your best, how to live longer and stronger, why diet culture has gotten it all so wrong for decades, why are you really gaining belly fat and what to do about it, how your changing hormones are impacting you and SO much more! Right now 1.2 billion women are in perimenopause or menopause and whether or not you’re experiencing this personally in your life right now, I guarantee you someone in your life is…whether you’re a man or woman, menopause is going to affect you because it’s going to affect 50% of our society. Right now whether you or someone you love is experiencing perimenopause which can start at 30 or even younger, or menopause which can typically start in your 40s, 50s or 60s, there is so much conflicting information about this subject, experts say so few doctors are well-trained, and there’s so many things our mothers didn’t tell us or even know about it, and it’s time that you feel informed about what's going on with your body, your brain and your hormones. Today is your menopause masterclass and you’re going to leave this episode with your own menopause tool kit, equipped with the info and tools you need that I know are going to impact your life today! Our guest today, many call her the top menopause doctor on the planet. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist and certified menopause practitioner from the Menopause Society. She's also a certified culinary medicine specialist from Tulane University, a bestselling author of multiple books including her incredible new book, The New Menopause. She's also the founder of the Mary Claire Wellness Clinic. She’s a mom of two, a wife, and a woman on a mission who says that while menopause is inevitable, suffering doesn’t have to be. ____ Are You Ready to believe in YOU?🙌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jamiekernlima.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👈 Sign up for my FREE Inspirational Newsletter and get ready for your self-worth to soar!🩷 Also, please make sure to take 2 seconds and click the “Follow” button right here on this page to follow me and the podcast, I’m so grateful and thank you SO much! Chapters: 0:00 Welcome to The Jamie Kern Lima Show 10:30 What Are GLP-1s? 12:50 Does Ozempic Help Menopause Weight Gain? 25:35 Strong > Skinny 27:20 3 Ways Testosterone Can Support Menopause 29:40 How Progesterone Helps In Menopause & What It Costs ____ And whether you're joining me today for yourself or because someone that you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family. And remember this episode is not just for you and me. Please share it with every single person that you know because it can change their life too. It’s such an honor to share this podcast together with you. And please note: I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Follow me here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Sign up for my inspirational newsletter for YOU at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ jamiekernlima.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Looking for my books on Amazon? Here they are! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WORTHY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Believe IT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jamie Kern Lima?

  This has been one of the most shared series in the history of the Jamie Kern Lima Show and brand new today, back by popular demand, she's often called the top menopause doctor in the world. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is here in this part four menopause masterclass episode where today we're talking all things GLP-1s. Those are the weight loss and weight management drugs that are taking the world by storm. Are they right for you? What are the risks versus rewards? All the things your doctor might have forgotten to mention. We are going there today and whether you're listening for yourself or because someone you love shared this episode with you, I want to welcome you to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family.

• 0:44Jamie Kern Lima?

  Ozempic, Wegovy, Majaro, Zepbound.

• 0:50Speaker 01

  GLP-1s are a class of medications that are peptides found naturally in the body. They've been around for over 20 years. We have all of that safety data. They're blocking the things that drive us to eat. It's also blocking things that drive us to drink, are drive us to gamble, kind of these compulsive behaviors. Wonderful studies coming out on the mental health benefits of GLP-1s. It slows the food emptying from the stomach. It's really, for my patients, been miraculous. Muscle mass has a dramatic loss through perimenopause. Body fat sees a tremendous uptick and increase in the percentage of body fat across the menopause transition. We're losing muscle and gaining fat just from being menopausal people.

• 1:32Jamie Kern Lima?

  Right now, 1.2 billion women are in perimenopause or menopause and whether or not you're experiencing this personally in your life right now, I guarantee you, someone in your life is. Can you get GLP-1s covered by insurance if you're not obese?

• 1:50Speaker 01

  It's getting harder. Cost of these medications is outrageous.

• 1:53Jamie Kern Lima?

  It's like a thousand dollars a month.

• 1:55Speaker 01

  It's ridiculous. More coupons are coming, but just to demonize a patient and tell her it's her willpower is one of the biggest tragedies in the history of medicine.

• 2:04Jamie Kern Lima?

  Which now with the obesity genes, all these other things, they're proving it's not willpower.

• 2:08Speaker 01

  No, it's not willpower. And I was taught in that generation of it's her fault.

• 2:13Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 2:14Speaker 01

  She's just lazy until...

• 2:16Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah, I believed that my whole life. Like, oh, I'm gaining weight. It's definitely my fault. You know, I've been tested for the obesity genes now, and I actually have two of them. And I'm like, oh. You know, and then your brain works differently. There's so much science.

• 2:27Speaker 01

  The entire biological drive is working against you. GLP-1s are far superior to metformin.

• 2:34Jamie Kern Lima?

  Do you prescribe both to your patients? Or you predominantly do GLP-1s? If somebody's doctor says no?

• 2:40Speaker 01

  No?

• 2:41Jamie Kern Lima?

  If somebody's, like, if they go to their doctor and say, I'm really, really interested in GLP-1s, and they go, oh, you should just work out and eat better.

• 2:49Speaker 01

  And then you turn around and tell them, I'm doing that. And they say, no, you can't be. Therefore, you wouldn't be obese. Then you need to find a new doctor.

• 2:56Jamie Kern Lima?

  What are some of the resources that exist online? Because there's now, through telehealth, you can get prescriptions in other ways.

• 3:04Speaker 01

  Because it's not just take this medication, woo, go be thin, and off you go. It is really rewiring your brain.

• 3:09Jamie Kern Lima?

  A lot of people worry about, like, Ozempic face or Ozempic butt. Is that simply just you've...

• 3:14Speaker 01

  Massive weight loss.

• 3:15Jamie Kern Lima?

  You've lost weight fast.

• 3:16Speaker 01

  Right, and when you lose weight fast, the elasticity of the skin struggles to keep up.

• 3:20Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 3:21Speaker 01

  And so, we see more of the hanging skin.

• 3:23Jamie Kern Lima?

  So, GLP-1s don't change your face or your body. It's more the result of skin from weight loss.

• 3:30Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 3:31Jamie Kern Lima?

  Okay, I think there's a misconception out there. They're like, wait, I don't want to get that. With GLP-1s, the risk of losing muscle, because if we're not eating enough, we might not be eating enough protein. We might not be lifting weights. And you talk about how critical it is.

• 3:44Speaker 01

  Prioritize your protein.

• 3:45Jamie Kern Lima?

  Strong over skinny. Okay.

• 3:48Speaker 01

  They're bawling, crying in my office. And I'm like, you're amazing. Oh, my God, look at all this muscle.

• 3:53Jamie Kern Lima?

  I can think about the times in my life where I've been the thinnest. I've felt the worst. I have felt the worst. And I've also felt the least confident. The least confident, too. I feel like the more we're focused on the wrong things, the more insecure we feel. You look at the data. It's like 91% of girls and women literally opt out of meaningful activities in their life when they're worried about how they look or they don't like how they look. And I just feel like we've bought into diet culture in the wrong way for so long.

• 4:18Speaker 01

  It's just a hack. It's such an easy hack that almost anybody can do.

• 4:22Jamie Kern Lima?

  I want to just announce it to the world. You're hearing it first here that...

• 4:27Speaker 01

  Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is not, and you can make a change. But you're gonna have to advocate for yourself, and you're gonna have to educate yourself.

• 4:35Jamie Kern Lima?

  There's so many incredible resources that you share. A lot of them are free. Whether you're a man or a woman, menopause is gonna affect you because it's gonna affect 50% of our society. Right now, whether you or someone you love is experiencing perimenopause, which can start at 30 or even younger, or menopause, which can typically start in your 40s, 50s, or 60s. There is so much conflicting information about the subject. So few doctors are well-trained, and there are so many things our mothers didn't tell us or even know about it. And it's time that you feel informed about what's going on with your body, your brain, and your hormones.

• 5:18Jamie Kern Lima?

  Today is your menopause masterclass, and you're gonna leave this episode with your own menopause toolkit, equipped with the info and tools you need that I know are gonna impact your life today. Whether it's how to sleep better, understand what's a menopause myth and what's the truth, lose belly fat, or stop suffering finally. My guest today, and many call her the top menopause doctor on the planet, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, is going to take us from feeling powerless to powerful on everything your doctor forgot to mention, on topics including the exact tests you need to ask your doctor for during your next visit,

• 6:03Jamie Kern Lima?

  the three stages of menopause, on what's actually happening in your body, on your changing hormones, on hormone replacement therapy, including the risks versus the benefits. Should you do it? How and when? On belly fat and weight gain linked to menopause, and what you can do about it right now? And on the surprising symptoms happening to so many women that go untreated and overlooked by the majority of doctors who just aren't as well-informed as they could be. Today is a masterclass from the Master of Menopause herself. Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist and

• 6:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  certified menopause practitioner from the Menopause Society. She's also a certified culinary medicine specialist from Tulane University, a bestselling author of multiple books, including her brand new book, The New Menopause. She's also the founder of the Mary Claire Wellness Clinic. She's a mom of two, a wife, and a woman on a mission who says that while menopause is inevitable, suffering doesn't have to be. And she is here to help you and me today. And for everybody new to this episode, can you do me a favor? If you like the show and the guests that I bring you, please hit the subscribe or follow button on the app you're listening or watching on.

• 7:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  It truly means the world to me, and thank you. And I want to remind you, this episode is not just for you and me. Please share this with every single woman that you know, because what you are about to hear will change your life and hers.

• 7:46Speaker 02

  Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

• 7:49Jamie Kern Lima?

  Oprah, how have you defied the odds?

• 7:53Speaker 03

  Her show is unlike any I've ever done. A revelation. When you listen, it feels like a hug, but your brain and your spirit and your heart is like, wow.

• 8:03Jamie Kern Lima?

  Melinda French Gates.

• 8:06Speaker 04

  When I look into Jamie's eyes, I feel like I am on some other cosmic level with her.

• 8:13Jamie Kern Lima?

  I could see the light around her. She's infused with light. Imagine overcoming self doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you are enough. Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

• 8:28Speaker 03

  Jamie Kern Lima is her name. Everybody needs Jamie Kern Lima in their life.

• 8:32Jamie Kern Lima?

  Jamie Kern Lima.

• 8:36Speaker 05

  Jamie, you're so inspiring. Jamie Kern Lima.

• 8:43Jamie Kern Lima?

  When it comes to belly fat, weight gain, visceral fat, all of the symptoms associated with weight gain that come with perimenopause and menopause, and when it comes to GLP-1s.

• 8:55Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:56Jamie Kern Lima?

  I want to ask you about this because this is an issue facing so many people. And one of the biggest questions I get, and I am not a doctor, I get people asking me about GLP-1s all the time, meaning Ozempic, Wegovy, Majaro, Zepbound, all of them, semaglutide.

• 9:14Speaker 01

  So GLP-1s are a class of medications that are peptides found naturally in the body. So when I was researching for The Galveston Diet, my first book, and I was looking at the hormones that affect where and how we gain weight. And I was kind of astounded, not only is it insulin, but things like leptin and ghrelin that control our hunger and drive fat to certain areas. And then things like GLP-1s and hormone PPY. So what science has been able to do is pull out that, you know, make the GLP-1, which is a natural peptide, and get it into a form that it actually lasts longer in the body. So natural GLP-1s actually only have a half-life of a few minutes. You know, your body creates it, and within like two or three minutes,

• 9:58Speaker 01

  it's out of your system. It gets used and done. With the commercially available GLP-1s in the medication form, they've been able to tag them where they can last for about a week. So we're seeing the benefits of what they do for us in a very short term when we create them in the body, and they can extend the life of that benefit forever. They've been around for over 20 years. They've been used in the treatment of diabetes for 20 years. They've known about these medications forever. So we have all of that safety data. What happened was, we've known forever that people who are adequately treated for their diabetes lose weight. And they were starting to do testing to see if people who were non-diabetics, would they lose weight as well, who were obese? Okay? And as we know now, yes, it worked very, very, very well.

• 10:42Speaker 01

  And so then the frenzy kind of started. It was the next like WHI study, right? And what was the bigger medical news story last year or year before than the use of what was Ozempic for the treatment of obesity? And how would that help? You know, and it turns out when we, you know, GLP-1 seemed to have independent action in the brain. They're blocking the things that drive us to eat. It's also blocking things that drive us to drink, or drive us to gamble, kind of these compulsive behaviors. Wonderful studies coming out on the mental health benefits of GLP-1s.

• 11:15Speaker 01

  Also on it slows the food emptying from the stomach. So food stays longer in the tummy longer, which is why we see some of the nausea and some of the other issues with GLP-1s. But when you slow food down, you're not as hungry, right? The tummy is feeling full and is feeding back other chemicals to the brain saying, we're good, we don't need to eat. That drive to eat the next meal decreases.

• 11:36Speaker 01

  When we slow things down, we also decrease how fast the food is being absorbed into the system, blood system. So we're seeing lower insulin spikes. I mean, everything kind of gets better when you've struggled with those things before that were driving people's obesity. And it's really, for my patients, been miraculous. Absolutely miraculous. So when I first opened, GLP-1s were not kind of a thing back then. I knew about them because I went to medical school. But it was another, anything I ever considered learning about or introducing into my practice because that was for diabetes and we treat menopause and not diabetes. But the majority of my patients were coming in with either new or continuing issues with weight, especially the new fat gain.

• 12:17Speaker 01

  So what happens across the menopause transition, a beautiful study done in 2019, studied 1,200 women across the transition, tracked their hormone levels and tracked their body fat, their visceral, their total body fat and their muscle mass and their BMI. And what they saw is this S-shaped curve. So when they were, their muscle mass has a dramatic loss through perimenopause and then it continues to decline, but that stabilizes the loss. Their bone, their, but their body fat sees a tremendous uptick and increase in the percentage of body fat across the menopause transition. And then, but the weight gain is steady state.

• 13:00Speaker 01

  So we're losing muscle and gaining fat just from being menopausal people. If you look at visceral fat distribution, which is where I kind of zone in on. A woman can expect to have 8% of her body fat is visceral fat when she's pre-menopausal. And we take her twin, who doesn't go through menopause till five years later. Okay. Her risk increases to 23%.

• 13:19Jamie Kern Lima?

  And that's the dangerous fat in your

• 13:20Speaker 01

  That is the fat that is dangerous, inflammatory, and linked to hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke, all of the cardiometabolic diseases. That is the fat that is dangerous. Subcutaneous fat is actually not that harmful. It gives us curves. We're cosmetically distressed by it. We've been conditioned to think it's bad, it's horrible. But it really more represents just our beautiful genetic expression of our bodies, our natural curves. It's the intra-abdominal fat where I get nervous and I start talking about diabetes. And so when my patients are coming in with elevated visceral fat, we start them on hormone therapy. We give them a nutrition plan. We do all the things. And for about 60% of our patients, they do great with that. That's all they needed. Especially if they'd never had a weight problem before.

• 14:04Speaker 01

  You know, if fat distribution was not a problem before menopause. We give them hormones. We teach them all about nutrition and things we need to change in menopause. And they do great. But another 30%, the last 30 to 35% are still struggling, still have elevated risk factors for, you know, chronic disease. And then we start the GLP-1 conversation with them. Now, what's happening is GLP-1s are becoming widely available. And I don't think patients are getting the right counseling. We spent another hour with her, talking about muscle mass and loss and what happens with when your hunger cues go down. And really making yourself eat enough protein and it's time to get to the gym. But with the mental health changes going along with the medication, I have never seen my patients more motivated to stick to a plan.

• 14:47Jamie Kern Lima?

  So you're passionate about GLP-1?

• 14:49Speaker 01

  Yes, they get it. They get it. They get it. It's happening. They're going to the gym. They're focusing on their muscle mass. They're buying the home scales and measuring their muscle mass at home, which aren't quite as accurate as my fancy machine in the office, but it's something. And they're learning to track health and not weight. And it is absolutely miraculous. So we do use them in clinic judiciously. We give incredible amounts of guidance. We're tracking muscle mass and fat loss through the process. And our patients who are choosing to do it are doing really well.

• 15:19Jamie Kern Lima?

  Can you get GLP-1s covered by insurance if you're not obese?

• 15:23Speaker 01

  Um, it depends on the insurance company. And what's happened is the generosity, generosity, it's getting harder. So I was having patients being, who had prediabetes and things and having it covered. But that is getting harder and harder. The cost of these medications is outrageous. And when you look at the, the like global economics of it, to get it in the UK is like, I want to say like a hundred dollars a month. Like it is, you know, what the UK is able to get it for, because they negotiated with Novo Nordisk, is so much less than what the, in the US, we're just the cash cow.

• 15:57Jamie Kern Lima?

  It's like a thousand dollars.

• 15:58Speaker 01

  It's ridiculous. And most of my patients, that is a really, really hard thing for them. Right now, again, more coupons are coming. I just had a patient call me and say she was able to get the pens for 500 and that was a lot more affordable. But still, for, you know, the, the sweet lady listening on Ohio, she's like, what do I do? Okay, so good news is that, you know, things in administration with the government, it's all about government contracts and how much they can get it for. You know, the, the head of the treasury for, I think, North Carolina, this wonderful man came out and said, if we were able to give every patient who deserved it, a GLP-1, it would bankrupt our state at the current cost. It cost them about $2 to make those pens and put the medicine in it.

• 16:44Speaker 01

  And they're charging over a thousand dollars. The markup is outrageous. But this is a supply and demand issue. So I'm hopeful that whatever the new administration, all the policy changes that are happening, one of the things hopefully that we'll see is better negotiation to get these prices to come down. So we can make this medication available to more patients. Do I wish we lived in a world like 50 years ago when only 10% of people would need this medication to be healthier? You know, there's so many things that feed into why this country is struggling so much with obesity and multiple other countries, not just us. You know, we live in an obesogenic society. The most readily and cheap food available is the food that is trying to kill us. You know, the heavily processed foods, you know, and so.

• 17:26Speaker 01

  All of this is feeding into it, but just to demonize a patient and tell her it's her willpower.

• 17:30Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 17:31Speaker 01

  Is one of the biggest tragedies in the history of medicine.

• 17:34Jamie Kern Lima?

  Which now with the obesity genes, all these other things they're proving is not willpower.

• 17:38Speaker 01

  No, it's not willpower. And I was taught in that generation of it's her fault.

• 17:43Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 17:44Speaker 01

  She's just lazy until it happens.

• 17:46Jamie Kern Lima?

  I believed that my whole life, like, oh, I'm gaining weight, it's definitely my fault. You know, I've been tested for the obesity genes now, and I actually have two of them. And I'm like, oh, you know, and then your brain works differently. There's so much science.

• 17:57Speaker 01

  The entire biological drive is working against you.

• 18:00Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 18:01Speaker 01

  And it's really the rare person without cutting everything else in their life. How can you be a balanced human being and a mother and do carpool and do all the things? And fight these two genes?

• 18:11Jamie Kern Lima?

  Okay, this is big. I gotta ask you this, with all the studies on GLP-1s, because so many people now are, you know, saying, oh, I really, really want to try to do, you know, Zepbound or Ozempic or any of those drugs out there. For a lot of the studies on them, I've heard that. We need to pause for a super brief break, and while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single woman that you know, because this information can truly change your life and hers. In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams, you stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life.

• 18:51Jamie Kern Lima?

  And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life for You. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self-love, unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt, and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness, overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are

• 19:34Jamie Kern Lima?

  worthy of them, and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy, plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at worthybook.com or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out with Worthy. Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self-belief.

• 20:18Jamie Kern Lima?

  And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you, delivered straight to your inbox each and every Tuesday morning from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiekernlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your One-on-One with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy, and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl.

• 21:02Jamie Kern Lima?

  Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes. Do you struggle with negative self-talk? Living with a constant mental narrative that you're not good enough is exhausting. I know because I spent most of my life in that habit. The words you say to yourself about yourself are so powerful and when you learn to take control over your self-talk, it's life-changing. And I wanted to give you a free resource that I created for you if this is something that could benefit your life. It's called Five Ways to Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Build Self-Love.

• 21:45Jamie Kern Lima?

  And it's a free how-to guide to overcome that negative self-talk, to build confidence and develop unshakable self-love so that you can dream big and keep going in the pursuit of your goals. Don't let self-sabotaging thoughts hinder your progress any longer. It's time to rewrite the script of your life, one filled with self-love, resilience, and unwavering belief.

• 22:11Jamie Kern Lima?

  If you're ready to take charge of your narrative, build unwavering confidence and empower yourself to persevere on the path to your dreams, you can grab your free guide to Stop Overthinking and Learn to Trust Yourself at jamiekernlima.com/resources or click the link in the show notes below. And now, more of this incredible conversation together. Okay, this is big. I gotta ask you this with all the studies on GLP-1s because so many people now are, you know, saying, "Oh, I really, really want to try to do, you know, Zepbound or Ozempic or any of those drugs out there." For a lot of the studies on them, I've heard that a lot of the people studied were actually also on Metformin when they got those results. Is that true?

• 22:56Speaker 01

  I'm not sure. I haven't, you know, I'd have to ask my endocrine friends. Metformin, so when I talk to like my endocrine gurus, they say Metformin is a very poor man's GLP-1, that when you look at visceral fat loss, when you look at, you know, diabetic control, that GLP-1s are far superior to Metformin.

• 23:18Jamie Kern Lima?

  Do you prescribe both to your patients or you predominantly do GLP-1s? If somebody's doctor says no.

• 23:26Speaker 01

  No.

• 23:26Jamie Kern Lima?

  If somebody's, like if they go to their doctor and say, "I'm really, really interested in GLP-1s" and they go, "Oh, you should just work out and eat better."

• 23:34Speaker 01

  And then you turn around and tell them, "I'm doing that."

• 23:37Jamie Kern Lima?

  Right.

• 23:38Speaker 01

  And they say, "No, you can't be. Therefore, you wouldn't be obese." Then you need to find a new doctor.

• 23:42Jamie Kern Lima?

  Need to find a new doctor. And what are some of the resources that exist online? Because there's now through telehealth and through other ways, you can get prescriptions in other ways.

• 23:53Speaker 01

  Alexandra Soa has written an incredible book called The Ozempic Revolution. And it's not just about Ozempic, but she goes through the history, the causes of obesity, and, you know, she has resources on how to help you find a clinician who's educated. And she's, she also goes through nutrition, exercise, you know, she goes through her toolkit as well because it's not just take this medication, woo, go be thin and off you go. It is really rewiring your brain.

• 24:20Jamie Kern Lima?

  Right.

• 24:21Speaker 01

  With this new tool, it's a tool, it's nothing more than to help you kind of reconfigure your life so you live in a less obesogenic world.

• 24:31Jamie Kern Lima?

  A lot of people worry about like Ozempic face or Ozempic, is that simply just you've Massive weight loss. You've lost weight fast. Right, and when you lose weight fast.

• 24:39Speaker 01

  The elasticity of the skin struggles to keep up.

• 24:42Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 24:42Speaker 01

  And so we see more of the hanging skin and I've seen in some of my patients, you know, they're coming in complaining.

• 24:47Jamie Kern Lima?

  Yeah.

• 24:48Speaker 01

  And what we're hoping is that, you know, once your weight stabilizes, as long as you feed that collagen and, you know, nutrition and everything's on point, you're not malnourished, that the elasticity will kind of catch up and we won't see as much as the sag.

• 25:01Jamie Kern Lima?

  So GLP-1s don't change your face?

• 25:04Speaker 01

  No.

• 25:04Jamie Kern Lima?

  Or your body?

• 25:05Speaker 01

  No.

• 25:05Jamie Kern Lima?

  That's more the result of

• 25:06Speaker 01

  Weight loss.

• 25:07Jamie Kern Lima?

  In from weight loss.

• 25:08Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 25:09Jamie Kern Lima?

  Okay, I think there's a misconception out there, they're like, wait, I don't want to get that, I don't want my face to change.

• 25:13Speaker 01

  And then they're putting other things in to fill and, you know, it is a little bit of a catch, but you know, when people, we know from the gastric bypass patients who had massive weight loss quickly, this is the exact same phenomenon that was happening.

• 25:26Jamie Kern Lima?

  Same thing. You know, you talk about both with GLP-1s, the risk of losing muscle.

• 25:31Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 25:31Jamie Kern Lima?

  Because if we're not eating enough, we might not be eating enough protein, we might not be lifting weights, and you talk about how critical it is

• 25:37Speaker 01

  Prioritize your protein.

• 25:38Jamie Kern Lima?

  Strong over skinny. Okay, share all this with us.

• 25:42Speaker 01

  You know, I grew up in the 80s, everything was about aerobics, I was teaching step aerobics. I didn't pick up a weight, Jamie, until I, and it was little tiny hand weights, right, for Zumba. I didn't even think about my muscle mass, I was always thinking about be thin, be thin, be thin. It was the whole reason I moved my body to work out was to be thin, because thin was healthy, right? I had thin privilege, I wanted to hang on to it. Now what I realize is that this whole generation was chipping away at their bone and muscle strength, unless you were like a unicorn college athlete or something, you know? And that women, when I put them on the body scanner and they're athletic and they're like really muscular and they've been told their whole life they were obese and overweight, they're bawling crying in my office, and I'm like, you're amazing, oh my God, look at all this muscle. They're like, I've always felt fat.

• 26:27Speaker 01

  Like, no, you're so healthy. So like, helping people develop habits, and it's a really a mind shift to get away from eating for strength, eating for strong, eating for your old lady body, rather than eating to have some random diet, you know, thin body that is cosmetically appealing to a certain percentage of the population, is a really Huge gift I am giving to my patients.

• 26:52Jamie Kern Lima?

  It's so good. And I know you've talked about this with younger women, but it's really all women. I mean, you know, so often I can think about the times in my life where I've been the thinnest. I've felt the worst.

• 27:03Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 27:03Jamie Kern Lima?

  I have felt the worst. And I've also felt

• 27:04Speaker 01

  It's so hard to maintain.

• 27:06Jamie Kern Lima?

  The least confident, the least confident, too. I feel like the more we're focused on the wrong things, the more insecure we feel. You look at the data, it's like 91% of girls and women literally opt out of meaningful activities in their life when they're worried about how they look or they don't like how they look. And I just feel like we've bought into diet culture in the wrong way for so long. I love that you talk about how critical it is to focus on being strong over skinny and how it not only change, it changes all parts of your physical and your emotional and mental health and your joy. So is that what you focus on now in your life?

• 27:41Speaker 01

  Yeah. So mostly when I do cardio, I just throw on my weighted vest and I jump on the treadmill and I'll do a Zoom call or I'm just walking and reading or I'm, you know, doing internet stuff. And I've turned my treadmill at home into a walking desk. So that's my cardio. Or I'll go walk with my girlfriends on the weighted vest.

• 27:58Jamie Kern Lima?

  Tell us about that.

• 27:59Speaker 01

  So when I was seeing all my, you know, recommending earlier DEXA scans for my patients. And so I was looking to see what do we know works? What works for women who to avoid osteoporosis or to help with their osteoporosis? And I ran across two or three articles talking about using weighted vests on women in nursing homes and how they're seeing improvement in their bone and muscle strength, their balance and decreased fragility. And I was like, what do these things look like? So I go on Amazon and find one. I order one. I start wearing it all around Galveston and I start talking about it on the internet. And then suddenly I become the queen of the weighted vest, you know? They even wrote about it in a newspaper article. And all my friends have them. We see people on the seawall in Galveston. Hey, you know, we're walking with our weighted vest on, but you know,

• 28:43Speaker 01

  the body responds to resistance in a positive way. And that weighted vest will put pressure on the axial skeleton. And so what we worry about in osteoporosis is spinal fractures and hip fractures. So we're putting the weight where we need it to put that little extra stimulus to get stronger for the both. The bones and the muscles. So it's just a hack. It's such an easy hack that almost anybody can do.

• 29:03Jamie Kern Lima?

  I love seeing you on Instagram with your weighted vest of doing, doing all your content. You know, I want to thank you for the force for women, the force for health, the force for awareness that you are into the world. I want everyone to check out and get their copy of The New Menopause, your book. And I want to just announce it to the world. You're hearing it first here that your upcoming book, your upcoming book, The New Perimenopause is on its way, which I'm really, really excited about. In closing, what, what final words of wisdom, what words of wisdom do you have for someone listening right now, who may be, you know, having symptoms, you know, on her journey to figuring out,

• 29:47Jamie Kern Lima?

  oh, wow, am I in perimenopause, menopause, you know, what should she know that maybe we haven't covered?

• 29:53Speaker 01

  That suffering is not a normal part of life. Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is not. And you don't have to accept what life is throwing at you, that you can make a change. And, but you're gonna have to advocate for yourself and you're gonna have to educate yourself. And that's why I wrote The New Menopause.

• 30:14Jamie Kern Lima?

  There's so many incredible resources that you share. A lot of them are free. We're gonna link to all of them in the show notes. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, thank you so much for being on the Jamie Kern Lima Show Podcast.

• 30:25Speaker 01

  Yay.

• 30:26Jamie Kern Lima?

  And if you loved today's episode, please click the follow or subscribe button for the show on your app and give it a five star rating or review. And again, please share this episode with everyone you believe in. Share it with another person in your life who could benefit from it. Post it and share it with others online or in your community who just might need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me today. Before you go, I want to share some words with you. Couldn't it be more true? You, right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy.

• 31:10Jamie Kern Lima?

  You're worthy of your greatest hopes, your wildest dreams, and all the unconditional love in the world, and it is an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Here, I hope you'll come as you are, and heal where you need, blossom what you choose, journey toward your calling, and stay as long as you like, because you belong here. You are worthy, you are loved, you are love, and I love you. And I can't wait to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. In life, you don't soar to the level of your hopes and dreams, you stay stuck at

• 31:53Jamie Kern Lima?

  the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life for You. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, Worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back, build unshakable self-love, unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt, and embrace

• 32:33Jamie Kern Lima?

  the truths that wake up worthiness, overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome, achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them, and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy, plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at worthybook.com or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you'd do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out with Worthy.

• 33:18Jamie Kern Lima?

  Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious. And so is self-belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you, delivered straight to your inbox from me. If you haven't signed up, to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiekernlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your One-on-One with Jamie weekly newsletter. And get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration,

• 34:02Jamie Kern Lima?

  some tips, tools, joy, and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl. Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes. And please note, I'm not a licensed therapist and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.