Ep. 182 Uncovering the Impact of Emotions on Hunger, Cravings, and Weight with Dr. Adrienne Youdim

Today, I am honored and delighted to have Dr. Adrienne Youdim joining me! Dr. Youdim is an internist specializing in medical weight loss and nutrition. She is the author of Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out.   

Before doing her fellowship, Dr. Youdim was a perfectionist who wanted to excel, exceed, operate, and fix people. Then, she became pregnant. This changed everything for her and thus, began her introduction into the space of obesity medicine.

Dr. Youdim points out that exploring our relationship with food is an opportunity to explore our relationship with ourselves. When we answer the call to address our hunger with self-awareness and radical introspection, we can engage in the life-changing work of managing our hunger from within.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into different types of hunger. We discuss the pendulum bias, beliefs about weight gain, and why Dr. Youdim feels that there should be compassion at every size. We unpack the normalization of body dissatisfaction and shame and discuss the importance of understanding the epigenetic changes associated with weight loss and weight gain. We also talk about the role of hormones in weight gain and weight loss, how to differentiate between needing and craving, how traumas and beliefs play into obesity, and the importance of lifestyle medicine. Be sure to stay tuned for more!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• Dr. Youdim discusses weight-related beliefs and bias and explains why health at every size is a fallacy.
• Dr. Youdim explains how she fell into the obesity medicine space.
• What prompted Dr. Youdim to focus predominantly on different kinds of hunger in her book?
• Navigating away from shame and inadvertently projecting our traumas onto our children.
• Overcoming epigenetics and the generational patterns that impact our health and lifestyle choices.
• How sleep deprivation can negatively impact our mood, set us up for metabolic disease, and even change our hunger hormones.
• What does alcohol do to our brains that negatively impacts the quality of our sleep?
• How abuse, trauma, stress, and emotions are linked to illness, emotional eating, and obesity.
• What causes us to regain weight after dieting, and how can we combat it?
• Adopting a balanced approach to weight maintenance and changing body composition.
• The impact menopause and perimenopause have on body composition.
• Using the emotional hunger brought on by menopause and perimenopause as an opportunity for growth.
• Learning how to differentiate between needing and craving food.
• Learning how to approach food from a place of mindfulness

BIOGRAPHY 

Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP, is an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and nutrition. Her mission is to transform the weight loss narrative into one that is both empowering and compassionate, inspiring people to live more physically and emotionally fulfilling lives. Dr. Youdim draws on best medical practices in the field of obesity medicine and on her patients’ value system, trusting that we all inherently know what we need. 

Dr. Youdim believes that navigating our hunger is a process that requires, introspection, self-acceptance, and a sense of agency. One of the principles of her practice is to provide both inspiration and information. Dr. Youdim encourages her patients not only to consider the tools and logistics of a weight loss plan but also to consider the motivating values that inspire them. She gives her patients information relevant to their weight-loss journey, including resources to promote self-awareness, journaling exercises, and mindfulness practices. 

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You can buy a copy of Dr. Adrienne Youdim’s book, Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out, from Amazon.