What if the hardest part of living with obesity was never actually the weight? For so many women, it's the years of dieting, judgment, doctor's appointments, body comments, weight stigma, and quietly believing that if they could finally lose the weight, then they could start living. And when the weight finally does come off? The emotional transformation doesn't necessarily happen at the same speed. In this deeply compassionate conversation, Dr. Mariza sits down with double board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician Dr. Alexandra Sowa to explore the side of GLP-1 medications that almost nobody is talking about: what happens after they start working. Dr. Sowa has spent 15 years treating obesity and was one of the earliest physicians using GLP-1 medications for obesity management. She explains why medication can be an extraordinary tool while still being only one piece of a much bigger healing process. Together, they unpack what happens when your body changes faster than your identity, why compliments about weight loss can unexpectedly trigger grief or shame, and how decades of weight stigma and childhood experiences can continue influencing the way you see yourself long after the number on the scale changes. They also explore the surprising ways GLP-1s can change relationships, friendships, food preferences, social routines, and even the amount of mental space women have available when constant food noise begins to quiet. Dr. Sowa shares the foundational practices she uses with her own patients, including logging food and feelings without obsessively tracking calories, prioritizing protein, meeting yourself where you are with movement, preserving muscle, and doing the deeper emotional work when trauma begins to surface. And for women in midlife, they tackle an especially important conversation: why changing hormones and metabolic health deserve to be taken seriously instead of dismissed as laziness or lack of willpower. Because losing weight can change your health, your mobility, and your life. But the greatest transformation may be the freedom to finally stop organizing your entire life around your weight. DR. ALEXANDRA SOWA Dr. Alexandra Sowa is a double board-certified physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine, bestselling author of The Ozempic Revolution, and one of the country's leading experts in metabolic health and GLP-1 medications. She has practiced obesity medicine for 15 years and was one of the earliest physicians to incorporate GLP-1 medications into obesity treatment. She is also the founder of SoWell, where she provides education, community, and nutritional support specifically designed for people using GLP-1 medications. Her work goes far beyond weight loss, helping patients build sustainable habits while addressing the emotional, behavioral, and metabolic complexities of obesity. IN THIS EPISODE Why losing weight doesn't automatically heal years of weight stigma and shame What happens when your body changes faster than your identity can catch up Why GLP-1 medications can change friendships, marriages, and social routines How reducing food noise can give women valuable mental space back The connection between childhood trauma, obesity, and chronic disease Dr. Sowa's non-negotiables for protein, logging, movement, and preserving muscle Why exercise doesn't have to mean an intense 45-minute gym workout Why midlife weight changes deserve better care than "eat less and move more" QUOTES “Weight loss doesn't make you happier.” “We have mistaken thinness for health.” “Start where you are. Move as much as you can, and then beyond that, we try to grow our muscles.” “I want you to mom yourself like you mom your kid.” RESOURCES MENTIONED Find inspiration, connection, and meaningful reads. Join the Book Club now! https://drmariza.com/bookclub The Ozempic Revolution by Dr. Alexandra Sowa SoWell Website Alexandra Sowa Website Alexandra Sowa Instagram Alexandra Sowa Tiktok RELATED EPISODES 765: How Do You Hold It Together When You’re Falling Apart Inside with Amy Morin 764: Why Your Nervous System Feels Dysregulated (Even When You’re Doing Everything Right) with Roseann Capanna-Hodge 763: Why So Many High-Functing and Achieving Women Miss the Signs of Hormone Imbalance with Anastasia Sartan 750: The Underlying Cellular Cause of Midlife Fatigue, Brain Fog & Low Motivation with Andrew Salzman

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