Cheryl Martin (Host): It's not uncommon to have as a New Year resolution to shed some of those extra pounds. So in this episode, we ask a health care expert who specializes in weight loss, to give us some insights on how we can be successful in our New Year's weight loss goals. With us is Jessica Callear, the Coordinator of Bariatric Medicine at the Guthrie Weight Loss Center. She's also a Certified Exercise Physiologist and Health Coach. She'll cover everything from common misconceptions, mindset, dietary and exercise options, and even share some of her own success stories with patients. This is Medical Minds, Conversations With Guthrie Experts, a podcast from the Guthrie Clinic.

I'm Cheryl Martin. Jessica, welcome back to our show. It's great to have you on again and so soon into the new year.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Well, thank you for having me back.

Host: So, to start off, share with us some of the most common misconceptions people have about dieting during the New Year's resolution period.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: One of the biggest misconceptions I think most people have for New Year's resolutions is thinking it's just going to be a short phase, if you will, or a short goal. So we make these huge plans, but we don't look at them as how are they going to be lifelong changes? So I think we set ourselves up a little short, if you will, right from the beginning of the year. We set these unobtainable goals and then we're really burnt out not too far from now.

Host: Give an example of an unattainable goal that we may have.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: It's more than zero to nothing. So if you're someone who hasn't been exercising, I'll use that as my example. If we haven't been exercising, it's been quite some time, to all of a sudden say, hey, I'm going to start exercising five times a week. It's a lot to all of a sudden incorporate that into your day. And then what happens is people haven't set that up yet. So now they're really burnt out that, hey, maybe they're going three times a week, which is great, but they don't feel like they hit their goal. So now instead of saying, hey, I'll stick with three days a week for some time; they just give up altogether because they feel like they failed, which in reality, they didn't, but in their head, they set these unobtainable goals that automatically lead us to feel like we fail.

Host: Not realistic at all.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Exactly.

Host: So, Jessica, we often hear the phrase, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. Elaborate on why this mindset is crucial when setting diet goals for the new year.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: This is back to how do you make goals that are practical? So if it's a very rigid diet and you know that, hey, I know I can't do this more than a couple of weeks to try to hit whatever you're hitting; it's not a lifelong fix. And so it is a lifestyle change. So that's why too is, giving ourselves some grace. We're picking little things to work on and as we accomplish those and they become part of our life, you move on to the next thing.

It also makes it so it's not as daunting, we don't feel like we're being restricted, it's just how do we work on changing the path that we're trying to go. While we don't have to get there tomorrow, but we have to keep taking that step in that direction in order to get where we want to go eventually.

Host: So, I'm glad you brought this out. What are some simple yet impactful dietary changes that we can incorporate into our daily routines to kickstart our New Year's resolutions? Something that is attainable.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: I think my top couple favorites are one, increasing protein, lean protein sources. So, you know, chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs, those kinds of things, increasing those in our diet and making sure we have a protein source at each and every meal. Increasing fruits and veggies in our diet. Anytime we can increase fruits, veggies, and all those micronutrients we get from them, we're automatically going to feel better. Increase water, decrease sugary beverages, and decrease eating out if possible. I think if you take those couple few things, they have huge impacts into our overall health.

Host: What about eating less?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Yes and no. Because for some people, if you're looking just from a weight loss standpoint, just solely pounds on the scale, if we eat less than what we're eating now, typically some people will see weight loss, but eventually you're going to hit a point that, you know, if I'm going to eat fast food and I'm only eating half of it.

Eventually you're going to hit a wall that you don't really feel that much better because we haven't actually changed what we're putting in. We've just changed how many calories we're putting in. And I believe more so in not just the number on the scale, but how is our overall health? How do we feel?

Are we sleeping better? Do we feel better? Do our lab values look better? Are we preventing disease? And that to me is more important than just the number on the scale, which is what you could do just by eating less. It really goes into what are you eating.

Host: Now, you've already touched on this somewhat, Jessica, but I wanted us to talk about what you see as some of the biggest challenges people face when trying to stick to their diet goals and how can they overcome them.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: I think by giving ourselves enough grace. As a, busy mother, like most people, we set sometimes up these plans for ourselves and things sometimes don't always go our way, right? Life happens, things get in the way. We have these little hurdles and we haven't planned for them.

So instead we get very frustrated that it didn't go the way we planned and we don't know how to have a backup plan. So, if the day really went not my way, I couldn't get home and make dinner like I wanted to, what's another option that I can have available? I think it's always an understanding that it doesn't have to be perfect 100 percent of the time to still be very successful.

I think one of the other biggest challenges most people are facing now, is we're all seeing it, is food cost has gone way up. So we're trying to be a little bit more cautious on what are we buying. Some of the choices that we might be trying to buy have gotten really expensive. I think food overall has gotten expensive.

So it goes back to my favorite saying, and you know this Cheryl, is having a plan and having some other options that if my plan's not going to work, how do I still keep myself generally in the same direction where I'm going?

Host: I'm so glad that you're sharing this. What if a person, if they look at what has caused them to pick up the pounds, let's say eating too much sugar, should that person say it would be unrealistic to eliminate all sugar, but let's say instead of having dessert every night, let's say if I can have it every other night or just on the weekends. Do you recommend that?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Absolutely. I'm much more, what can I add versus always take away? Let's be honest, we know we can't have dessert every single night of the week. We know we have to cut back on some sugar for some people, but that doesn't mean trying to get rid of it all together. And immediately when people say to me, you know what Jess, I'm just going to cut it all out.

That's literally setting yourself up to fail like you failed in the past because you're never going to eliminate something a hundred percent unless you have a true allergy or there's a different consequence to it. Instead it's, hey, how do I just cut back? How do I still enjoy the things that I want to eat? I just can't eat them every day. I'm Italian. I love pasta. I would eat the biggest bowl of pasta every single night of the week if I could with pizza,

But I know I can't. So instead I incorporate in a couple times a week. And I add a lot of veggies. I add a lot of protein and I never feel like I'm being restricted because I still got to eat what I wanted just in a very thoughtful approach.

Host: That's great. Now, share some tips for how we can stay motivated because as you know, a lot of people are motivated the first two months of the year. How do you stay motivated and committed to diet goals throughout the year so you can succeed?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: So most people are not going to like my statement. If we rely on motivation, we're dead in the water because none of us are motivated a hundred percent of the time. I've been doing this since I was 18 years old, so it's been a long time and there's been waves in my own life. If you rely on motivation, we're probably never going to get there.

No one's even motivated to go to work every day, but here we come, right? Instead, I depend on routine and schedule because that's what keeps you getting up and going to do the things that you do. So I, plan for the week on a Friday and have a grocery list, go to the grocery store on Saturday. So I have everything in the house I need for my plan that week.

I get up and work out Monday through Friday. I treat it as part of my work schedule. So I know if it's Tuesday, I have to get up and do this cause it's just part of my week. But when you set those kinds of checkpoints up, if you will, or schedule, you're more likely to stick with them. And it's the same thing I compare it to work because you do have to put some effort and time into it.

And if I just rolled over every morning and said, do I feel motivated to work out? There's going to be a lot of mornings Cheryl, I'm not doing it either. But instead it's like, you know what, okay, this is my routine. And the other part of this is, when you set it up as part of your schedule or routine, it just becomes part of what you do.

And that makes it easier down the road. A little harder in the beginning, but it sets you up to make it just kind of mindless as you go.

Host: That's great. So you don't check your feelings or ask yourself, do I feel like doing this?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: No, there'd be a lot of things in my day I wouldn't want to do either.

Host: I love it. You put the routine in and move forward.

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Absolutely.

Host: Now Jessica, what exercise options do you suggest and how do we stay motivated long term, that way, exercise options?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: The trick with long term exercise is finding things you either enjoy or don't mind. And as someone who has degrees in exercise, I have a gym in my house; I find and do the things that work for me and that I enjoy. That may not be what everybody else does. So at the end of the day, it's finding different activities that you enjoy.

At the bare minimum, walking is one of the best things most people can do. I love to lift weights. I know that's not for everybody. But it's really going back to finding things you enjoy, finding things that make you feel good. And then in a setting that you enjoy. If you don't want to be in a group setting, maybe going to gym's not great.

If you know, you don't want to be alone, then home workouts wouldn't be good, but it's really going back to seeing what makes me feel the most comfortable. And what am I going to enjoy most days is what we will stick with.

Host: Now let's talk about professional help. How can services like the ones offered at Guthrie Weight Loss Center be a game changer for individuals struggling with their weight loss journey?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: So in addition to us having a variety of staff members from various different backgrounds, we have physicians, we have surgeons, dieticians, psychologists, we have nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, myself. So we have a wide variety of staff. So that's one thing, but I will say one of the biggest things and what most patients will say they got from us, was the accountability.

We're not here to yell at you. We're not here to judge you. But what we're here to do is offer that support and that's what most patients will tell you that they needed. A lot of people know that they need to eat well and exercise. That's not usually too surprising for people. But what they needed is just someone else to check in with and encouragement or hey, I feel like I'm doing all this. I'm not getting anywhere, so we can look at it and say hey, here's where we can make some changes. So I think that accountability is one and the support is really one of the biggest things that we do offer for patients in addition to all the expertise.

Host: So I'd love for you to share a success story from your experience at Guthrie Weight Loss Center that might inspire our listeners to stick to their diet goals and seek professional help if needed. Which one comes to mind?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: Over the course of the year, some of my favorite patients, and there's a couple that stick out to me the most, is a patient who came in and was so deconditioned, literally was struggling to walk just from the hallway back to the exam room. And, we would meet and we would talk about, what are we doing for food?

And the other thing was I didn't put them on a restrictive diet. We didn't cut out everything they ate. Instead, we made negotiations. I'm big at negotiating. I always get my way, but I'm big on negotiating. So we made some changes that they, one, felt like they could do. I usually let my patients choose their goals.

I'll help tweak them and push them, but I let them choose what they feel like they can accomplish that month. And then we set very small walking goals. And at first people would say, well, geez, Jess, that wasn't a lot, but now the patient comes back next month and they can walk to the exam room and back without being short of breath.

Now they're able to walk 10 minutes at a time. And while a lot of people will say, well, that's not the recommendations, you're not hitting the goals, but by increasing that each month, and then actually that patient was able to get up to about 30, 45 minutes of exercise of walking at a time. And that made a huge difference for them.

And also too, we take out just health, but now that this person felt better and they were able to move better, they can go to the grocery store and do their whole grocery order without having to sit down halfway. And I think those are the things that make me feel good is that they recognize they needed help.

And we met them where they were at. And that's one of my favorite things I tell people is meeting people where they're at. We know the recommendations. We know where you want to get. But how do you help that person feel successful so that they want to keep going?

Host: That is great. I love that. Any other tips you'd like to share?

Jessica Callear, MS, MSACN, ACSM-EP, CHC: I think the biggest thing, especially, you know, life is busy. Life is crazy, is give yourself grace. Set goals that will work for you. They don't have to change everything you're trying to do right now, but set those little goals that you feel like you can accomplish. And not only accomplish, but that you can maintain.

And then you pick the next thing. And if it didn't quite go exactly as you wanted, you still learn something from it. So every time when people say, well, I'm starting over, when we start a path, you're still starting from a different place with more experience now.

So you can look at that experience and say, hey, what didn't go my way? How do I learn from it so I can do something different next time? So nothing's ever a failure. You either win at something or you learned a lesson. And that's what I tell my kids all the time. And if you learn the lesson, doesn't mean you failed. You're just going to do it differently now. And hopefully with a more successful outcome.

Host: Jessica, you have been so inspiring and supportive. And what I love about this dialogue, you've made it clear; one size doesn't fit all because you can look at these people who have hard bodies and they work out three and four hours a day and just get depressed looking at them. But this has been so helpful and so hopeful.

So thank you for being our coach for just these few minutes. Thank you so much, Jessica Callear, you shared some great tips that will help us stick with our weight loss goals this year. Now, listeners, remember you are not alone in this journey. The team at Guthrie Weight Loss Center is here to support you every step of the way. Just visit GuthrieWeightLossCenter.org to learn more about our services. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social media and check out the full podcast library for other topics of interest to you. This is Medical Minds Conversations With Guthrie Experts, a podcast from the Guthrie Clinic. Thanks for listening.