This episode of The Matcha Guardians Podcast features Rebecca Washuta, a licensed dietitian, nutritionist, and health coach with expertise in weight loss and habit formation. Rebecca shares her journey from neuroscience and pharmaceutical sales to nutrition, sparked by her desire to address the root causes of disease through preventive health. She candidly discusses her career pivot, the challenges of starting her practice during the pandemic, and the rewards of virtual consultations that expanded her client base.
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, used for weight loss. Rebecca provides a balanced perspective, emphasizing their effectiveness when combined with lifestyle changes, such as working with a nutritionist and engaging in regular exercise to preserve muscle mass. She cautions against their long-term use due to potential side effects, including thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, and digestive issues, and explains the risks of weight regain post-usage without sustained behavioral changes.
Of course, we also discuss postpartum weight management and the myths surrounding pregnancy and breastfeeding. Rebecca debunks the notion that breastfeeding universally leads to weight loss, emphasizing the hormonal shifts and caloric demands that can make weight loss challenging during this period. She also highlights the importance of balanced blood sugar levels, tailored nutrition, and individualized approaches to managing weight during and after pregnancy.
Rebecca advocates for sustainable habits over quick fixes. She critiques the "calories in, calories out" mentality, explaining that metabolic processes and food quality significantly influence weight management. Her advice includes mindful eating, avoiding late-night snacks, and engaging in strength training to maintain muscle mass. She underscores the importance of flexibility in habit formation, recommending preparation and planning, especially for busy parents.
The discussion rounds out with Rebecca's supplement recommendations, including probiotics, vitamin D, magnesium glycinate, and Omega-3s, tailored to support overall health. Her philosophy centers on personalized, realistic approaches to health and wellness, underpinned by the mantra: "There are no shortcuts; success requires patience and consistency."
This insightful episode offers practical advice and debunks common misconceptions about health, weight loss, and nutrition, making it an invaluable resource for listeners striving for wellness in their busy lives.
Speakers: Jon Gay, Diana Weil, Elara Hadjipateras, & Rebecca Washuta
[Music Playing]
Voiceover (00:00):
Welcome to the Matcha Guardians Podcast, brought to you by matcha.com. Here we focus on the biggest trending health topics of our time, featuring the greatest and upcoming wellness advocates. Now, here are The Matcha Guardians; licensed dietitian, Diana Weil and medical journalist, Elara Hadjipateras.
Elara Hadjipateras (00:20):
Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of The Matcha Guardians.
Diana Weil (00:24):
This week we have Rebecca Washuta, who is a close friend. I'm very excited about having her on our podcast.
She is a licensed dietitian, nutritionist and health coach who specializes in weight loss and habit formation. With degrees in both neuroscience and nutrition, she helps her clients determine best foods for their bodies and helps them develop lasting healthy habits so they can achieve their weight loss and wellness goals.
Before starting her nutrition practice, Rebecca spent over five years in the precision medicine industry managing the development of cancer immunotherapies and genetic therapies for rare diseases. Welcome, Rebecca.
Rebecca Washuta (00:56):
Thank you so much for having me.
Diana Weil (00:58):
I think I just want to start off first asking, you had a really big career change, and I'm curious what brought you from neuroscience into nutrition?
Rebecca Washuta (01:07):
So, you mentioned it in the intro, in the bio for me that I was in the biopharmaceutical sales industry.
So, I majored in neuroscience in college. Eventually I got into pharmaceutical sales, and I reached a point in my, I would say mid-20s, where I had made it. I was a regional account manager. I had clients in 11 states. I got to book my flights and go and visit them. I had a corporate credit card. I could take them to fancy dinners, and this is pre-COVID.
So, I was working from home, making my own schedule. And from the outside looking in, it's like wow, what a great job. But I wasn't happy.
And I felt like, I think there's definitely a role for pharmaceuticals, they're very important in a lot of ways, but what I was doing and what I was supporting was managing symptoms, managing diseases, and treating diseases, usually once they were too far gone. And what I wanted to be doing was working upstream of that and really working to prevent disease and promote health.
So, in my late 20s, I went back to grad school to get my master's in nutrition. It was a big shift for me, but I knew in my heart it was something that I wanted to do.
So, I went back to grad school while I was working full time. So, it's a busy season for me. And then, Diana and I have the same board certification. So, for this specific nutrition board certification, you need to do an internship.
So, got my master's degree, did an internship, and an internship in your late 20s is sort of humbling. I felt like man, I had achieved this in this specific sphere, this biopharmaceutical sales, and now I'm going back to like the equivalent of getting coffees and taking notes and that type of thing.
So, it was humbling. I think I needed it at the time. Took my board exam, started my practice, got an office. I was so excited. And this was January 2020. So, like decorate the office, get all set up to go, and then COVID hits.
And I was like I have to break the lease out of my office. I can't see clients in person, and I had like a quarter life crisis. I was like what am I going to do? I blew up my life. I left pharmaceutical sales, left all this money on the table to go and do this, and now I can't even see clients.
So, looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. I was able to, like most people, pivot, do my job virtually. And I think I was able to see so many more patients than I would have, had I had the actual office in Miami, because I would've just been seeing people locally.
So, during COVID, I gained a lot of experience. I was able to see clients from all over the US. I even had some clients in Canada.
I think that was a really interesting time to be doing what I do because people were concerned about their health. People were seeing what's happening around us. They know that in addition to the virus, your current health plays a role, and how it's going to impact you. So, people were really invested in their health, and it worked out for me.
So, I actually never went back to seeing people in person. I still see all my clients virtually; everything works out in the end.
Elara Hadjipateras (04:02):
That's a nice silver lining. Well, as soon as you say the word pharmaceuticals, Rebecca, I have one word that pops into my head, Ozempic.
Rebecca Washuta (04:09):
Let me guess, Ozempic.
Elara Hadjipateras (04:11):
Ozempic, Mounjaro. I mean, I think the … what's the proper terminology Diana and-
Rebecca Washuta (04:15):
GLP-1.
Elara Hadjipateras (04:16):
GLP-1s, of course. So, I feel like it's kind of the elephant in the room with all weight loss conversations lately. Let's talk about it. And I think that you're particularly qualified to talk about it because of your background and what you went in to do today. So, are you working with Ozempic? Are you working with-
Rebecca Washuta (04:35):
I do. So, I do have clients that are taking all the array. There's probably like five or six ones that are approved right now. Some are specifically approved for diabetes; some are approved for weight loss. I support it. And I think they can be very effective, asterisk.
But I think they need to be taken in conjunction with seeing a nutritionist and working with a personal trainer. Because what happens is, it's going to suppress your appetite and be really effective, and it can really help you lose weight.
However, once you stop taking it, and it's not a drug that's intended to be taken long term, we don't have the clinical trial results on that. It's not something that can be taken forever. So, there are some big risks.
It increases your risk of thyroid cancer; it increases your risk of pancreatitis. There's all sorts of digestive issues you can get. So, clients eventually stop it also, because the general side effects of nausea sometimes are just too much for people to handle.
So, people stop it and then they gain the weight back. Because they haven't changed their habits. They haven't changed the way they're eating. They haven't changed anything about their lifestyle.
And so, the other thing we see is when people do stop taking these drugs, their weight gain comes back very quickly. And it's because the weight that's lost is not just fat; it's muscle. And so, muscle is what's burning calories at rest. It's what's helping us maintain our body weight. So, when you lose muscle, it's going to be that much easier to gain all that weight back.
And so, unfortunately what I see is people sort of cycling on and off it. They'll take it for a quarter, they'll take it for six months, they'll reach their results, and then they'll get off it, they'll gain the weight back and it's the new “yo-yo dieting.” But the side effects I think are pretty serious.
So, the people I've seen who have been successful taking these types of drugs, they take it obviously under the supervision of their doctor. They're working with someone like me to change their habits, to learn how to eat.
I think it seems silly that we should to learn how to eat, but we do. We've just been bombarded our whole lives with this nutrition messaging that has all been fed to us by these food companies. And most people don't really understand, “Should I be eating low calorie? Should I be eating high fat? Are bananas bad for me?” There's so much misinformation out there.
And so, people don't really understand how to eat for their body, for their goals, for their lifestyle. And so, when I work with people in conjunction with taking those drugs, it's really helpful because what it does is, it turns down their hunger hormones, so they're able to make smarter decisions and then they can learn how to eat.
Like “Okay, I am going to a wedding this weekend. Here's how I build my plate, or here's what I should do before I get to the reception, so I don't overeat.” There are all of these tricks and nuances that you need to learn. And at the same time, I think you need to be engaging in a regular exercise routine.
So, I think a personal trainer or getting yourself involved in an Orange Theory or a CrossFit, if that's your jam, because you really need to maintain that muscle mass. If you're not exercising regularly while you're on these drugs, the majority of your weight loss will be muscle, which is not what we want.
Diana Weil (07:49):
Yeah, I think that's one of my biggest concerns when it comes to those drugs is that a lot of people are losing muscle. And especially for women, maybe women 50 plus who are taking these, who are then also losing muscle who don't have that muscle to lose, that's been a big concern for me.
Rebecca Washuta (08:04):
For sure. And then once you do lose that muscle mass, it impacts more than just your physical body, the way you look, what you can lift. That your muscle is also what's keeping your blood sugar in check.
And so, your blood sugar can start to spike, your insulin can start to spike. There are all of these complications that I think aren't being talked about enough.
What's unfortunate is people usually take one camp. It's like yes, these drugs are good, or no, they're not. And it's like they can be but, and let's talk about the nuances and let's talk about how you can take them in a smart way and how long you should be on them. Because I think they can be really effective; they just need to be taken in the right way.
Elara Hadjipateras (08:44):
So, for example, you've obviously worked with clients tapering off Ozempic. What are some healthy ways that you can taper off Ozempic and then keep the weight off?
Say if you're our age, like me and Diana, we recently had babies. We're dealing with a little bit of the postpartum weight loss woes, is that a client that you've worked with?
Rebecca Washuta (09:05):
For sure. I think it needs to be tapered off slowly. And depending upon the specific drug that you're on, maybe you take it once a week or twice a week, but you definitely need to work with your doctor to taper off it. It shouldn't be something that's just stopped because your body is adjusting to this change in the hormone levels. Especially if you've taken it postpartum, that can be a big swing.
So, it needs to be done slowly. It needs to be done under the supervision of a doctor. And again, I think you need to be working with a nutritionist to say, okay, today's my fourth day where I haven't taken it, what are my hunger cues? When I felt really hungry last night, what did I do? So, you're not just slipping back into your old habits, your old ways.
And I don't think there's any one way to do it. I think it has to be personalized. Some people only need to be on it for three months, some people need to be on it for six months.
And I think the tapering off you need to go off based on your side effects and some of the symptoms that you're seeing, because some people can really see their blood sugar skyrocket afterwards. And if you've already been someone who's pre-diabetic, that can be dangerous. So, it has to be personalized, and I think you should do it under the supervision of a professional.
Diana Weil (10:13):
What's your response to people who say that taking these drugs is the easy way out?
Elara Hadjipateras (10:17):
Hard hitting question, Diana.
Rebecca Washuta (10:22):
I don't think they're easy. One, I don't know anyone who likes injections or people who want to inject themselves. The administration of it isn't fun. Two, I haven't worked with anyone who's taken these drugs who hasn't experienced nausea or abdominal discomfort or gas or bloating, like some very unpleasant symptoms.
So, I don't think it's the easy way out. I think this goes back to the question is obesity a personal choice? Or is it someone's fault? Or is it sort of based on the environment that we're in, or genetics? And I think it's a combination of things.
So, I think if you have tried to lose weight repeatedly and you can't, and you want to take this to lower your hunger hormones, learn how to eat again, learn how to take care of yourself, because it's not just diet and exercise. It's stress management. Stress can cause weight gain. Lack of sleep can cause weight gain. So, it's all of these things that you sort of need to be addressing.
I don't think it's the easy way out, but when we get to the point, like I mentioned earlier, where people are cycling on and off it. Where they're like I'll deal with the nausea, I'll take it for three months, then I won't going to take it, then I'm going to take it again. Then I think it's sort of the easy way out.
But I feel for people who have struggled for so long with managing their weight, it's really a blessing. Because Diana and I have both worked with people. It impacts your mental health, and you get to a point where you're just like I'm done. I'm not going to try anymore. Part of that is the environment. There's so much information coming at us there.
I've tried keto, I've tried low calorie, and I've tried South Beach, and I've tried this and it's like people are so confused and so frustrated, and I get it. I'm an expert in this field, so I can weed through the misinformation, but I think to the average person, it's really frustrating. And I think it can really impact your mental health.
So, as long as you're doing it the right way, I don't think it's the easy way out. But again, there's no shortcuts. You're not going to take it and reach your goal weight and then get off it and not change a thing and be able to keep that.
Elara Hadjipateras (12:19):
Okay. What just really trips my trigger when it comes to Ozempic is when people are clearly on it, and lie about it. It drives me crazy. And I'm like, “Wow, you look great. How did you finally lose the weight?” “Oh, I stopped drinking wine during the week.” And I'm like, “Come on.” Like why-
Rebecca Washuta (12:40):
I hate that. Yeah, I've seen that with a lot of celebrities. It's like celebrities lose 60 pounds. She's like, “I started walking.” No one has lost 60-
Elara Hadjipateras (12:46):
I stopped drinking Dr. Pepper. That's like postpartum, I stopped drinking Dr. Pepper. It's like no, you did not.
Rebecca Washuta (12:51):
No.
Jon Gay (12:52):
There's a great episode of South Park about Ozempic and all these GLP-1s where they … it's obviously a satire on a lot of the folks who are taking Ozempic for cosmetic reasons. And, “Oh, no, I'm not doing this. I'm just running and eating better.” So, the point the three of you make is very well taken.
Rebecca Washuta (13:13):
Yeah. And I think that probably ties into other aspects of our culture as well. Where people are saying like JLO's, like, “I've never gotten Botox.” JLO, nobody looks like that at 55. You have to be doing something. Or they're like, “I've never done work.” You look very different than you did 20 years ago. So, of course.
Elara Hadjipateras (13:30):
This goes back to Diana's point of, “Is Ozempic the easy way out?” It's like these people, they're obviously taking it, but then they're lying about it because they have some sort of predisposition to feeling self-conscious about it and having some sort of guilt, which they shouldn't, in my opinion, if they're going about it the right way like you've described.
Diana Weil (13:48):
A hundred percent. But I do think that the lying about it leads to sort of this, I don’t know, body dysmorphia that … like looking at JLO and saying, “Oh, well she just has used the right face creams.” Like that's basically not what is happening.
Elara Hadjipateras (13:59):
That's not correct. She's like, “Oh, I'm sleeping 10 hours at night.” I'm like, “No, you are not.” That's insane.
But okay, so, as far as weight loss, I remember I had this chemistry teacher in high school, Mrs. O’Grady, shout out to you if you're listening. And she always said, “When it comes to weight loss, it's a matter of simple math, just calories in, calories out. You have to be at a slight deficit.”
And the reason Ozempic is so effective, to your point, Rebecca, is that it is an appetite suppressant. Is it as simple as that? It's just less?
Rebecca Washuta (14:31):
No, and I hate that. I hate it when people say calories and calories out. Sorry Mrs. O’Grady.
Elara Hadjipateras (14:36):
It's okay. This is why I bring it up. I was like I don't know. I don't know if this stands true.
Diana Weil (14:41):
Teach us Rebecca.
Rebecca Washuta (14:42):
Yeah. So, here is just a quick picture. So, you don't even have to think about the science if you're not into the physiology aspect of it.
Everyone knows someone who's been on the ketogenic diet. Everyone knows someone who's tried the keto diet. The keto diet is not a low-calorie diet. It's high fat. It's avocados and cheese, and people lose weight on that diet. And that is not a low-calorie diet.
So, I think what people fail to recognize is our bodies are these complex, beautiful, dynamic machines. And if you just say, “Alright, I'm going to cut back, I'm only going to have 800 calories a day.” Your hormones shift.
So, your hunger hormones are going to increase, and then your metabolism can slow down, because our bodies and our brains are not built for today. They're not built for today's environment. They're built for hundreds of thousands of years ago when there were famines, and our ancestors, it was really hard for them to find food.
So, our brains think this is an emergency and they're trying to store fat, and they're going to slow down your metabolism, and I think that's what so many people struggle with.
And unfortunately, in the US 70% of people are overweight or obese, 70%. And then an even higher number, I would say probably closer to 90, are metabolically unhealthy. Meaning that they don't have… their blood sugar’s off or their insulin is off and their triglycerides, their cholesterol.
And so, I think we've gotten here because in the 90s it was just low calorie, low calorie, low fat, and so, what do people eat instead? Things that were lower calorie, but higher in sugar. And so, we know what happens. Because if I have a bowl of broccoli that's 50 calories, or then I have a bowl of potato chips, those 50 calories, those are going to impact your body at different ways. And we know this logically.
So, it's more than just calories in and calories out. It's about the macronutrients and the micronutrients in what you're eating and what they're telling your body and how they're impacting your body.
So, all that to say, calories do play a role, even on the ketogenic diet. If you were to eat 5,000 calories a day, you wouldn't lose weight. But there's other things that play, like your blood sugar is really important, your stress levels, there's so many different little aspects of it.
Our bodies don't function in a vacuum. Like in a lab, yes, it's calories in and calories out. Our bodies are in a lab. There are so many other things going on. Gosh, I really want people to recognize that because that's where the real struggle comes in, is people cut back on calories, their hunger hormones go up, and then they're like I can't do this. And they throw in the towel, and they feel frustrated.
And so, Ozempic does work because you're eating a lot less. There's some other things going on behind the scenes, but it's not just about calories. It's important for people to know there's more than just one sort of lever that you need to pull in order to establish long-term weight loss.
Diana Weil (17:37):
I've worked with quite a few, I'm sure. I mean, I know that you have too, especially women, but men too, who are eating 900 calories, and then what ends up happening is they're starving because that is an inappropriate number of calories for pretty much across the board if you are an adult.
And then come Friday, Saturday, Sunday, they can't take that level of hunger anymore until they binge. And it's the cycle of binging and restricting. And I think getting people off of that is so challenging. But do you have any advice for someone who maybe finds themself in that binge restricting phase of life?
Rebecca Washuta (18:08):
Yeah, for sure. And I've worked with clients like that as well, where I have to convince them, which is not easy to do. I have to convince them, we need to bring your calories up because you need to get to a point where your body doesn't think it's starving because your cortisol is high, your stress level is high, it's causing you to retain weight.
In the same way if your brain thought you were being attacked by lions, like our ancestors are being attacked by lions. They're like okay, this is an emergency, we need to store all our fat. So, we need to bring the calories back up slowly in a healthy way. Like let's eat more protein so we feel more satisfied. Let's eat more fiber.
So, once we bring the calories up, I like to pivot to exercise. Because I don't want to bring the calories up, then bring them immediately back down, switching things up.
I have a client that I'm working with now who exercises a lot. She walks five miles a day and then she works out with a trainer, and she's doing all these things. But she's done this for the past eight years. And so, her body has adjusted to that level of activity. And so, her metabolism has adjusted, her body knows, hey, today we're going to go in a five-mile walk. So, I'm going to function in a way that allows me to have energy to do that.
So, it's important that you switch things up. Like if walking is your thing, walk on an incline, maybe try to sprint a block, walk two blocks. You need to spice it up with different types of cardio and different types of activity, specifically weightlifting, because that's what's really going to kick things into gear as far as weight loss goes.
Elara Hadjipateras (19:32):
Yeah, hitting plateaus when you've been really consistent with a workout or healthy diet regimen stinks. It's like the worst feeling in the world. But I would say variety is key.
So, I mentioned before that I'm postpartum, I have an 11-month-old son. And the first few months, oh my God, I wasn't like working out or thinking about my weight at all. I was just like his food source, that was my number one priority. And then by the time I stopped breastfeeding around seven, eight months, I kind of pivoted, was like alright, time to focus back on mom, and like her body.
And the way I personally found success was not through calorie counting. Diana can attest for this because she was with me like two weeks ago, and I eat whatever I want still, sweet and salty included. It’s getting back to strength training, getting back to CrossFit where I'm doing different things and drinking lots of water, staying really hydrated.
And then my other thing, which you can tell me Rebecca, once again, this is just kind of a silly folklore thing, is I just don't like eating late or right before I go to bed. I think part of that has just been a natural occurrence when you have a young baby and like you're putting them to bed between like 6:00 and 7:00 PM, is like my only time to really eat is like right before that, so I could eat with him, like to have a family meal. And I've seen that make a big impact.
Rebecca Washuta (20:44):
That’s huge. And it's not just what you're eating, when you're eating is so important. Our bodies naturally have a circadian clock, circadian rhythm, and our metabolism is optimally functioning during the day. We're not supposed to be eating at night.
So, you're not metabolizing things or breaking them down or processing them in the right way. If your question was, what's the worst habit that people should break if they're trying to lose weight? It's the late-night eating thing. Like please, that's basically the worst thing you could do.
Elara Hadjipateras (21:12):
Okay, but what about late night eating? If I was going to late night eat, what would be worse? Going salty or going sweet? It's like salty's, let's say, like a bag of potato chips and sweet is a pint of ice cream.
Rebecca Washuta (21:23):
So, this will surprise you. I would actually say go with the ice cream, because the ice cream at least has some fat and protein in it, and that is good. That isn't going to spike your blood sugar in the same way where potato chips really high in carbs and are fried. So, the fats aren't as healthy, they can become oxidized. So, I would go with the ice cream.
But I think if you wanted something salty, there are healthier options. You can have truffle almonds, or you can have, I think they're called Beanfields or chips made out of like chickpeas or black beans or something that just has more protein and fiber in it than a typical potato chip.
Diana Weil (21:58):
Oh, the edamame. Have you guys had the air fried edamame?
Elara Hadjipateras (22:02):
No.
Rebecca Washuta (22:02):
No.
Diana Weil (22:03):
Oh, they're so good. They're like whole edamame. Okay, so sticking with the mom theme here, Rebecca.
Elara Hadjipateras (22:11):
Let's make it about us.
Diana Weil (22:12):
Let's make it about us. I have studied this, so this was surprising to me. I had always heard that if you breastfeed, the weight just kind of magically falls off. And then I had a baby and then I was breastfeeding and now-
Rebecca Washuta (22:25):
It's all lies. It's all lies.
Elara Hadjipateras (22:27):
Lies!
Rebecca Washuta (22:29):
I hate it when people say that because I think that actually pushes women into breastfeeding who maybe didn't want to, or it's hard for them and they feel like well, I'll lose the weight. No, you're not going to lose the weight because you require more calories, so you're naturally going to eat more to make the milk to feed the baby. So yeah, I think that's definitely an old wives’ tale. So, thank you for debunking that, Diana.
Diana Weil (22:50):
And I mean, the hunger that I felt breastfeeding, it's like that's-
Rebecca Washuta (22:54):
Insatiable. Yeah.
Diana Weil (22:55):
Insatiable. And also, I don't want to be in a calorie deficit. I would rather hang onto this weight than not produce enough milk. So, it's-
Rebecca Washuta (23:03):
A hundred percent. I tell women, “Let's chat when you're done breastfeeding.” And so, whether that's three months, six months a year, don't worry about it. Because after you breastfeed, there's something called the letdown effect where you're in a hormone shift again, there's just too many hormone shifts involved that can impact your weight.
So, this is a very short period of your life. It's like one year out of the 99 years you'll be alive. Embrace it.
Diana Weil (23:28):
You have a little girl, is she three?
Rebecca Washuta (23:31):
She's three now. Yeah.
Diana Weil (23:32):
She’s three. So, I'm curious, what was your journey with weight loss, especially? Because this is something that you're an expert in. How was that journey for you?
Rebecca Washuta (23:38):
Yeah, so I gained a lot of weight, I gained 30 pounds. I like gained the full 30 pounds with my daughter afterwards too, I was like, “Oh, well, it'll fall off.” Not it'll fall off, but this is what I do for a living, so I thought it would be easy for me.
But even the first, I would say immediately after, I still looked pregnant for like three weeks. I still looked pregnant; my legs were swollen. I was like, “No one told me about this.” I was so mad. So, there's the initial shock of like oh, they're going to take the baby out, my stomach's going to go down. No, like that's not how it works.
It took me six months, but truth be told, I didn't breastfeed. So, my milk never came in, my daughter was formula fed. That made it easier for me. I could get started more quickly.
That being said, you can't start anything. I had a C-section. So, you can't start anything until at least three months after. You know that recovery … C-section is major surgery. They're cutting through layers of skin and abdomen and muscle and tissue.
And so, that recovery took me a little bit longer. Considering I do this for a living, I do this every day, it still took me six months. And so, I want people to recognize that. That, I don't think it can be done in a healthy way any quicker than that.
What was good for me. Is sort of like you said, Elara. I put myself more on like a schedule, a routine. Like the baby would go down, I'd have like a cup of herbal tea in the evenings with a little piece of chocolate that was like something I look forward to my treat, my quiet time. I got back into exercising. I have a Peloton.
So, got back into working out. And I think the exercise is important, one for building muscle, two for burning calories, three for your mental health. As a new mom, there's so many things you're dealing with. And so, to have that sort of alone time where you can focus on you, clear your head, bring down your cortisol, I think that that was also really helpful.
And I also started going on a lot of walks, which seems trivial. Again, people are like, “Can you lose weight walking?” You can. You can’t lose 60 pounds, like the Ozempic people will tell you, but you can lose a little bit of weight. And that too, I think was really good for my mental health.
So, obviously I'd walk with the baby, I'd walk with the dogs, and I would just go on walks by myself, and I'd do that now. And I think the mental health and the de-stress aspect of it that is also really, really important for weight loss. So, it's like a multi-pronged approach, I don't think you can just approach it in one way.
Elara Hadjipateras (26:04):
We all had C-sections.
Diana Weil (26:06):
I know, C-section mamas over here.
Elara Hadjipateras (26:09):
Rebecca, I gained a cool 65 pounds while I was pregnant. Oh yeah. A lot of weight. I'd always been like a very active person. I wouldn't say that I was sedentary by any means during my pregnancy. I wasn't told that I can't work out-
Rebecca Washuta (26:22):
It’s hormonal. Some of it's hormonal. You can-
Elara Hadjipateras (26:23):
Yeah, it was crazy. It’s like I've never been the type of person who has weight stick to me, just stuck to me like glue, and it was really tough. And it took about for me, it was nine months. It was nine months, but I saw the shift really happen. Like the weight loss really accelerated when I stopped breastfeeding.
This time around. I'm actually pregnant again. I'm in my first trimester. And I'm horrified of heading in that direction again and gaining that much weight. Do you have any advice for how to manage weight?
And it doesn't have to do with the fact of like … I ended up developing postpartum preeclampsia. So, it's not just like oh, I don't want to feel and look not myself when I give birth. I know that that's just kind of the natural occurrence for the first couple months. But like any advice in terms of managing and staying at a healthier weight and keeping it down like this second time around.
Rebecca Washuta (27:13):
Women who are pregnant don't think about the weight gain usually until like the third trimester. And then they're like whoa, this is a lot of weight. I feel like thinking about it now is important. Because you want a healthy pregnancy, you want a healthy delivery, and excess weight can sort of complicate things.
So, I would say two things. One is thinking about your blood sugar now. So, before the gestational diabetes test, you can get a continuous glucose monitor.
So, I actually work with a company and so a lot of my clients, when they're trying to lose weight, they get these monitors and you can track your blood sugar in real time. And when your blood sugar rises, your insulin rises, and insulin is the fat storage hormone. So, insulin is going to tell your body to hold onto that, and that's how people gain weight.
So, if you can start managing your blood sugar now, when you're pregnant, your body functions differently than if you were not pregnant. So, your blood sugar is naturally going to be a little bit higher. You're naturally going to be a little bit more insulin resistant so that the baby can get the glucose that it needs.
But I think keeping that in check now instead of just the week before your gestational diabetes test, being like what do I do? If you can monitor it now and do your best to keep your blood sugar levels balanced, you're going to feel better energy wise. It's going to pre less weight gain. When your blood sugar's out of whack, that can impact your blood pressure.
So, you said you had preeclampsia. So, I think keeping your blood sugar in check up front from the beginning is important. And that's not to say eat salads or don't enjoy … no, enjoy the foods you love, but you can do it in sort of a more responsible way.
And when you have that data, when you can see in real time on your phone, like oh my blood sugar's high, I should go for a walk. Or like oh, my blood sugar's high, maybe I'll hold off on having that cupcake and I'll have it later. So, you just kind of know when to do it.
Elara Hadjipateras (29:03):
No, that's really good advice. I've started doing — I take my blood pressure regularly, but I did not think about my blood sugar, so I'll put that to the list.
And what happened with me is I had postpartum preeclampsia. So, like I did my diabetes test, like I was fine, didn't have gestational diabetes and all of a sudden it just hit me, like the rock dropped after I gave birth three days later. It's almost what I like to think is my body was at shock with how much weight I had on, without having a body inside me.
Jon Gay (29:29):
And obligatory producer plug here: the previous episode of our podcast with Diana and Elara is about their pregnancy, childbirth and after journeys. And both of these ladies have been through some stuff and it's really compelling and interesting and educational. Listen, for the folks who haven't been through this process yet. So, a plug for our previous episode.
Rebecca Washuta (29:49):
Women are superheroes, aren't we? All the things we go through.
Jon Gay (29:52):
No argument from me.
Diana Weil (29:54):
Okay. But so, not to leave the men out of this conversation. Do you approach men's weight loss different from women's weight loss?
Rebecca Washuta (30:01):
I do. And so, I hate to say this, but I'm going to be honest with you. It's easier for men to lose weight. It is, and I'm sure we've seen it. If you have a husband or a brother or somebody in your life and it's due to their lack of hormone fluctuations. Men don't cycle throughout the month.
And I think in general, men are more like practical logical creatures. Where women were a little bit more emotional and … most of my male clients I say, “Do X, Y, and Z ,” and they do X, Y, and Z and they lose weight, where women, it's more complex.
And I think we have more responsibilities. Like maybe you can't get up early and make that smoothie because you're up with the baby or maybe you have to go pick the kids up at school.
Usually men have less, I'm not going to say always, but typically they have less responsibilities at home and more time to focus on themselves. Where women, we don't have the time. We don't have a lot of me time to focus on it.
So, it's another aspect that just makes it super unfair to be a woman. But if you and your partner or you and your friend are trying to lose weight and you're doing all the same things and the man is losing weight more quickly, it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong, just naturally it's an easier process for them.
Diana Weil (31:18):
I also think the body sizes has a big play. Harley's 6’4” and I'm 5’3”, so the amount of calories that we need in a day is vastly different. So, if he's tried to lose weight, which he's not because he's not, it allows him to still have a piece of pizza or a beer or whatever and he can still be in that calorie deficit. Whereas if someone who is in a smaller frame, they have to cut back a lot more. I find is really hard. Can be very difficult.
Rebecca Washuta (31:43):
Exactly. Yeah. And I think that speaks to the fact that having more muscle mass naturally burns more calories. So, like Harley could do nothing all day. He could sit on the couch all day and still burn more calories than you do, even if you went out for a run. So, obviously on a five-three frame there's only so much muscle you can put on. But I think that does incentivize us to work out more, lift heavy weights and really build that muscle.
Jon Gay (32:09):
A lesson that I've learned, yes, it's easier for me to lose weight than my wife. We don't have kids. She'll just look at me and say, “Oh, you're just going to stop drinking beer and you'll lose 10 pounds.” And we have a laugh over it.
But what I realized is, if we're both trying to lose weight, I need to be careful what I'm eating, because if I say, “Hey, let's get takeout tonight.” We're both going to eat it and it's just going to feed on itself.
So, if I want to do my part for both of us to lose weight, I need to put a conscious effort into, us cooking more, eating at home more, eating healthier more as a couple, as a unit. And I find that goes a long way, just for the guys listening, from the guys' perspective.
Rebecca Washuta (32:46):
I love that Jon. One of the things I tell clients most often is, weight loss is a team sport. You can't do it alone. So, whether you're working with a professional, like a personal trainer or a nutritionist or doing it with your spouse, your cousin, your friend, you need a support system.
If everyone around you is eating like crap and not working out, you will not be successful. Like you have to have people in your life that are sort of on the same path as you and have the same goals.
Diana Weil (33:14):
Rebecca, what do you think about the concept of, “It's a lot harder to lose weight the older we get.” And if that's true, what advice do you have for people who are older wanting to lose weight?
Rebecca Washuta (33:25):
I do think it's true. Your metabolism does shift, especially for women. So, the first thing I would say is be patient. If you're someone who was able to lose 10 pounds in two months, 20 years ago, that's not going to be the case anymore. What I have my clients focus on is non-scale victories.
So, it's like maybe you didn't lose weight this week, but like let's talk about all the healthy choices you made. Let's talk about how many times you went to the gym. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
The other important thing I think that keeps people motivated, maybe when you're not seeing results quite as quickly, is using a smart scale. So, this is something I recommend to all of my clients. If you're stepping on a traditional scale, you're getting one number, like 150 pounds, what is that telling you?
So, you need the breakdown of that. You want to look at your muscle mass percentage, you want to look at your body fat percentage. You also want to look at your body water because maybe you didn't lose weight this week, but actually your muscle mass increase and your fat percentage decreased.
So, I think getting in there and really looking at the numbers and also understanding for women who are prior to menopause, our bodies fluctuate during the month. So, everyone has a range that they should be in. No one should be one weight. There's so much going on in our body. So, we're heaviest right before our periods and during our periods. And that's going to fluctuate.
So, the scale can be your friend, if you understand that there's a range, figure out what your ideal range is, not your ideal number. And so, like for me, I have a four-pound range throughout the month, some people have seven. It really depends, but you need to be comfortable that it's okay to go up or down a few pounds and stay in a healthy range.
Elara Hadjipateras (35:08):
What is your recommendation for how often, and at what time you should be weighing yourself?
Rebecca Washuta (35:13):
Definitely weigh first thing in the morning, like before coffee, before anything. For people just starting out, I think it's good to weigh every day for what I just said. Like establishing, okay, this time of month during my cycle, I'm this weight, this time of month during my cycle, I'm this weight, and really being able to see it. But I know for some people that's triggering.
So, if it is once a week to check in, if you're in the maintenance mode, I don't think it's necessary to step on a scale, if you're just like sort of maintaining. But if you're in a weight loss mode, I think stepping on a smart scale every day really helps you understand like oh, my body water is low. I need to drink more water.
And I think it can help push you when you are not seeing results in the number. You can see my body fat percentage is declining, my muscle masses going up. That level of detail I think can be really motivating.
Elara Hadjipateras (36:07):
Do you have a scale you'd recommend?
Rebecca Washuta (36:10):
There's a couple, and they're not expensive. You can get them on Amazon for under 50 bucks. So, GE has a good smart scale. There's another brand called Euify. There's a more expensive brand called Withings but look at the reviews and you shouldn't be paying more than 40 or 50 bucks.
Jon Gay (36:34):
We'll link to those in our show notes as well.
Diana Weil (36:36):
Okay, so kind of shifting gears away from weight loss, although I'm sure we'll come back. One of the things that you focus on is habit formation, which plays a huge role in weight loss. Why is it so hard to create new habits and what do we do about it?
Rebecca Washuta (36:50):
Yeah, I think people have unrealistic expectations. There's this myth that if you do something for 30 days, it'll become a habit. And that's not necessarily true. Depends on what you're trying to do, the level of difficulty.
The other thing is I think people are relying on motivation. So, like New Year's is coming up, January everyone's like here's my health goal, I'm going to do it. They're feeling really good the first two weeks and then their motivation drops and then they're like well, I'm not going to do this.
Successful people don't have higher motivation. They have just put habits in place to keep them going when their motivation gets low. And I think that's what people fail to recognize. They think, well, I don't have the motivation to go to the gym today. It doesn't matter, you have to go anyway. I don't have the motivation to eat the salad.
Well, if you develop the habits and you've set yourself up and set your environment up in a way where going to the gym is the easy choice or eating the salad is the easy choice, the habits become more easily formed and you can incorporate them into your life in an easier way.
So, I have a course called Happy Healthy Habits where I teach clients how to develop habits because I'm so passionate that this is the way, not only do they lose weight, but really to achieve any goal. If you want to run a marathon, if you want to, it doesn't matter what you want to do.
Habits are so important, especially as we get older and our lives are busy, we don't have time to sit and think and make the decision. Because if you allow yourself the opportunity to make the decision, you're going to make the easy choice. If you're in bed and it's cold out and you're like, “Should I go to the gym today?” You're going to say no because that's the easy choice.
So, that’s about sort of setting yourself up and setting up your environment in a way that allows you to be successful. So yeah, habits are so important. That's something that people overlook when they're trying to achieve a health goal.
Elara Hadjipateras (38:37):
So, I know that we're recording this in December and we're in the holidays right now, but by the time you're listening to this, it's probably going to be the beginning of 2025 where people kind of, like you said, kind of reset and they set their New Year's resolution goals. They're trying to get off that weight that they may be gained during the holidays.
How can you avoid or help manage that kind of process from happening? Or do you just allow yourself some grace to enjoy the holidays, gain a few pounds, and then shed them come the new year?
Rebecca Washuta (39:06):
The holiday in general is such a lovely happy time of year where you're with family and friends and you're socializing. So, if you're someone who feels like they need to restrict during that time, you're going to be grouchy and upset and you're not going to enjoy yourself or be fully present, if you're counting calories and things like that.
So, what I work with, with my clients during the holidays, and it's not just November, December. There's Easter, there's spring break, there's summertime, there's all these times of year where there's celebrations and we're a little bit more laid back. I just ask my clients to be intentional about it.
So, plan your week ahead. Do you have two holiday parties? Do you have four holiday parties? And what does that look like? If you have a holiday party tonight, and this is counterintuitive, eat before the party. Eat before the party, have a high protein meal, even if it's just a salad with chicken before the party, so you don't go in starving.
Because what happens is people save their calories, all day, don't eat, they get to the party. They're famished and they're naturally going to crave the most calorie dense foods. So, they're going to go and they're going to load up their plate with junk. They're going to overeat and they're going to feel crappy the next day.
So, being mindful about what's on your calendar and just planning ahead, I think is really big. So, eating before a big party, making sure to put everything on your plate. So, we go to a lot of events where you can sort of like pick and choose and cocktail party, make sure everything is on the plate because that keeps you mindful.
And if you can, if you have the opportunity, sit down, grab a friend, sit down at a table and eat slowly, mindfully, because if you're standing around picking at food and talking and eating, you're going to eat way more than you typically would have.
So, I think just keeping yourself accountable and to be mindful about what you're eating. It doesn't mean you can't have the cupcake, but before the cupcake, have the salad, have the chicken, get the veggies and then have the cupcake last. There's the order you eat your food, and the time you're eating your food, and there's so many little like tweaks you can do without having to actually restrict.
Diana Weil (41:11):
Do you believe in calorie counting, and do you think it's possible to lose weight without calorie counting?
Rebecca Washuta (41:16):
I don't believe in calorie counting. For one, I'm bad at math, so I was never good at it, even when I tried it, but I don't think it's realistic.
So, I am a dietitian, and this is going to be controversial. I don't give my clients meal plans. I don't believe in meal plans because if I give you this specific meal plan, you're going to follow it for two weeks, then you're going to have a wedding or a vacation or a something and you're going to go off of it, and then we're back to square one.
So, I want to teach my clients how to eat so they can build the best meals for themselves and choose the best foods for themselves in every situation. So, calorie counting, it's too much work. It's too much mental energy, especially now as a mom, it's like half your brain is always thinking about your babies, so now you're down to half a brain. So, it’s like-
Elara Hadjipateras (42:03):
Oh my God, yeah.
Rebecca Washuta (42:04):
You really want to expend that on calories. So, I don't believe it and I don't believe in counting macros. I think if you can tune into your body, you know when you're full.
So, instead of saying, okay, I need you to eat 50 grams of protein at this meal, I say, eat a piece of chicken about this size and see how you feel. Eat a can of tuna and see how you feel. If you are caught up in the numbers, I think you're not able to be present right in your life and with your loved ones.
So, there's a way to do it successfully by just sort of tuning into your body. And I don't mean intuitive eating, eat whatever you want. I'm still going to tell you need to have protein, you need to have fiber, like here's what this looks like. But I think getting into the nitty gritty of the actual numbers for most people is just too much.
Diana Weil (42:51):
And we're not accurate. People aren't accurate. They can say I'm calorie counting, but no one's accurate.
Rebecca Washuta (42:56):
The nutrition labels aren't a hundred percent accurate; they have leeway from the FDA to be within 10% accuracy, I think. So, people think they're calculating down to the very specific number, and you're not, you could be off by a lot.
Elara Hadjipateras (43:09):
Yeah, I just try to avoid deep sixing myself. I don't know if you've heard me use that term? Diana, basically it means you stuff yourself full of food and you buried yourself in a grave type of feeling which can happen sometimes, I guess during pregnancy especially.
But no, I just like to try and eat until I feel satiated, which to your point, Rebecca, it's much easier to do when you are eating slowly, when you're sitting down, when you're being more mindful, when you're just being present and finding yourself in the moment versus that, let me just grab, whatever's in the fridge and you're standing and you're just kind of like I just need to get stuff in my mouth.
Which is really challenging as a young parent, especially I find when we have limited time, especially during breastfeeding, you're just kind of like I just need to replenish myself, but you're not being thoughtful about what's going in your body.
Rebecca Washuta (43:56):
It’s so hard. And where do you even find that time as a new mom? I've lived it, I have a 3-year-old, so the recommendation I give most of my clients who are moms is, the day starts the night before.
So, when you put the baby down and you have a little bit of time to yourself, think about the next day. Can you prep a breakfast? Can you prep a lunch? Can you prep a snack? Like what can you do to get yourself ready for the following day?
Because you wake up and maybe the baby wakes up early, maybe the baby wakes up in the middle of the night. Like you don't know what the next day is going to bring. So, if you can just take a couple minutes the night before to set yourself up for success the next day, I think that really makes all the difference.
Diana Weil (44:35):
I just want to really quickly touch on supplements because I know that that's something that you are very knowledgeable about. What are your top recommended supplements?
Rebecca Washuta (44:44):
Okay. So, definitely a probiotic. I think everyone needs to be taking a probiotic. And there's different strains that are more appropriate for different symptoms, but in general, find one that has at least 10 strains. You want 10 different strains because you want a diverse gut microbiome. So, it's the amount, the CFU is less important than the number of strains. Vitamin D is something I recommend to all my clients.
So, I live in Miami and a couple years ago I got, well, I mean, I get my blood work done all the time, but a couple years ago, my vitamin D was low and I was shocked. I'm in Miami, I'm in the sunshine all the time. It doesn't matter.
It doesn't necessarily mean that your body is automatically converting sunlight to vitamin D in an efficient way. If your inflammation is a little bit higher, it's going to burn through vitamin D. Like vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and inflammation. So, vitamin D is really, really important.
And I also recommend magnesium to every client. So, magnesium glycinate is something I take every night. It can help relax your muscles; it can help promote sleep. Honestly, it's involved in hundreds of different processes in the body. So, magnesium's another important one.
And then I would say the fourth that I generally recommend to everyone are Omega-3s. A high-quality fish oil, you want it from wild caught fish, it should be from small fish. You should be storing your Omega-3 fish oil in the fridge because fats can oxidize, so it's better kept cold.
Diana Weil (46:12):
What about a multivitamin, is that not something that you recommend most? Is that just case by case?
Rebecca Washuta (46:16):
I would say maybe three fourths of my clients recommend a multivitamin to, but it depends because a lot of people are already taking sort of a powder. Maybe athletic greens or something that would sort of take the place of that. So, depends on people's diets.
Some people also fight me on the multivitamin because they're usually big and they can make some people like have an upset stomach or something. So, I personally take a multivitamin. I still take a prenatal. They're great. You can continue to take that well after pregnancy. Those are probably the top five that I recommend.
Elara Hadjipateras (46:55):
Rebecca, at the end of the show, we like to ask our guests two questions. The first question being, what is a lesson that you would say you've had to learn the hard way?
Rebecca Washuta (47:04):
Okay, I'll tell you something that actually came up for me this week. So, what I've had to learn the hard way, I think this applies to my business as a nutritionist with a private practice but also just as a working mom. That there's different seasons and you're going to have seasons where you're hustling and your head is down and you're doing the work, and you're working hard and you're putting in the hours, and then you're going to have seasons where you're in the flow.
Where you're like I'm not marketing, I'm not going to go out of my way. I'm going to spend more time personally with my daughter, with my dogs, with my husband. And I always used to feel guilty for being in that flow state or feel like I needed to be working all the time in order to keep my practice thriving or achieve a certain level of success.
What I wish I had learned sooner, and what's taken me a long time to learn is that the flow part, the easy acceptance is a part of it. In the same way where you go to the gym, you lift weights, you're not building muscle at the gym, you're actually building muscle the following day when your muscle is repairing and you're at rest. So, the same thing, you need that sort of off time to be more creative.
This past year in September, I looked at my husband and I was like I'm going to take some time off. I think I'm going to take this quarter off. I'm my daughter's room mom at school. I was like I want to be more involved. And I just stopped thinking about networking and marketing and all of that, and I had my best quarter ever.
Like clients poured in. I got so many referrals, and they were sort of coming in from everywhere. And I think that's something that we take for granted. You don't always have to be hustling. It doesn't always have to feel hard. You can be in a season where you just have joy and things feel easy, and maybe you're not as strict or disciplined and you can still achieve the same level of success.
Diana Weil (48:56):
I love that. I feel like that's … yeah, especially for the phase of life that Elara and I are in right now, I think that really hits home.
So, this is kind of the opposite of that question. What is a life lesson or a mantra that you live by that came from someone in your life? A grandparent, someone that you worked with. Anyone who shared advice with you that you really have taken to heart?
Rebecca Washuta (49:20):
What comes to mind immediately is something that my brother always says, and he says, “There's no free lunches.” And I think that's just his way of saying you have to work hard; it doesn't matter what you're trying to achieve.
This applies to weight loss, like we talked about, or building a business or establishing a healthy marriage or relationship with your kids. There are no shortcuts. You have to take the time; you have to put in the work. And people spend so much time looking for shortcuts when it comes to health.
Everyone's looking for the new fad diet or looking for other ways to do things more quickly. And in reality, you need the time. It takes time to feel confident as a dietitian in my practice, that wasn't going to come immediately. It takes time to lose weight, it takes time to develop healthy habits.
So, just understanding that if you really want something, you have to be patient and take the time and recognize that if something feels like it's too good to be true it probably is.
Elara Hadjipateras (50:19):
Sage advice being dropped right here.
Diana Weil (50:22):
Rebecca, where can people find you?
Rebecca Washuta (50:24):
Yeah, so my website is happyhealthynutritionist.com and my Instagram handle is also @HappyHealthyNutritionist.
I have a couple different programs, like I mentioned, I have my Happy Healthy Habits course. I also work privately with clients. So, I do one-on-one sessions, I offer monthly packages. So, you can find that all on my website or on my Instagram.
Diana Weil (50:45):
Well, thank you so much. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we have a million more questions for you. So, we would love to have your back. You have been amazing, and we appreciate all of your information and knowledge.
Rebecca Washuta (50:59):
This has been so much fun. Thank you for having me.
Elara Hadjipateras (51:02):
Thank you, Rebecca. Bye.
Diana Weil (51:03):
Bye.
Rebecca Washuta (51:04):
Bye.
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