Weight Loss Decoded Podcast: Season 2 Ep.1
Dr. Jimmy Bowen Gets Candid About GLP-1s, Weight Loss & My New Book
Guest Information
Dr. Jimmy Bowen
www.apexmd.com
Instagram: @jimdbowen
What happens when a physician and a weight loss coach sit down for an honest conversation about GLP-1 medications?
Season 2 of the Weight Loss Decoded Podcast is here, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off than to have my friend and colleague Dr. Jimmy Bowen, Chief Medical Officer of Apex MD, on the show.
This is probably the most meaningful episode I’ve ever filmed because it is all about my new book, Weight Loss Decoded: Unlocking the Truth About GLP Weight Loss Medications. We dig deep into why I thought it was about time somebody wrote this book and what people need to know before starting a GLP-1 journey.
Here’s the problem: there is so much information all over the internet about GLP-1s right now, but it isn’t all in one place, and it is mostly short-form content, which makes it hard to really learn anything about your health.
So, Why Did I Write Weight Loss Decoded
Nearly everybody has heard of weight loss medications like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro® and Zepbound®, also known as GLP-1s, and they really have changed the weight loss conversation, but what few people understand is that getting the medication prescribed is actually the easiest part of starting on a GLP. There are too many important questions that need to be answered, and this book aims to do that.
People want to know:
How do these medications actually work?
How do I know whether a GLP-1 is appropriate for me?
How much is this going to cost?
How do I find the right medical provider?
What should I eat while taking a GLP-1?
How do I protect my muscle while losing weight?
What happens when I reach my goal?
Can lower doses or microdosing play a role for certain patients?
And perhaps most importantly:
How do I turn weight loss into better long-term health?
Weight Loss Decoded is not just another diet book. It is a practical guide to help you on your path to better health and GLP-1 weight loss medications. This book will help you understand the science, educate you so you can ask the questions that are important to you, and most importantly, provide you with the information so you can participate in your own healthcare and advocate effectively.
Dr. Jimmy Bowen: A Physician's Perspective
The reason I kicked off season 2 with a conversation about my book is simple: I used my 18-episode season 1 conversations and interviews to write this book, in addition to the 25+ years of practical experience and my experience coaching over 5000 GLP-1 patients. The icing on the cake was that Dr. Bowen was willing to sit down and have this candid conversation about my book, which he also wrote the foreword for. By the way, when I read the foreword, it was the proudest moment of my life.
Dr. Bowen is the Chief Medical Officer of APEX MD and coincidentally heard my 18-episode podcast before we started working together at the body scanner company Evolt Health. In our first meeting, Dr. Bowen said: “Your voice is so familiar, are you the fact fairy?” One of the many things I love about Dr. Jimmy Bowen is that he brings a physician's perspective to a subject that has been reduced to 8-second social media sound bites.
In this episode, we talk about the realities of GLP-1 treatment, why individualized care is so important, and why your success on a GLP-1 depends more on your support system than the medication itself. He even shares his thoughts about my book and why he embraces education in the form of long-form content like books, podcasts, TED Talks, and videos, over sensationalized headlines. We share this fundamental belief, and that is why his endorsement of my book is so important to me. We all know that medication can be a powerful tool, but when education intersects with support, that’s when patients really thrive.
GLP-1s Aren't the Entire Weight Loss Plan
Dr. Bowen and I share the belief that taking this medication is not all you need to do for sustainable weight loss, and it is not for everyone. Yes, this medication helps reduce hunger, crowd out food noise, and make you feel fuller longer; but it simply provides you with an opportunity to change your lifestyle without the burden and discomfort that come with traditional diets.
Long-Term Success Requires:
Nutrition
Movement
Sleep
Stress Management Strategies
Adequate Hydration
While on this journey, you also have to figure out your WHY. Why are you struggling with your weight?
Do you have an underlying health condition?
Are your hormones balanced?
What is your predisposition for weight gain?
Once you truly understand your WHY, you can achieve sustainable weight loss results. This is why hands-on medical oversight and not cheap Groupon or telemed programs is important, and this hands-on support should include coaching and education on everything we discussed above.
Other Important Topics
We also discussed other important topics like:
perimenopause and menopause
microdosing for weight management and inflammation
the future of GLP-1s
one-size-fits-nobody approaches to coaching
Stop Chasing the Scale. Start Understanding Your Health.
The biggest takeaway I want you to get from this episode is that once you start understanding your health, you no longer need to chase the scale. Your journey isn’t just about losing pounds. GLP-1s are just a tool in your toolbox for better health, not a magic potion, and my book is a tool that outlines how to use the tool. Weight Loss Decoded is about helping you make educated decisions about your health, and I want you to feel supported and not ashamed that you are using a GLP-1. And for those of you considering a GLP-1, it's about understanding your options, and for those of you already taking them, it will provide you with the support that you need. So if you are trying to understand why these medications have transformed weight management, I want to give you information without the hype, fear, or judgment that dominates so much of the conversation online.
Listen to Season 2, Episode 1
Join Dr. Jimmy Bowen and me for the Season 2 premiere of the Weight Loss Decoded Podcast as we have an honest conversation about GLP-1 weight loss medications, individualized treatment, microdosing, women's health, sustainable weight management—and the ideas behind my new book.
🎧 Listen to Weight Loss Decoded on your favorite podcast platform.
📘 Weight Loss Decoded: Unlocking the Truth About GLP Weight Loss Medications is available now:
Amazon paperback
Amazon hardcover
Kindle
Audible
And remember: Stay Healthy, Stay Happy, and Stay Curious.
— Sharon Polsky
