Going vegan for weight loss? You might be in for a surprise. Despite what social media influencers claim, switching to a plant-based diet doesn’t guarantee the pounds will melt away. In fact, many vegans struggle with weight gain even when they think they’re eating healthy.

The truth is, whether you’re eating steak or tofu, the same principles of weight management still apply. You can absolutely lose weight and thrive on a vegan diet, but it requires the same intentionality, planning, and understanding of nutrition fundamentals as any other approach. The good news? It’s never been easier to succeed as a plant-based eater when you know what to focus on.

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Daphne Bascom, Chief Operating Officer of The Vegan Gym and an MD/PhD who brings a refreshingly balanced perspective to plant-based nutrition. Daphne shares why she became vegan later in life, busts common myths about vegan diets and weight loss, and reveals the surprising similarities between coaching vegans and omnivores. You’ll discover practical strategies for managing weight on a plant-based diet, learn which “healthy” vegan foods might be sabotaging your goals, and find out why mindset matters just as much as what’s on your plate.

Discussed on the episode:

• The biggest myth about vegan diets that keeps people stuck and gaining weight
• Why being vegan doesn’t make you “impervious to chronic disease.”
• The surprising food Daphne keeps in her purse when traveling (and why you might want to try it)
• How to navigate restaurants, airports, and social situations without derailing your goals
• The one non-negotiable supplement every vegan needs to take
• Whether plant-based proteins are really inferior for building muscle and recovery
• The “Oreo vegan” trap and how to avoid ultra-processed plant-based foods
• Why nuts might be sabotaging your weight loss (even though they’re healthy)
• The energy density principle that works whether you’re vegan or not
• How the anabolic window for protein has evolved (it’s longer than you think)

Resources and Links:

• The Vegan Gym: https://www.thevegangym.com/
• Thrive on Plants Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thrive-on-plants/id1793550910
• Thrive on Plants Community: https://www.skool.com/thrive-on-plants/about
• The Vegan Gym Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vegan-gym-podcast/id1358557895
• Cronometer App: https://cronometer.com/
• Game Changers Documentary: https://gamechangersmovie.com/
• Books mentioned:
  • How Not to Die and How Not to Age by Dr. Michael Greger: https://www.amazon.com/Hardcover-Cookbook-Michael-Greger-Collection/dp/9124302686
  • Losing the Weight Loss Meds by Holly Wyatt and James Hill: https://www.weightwisdom.com/

The GLP-1 medications transforming weight loss didn’t appear overnight. They’re the result of decades of groundbreaking research that fundamentally changed how we understand appetite and obesity. But how did scientists first discover that this hormone could help people lose weight? And what does this history mean for anyone using these medications today?

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Arne Astrup, one of the pioneering researchers who helped uncover GLP-1’s role in appetite regulation back in the 1990s. Dr. Astrup has spent over three decades at the forefront of obesity research at the University of Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In this fascinating conversation, he takes us back to when obesity was still seen as a willpower problem, reveals the serendipitous collaboration that led to discovering GLP-1’s satiety effects, and shares critical insights about using these medications safely and effectively.

Whether you’re currently using GLP-1 medications, considering them, or simply curious about the science, this episode offers essential perspective from someone who’s witnessed the entire journey from early physiology experiments to today’s real-world treatments. You’ll discover why lifestyle still matters in the era of highly effective medications, and walk away with a deeper understanding of both the promise and the limitations of these groundbreaking drugs.

Discussed on the episode:

• The surprising mindset shift in the 1990s that changed how medicine views obesity
• Why a diabetes researcher and an appetite scientist became unlikely collaborators
• The first human experiment that proved GLP-1 reduces hunger (and the lunch buffet that made it possible)
• Why GLP-1 medications are so much “cleaner” than previous weight loss drugs
• The protein malnutrition risk that doctors aren’t talking about enough.
• Why half of patients stop taking these medications within months, and what that means
• The one combination that could let you reduce or stop GLP-1s without regaining weight
• Why calling these medications “the easy way out” completely misses the point
• What a leading researcher wants to accomplish after decades of groundbreaking work

Food noise. If you’ve heard the term, you probably know exactly what it means. If you haven’t, you might be about to have a lightbulb moment. It’s that relentless mental chatter about food, not hunger, not cravings, but constant, unwanted thoughts that just won’t quit.

For years, people struggling with this phenomenon didn’t even have words for it. They thought it was a willpower problem. It wasn’t. And now, thanks to groundbreaking research, we finally have a way to understand, measure, and potentially treat this invisible burden that affects people across the weight spectrum.

Join Holly and Jim as they sit down with Dr. Emily Dhurandhar, Director of Research Special Projects at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and lead author of the RAID-FN Inventory, the first validated tool to measure food noise. Discover why patients, not clinicians, coined this term, how GLP-1 medications are revealing what many have silently endured, and what the future holds for treating this pervasive issue.

Discussed on the episode:

• Why food noise is completely different from normal thoughts about food
• The surprising discovery about who experiences food noise (hint: it’s not just people with obesity)
• What turning off a kitchen fan has to do with understanding these medications
• How bodybuilders and endurance athletes might experience food noise differently
• Why your environment in the 1940s versus today changes everything
• The one word clinicians need to stop assuming about food noise
• What to do if you think you’re experiencing this, but your doctor has never heard of it