46. Dr. Jennifer Moranda on Finding Food Freedom

Mar 3

Dr. Jennifer Moranda started working with me in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. She speaks on this podcast about how transformative this experience continues to be and what other physicians need to know about weight loss and healthy eating.

Key Takeaways

Strength training is essential for body transformation.

Carbohydrates are NOT your enemy.
Combining gentle nutrition with intuitive eating is the most sustainable approach to long-term health.

Listen to Episode 46 Here

Or listen on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android

About Dr. Jennifer Moranda

Jen Moranda, MD is a family practice physician who loves being active and using nutrition to support her fitness goals. Having come from a background of disordered eating, she now knows the importance of proper fueling with gentle nutrition and exercise, especially strength training to keep one fit throughout their lifespan. Her passion is helping her patients improve their health through lifestyle modification by incorporating physical activity into their daily routine.

Gentle Movements and Mindful Macros for Freedom!

Dr. Jennifer Moranda opens up about all the different ways she tried to control her weight. From covering up anorexia through medical school to finding a new form of disordered eating with obsessive macro tracking, she knew she had to make a substantial change. That’s when Jennifer came to me.

Coming from a CrossFit background, Jennifer wasn’t sure my gentler form of working out would have an impact on her body. But she soon learned that this approach to exercise was not only more sustainable for her, it also transitioned her body.

Jennifer describes the second huge mindset shift she had working with me. By allowing herself more food freedom and flexibility, Jennifer found she had so much more time - not to mention having control of her life back.

Strength Training for Everyone

Jennifer explains how embracing strength training changed her complete approach to fitness. She now knows that strength training is essential for any type of body transformation. She also lets us know that you are never too old to start strength training!

Finding the time for a long workout can be stressful and seemingly impossible, especially for busy physicians. But Jennnifer gives us hope: by working even shorter workout sessions into your existing day, you’re creating steps toward lasting movement.

Finally, we talk about why you should absolutely include carbohydrates in your diet, especially after a heavy workout. They are not your enemy! Jennifer also shares the importance of finding other methods than the scale to track your progress on your body transformation journey.

Homework for Women Physicians

Did this inspire you to pick up strength training? How do you find the time in your day to workout? Let me know in the comments below!

In This Episode

How tracking macros and eating healthy can be a form of disordered eating [3:30]
How a gentler workout can have a huge impact on your body [7:15]
Why following a mindful macro approach can give you back control of your life and your time [9:30]
How sustainable mindful macro eating is in your life [12:00]
Why strength training is vital for body transformation [13:30]
What age you should start strength training by [15:00]
How long your workout should be [17:00]
The truth about carbohydrates [20:45]
Why you shouldn’t rely on the scale for your transformation progress [24:30]

Quotes

“I think it is really sustainable because it is really intuitive. It’s just going back to how we were as children: listening to your body, eating when you’re hungry, stopping when you’re full, making the choices at that moment that fit your goals.” [12:31]

“When you’re trying to transform your body, it’s looking at making sure you’re getting plenty of protein to help support your new muscle, carbs to fuel your body for those workouts, and fats to support your hormones. It’s more than just the calories. It’s looking at what your body needs for that goal. If your goal is body transformation, that absolutely has to come with strength training. You cannot transform your body through diet alone if you’re looking to get stronger.” [13:31]

“As a physician, if you’re not, what you would view, in your optimal health that you want to be, I think you still need to be honest with your patients that you’re on this journey as well and that you’re looking to do these same things for your health that you’re trying to get your patients to do. Our patients appreciate when we’re honest with them.” [18:45]