At her heaviest, Ali weighed 410 pounds. That's the last number she saw, because that's when she stopped getting on the scale.

WHAT WE GET INTO

How a spinal surgery and the treatment that followed led to 230 pounds of weight gain

The appointment that nearly ended her search for help, and why she still remembers the room

Why she chose a sleeve over a gastric bypass, and why Dr. Weiner pushed back at the time

What changed when GLP-1s arrived, and why a sleeve plus a GLP-1 now competes with a bypass

Why semaglutide did almost nothing for her and tirzepatide worked, and why nobody can predict which

Paying cash, stretching doses, and Dr. Weiner on why financial harm is harm too

What she actually eats, and why she got rid of her microwave

ONE-derland, loose skin, and why Dr. Weiner says she's already past her goal weight

Learn more about Pound of Cure Weight Loss: https://poundofcureweightloss.com

Weight loss therapist Lora Grabow, LMSW has spent 23 years working with medical and surgical weight loss patients, and she says the same piece is still missing from almost every treatment plan. She calls it headwork.

Mindset is about what you think. Headwork is about what to do with what you think, and that difference is the whole episode.

Lora joins Dr. Weiner and Zoe for a conversation that goes from the practical to the personal. She walks through her three-step "power of the pause" framework using a real scenario (it's 11pm, you're anxious about work tomorrow, and you're standing in the kitchen), explains why shame is the single biggest barrier to behavior change, and gets honest about her own decision to start a GLP-1 this past June after a hysterectomy and perimenopause left her doing everything right and getting nowhere.

That last part is the moment of the episode. Lora caught herself in the exact thinking she coaches patients out of every day, believing she had to earn help.

What we get into

• Headwork vs. mindset, and why "information only turns into transformation when you know what to do with it"
• The power of the pause, Lora's three tips for food noise: catch the thought, name the feeling, then choose how you respond
• Why we say "I'm feeling anxious," not "I'm anxious", because we are not our feelings
• Shame vs. guilt, through Brené Brown's framing: shame says I am a mistake, guilt says I made a mistake. One drives binge eating and isolation. The other drives change.
• Obesity is a disease, not a decision, and why Lora describes her role as a "shame lifter"
• Lora's GLP-1 story, from the menopause middle to the friend at breakfast who asked the question that stopped her in her tracks
• What actually got quiet for her, and it wasn't food noise, it was how hard she was being on herself
• Dr. Weiner's bell curve: roughly 15% of people do great on GLP-1s no matter what, roughly 15% won't respond at all, and the 70% in the middle almost never show up on your feed. That's where headwork, nutrition, and exercise decide the outcome.
• Numbing vs. coping through, and the lidocaine shot analogy that explains why food, phones, and doom scrolling all make the next round harder
• "Dead people goals", Dr. Susan David's line about the only people not feeling uncomfortable emotions
• Community is treatment, and the mic drop question Lora asks at the end of every support group

Free workshop from Lora:

What Happens After the Food Noise Gets Quiet? Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00pm Eastern. Completely free, no limit on attendance, and a replay goes out to everyone who registers.

Lora is walking through her brand new headwork framework and taking attendees through a live exercise on root cause work and patterns. If this conversation resonated, this is the deeper version of it.

👉 Register at loragrabow.com

Find Lora

• Website and Headwork Matters newsletter: loragrabow.com
• Instagram: @lora.grabow
• Facebook: Lora Grabow, LMSW
• Substack: https://substack.com/@lora809857

What does long-term success after bariatric surgery look like four years later, especially when GLP-1 medications, strength training, nutrition, and maintenance all become part of the journey?

In this episode, Zoe and Dr. Matthew Weiner are joined by Graham Hoffman, a Pound of Cure patient and peer leader, to talk about life four years after weight loss surgery. Graham shares how GLP-1 medications, strength training, walking, protein-forward nutrition, and long-term support helped him move beyond the number on the scale and build a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

They discuss why strength training can be more approachable than endless cardio, how building muscle supports metabolism after bariatric surgery, and why success is not just about reaching a goal weight. Graham also explains how GLP-1s helped reduce food noise, support maintenance, and make it easier to listen to hunger and fullness cues.

They also talk about real-life nutrition strategies after weight loss surgery, including protein coffee, blueberries for fiber, prepared meals, protein-forward snacks, roasted vegetables, planned indulgences, and learning how to leave food on the plate without guilt or shame.

Most importantly, Graham explains why long-term weight loss maintenance is not about being perfect. Sustainable success comes from consistency, support, strength, flexibility, and building habits that can actually last.

Can Medicare patients get GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for $50 per month through the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program?

In this episode, Zoe is joined by Dr. Matthew Weiner and Deidre, FNP, to break down what Medicare patients need to know about the CMS Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program. They explain who may qualify, why Medicare Part D coverage matters, and why the process is more complicated than simply getting a prescription.

Deidre walks through the eligibility requirements, including BMI, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. She also explains why some patients may not be able to use the Bridge Program if their GLP-1 medication can already be covered through their regular Medicare Part D benefits.

They also discuss the two-step prior authorization process, the $50 monthly copay, why that copay may not count toward a deductible, and why documentation for a structured nutrition and lifestyle program is required.

Most importantly, the team explains what patients should realistically expect as the program rolls out, why delays and confusion are likely at first, and how Pound of Cure is preparing to help eligible Arizona patients navigate access to GLP-1 medications.

What is GLP-1 microdosing, and can smaller doses of medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound lead to better long-term weight loss results?

In this episode, registered dietitian Zoe is joined by Deidre, FNP, to break down one of the biggest conversations in obesity medicine right now: GLP-1 microdosing. They explain how microdosing differs from standard manufacturer dosing, why FDA-approved dosing schedules are designed for clinical trials, and why a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for every patient.

Deidre explains how slower, smaller dose increases may help reduce side effects like nausea and abdominal discomfort, while still supporting hunger control, fewer cravings, less food noise, and gradual weight loss. They also discuss super responders, non-responders, compounded medications, and why personalized GLP-1 dosing can make a major difference in long-term maintenance.

They also unpack the debate around GLP-1 microdose marketing, including the recent dispute involving Eli Lilly, Noom, and tirzepatide, and what it means for patients navigating telehealth weight loss programs.

Most importantly, Zoe and Deidre explain why medications are only one part of obesity treatment. Sustainable weight loss still depends on nutrition, whole foods, protein, fiber, lifestyle changes, and long-term support.

What happens to bariatric surgery when GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound change the entire weight loss landscape?

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Weiner and registered dietitian Zoe unpack what they saw at the 2026 ASMBS annual conference - a meeting that felt very different from prior years. Surgical volumes are down, many bariatric surgeons are wrestling with what GLP-1s mean for their practices, and patients are left trying to figure out whether medication, nutrition, surgery, or some combination makes the most sense.

Dr. Weiner explains why bariatric surgery still matters, but no longer belongs in the same place in the treatment sequence. For many patients, a GLP-1 trial should come first. For others, especially non-responders, patients with severe diabetes, or people losing mobility, surgery may be the safest and most effective next step.

They also discuss why low-dose GLP-1s may be more sustainable than high-dose treatment, how to recognize a medication non-response, and why the best obesity care in 2026 combines nutrition, medication, surgery, and long-term support instead of forcing patients into one silo.

What if your struggle with weight loss isn't about willpower at all, but about brain patterns you were born with? In this groundbreaking conversation, Dr. Matthew Weiner and registered dietitian Zoe sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Steve Rondeau, who has conducted over 50,000 EEG brain scans and just released his book Think Like a Brain. Dr. Rondeau reveals that emotional eating, stress eating, and food cravings aren't character flaws—they're measurable brain patterns that show up differently in every person. His research has identified that what we call "stress eating" can manifest in 4,096 different combinations of brain patterns, explaining why the same diet works for one person but fails for another.

One of the most exciting revelations is the potential to use brain scans to predict who will respond to GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound before they even take their first dose. Dr. Rondeau discusses the "overwhelmed pattern"—a specific brain biomarker where brain activity slows down under stress, strongly correlated with using food as an escape mechanism. He draws fascinating parallels between GLP-1 medications and psychedelic therapy, explaining how both create a window of opportunity where the usual noise quiets down enough for real behavioral change to happen. The key is using that window effectively with proper integration work.

This episode challenges the entire foundation of mental health diagnosis, revealing why the DSM is fundamentally flawed and how brain scan technology can finally match treatments to individual biology rather than broad symptom categories. Dr. Rondeau uses the powerful analogy of a husky in the desert versus the mountains—your brain patterns may be perfectly adapted for certain situations but set you up for failure in others. The conversation explores emerging wearable EEG technology, the inheritance of brain patterns, and the future of truly personalized medicine. Essential listening for anyone who has ever wondered why willpower never seems to be enough.

Connect with Dr. Steve Rondeau:

• Book: Think Like a Brain (thinklikeabrain.com)
• Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all major platforms
• Audiobook coming soon

Download the Pound of Cure App: gololi.ai - AI-powered personalized weight loss planning

In this inspiring episode, Moira shares her transformative journey through weight loss, bariatric surgery, and lifestyle changes. Discover practical strategies for sustainable health, the importance of exercise safety, and how combined treatments can empower lasting weight management.

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