55. Dr. Komal Patil on Slow and Steady Transformation

Slow and steady wins every race, and as Dr. Komal Patil explains, it’s about finding that consistency in your routine. When you are working on your health and wellness goals consistently, you make steps towards them every day - even if you don’t devote hours to your end goal.   Hot to Make Time for Self-Care Write down everything you do in a day Identify where you’re wasting your time (looking at you - scrolling on social media for 2 hours!) Replace these time slots with self-care practices and exercise Be consistent in your self-care practices   About Dr. Komal Patil Dr. Patil is a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist.   The Link Between Stress and Boundaries Dr. Komal Patil knows firsthand what it’s like to not show yourself the love and care we all really need. She was constantly tired, overweight, and not feeling at her best, at all. She wasn’t taking care of herself - and knew it. Komal was under immense amounts of stress, coming at her from all aspects of her life. She didn’t have any boundaries set with her clients and found herself bringing work home with her. The first thing Komal did was set some boundaries, which she found a positive impact on her stress levels. Since the global pandemic, Komal has had to change her approach to health and nutrition. But what didn’t change was her showing up consistently. Developing these habits over time helped Komal maintain at least a little bit of her regular routine, which is absolutely better than nothing.   Carbs, Weight Loss, and Self-Care Komal shares that her diet includes carbohydrates. Carbs are an essential part of a balanced diet, but it’s about finding the right ones. Komal recommends finding natural carbs, such as fruit and vegetables, which won’t spike your blood sugar. We also talk about the link between weight loss and exercise. As someone who’s tried every diet out there, Komal is a firm believer in increasing your activity levels when you’re trying to lose weight. Especially when you focus on strength training. Finally, Komal stresses how important it is to make time for self-care. Self-care is not just soaking in the bath (though that’s great, too!): it’s exercising, sitting quietly, eating well, and spending time with the people you love.   Homework for Women Physicians How do you prioritize self-care? Have you started incorporating strength training into your wellness routine? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode  The connection between stress reduction and boundaries [10:10] How to change your mindset about your goals to enjoy the journey [13:00] Why you need to build up your life changes for consistency [17:00] How to eat a balanced diet that includes carb [21:00] How to balance exercise and weight loss [26:00] How to get out of the mindset that you don’t have time for self-care [33:00]   Quotes “My biggest win over the last year is that I’m doing things consistently. They may not be 100% perfect all the time, but it’s that consistency: the baseline minimum of a few workouts a week.” [14:20] “Carbs that are from nature and paired properly with fat, fiber, and protein will not cause those blood sugar spikes in the same way as if you’re eating a concentrated amount of carbs.” [20:30] “I think you have to find your baseline activity and then slowly increase your exercise from there. I don’t think exercise is a bad thing. Exercise has been really helpful for me, especially with a focus on strength. I see more of a change than I do with cardio alone.” [28:10] “First, we have to get out of the ‘I don’t have time’ mindset. You do have time. And if you don’t fill your cup first, you can’t fill anybody else’s. We have all of these responsibilities to our partners, family members, children, and work colleagues, to be able to deliver on all of these things. But if you’re not delivering for yourself, it’s not going to work.” [33:09]   Resources Mentioned Check out the full episode page here Find Life Coaching for Women Physicians Online Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on Facebook | Instagram  Subscribe to Life Coaching for Women Physicians on Apple Podcasts Podcast production by the team at Counterweight Creative   Related Episodes Episode 51: Dr. Daisy Ramirez-Estrada On Learning to Prioritize Self Care Episode 50: Dr. Lindsey Davis on Overcoming Limiting Beliefs Episode 49: Dr. Andrea Strathman On Achieving Sustainable Results