Episode
Willpower Is B.S.: A Surgeon on Zepbound
- Published
- Jan 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1071
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- https://forku.com/episode/willpower-is-b-s-a-surgeon-on-zepbound
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Summary
Willpower Is B.S.: Food Noise, Healthspan, and What Actually Changed My Life For decades, I started every New Year the same way. In January, I promised myself this would be the year. By February, I tried harder. Every spring, I adjusted the plan. And by summer or fall, the weight crept back. That cycle repeated not because I lacked knowledge, discipline, or effort. Instead, it repeated because I misunderstood biology — at least when it came to myself. This year is different. For the first time since Ronald Reagan was first elected, weight loss is not at the top of my New Year’s resolution list. Not because I stopped caring, but because I lost 45 pounds with the help of Zepbound over the last year. More importantly, however, I learned something that reshaped how I think about obesity, healthspan, and shame. Before anything else, let me be clear: this is not medical advice. This is a story. Anecdotes are not evidence, even when the anecdote is from a physician. Nevertheless, stories help us understand science when data alone fails to move us. And this story matters. I Had Willpower. That Wasn’t the Problem. For years, people told me — and millions of others — the same thing: move more and eat less . At first glance, that advice sounds logical. After all, calories matter. Energy balance matters. However, reality is more complicated. To begin with, I am a surgeon. Surgical training requires extraordinary willpower. Moreover, I’ve logged food meticulously, cooked Mediterranean-style meals, exercised consistently, and followed every evidence-based recommendation I’ve ever given patients. Meanwhile, Oprah has willpower. Olympic athletes have willpower. Yet obesity persists. Sure, willpower works briefly. In fact, go on a liquid protein diet, and the weight will fall off quick…