Why your post-weight-loss battle may require hormones, medication and a mindset shift.

I thought losing 80 pounds would be the hardest part. I was wrong.

In Part 1: Lost the Fat. Found the Fight. I shared how I overcame obesity through strength training and found my community at Power Athlete. My body transformed from “skinny fat” to strong and muscular. I achieved my goal of getting healthy for my kids and looking like someone who takes care of herself.

But what happens after the weight is gone?

Here’s what most people don’t talk about: it doesn’t suddenly get easier. In fact, for me, it got harder.

When “Perfect” Training Isn’t Enough

My physical routine was dialed. I was training 5–6 days a week using Field Strong and then Dragon Slayer, adding regular cardio and even rolling twice a week in Jiu-Jitsu. From the outside, I looked like the picture of discipline.

But my relationship with food remained fractured. Every bite was tracked. Cheat meals came with a cost—mentally and physically. I wasn’t bingeing, but I was still obsessed. I lived in fear of gaining it all back.

Despite working with multiple nutrition coaches and maintaining my training intensity, my body composition plateaued. At 5’4”, I hovered between 170–185 lbs. Even with 100+ minutes of extra cardio a week, macro tracking down to the gram, and complete treat elimination, I couldn’t make sustainable progress.

The Hormone Reality Check

Eventually, I had to ask: What if it’s not a discipline problem?

I got my hormones tested—and the results told a story my willpower couldn’t fix:

• Borderline Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Testosterone levels under 10 ng/dL (normal is 15–70)
• Estrogen dominance
• Cortisol through the roof from working night shifts in the ER

I started NP Thyroid medication. I even tried testosterone pellets, hoping they’d finally tip the scale. I dropped to 165—but it came at a cost. I felt awful: sick, depleted, and exhausted.

I gained the weight back within a month. I was done playing tug-of-war with my body.

Facing the GLP-1 Decision

The idea of using a medication like tirzepatide felt like cheating. I had worked so hard to earn my results. Wouldn’t this invalidate everything?

My husband suggested it after hearing John Welbourn speak on a podcast about GLP-1s. He asked me to listen before shutting it down.

I did. And it changed everything.

It wasn’t about shortcuts. It was about tools—specifically for people like me, who’d hit a genuine hormonal wall despite doing everything “right.”

At 2.5 mg/week of tirzepatide, something radical happened:
For the first time in years, the food noise was gone.

I wasn’t obsessing. I wasn’t bingeing. I wasn’t fighting an invisible war in my head. I could eat like a normal human being.

What 50 Pounds Later Actually Taught Me

In 10 months, I went from 182 to 132 pounds. But it wasn’t magic. I didn’t eat like trash. I stuck to the same whole-foods-based approach I learned through Power Athlete Nutrition.

What changed was my mindset.

I stopped chasing extremes. I prioritized recovery. My training remained hard but sustainable. I was still on Dragon Slayer, but I wasn’t killing myself to “earn” my meals.

At the same time, I transitioned careers—from ER nurse to Organ Recovery Coordinator. Still intense, but less physically taxing. I now work 7 days a month, instead of every other night. My recovery and energy shot up.

I could write a dissertation on the science of GLP-1s and metabolic health—but here’s the truth: sometimes, the solution isn’t more effort. It’s more insight. And more grace.

The New Chapter

Today, I love how I look. But more importantly, I love how I feel.

Peace. Freedom. A healthy relationship with food. After a lifetime of struggle, that is what I fought hardest for.

If you’re in this same battle, here’s what I learned:

• Hormone testing isn’t optional when your progress stalls
• Medical interventions aren’t a cop-out when used responsibly
• Your worth isn’t defined by your methods
• Sustainable success looks different for everyone

I am not a fraud. I am not lazy. I didn’t take the “easy way out.”

I’m someone who did everything right—and still needed help. If you do too, you’re not broken. You’re human. And you’re not alone.

Need Help Figuring Out Your Next Step?

If you’re stuck in that same frustrating spot—doing everything right but not seeing results—it might be time to dig deeper. Our 1-on-1 Nutrition Coaching goes beyond macro templates and food lists. We help you uncover the why behind your struggles and build a strategy tailored to your body, your hormones, and your lifestyle.

Because sometimes the fight isn’t about more discipline—it’s about smarter tools, better support, and a coach in your corner who actually gets it.

RELATED CONTENT

Blog: Lost the Fat. Found the Fight. Part 1.

Pod: Ep 774 – How Arash Lost 100 lbs: his secrets revealed

Pod: Ep 808 – GP1s, Conspiracies & Caffeine w/ Baker Leavitt – Power Athlete