High on Life

In this episode, we break down how to lose fat without sacrificing muscle so your metabolism stays strong and your results actually last.

The Problem
Extreme calorie cutting, like eating 1,200 calories per day, may lead to quick weight loss but often at the cost of muscle. Losing muscle slows your metabolism and makes weight regain more likely.

The Smarter Approach: Body Recomposition

1. Create a Small Calorie Deficit Reduce intake by about 200 to 300 calories instead of drastically cutting. If you are stuck eating very low calories, you may need to slowly increase them before trying to lose fat again.

2.Prioritize Protein
Aim for 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight each day. Spread protein evenly throughout the day, targeting around 30 grams per meal to support muscle maintenance and growth.

3. Balance Your Macros Simply Start with a 1 to 1 ratio of protein to carbohydrates.
Fats fill the remaining calories in your daily target. Include a carbohydrate source at each meal to support energy and training.

4. Resistance training
Incorporate resistance training at least twice per week, with the goal to build up to three times per week. Resistance training is essential to preserve and build lean muscle while losing fat.

Bottom Line
Crash diets wreck metabolism. Strength-focused nutrition reshapes you.

RESOURCES: BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) CALCULATOR: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

***Disclaimer: The information in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only, and is not individual nutrition therapy, for understanding individual needs please consult with your health care professional.

GROCERY GUIDE: https://www.sashahighmd.com/high-on-life-podcast-grocery-guide

WORK WITH US
Join us in our Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating
https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

O​​ntario-Wide Virtual Obesity Management Clinic
https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Taking the first step toward weight loss can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve created a curated list of my podcast episodes to gently guide you as you begin your journey. https://www.sashahighmd.com/podcast-guide

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GLP-1 medications are either wildly overhyped or harshly criticized depending on the week—and one of the loudest concerns right now is that they “cause muscle loss.” In this episode, I’m digging into what the research actually shows about lean mass changes on GLP-1s, what’s being misunderstood online, and what patients and clinicians can do to protect muscle while still benefiting from these powerful therapies.

To help me unpack this, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Tsoukas, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the McGill University Health Centre, Co-Director of the Metabolic & Weight Optimization Clinic, and a clinician-scientist whose work focuses on GLP-1 pharmacotherapy and obesity treatment. He’s trained at Tufts, McGill, and Harvard, and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

We talk about where the muscle-loss concern came from, how GLP-1 weight loss compares to bariatric surgery and diet-only approaches, and whether lean mass loss always reflects true functional muscle loss. We also get practical, discussing resistance training and protein targets (it’s more than you may think!).

If you’re on a GLP-1, considering one, or prescribing them—this is a science-based conversation that separates fear from facts.

Guest: Dr. Michael Tsoukas
Website: mwoc.ca

WORK WITH ME
Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating
https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

O​​ntario-Wide Virtual Obesity Management Clinic
https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Taking the first step toward weight loss can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve created a curated list of my podcast episodes to gently guide you as you begin your journey. https://www.sashahighmd.com/podcast-guide

FOLLOW SASHA
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Michael Beyaert — a General Internist trained at the University of Toronto with a special interest in cardiovascular disease. With a background in Nutrition and Dietetics (Western University) and a Master’s in Neuroscience (McMaster), he brings a rare, practical lens to metabolic health that connects medicine, nutrition, and the brain.

We dig into what body composition actually means, why visceral fat is so metabolically harmful, and why muscle and strength may be the most overlooked health markers in modern weight loss conversations.

We also talk about sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss), why rapid weight loss can increase risk, and what we actually know — and don’t know — about “safe” amounts of muscle loss during weight reduction, including with GLP-1 medications.

Most importantly, Dr. Beyaert shares the real-world advice he gives patients: prioritize strength training, fuel your body (especially protein), monitor the rate of weight loss, and shift your focus from the scale to outcomes like strength, function, and quality of life.

If you take one thing from this episode, it’s this: strength is health — and rather than obsessing over losing the next 10 pounds, most people would benefit more from gaining their first pound of muscle.

Home BIA Scale Options We recommend one of two at-home BIA scales that you can easily purchase from Amazon.ca:

8-electrode BIA scale (higher accuracy): Provides more precise data by measuring arms, legs, and trunk separately
Standard foot-to-foot BIA scale (more affordable): Still effective for tracking overall trends
Both options are acceptable. The most important factor is consistency.

WORK WITH US
O​​ntario-Wide Virtual Obesity Management Clinic
https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating
https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

Taking the first step toward weight loss can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve created a curated list of my podcast episodes to gently guide you as you begin your journey. https://www.sashahighmd.com/podcast-guide

If you feel like you’re barely eating but still not losing weight, this episode is for you.

We break down why very low-calorie diets—like 1,200 calories or less—often backfire, slow your metabolism, and disrupt key hormones like leptin. You’ll learn how chronic under-eating keeps your body in conservation mode, why hunger and low energy persist even after dieting ends, and what actually supports long-term fat loss instead.

We cover sustainable eating, mechanical meals, protein needs, strength training, and how to rebuild metabolic health—especially if you’ve dieted for years or have conditions like insulin resistance or PCOS. Fat loss isn’t about eating less and less; it’s about creating safety, consistency, and trust with your body.

GROCERY GUIDE: https://www.sashahighmd.com/high-on-life-podcast-grocery-guide

WORK WITH US
Join us in our Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating
https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

O​​ntario-Wide Virtual Obesity Management Clinic
https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Taking the first step toward weight loss can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve created a curated list of my podcast episodes to gently guide you as you begin your journey. https://www.sashahighmd.com/podcast-guide

FOLLOW SASHA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashley White to explore a concept that’s missing from most conversations about obesity treatment: appetite literacy.

Together, we talk about why hunger, fullness, cravings, and wanting aren’t problems to suppress, but physiological signals to understand—and how dieting, stress, and modern food environments disrupt those signals. We explore how appetite is regulated in the brain, why willpower-based models fall short, and how appetite literacy fits into modern obesity care, including the use of GLP-1 medications.

This is a grounded, science-based conversation about working with biology rather than fighting it—and why skill-building matters just as much as treatment tools.

Dr. White is a physician certified in family medicine and emergency medicine through the College of Family Physicians of Canada, with board certification in obesity medicine through the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in global health. Her 15-year career spans community health work in Afghanistan, health equity policy at the Public Health Agency of Canada, rural emergency medicine, and pioneering integrated addiction treatment in primary care. She currently serves as Medical Lead in Canada for HeliosX and is the founder of The Shift Clinic, launching December 2025.

Connect with Dr. Ashley White:
Instagram: @ashleywhite.md
The Shift Clinic: www.theshift.clinic
Website: www.ashleywhitemd.com

FOLLOW SASHA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/

WORK WITH ME Join my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight

Recover Strong for Binge Eating
https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed

O​​ntario-Wide Virtual Obesity Management Clinic
https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

Taking the first step toward weight loss can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve created a curated list of my podcast episodes to gently guide you as you begin your journey. https://www.sashahighmd.com/podcast-guide