speaker-0: Welcome back to another Weighty Conversations. I'm your host, Dr. Spencer Nadolski, with my co-host, Summer the Dietician. Today we have another special guest on. We have Bridget, our patient that's been with us for we're getting we're we're closing in on what a year or something. I don't know. Year change.
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: Year and a half. Yeah. Yeah. Year and some change. Yeah. Year and a half. She's done excellent. We're gonna talk to her about her story. Everybody has a slightly different story. There's some patterns in there, but she has done excellent thus far. So welcome to the podcast, Bridget.
speaker-1: Thanks for having me.
speaker-0: Yeah, we always start off. So, like, you know, you're how old are you currently right now? If you don't mind yes, so you're in your fifties. I don't know, I never know if people care if so we thought say their exact age or not. So your later fifties, we always talk about people w what their childhood was like, because like everybody has this different weight history. Some people gain weights later in life. Some people had a childhood that was like, yeah. I struggled with my weight and everything when I was younger. So we always like to hear what your childhood was like and what your weight journey was even back then.
speaker-1: Sure. I was one of those people who like was never overweight as a child. never really had any issues could eat whatever I wanted, could do whatever I wanted. I was I was involved in lots of sports and really active. And so it never really became a challenge. It wasn't till probably in my I would say it really became a challenge in my late twenties. Like all of a sudden just something changed. I can't even tell you what it was or what happened, like I just like just started putting on weight and even I would like adjust, you know, like what I ate and like do these things and it just it wasn't clicking. I was hungry all the time, like constantly thinking about food and you know, it just it just I don't know, like it's like something switched, like a switch in my body. I can't even describe it. yeah, I wasn't diabetic and none of those kinds of things. But yeah, and I really struggled, like I tried all kinds I I mean I joined and left Weight Watchers more times than I care to ever admit. Like tried Jenny Craig, tried the Atkins diet, tried, yeah, I mean, you you name it. Like I was doing all these things and nothing was working. And then I, you know, I got married and had kids. And so of course I put myself on the back burner as I continued to struggle. And I was kind of finally just like, you know, I I can't continue like this. Like I was lucky because I really wasn't having any major health issues associated. Although my blood pressure was starting to creep up and just be able to be a monitor. And I thought, you know, I really need to do something or I'm gonna have something if I don't get a control of this and
speaker-0: So wait, was so this was after college then? Yeah. You did find in college.
speaker-1: Yeah, definitely. Other than like, you know, the freshman fifteen, you know for too many late night pizzas after having too many beers, probably.
speaker-0: But but yeah, but nothing yeah, nothing like, gosh. Okay. So after college and then were you working as the as a psychologist then?
speaker-1: so after college, I I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Like I was a social work major and I had done this internship on this crisis helpline and unfortunately someone committed suicide on the phone with me and it was quite traumatic. And I'm like, maybe you don't want to do this anymore, you know, kind of thing. So yeah. So everyone kind of, you know, it seemed like the place to go was Chicago. And so I decided to move to Chicago with my cousin without a job, which thrilled my parents to no end. I worked all summer and saved up money and then like someone was crazy enough to run us an apartment, neither one of us were employed. And and I had been a bank teller during my like summers and breaks in college. So I there was a bank on the corner. So I walked down and I applied there and I got a job there. And so I started like customer service and then I became like a loan assistant and then they called me in. They're like, you know, you're doing so great. We wanna we're gonna give you put you in charge of our loan. department and our new branch. And I remember like, okay. And I went to bed so I'm like, God, I don't want to do this. Like I don't want to do this the rest of my life. Like, my God, this is terrible. You know, I just kinda like and so I remember just like panicking and I just started thinking, well, maybe this is like my sign that I need to figure out what I want to do because this banking's not it, you know, and and and go back to school. So started applying to graduate schools and social work and got a graduate assistantship at Grand Valley. So I moved back to Michigan, you know, where I'm from and My mom's like, if you want move home, you can live at home for free, you know, if you want to go to Grand Valley. So that's what I did. And so then I was in graduate school a couple of years. And my weight was starting to bounce around a little bit then, but I could kind of keep it in check. Okay. But but then it seemed like after that I just got kind of putting it on after I finished grad school.
speaker-0: And that nothing. You just you're not even sure related to some job. You you didn't get married at that time.
speaker-1: Really? No. I mean, like I was a school social worker and I had some scores some stressful times in my job, but I was never like a stress eater. I was a boredom eater. Like if I was bored I'd eat, you know, like your or those kinds of things. But and I've also liked food. I mean, that was never you know, you know, and I of course grew up the generation where like you belonged to the clean plate club in the family and like you clean your plate, you know, and like You know, that kind of stuff. But even then like as a child, like I didn't struggle. I my metabolism was just much better. I thought I don't know what I don't know what that shift was. Like I get blood work done and like doctors doing blood work and I'm at thyroid chested like five times and nothing was coming out of it.
speaker-0: That's really interesting because you it's the other stories we hear, it's they can always pinpoint you pinpoint at a time, but not necessarily some trigger. yeah. That's that's good. I I like hearing this because it's different for everybody. Yeah. okay, so then at what point did you get married?
speaker-1: I got married in two thousand. So and then I mean I was I think when I got married, I was like two hundred pounds or something like that. So I mean I was overweight, but not ex ex you know, extremely so like Alice carried that two hundred really well on my frame. Like it didn't look like I was two hundred pounds. Like I'd go to the doctor and they would be like putting the scale under two, you know, the nurse would be I'm like, Yeah to go up. She's like, Really? I'm like, Yep. You know.
speaker-2: So many memories that are just like that.
speaker-1: Yeah, they'd like push that little, you know, dial thing before there was digital and you'd be like and they're like, and I'm like, You have to go over the two hundred really? And she'd look at like I'm like, Yep, really.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: You know, kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I remember we moved to Arizona for my husband's job after we got married and I remember joining Weight Watchers down there. Like I think I lost like forty pounds and then course then I put it back on again. Like I I would do really well. And then I would it just the motivation would go away and I think I would restrict myself so much that I just like give up. Yeah. And then go back again. Like I've lost and gained the same forty plus pounds. I don't know how many times. Like now this is the most weight I've ever lost, you know, on anything I've ever done. You know. And
speaker-2: Well,
speaker-1: Two seventy six.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah. When I started that bound, it was like two sixty five, I think, or two sixty seven or something like that.
speaker-0: So you're you're doing like the weight w first of all, that pattern is literally every single person I think that it's been on this podcast. It's and and everybody peop people that we see what summer sees them, I see them, everybody mentions Weight Watchers a few times. They did okay on it. And yeah,
speaker-2: Everybody's done it.
speaker-0: Jenny Craig exercise. So okay, so you got married, said you're around maybe around 200 or so, but then you had two kids.
speaker-1: Yeah. Three pregnancies with two kids. Yep. Mm-hmm.
speaker-0: And y okay, so then and then your weights just kinda slowly went up to the two
speaker-1: Even like I was even overweight when I was pregnant. I mean, before I was pregnant, I actually lost I was one of those people that lost weight while was pregnant. Like it's great, even though I ate, you know, I just think you know, for whatever reason. you know, but like I think probably when I was pregnant, I was in my two twenties or two thirties, you know, somewhere in there, you know. And then of course it's always hard to get that baby weight off afterwards. so yeah, and then it just kind of continued just creeping up on me, it just keep. Going and going and going and I would join Wait Watchers again and I would do this and I would fast and I would, you know, all the things.
speaker-2: Harder to lose weight every time. Like, well it worked it worked ten years ago when I did this diet. Why is it not working now? Right, exactly. So often. Yeah.
speaker-0: Did do you have or what people call food noise? Did you have food noise?
speaker-1: Yes. Yeah. And I you know, I think I didn't realize how much food noise I had until I started up bound. And it was just kind of like I'm not constantly thinking about like what's in the cupboard, what can I go eat? Like what you know, I mean it was it's it's amazing. And like 'cause I can always tell tell like if I'm getting towards the end of my life with the shot, you know, like the food noise will creep in. You know, now I feel like, you know, working with your team, like I have better tools to to to manage that food noise when it's going, you know, it kind of perks up every once in a while. I think sometimes even with my hormones, like sometimes we're just like one week, like I'll I'll have a week for the shot where like it doesn't feel like it's being effective as it normally is. I have a lot more hunger than normal. But I feel like I've learned more tools, you know, to to manage that food noise, you know, when it when it does creep up.
speaker-0: Can you can you describe what the food noise is to you? Cause everybody describes it differently. And people get mad when I give out some in examples. I'm like, I'm just telling you what my patient's.
speaker-1: Yeah, I think for me it was just like con like this constant voice in the back of your head, like what else can I have to eat? Like that was good, but what else is there? Like, I have I have let's you know, let's let's go eat, you know, a handful of Doritos, and next thing you know, it's you know, five handful of Doritos, and then then let's go like and then that was like, okay, well, hmm. Still kinda hungry. Like, or when what am I gonna have for dinner? And it's only breakfast. Yeah. You know, you're thinking like towards the next meals. Like, what am I gonna and it's not even from like really like a planning point, like what am I gonna serve for dinner tonight? Or what am I gonna put for everyone for dinner? Like, what do what do I want? Like what sounds good, you know? yeah. And then
speaker-0: But I I hear that. Yeah. W you you had a you had a lap band at at one point.
speaker-1: I did. I still it's still in there. It doesn't work. It's
speaker-0: Yeah, what happened with that? Like
speaker-1: yeah, so I tried that. Like that's an extreme thing. Like I put myself under surgery for that stupid thing. you know, it was yeah, it's one of those things where like I look back like I probably should have waited till it was around a little bit longer and and you know, done some more research on it, you know, or whatever. But you know, the most weight I lost with that was when they put you on the liquid diet before you have surgery and the liquid diet after you have surgery for like a couple of weeks you can't have any solid food after. And then after it was just it didn't really it didn't do anything. Like it just did not work.
speaker-2: Did you have a team that you could work with for a little?
speaker-1: I did, but I also felt like it was one of those teams where they were just churning people in and out and this was the next thing and they were just like you were just kind of being churned in and out as a number, you know, and a a monetary source for them. You know, it wasn't super it wasn't very consultative, you know.
speaker-2: complications from the procedure? Because we've had a lot of patients with the lap band have to have it removed and then they weight back.
speaker-1: Yeah. No, I've never never had any complications. I had him empty it, you know, like not long after like maybe after about eight months of having it. So it's completely empty. So I don't like get that restriction, like, you know, or food can't get through it or any of those kinds of things. so so no, I haven't luckily haven't had any complications. Would I like to get it out? I probably would, but that would be an elector procedure. So I think I need to wait till it it like decides to reject in my body somehow. Unfortunately. So
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. I mean those were you know, th they were pretty well studied back then when you had gotten it, so I don't blame you for doing it. It it was the least permanent option.
speaker-1: I figured it wasn't permanent and I didn't necessarily want to get my my stomach stapled or you know get a sleeve or those seemed so extreme at the time. You know, I just I I felt like well let's let's try this. You know, I also felt also felt like, you know, and and no judgment against anyone that ties up a bariactive procedure. So they think it's been a lifesaver for so many people. You know, part of me is like, I really feel like I should be able to do this without any medical intervention. You know what I mean? Like you'd machine yourself over that, you know. Like, why can't I do this? Like, why, you know, why can my Really good friend just all of a sudden do it and lose thirty pounds and stick to it, you know. Like, why can't I do this? You know, and then you feel like, What's wrong with me? You know. Yeah.
speaker-0: So and when did you hear about the new G O P one medicines?
speaker-1: Yeah, so I'd heard about them. my husband is diabetic and so he wa he was on Manjaro and was having like amazing success with it, which was great. and then I remember seeing the press release with Zepp Baum going to the vials with the Lily Direct. And I happened to have to go to the doctor for something unrelated. And I didn't get my normal doctor, I got somebody else because he wasn't available. And I said to her, I said, you know, I was reading about this and I said I said, you know, what do you think? And and she was awesome. She liked looked through my history, you know, she was, I think you should do it. You know, I think you should try it. You know, and then she's like, We're still learning, you know, about this stuff, but she's like, I think you should try it. Of course, my insurance wouldn't cover it and they don't cover any any unless I have to have diabetes or you know, I guess sleep apnea or whatever to to get it covered. but I thought, well, this you know, at least with the Lily Direct, it was at least I mean so expensive, but at least it was more affordable. Like I'm like, okay, I think I could do this. You know, and so they were really she's let me talk with your doctor and she called me that afternoon. She's like, All right, we're s we're you know, we're doing sending it. But it took like six tries to get the prescription right, you know, because it was all brand new with those sheets and the certain numbers and all that stuff. Like I was the first patient in that in their practice that did this. that it wasn't being prescribed because I didn't have diabetics and I was diabetes and they had me go meet with like their nutritionist, dietitian person. And I go in and she looks at me and she goes, I need to get rid of some of this stuff. You're the first patient I've ever met with that doesn't have diabetes that's starting this drug. Like and I was like, okay, you know, kind of thing. She likes this gonna be totally different session, you know, kind of th and you know, I think she's so I was kind of an anomaly, you know, for the for the practice. And And you know, they were great, but you know, they followed things by the book. Like I was on two and a half milligrams for four weeks, and then I was on five for four weeks, and I was actually probably losing on five. And then they upped me to seven point five. Like it was like every four weeks, they just kept upping me, and I probably didn't need to get upped, you know. And finally, I remember I went in, like my doctor was great, like he was super supportive, and he would made me come in once a month for a blood pressure and weight check, you know, so he could just keep an eye on how I was doing and you know, all that. And then he finally said to me, He's Look, it I'm gonna be honest with you. He's like I don't have tons of training or background with this. And he goes, Frankly, none of us do. You know. And he said, you know, I I'm doing what I think is the might right thing. He said, but you know, I'm I'm wondering if you might, you know, you might be better served, you know, also seeing s finding someone that can. You know, and that's kind of where I stumbled upon you guys. Like I think I saw I think it was an ad on Instagram or maybe you wanna you're your your videos or I'm not remember what it was, you know, and I remember looking into it. And then I sent the info my to my doctor and he like he researched you guys. Like he's like, you know, black kind of because he was all worried about he's like, I don't want you to go to one those compound places. Yeah. Careful, you know, kind of thing. I'm not saying I'm pushing you there. Please don't, you know. And he's like, this is great. You know, and then, you know, after I I you know, joined you guys and my husband and I talked about the cost and all that stuff. And we're like, yeah, let's do it. And I remember going back again and it was still doing really well. And he said, Well, how's it going? I told him he's like well, he's like, Gib give me their info. I'm gonna start referring more patients. All right. So I don't know if he has, but he says he was going to. So Perfect. So yeah. So yeah, he was he was he was fine with, you know, having you guys kind of help me with that other piece of things. That's amazing.
speaker-2: From folks who say that they're worried that their doctor is going to be mad at them. Yeah. Or going to an outside clinic for help with their weight management. And nine times out of ten, we're like, no, no, no. Your primary care is so overworked and overscheduled and so busy. They would love for you to get your cardiometabolic health care somewhere else and go to your primary care for the physical and the vaccines and the screenings. And but the the nitty-gritty. medication management 'cause you only got to see your doctor, you said once a month, right? Right.
speaker-1: Yeah, and I didn't even see him. Usually it was nurse. Like she just checked my weight and checked my blood pressure and would put it in the notes and then drive there and get
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: the reach out. Yeah, I had to drive there and I go at like, you eight AM, seven thirty a.m. eight a.m. for work to kind of sneak it in before I could, you know, and it was great because my supervisor was also taking a weight loss job. So he was also like, Yeah, go, it's fine, you need to do that. You know, so it was great. But yeah, no, it was like but I think I was pleased though that he's the one who admitted like that this is not in my wheelhouse. Like I feel like we've gotten you to where you need to go, but you may need more specialized help. And like, you know, I had a lot of weight to lose, you know, and and I also want to be able to maintain that loss. And, you know, and he's he's like, I think this is beyond me. You know.
speaker-2: So in addition to taking the medicine, what else did you change? What did you work on? What habits or nutrition? What what else have to change to be successful?
speaker-1: Yeah, so I I Heather's my dietitian and she's she's great and I meet with her pretty regularly. sometimes it's once a month, sometimes a couple times a month. so for me it was just being more mindful about what I was eating. I my really tried to not get caught up in like I have to only eat these things because only these things are healthy for me. Like I have but I have to eat a because I find like I want I don't want to have an unhealthy relationship with food and I think it can easily That can easily happen, you know, to anyone in any kind of weight loss, you know, experience. it it kind of think that's part of my downfall with why I could never be successful with some other programs too. It's like I would like restrict myself so much that it was it was just not healthy. And so one of the things I've changed is just one, yeah, obviously I'm I'm I I track. Like I I have to be a tracker. If I don't track, I don't lose weight because I forget about like Okay, so I maybe I did have a handful of nuts or I did have whatever and those little things add up, right? So if I want to keep being successful, I have to in a calorie deficit and I'm not gonna really know if I'm a calorie deficit unless I'm unless I'm tracking. and so I I just have to track. I've learned that about myself. And so like Heather was great. She recommended a couple of different options for tracking. so so I pretty religious, like I I'm good weeks I track at least six days every once in a while. I miss some here and there. but I but I always track. and I always I all have decided like I just I don't deprive myself. Like I I pay attention, like I don't pay attention to every single macro in the meal, but I look like, okay, am I getting a lot of bang for my buck from like am I gonna get enough protein from this number of calories? You know, it's okay to have a scoop of ice cream every once in a while. Like it's okay to do the I'm not gonna gain ten pounds by having a slice of cake at a birthday party. Like I've just it's changed my relationship with food. Like I'm just very more mindful about my eating. And like like when I went on vacation, like last summer, I remember Heather helped me with this. We went on a river cruise with my mom and my sister. And I was like, I don't know. She like, don't track. Just enjoy yourself. Just allow yourself and I didn't give I didn't gain a single amount amount of weight on the whole trip. Like and I and I ate what they served and and and I had glasses of wine and I did all that stuff. But I also was walking like twenty plus thousand steps a day 'cause you walk all over the place in those things. but like I've just I I but I've learned like I can be successful by not starving myself, by not depriving, by making good food choices of things that keep me fuller longer. By not obsessing about the scale and the BMI numbers and and and it's like how I feel overall. Yeah. And I think and you know, now I still struggle with like getting enough exercise in and strength training. And Heather and I are working on these goals to get me to get more involved in strength training and prior to I'm intimidated by the process. I fully admit that. But I definitely I'm definitely more mobile. I mean, I I walk every opportunity. I park in the farthest parking spot away. Like I'll go out and do things. I mean, it's I know, you know, I I took it like I took 38 high school students to Italy and Greece on a school trip this earlier this summer. And like we like those trips are like exhausting. Like you're cooking and no problem. Like if I tried to do that two years ago, it would have been hard. You know, and so that stuff too also keeps me motivated. I just feel so much better.
speaker-0: So you started off around two hundred and seventy or so pounds, now you're down to around rough a hundred and s in the hundred and sixties hundred around
speaker-1: Yeah, I bounce right now bounce like a hundred and sixty four, a hundred and sixty eight in there right now. So
speaker-0: Yeah. Over a hundred pounds, almost like forty percent of your of your weight or so. What in in your your relationship with food and your mindset is just it's it's actually when you look at how you're describing it, it's how the research shows how people like monitoring, self-monitoring. You don't have to be obsessive over macronutrients, but you're monitoring yourself. You're giving yourself some grace when you have certain foods that may not be. conducive to weight loss in and of themselves, but your whole total pattern is is allowing so like all the stuff you're saying is literally what the research says is best. How I don't I don't know how to do this. You're the psychologist. How do you how do you get other people to like think like the way that you're doing 'cause I don't I I don't know.
speaker-1: Yeah, that I think I I think part of it is is taking the leap and having f knowing the one that you can't do it alone. I've I've really decided that this is not something especially when you have like, you know, more than like ten pounds to lose, for example. I mean, when you have a s a decent amount of weight to lose, they can't do it alone. Like you need a team. Like you need support, you need people that validate you, encourage you, don't shame you, understand, or at least can empathize what it's like to, you know, be overweight and feel like you have no control over it and it's just taking over your life, you know, kind of kind of thing. Cause in some ways, you know, I it was like I look back like there's so many pictures I've never been it was not in. Like I would avoid having my picture taken, like all those kinds of things, you know. And No, I don't shy away from any of those family photos and those kind of things but I think you need a team. Like you need you you need that support system. Like and you and and you know and and and these well these these this medicine is wonderful. It's not just the medicine, like it's the other pieces that are so important. I think that's the key to the success and that's the key to adjusting the mindset. Is like I've told Heather several times, like if I'm BSing or call it call me out, like if I'm making excuses, you
speaker-0: The right one for that.
speaker-1: Yeah, Jesus Christ, like nope, you can't do like yep, okay, you got it, you know, kind of thing. But you you know, you need you need people that are gonna be transparent and honest and and doing it for the right reasons, you know.
speaker-2: came in the door saying, I'm ready. I
speaker-1: I was ready, yes.
speaker-2: need to do it differently. Yes. Because they've done it the same way over and over again. Right. And not gotten the
speaker-1: Well, it's interesting too, 'cause I've had so many people start asking me, you know, like it's like last summer I got to the point where people were like, my god, you've lost a lot of weight. Like all of a sudden, like it's just like I think I've been losing, but yes, you know, kind of thing. And I was talking to my neighbor over the fence last like three weeks ago or four weeks ago. And she's like, Can I ask you what you've been doing? And I so I guess like, yeah. So I t I I told her and and she's older and I said, Well she's like, Yeah, I probably really, you know, I go, Are you a Medicare? And she's yeah, I go, Well then they're gonna start covering. You know, and you want to start with the bridge program, you know. So I sent her all the information. She texted me last week that she got approved. And she's like, I I might need to, you know, I have you help me with some some pointers or whatever. And I was like, yeah, sure, you know, whatever. But I've had people, you know, all kinds of people ask me. And what I tell is that, yes, I am taking, you know, Z bound. but it's more than just the meds. Like it's it's, you know, it's it's not that that alone isn't the magic. You know, there's there's other pieces too that need to happen along with it.
speaker-0: You're just I I love hearing these stories. You're just I I just wish I could take your everything about you and give it to every single person. It's just good. It's great.
speaker-1: I've had to anybody.
speaker-0: I don't have any other c question. I mean, you're just it's just a phenomenal story and I I love your origin story 'cause it's been different than others who have said in the past. And I like how you kind of detailed all the different mindset things that you've gone through this whole time. Summer, do you have any questions?
speaker-2: No, I'm just excited to see you get to listing. I know
speaker-1: I know, I know. I have I have I have something supposed to be joined before I meet with her next group.
speaker-2: Yeah, if you haven't met with Bryce yet, our new that we brought in, he would be in a additional
speaker-1: No
speaker-2: support to add to your program. I think it's
speaker-1: You do I does he video call anything or do I just have to email him?
speaker-0: Any and all of it. We're we're here to we got everything you'll you'll ever need.
speaker-1: It's interesting 'cause like I played sports, but whack when I was playing, 'cause I'm old, right? The you know, you didn't lift in the off season. You didn't do all this lifting during the season. You just showed up for your sport and you ran track or you played basketball or whatever, you know, and you just did it. And now athletes athletics is now so much different, right? Like you know, I work in a high school with the big really robust sports programs and you know, teams are lifting your round. Yeah, which is great, you know, and exercising year round. We didn't do that stuff, you know. So it wasn't like, you know, in the generation of like my kids' age now, you they're all going to classes and working out and you know that stuff like you d you joining a gym was a luxury, you know. I mean, you just didn't do that back when I was growing up in the, you know, eighties, seventies and eighties, you know. I mean, so it's just I think for me it was just kinda like, What what? What do you mean? Like I can't just go run on a treadmill?
speaker-0: It's a simpler times.
speaker-1: Yeah, several times. So I think for me I just like I s I just need to just do it. You know, like I just just gotta do it. I think once I I even bought a like a s a small set of barbells to start out at home if I need to. Yeah I threw the marketplace. I bought the bands I told about. I just need to do it. You're ready. I'm getting there.
speaker-0: You better message us when when you start. I wanna see a post about it.
speaker-1: All right, okay, I can do that.
speaker-0: Take your time, but don't yeah. But
speaker-1: I suppose something I'm supposed to start like this week or this weekend. I'm due to talk with her next week and I'm supposed to have reported at least doing it twice. So Don't or I'll
speaker-0: In that way.
speaker-1: let her down or myself down. So
speaker-0: Very good. Well, we appreciate you being on. If if anybody who's listening to this has a friend or family member that you think would benefit from listening to Bridge's story, please share this with them and give us a rating on whatever you're listening to this Spotify, Apple podcast, or whatever the heck you're listening. Make sure it's five out of five, though. Please, for the love of God. Thanks everyone for listening. Till next time.
speaker-1: Thank you.
speaker-1: Yeah.
speaker-0: Year and a half. Yeah. Yeah. Year and some change. Yeah. Year and a half. She's done excellent. We're gonna talk to her about her story. Everybody has a slightly different story. There's some patterns in there, but she has done excellent thus far. So welcome to the podcast, Bridget.
speaker-1: Thanks for having me.
speaker-0: Yeah, we always start off. So, like, you know, you're how old are you currently right now? If you don't mind yes, so you're in your fifties. I don't know, I never know if people care if so we thought say their exact age or not. So your later fifties, we always talk about people w what their childhood was like, because like everybody has this different weight history. Some people gain weights later in life. Some people had a childhood that was like, yeah. I struggled with my weight and everything when I was younger. So we always like to hear what your childhood was like and what your weight journey was even back then.
speaker-1: Sure. I was one of those people who like was never overweight as a child. never really had any issues could eat whatever I wanted, could do whatever I wanted. I was I was involved in lots of sports and really active. And so it never really became a challenge. It wasn't till probably in my I would say it really became a challenge in my late twenties. Like all of a sudden just something changed. I can't even tell you what it was or what happened, like I just like just started putting on weight and even I would like adjust, you know, like what I ate and like do these things and it just it wasn't clicking. I was hungry all the time, like constantly thinking about food and you know, it just it just I don't know, like it's like something switched, like a switch in my body. I can't even describe it. yeah, I wasn't diabetic and none of those kinds of things. But yeah, and I really struggled, like I tried all kinds I I mean I joined and left Weight Watchers more times than I care to ever admit. Like tried Jenny Craig, tried the Atkins diet, tried, yeah, I mean, you you name it. Like I was doing all these things and nothing was working. And then I, you know, I got married and had kids. And so of course I put myself on the back burner as I continued to struggle. And I was kind of finally just like, you know, I I can't continue like this. Like I was lucky because I really wasn't having any major health issues associated. Although my blood pressure was starting to creep up and just be able to be a monitor. And I thought, you know, I really need to do something or I'm gonna have something if I don't get a control of this and
speaker-0: So wait, was so this was after college then? Yeah. You did find in college.
speaker-1: Yeah, definitely. Other than like, you know, the freshman fifteen, you know for too many late night pizzas after having too many beers, probably.
speaker-0: But but yeah, but nothing yeah, nothing like, gosh. Okay. So after college and then were you working as the as a psychologist then?
speaker-1: so after college, I I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Like I was a social work major and I had done this internship on this crisis helpline and unfortunately someone committed suicide on the phone with me and it was quite traumatic. And I'm like, maybe you don't want to do this anymore, you know, kind of thing. So yeah. So everyone kind of, you know, it seemed like the place to go was Chicago. And so I decided to move to Chicago with my cousin without a job, which thrilled my parents to no end. I worked all summer and saved up money and then like someone was crazy enough to run us an apartment, neither one of us were employed. And and I had been a bank teller during my like summers and breaks in college. So I there was a bank on the corner. So I walked down and I applied there and I got a job there. And so I started like customer service and then I became like a loan assistant and then they called me in. They're like, you know, you're doing so great. We wanna we're gonna give you put you in charge of our loan. department and our new branch. And I remember like, okay. And I went to bed so I'm like, God, I don't want to do this. Like I don't want to do this the rest of my life. Like, my God, this is terrible. You know, I just kinda like and so I remember just like panicking and I just started thinking, well, maybe this is like my sign that I need to figure out what I want to do because this banking's not it, you know, and and and go back to school. So started applying to graduate schools and social work and got a graduate assistantship at Grand Valley. So I moved back to Michigan, you know, where I'm from and My mom's like, if you want move home, you can live at home for free, you know, if you want to go to Grand Valley. So that's what I did. And so then I was in graduate school a couple of years. And my weight was starting to bounce around a little bit then, but I could kind of keep it in check. Okay. But but then it seemed like after that I just got kind of putting it on after I finished grad school.
speaker-0: And that nothing. You just you're not even sure related to some job. You you didn't get married at that time.
speaker-1: Really? No. I mean, like I was a school social worker and I had some scores some stressful times in my job, but I was never like a stress eater. I was a boredom eater. Like if I was bored I'd eat, you know, like your or those kinds of things. But and I've also liked food. I mean, that was never you know, you know, and I of course grew up the generation where like you belonged to the clean plate club in the family and like you clean your plate, you know, and like You know, that kind of stuff. But even then like as a child, like I didn't struggle. I my metabolism was just much better. I thought I don't know what I don't know what that shift was. Like I get blood work done and like doctors doing blood work and I'm at thyroid chested like five times and nothing was coming out of it.
speaker-0: That's really interesting because you it's the other stories we hear, it's they can always pinpoint you pinpoint at a time, but not necessarily some trigger. yeah. That's that's good. I I like hearing this because it's different for everybody. Yeah. okay, so then at what point did you get married?
speaker-1: I got married in two thousand. So and then I mean I was I think when I got married, I was like two hundred pounds or something like that. So I mean I was overweight, but not ex ex you know, extremely so like Alice carried that two hundred really well on my frame. Like it didn't look like I was two hundred pounds. Like I'd go to the doctor and they would be like putting the scale under two, you know, the nurse would be I'm like, Yeah to go up. She's like, Really? I'm like, Yep. You know.
speaker-2: So many memories that are just like that.
speaker-1: Yeah, they'd like push that little, you know, dial thing before there was digital and you'd be like and they're like, and I'm like, You have to go over the two hundred really? And she'd look at like I'm like, Yep, really.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: You know, kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I remember we moved to Arizona for my husband's job after we got married and I remember joining Weight Watchers down there. Like I think I lost like forty pounds and then course then I put it back on again. Like I I would do really well. And then I would it just the motivation would go away and I think I would restrict myself so much that I just like give up. Yeah. And then go back again. Like I've lost and gained the same forty plus pounds. I don't know how many times. Like now this is the most weight I've ever lost, you know, on anything I've ever done. You know. And
speaker-2: Well,
speaker-1: Two seventy six.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah. When I started that bound, it was like two sixty five, I think, or two sixty seven or something like that.
speaker-0: So you're you're doing like the weight w first of all, that pattern is literally every single person I think that it's been on this podcast. It's and and everybody peop people that we see what summer sees them, I see them, everybody mentions Weight Watchers a few times. They did okay on it. And yeah,
speaker-2: Everybody's done it.
speaker-0: Jenny Craig exercise. So okay, so you got married, said you're around maybe around 200 or so, but then you had two kids.
speaker-1: Yeah. Three pregnancies with two kids. Yep. Mm-hmm.
speaker-0: And y okay, so then and then your weights just kinda slowly went up to the two
speaker-1: Even like I was even overweight when I was pregnant. I mean, before I was pregnant, I actually lost I was one of those people that lost weight while was pregnant. Like it's great, even though I ate, you know, I just think you know, for whatever reason. you know, but like I think probably when I was pregnant, I was in my two twenties or two thirties, you know, somewhere in there, you know. And then of course it's always hard to get that baby weight off afterwards. so yeah, and then it just kind of continued just creeping up on me, it just keep. Going and going and going and I would join Wait Watchers again and I would do this and I would fast and I would, you know, all the things.
speaker-2: Harder to lose weight every time. Like, well it worked it worked ten years ago when I did this diet. Why is it not working now? Right, exactly. So often. Yeah.
speaker-0: Did do you have or what people call food noise? Did you have food noise?
speaker-1: Yes. Yeah. And I you know, I think I didn't realize how much food noise I had until I started up bound. And it was just kind of like I'm not constantly thinking about like what's in the cupboard, what can I go eat? Like what you know, I mean it was it's it's amazing. And like 'cause I can always tell tell like if I'm getting towards the end of my life with the shot, you know, like the food noise will creep in. You know, now I feel like, you know, working with your team, like I have better tools to to to manage that food noise when it's going, you know, it kind of perks up every once in a while. I think sometimes even with my hormones, like sometimes we're just like one week, like I'll I'll have a week for the shot where like it doesn't feel like it's being effective as it normally is. I have a lot more hunger than normal. But I feel like I've learned more tools, you know, to to manage that food noise, you know, when it when it does creep up.
speaker-0: Can you can you describe what the food noise is to you? Cause everybody describes it differently. And people get mad when I give out some in examples. I'm like, I'm just telling you what my patient's.
speaker-1: Yeah, I think for me it was just like con like this constant voice in the back of your head, like what else can I have to eat? Like that was good, but what else is there? Like, I have I have let's you know, let's let's go eat, you know, a handful of Doritos, and next thing you know, it's you know, five handful of Doritos, and then then let's go like and then that was like, okay, well, hmm. Still kinda hungry. Like, or when what am I gonna have for dinner? And it's only breakfast. Yeah. You know, you're thinking like towards the next meals. Like, what am I gonna and it's not even from like really like a planning point, like what am I gonna serve for dinner tonight? Or what am I gonna put for everyone for dinner? Like, what do what do I want? Like what sounds good, you know? yeah. And then
speaker-0: But I I hear that. Yeah. W you you had a you had a lap band at at one point.
speaker-1: I did. I still it's still in there. It doesn't work. It's
speaker-0: Yeah, what happened with that? Like
speaker-1: yeah, so I tried that. Like that's an extreme thing. Like I put myself under surgery for that stupid thing. you know, it was yeah, it's one of those things where like I look back like I probably should have waited till it was around a little bit longer and and you know, done some more research on it, you know, or whatever. But you know, the most weight I lost with that was when they put you on the liquid diet before you have surgery and the liquid diet after you have surgery for like a couple of weeks you can't have any solid food after. And then after it was just it didn't really it didn't do anything. Like it just did not work.
speaker-2: Did you have a team that you could work with for a little?
speaker-1: I did, but I also felt like it was one of those teams where they were just churning people in and out and this was the next thing and they were just like you were just kind of being churned in and out as a number, you know, and a a monetary source for them. You know, it wasn't super it wasn't very consultative, you know.
speaker-2: complications from the procedure? Because we've had a lot of patients with the lap band have to have it removed and then they weight back.
speaker-1: Yeah. No, I've never never had any complications. I had him empty it, you know, like not long after like maybe after about eight months of having it. So it's completely empty. So I don't like get that restriction, like, you know, or food can't get through it or any of those kinds of things. so so no, I haven't luckily haven't had any complications. Would I like to get it out? I probably would, but that would be an elector procedure. So I think I need to wait till it it like decides to reject in my body somehow. Unfortunately. So
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. I mean those were you know, th they were pretty well studied back then when you had gotten it, so I don't blame you for doing it. It it was the least permanent option.
speaker-1: I figured it wasn't permanent and I didn't necessarily want to get my my stomach stapled or you know get a sleeve or those seemed so extreme at the time. You know, I just I I felt like well let's let's try this. You know, I also felt also felt like, you know, and and no judgment against anyone that ties up a bariactive procedure. So they think it's been a lifesaver for so many people. You know, part of me is like, I really feel like I should be able to do this without any medical intervention. You know what I mean? Like you'd machine yourself over that, you know. Like, why can't I do this? Like, why, you know, why can my Really good friend just all of a sudden do it and lose thirty pounds and stick to it, you know. Like, why can't I do this? You know, and then you feel like, What's wrong with me? You know. Yeah.
speaker-0: So and when did you hear about the new G O P one medicines?
speaker-1: Yeah, so I'd heard about them. my husband is diabetic and so he wa he was on Manjaro and was having like amazing success with it, which was great. and then I remember seeing the press release with Zepp Baum going to the vials with the Lily Direct. And I happened to have to go to the doctor for something unrelated. And I didn't get my normal doctor, I got somebody else because he wasn't available. And I said to her, I said, you know, I was reading about this and I said I said, you know, what do you think? And and she was awesome. She liked looked through my history, you know, she was, I think you should do it. You know, I think you should try it. You know, and then she's like, We're still learning, you know, about this stuff, but she's like, I think you should try it. Of course, my insurance wouldn't cover it and they don't cover any any unless I have to have diabetes or you know, I guess sleep apnea or whatever to to get it covered. but I thought, well, this you know, at least with the Lily Direct, it was at least I mean so expensive, but at least it was more affordable. Like I'm like, okay, I think I could do this. You know, and so they were really she's let me talk with your doctor and she called me that afternoon. She's like, All right, we're s we're you know, we're doing sending it. But it took like six tries to get the prescription right, you know, because it was all brand new with those sheets and the certain numbers and all that stuff. Like I was the first patient in that in their practice that did this. that it wasn't being prescribed because I didn't have diabetics and I was diabetes and they had me go meet with like their nutritionist, dietitian person. And I go in and she looks at me and she goes, I need to get rid of some of this stuff. You're the first patient I've ever met with that doesn't have diabetes that's starting this drug. Like and I was like, okay, you know, kind of thing. She likes this gonna be totally different session, you know, kind of th and you know, I think she's so I was kind of an anomaly, you know, for the for the practice. And And you know, they were great, but you know, they followed things by the book. Like I was on two and a half milligrams for four weeks, and then I was on five for four weeks, and I was actually probably losing on five. And then they upped me to seven point five. Like it was like every four weeks, they just kept upping me, and I probably didn't need to get upped, you know. And finally, I remember I went in, like my doctor was great, like he was super supportive, and he would made me come in once a month for a blood pressure and weight check, you know, so he could just keep an eye on how I was doing and you know, all that. And then he finally said to me, He's Look, it I'm gonna be honest with you. He's like I don't have tons of training or background with this. And he goes, Frankly, none of us do. You know. And he said, you know, I I'm doing what I think is the might right thing. He said, but you know, I'm I'm wondering if you might, you know, you might be better served, you know, also seeing s finding someone that can. You know, and that's kind of where I stumbled upon you guys. Like I think I saw I think it was an ad on Instagram or maybe you wanna you're your your videos or I'm not remember what it was, you know, and I remember looking into it. And then I sent the info my to my doctor and he like he researched you guys. Like he's like, you know, black kind of because he was all worried about he's like, I don't want you to go to one those compound places. Yeah. Careful, you know, kind of thing. I'm not saying I'm pushing you there. Please don't, you know. And he's like, this is great. You know, and then, you know, after I I you know, joined you guys and my husband and I talked about the cost and all that stuff. And we're like, yeah, let's do it. And I remember going back again and it was still doing really well. And he said, Well, how's it going? I told him he's like well, he's like, Gib give me their info. I'm gonna start referring more patients. All right. So I don't know if he has, but he says he was going to. So Perfect. So yeah. So yeah, he was he was he was fine with, you know, having you guys kind of help me with that other piece of things. That's amazing.
speaker-2: From folks who say that they're worried that their doctor is going to be mad at them. Yeah. Or going to an outside clinic for help with their weight management. And nine times out of ten, we're like, no, no, no. Your primary care is so overworked and overscheduled and so busy. They would love for you to get your cardiometabolic health care somewhere else and go to your primary care for the physical and the vaccines and the screenings. And but the the nitty-gritty. medication management 'cause you only got to see your doctor, you said once a month, right? Right.
speaker-1: Yeah, and I didn't even see him. Usually it was nurse. Like she just checked my weight and checked my blood pressure and would put it in the notes and then drive there and get
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: the reach out. Yeah, I had to drive there and I go at like, you eight AM, seven thirty a.m. eight a.m. for work to kind of sneak it in before I could, you know, and it was great because my supervisor was also taking a weight loss job. So he was also like, Yeah, go, it's fine, you need to do that. You know, so it was great. But yeah, no, it was like but I think I was pleased though that he's the one who admitted like that this is not in my wheelhouse. Like I feel like we've gotten you to where you need to go, but you may need more specialized help. And like, you know, I had a lot of weight to lose, you know, and and I also want to be able to maintain that loss. And, you know, and he's he's like, I think this is beyond me. You know.
speaker-2: So in addition to taking the medicine, what else did you change? What did you work on? What habits or nutrition? What what else have to change to be successful?
speaker-1: Yeah, so I I Heather's my dietitian and she's she's great and I meet with her pretty regularly. sometimes it's once a month, sometimes a couple times a month. so for me it was just being more mindful about what I was eating. I my really tried to not get caught up in like I have to only eat these things because only these things are healthy for me. Like I have but I have to eat a because I find like I want I don't want to have an unhealthy relationship with food and I think it can easily That can easily happen, you know, to anyone in any kind of weight loss, you know, experience. it it kind of think that's part of my downfall with why I could never be successful with some other programs too. It's like I would like restrict myself so much that it was it was just not healthy. And so one of the things I've changed is just one, yeah, obviously I'm I'm I I track. Like I I have to be a tracker. If I don't track, I don't lose weight because I forget about like Okay, so I maybe I did have a handful of nuts or I did have whatever and those little things add up, right? So if I want to keep being successful, I have to in a calorie deficit and I'm not gonna really know if I'm a calorie deficit unless I'm unless I'm tracking. and so I I just have to track. I've learned that about myself. And so like Heather was great. She recommended a couple of different options for tracking. so so I pretty religious, like I I'm good weeks I track at least six days every once in a while. I miss some here and there. but I but I always track. and I always I all have decided like I just I don't deprive myself. Like I I pay attention, like I don't pay attention to every single macro in the meal, but I look like, okay, am I getting a lot of bang for my buck from like am I gonna get enough protein from this number of calories? You know, it's okay to have a scoop of ice cream every once in a while. Like it's okay to do the I'm not gonna gain ten pounds by having a slice of cake at a birthday party. Like I've just it's changed my relationship with food. Like I'm just very more mindful about my eating. And like like when I went on vacation, like last summer, I remember Heather helped me with this. We went on a river cruise with my mom and my sister. And I was like, I don't know. She like, don't track. Just enjoy yourself. Just allow yourself and I didn't give I didn't gain a single amount amount of weight on the whole trip. Like and I and I ate what they served and and and I had glasses of wine and I did all that stuff. But I also was walking like twenty plus thousand steps a day 'cause you walk all over the place in those things. but like I've just I I but I've learned like I can be successful by not starving myself, by not depriving, by making good food choices of things that keep me fuller longer. By not obsessing about the scale and the BMI numbers and and and it's like how I feel overall. Yeah. And I think and you know, now I still struggle with like getting enough exercise in and strength training. And Heather and I are working on these goals to get me to get more involved in strength training and prior to I'm intimidated by the process. I fully admit that. But I definitely I'm definitely more mobile. I mean, I I walk every opportunity. I park in the farthest parking spot away. Like I'll go out and do things. I mean, it's I know, you know, I I took it like I took 38 high school students to Italy and Greece on a school trip this earlier this summer. And like we like those trips are like exhausting. Like you're cooking and no problem. Like if I tried to do that two years ago, it would have been hard. You know, and so that stuff too also keeps me motivated. I just feel so much better.
speaker-0: So you started off around two hundred and seventy or so pounds, now you're down to around rough a hundred and s in the hundred and sixties hundred around
speaker-1: Yeah, I bounce right now bounce like a hundred and sixty four, a hundred and sixty eight in there right now. So
speaker-0: Yeah. Over a hundred pounds, almost like forty percent of your of your weight or so. What in in your your relationship with food and your mindset is just it's it's actually when you look at how you're describing it, it's how the research shows how people like monitoring, self-monitoring. You don't have to be obsessive over macronutrients, but you're monitoring yourself. You're giving yourself some grace when you have certain foods that may not be. conducive to weight loss in and of themselves, but your whole total pattern is is allowing so like all the stuff you're saying is literally what the research says is best. How I don't I don't know how to do this. You're the psychologist. How do you how do you get other people to like think like the way that you're doing 'cause I don't I I don't know.
speaker-1: Yeah, that I think I I think part of it is is taking the leap and having f knowing the one that you can't do it alone. I've I've really decided that this is not something especially when you have like, you know, more than like ten pounds to lose, for example. I mean, when you have a s a decent amount of weight to lose, they can't do it alone. Like you need a team. Like you need support, you need people that validate you, encourage you, don't shame you, understand, or at least can empathize what it's like to, you know, be overweight and feel like you have no control over it and it's just taking over your life, you know, kind of kind of thing. Cause in some ways, you know, I it was like I look back like there's so many pictures I've never been it was not in. Like I would avoid having my picture taken, like all those kinds of things, you know. And No, I don't shy away from any of those family photos and those kind of things but I think you need a team. Like you need you you need that support system. Like and you and and you know and and and these well these these this medicine is wonderful. It's not just the medicine, like it's the other pieces that are so important. I think that's the key to the success and that's the key to adjusting the mindset. Is like I've told Heather several times, like if I'm BSing or call it call me out, like if I'm making excuses, you
speaker-0: The right one for that.
speaker-1: Yeah, Jesus Christ, like nope, you can't do like yep, okay, you got it, you know, kind of thing. But you you know, you need you need people that are gonna be transparent and honest and and doing it for the right reasons, you know.
speaker-2: came in the door saying, I'm ready. I
speaker-1: I was ready, yes.
speaker-2: need to do it differently. Yes. Because they've done it the same way over and over again. Right. And not gotten the
speaker-1: Well, it's interesting too, 'cause I've had so many people start asking me, you know, like it's like last summer I got to the point where people were like, my god, you've lost a lot of weight. Like all of a sudden, like it's just like I think I've been losing, but yes, you know, kind of thing. And I was talking to my neighbor over the fence last like three weeks ago or four weeks ago. And she's like, Can I ask you what you've been doing? And I so I guess like, yeah. So I t I I told her and and she's older and I said, Well she's like, Yeah, I probably really, you know, I go, Are you a Medicare? And she's yeah, I go, Well then they're gonna start covering. You know, and you want to start with the bridge program, you know. So I sent her all the information. She texted me last week that she got approved. And she's like, I I might need to, you know, I have you help me with some some pointers or whatever. And I was like, yeah, sure, you know, whatever. But I've had people, you know, all kinds of people ask me. And what I tell is that, yes, I am taking, you know, Z bound. but it's more than just the meds. Like it's it's, you know, it's it's not that that alone isn't the magic. You know, there's there's other pieces too that need to happen along with it.
speaker-0: You're just I I love hearing these stories. You're just I I just wish I could take your everything about you and give it to every single person. It's just good. It's great.
speaker-1: I've had to anybody.
speaker-0: I don't have any other c question. I mean, you're just it's just a phenomenal story and I I love your origin story 'cause it's been different than others who have said in the past. And I like how you kind of detailed all the different mindset things that you've gone through this whole time. Summer, do you have any questions?
speaker-2: No, I'm just excited to see you get to listing. I know
speaker-1: I know, I know. I have I have I have something supposed to be joined before I meet with her next group.
speaker-2: Yeah, if you haven't met with Bryce yet, our new that we brought in, he would be in a additional
speaker-1: No
speaker-2: support to add to your program. I think it's
speaker-1: You do I does he video call anything or do I just have to email him?
speaker-0: Any and all of it. We're we're here to we got everything you'll you'll ever need.
speaker-1: It's interesting 'cause like I played sports, but whack when I was playing, 'cause I'm old, right? The you know, you didn't lift in the off season. You didn't do all this lifting during the season. You just showed up for your sport and you ran track or you played basketball or whatever, you know, and you just did it. And now athletes athletics is now so much different, right? Like you know, I work in a high school with the big really robust sports programs and you know, teams are lifting your round. Yeah, which is great, you know, and exercising year round. We didn't do that stuff, you know. So it wasn't like, you know, in the generation of like my kids' age now, you they're all going to classes and working out and you know that stuff like you d you joining a gym was a luxury, you know. I mean, you just didn't do that back when I was growing up in the, you know, eighties, seventies and eighties, you know. I mean, so it's just I think for me it was just kinda like, What what? What do you mean? Like I can't just go run on a treadmill?
speaker-0: It's a simpler times.
speaker-1: Yeah, several times. So I think for me I just like I s I just need to just do it. You know, like I just just gotta do it. I think once I I even bought a like a s a small set of barbells to start out at home if I need to. Yeah I threw the marketplace. I bought the bands I told about. I just need to do it. You're ready. I'm getting there.
speaker-0: You better message us when when you start. I wanna see a post about it.
speaker-1: All right, okay, I can do that.
speaker-0: Take your time, but don't yeah. But
speaker-1: I suppose something I'm supposed to start like this week or this weekend. I'm due to talk with her next week and I'm supposed to have reported at least doing it twice. So Don't or I'll
speaker-0: In that way.
speaker-1: let her down or myself down. So
speaker-0: Very good. Well, we appreciate you being on. If if anybody who's listening to this has a friend or family member that you think would benefit from listening to Bridge's story, please share this with them and give us a rating on whatever you're listening to this Spotify, Apple podcast, or whatever the heck you're listening. Make sure it's five out of five, though. Please, for the love of God. Thanks everyone for listening. Till next time.
speaker-1: Thank you.
