I Was Exercising Harder but Getting Fatter: Here's What I Learned

For years, I pushed myself relentlessly: fun runs every weekend, triathlons that demanded hours of training. As an orthopedic surgeon, I understood the importance of movement—I prescribed it to my patients daily. Yet despite logging more miles and spending more time in the gym, the scale kept climbing. My waistline expanded even as my training intensified. I was doing everything 'right,' or so I thought. The reality was humbling: I was working harder but moving backward. The culprit wasn't just my diet; it was a perfect storm of ultra-processed foods, chronic stress from demanding

surgical schedules, and hormonal imbalances triggered by overtraining without proper recovery. My cortisol was chronically elevated, my sleep suffered, and my body clung to every calorie like a life raft. This personal struggle forced me to dive deep into the latest research on metabolism, nutrition, and the intricate dance of hormones that govern our weight. What I discovered changed everything—not just for me, but for how I counsel my patients about sustainable health. (We'll explore the hormone connection in detail in an upcoming article, but for now, let's focus on the