Expert Q&A

How I finished 2023 vs 2025: how to talk to your doctor about this

Why Preparing for the Conversation Matters in Midlife

As a 52-year-old who dropped 47 pounds between late 2023 and early 2025, I know firsthand how hormonal changes and joint pain can make sustainable weight loss feel impossible. Insurance rarely covers these programs, and past diet failures breed skepticism. That’s why learning to talk to your doctor about your transformation is crucial. Physicians respond best to objective data, not emotional stories. My approach in The CFP Weight Loss Method emphasizes measurable biomarkers and realistic timelines that align with busy middle-income lives—no complex meal plans required.

Key Metrics to Track from 2023 to 2025

Before your appointment, compile a simple one-page summary. Include starting weight (mine was 218 lbs in December 2023), current weight (171 lbs in 2025), waist circumference (down 6.5 inches), A1C (from 6.8 to 5.4), blood pressure (from 142/88 to 118/76), and daily steps (averaged 4,200 to 9,800). Note joint pain reduction using a 1-10 scale—my knee score fell from 7 to 2. List medications adjusted or eliminated. These numbers demonstrate your commitment despite managing diabetes and blood pressure alongside weight loss. Doctors trust trends, especially when you mention how the CFP Method’s gentle movement protocols made exercise possible despite joint issues.

Sample Scripts That Get Results

Start positively: “Doctor, between 2023 and 2025 I lost 47 pounds using a sustainable approach that fits my schedule. Here’s my data—would you review it with me?” Follow with, “I’m concerned about rebound because I’ve failed every diet before. What monitoring do you recommend as I continue?” For hormonal changes, say: “My labs show improved insulin sensitivity. Could we discuss how perimenopause affected my progress and any adjustments needed?” Bring printed before-and-after labs and photos. This preparation overcomes embarrassment and conflicting nutrition advice by focusing on partnership, not pleading for help.

Turning the Visit Into Ongoing Support

Ask specifically for referrals to covered nutrition counseling or physical therapy that addresses joint pain. Inquire about adjusting blood pressure or diabetes meds as weight stabilizes. Request follow-up labs in 90 days. Many patients using the CFP Weight Loss framework report doctors becoming advocates once they see consistent, doctor-friendly data. Remember, your 2023-to-2025 story isn’t just about the scale—it’s proof that midlife weight loss is achievable without gym overload or restrictive eating. Use these tools to transform a routine check-up into a powerful alliance for long-term health.

💬 What the Community Says

In online forums, midlife adults aged 45-55 frequently share mixed experiences discussing weight changes with doctors. Many appreciate when patients arrive with concrete numbers like A1C drops, blood pressure improvements, and waist measurements, noting physicians engage more seriously. A common frustration is the short appointment time that leaves little room for explaining past diet failures or joint pain barriers. The community is split on whether mentioning specific programs helps; some report positive medication adjustments after showing steady progress, while others feel dismissed if insurance doesn't cover additional support. Hormonal shifts in perimenopause surface often as a key discussion point, with users advising others to request thyroid and insulin panels in advance. Overall, beginners who prepare one-page summaries and practice neutral scripts tend to describe more productive visits than those who go in emotionally. Lived experiences highlight that doctors respond best to collaborative language rather than requests for quick fixes.
Cite this answer
Clark, R. (2026). How I finished 2023 vs 2025: how to talk to your doctor about this. *CFP Weight Loss*. https://ask.cfpweightloss.com/ask/how-i-finished-2023-vs-2025-how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-this
Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, FNP-C, APRN
About the Author

Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, is the founder of CFP Weight Loss in Nashville and CFP Fit Now telehealth. Over 35 years in healthcare — Army Nurse Reserves, Level 1 trauma ER, hospitalist — he developed a 30-week protocol integrating real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 30–90 pounds. He and his wife Anne-Marie lost a combined 275 pounds using the same protocol.

📖 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — Get the Book →
Get Personalized Guidance From the Author
Every weight loss journey is different. Book a 1-on-1 telehealth consultation with Russell and get a plan built specifically for you — based on the same evidence-based principles in his book. Available to patients in all 50 states.
Book Your Consultation →
Have a follow-up question?
More Questions 200 answered
▸ When period stopped did you feel like the worst pmdd of all time daily or — what does the research actually say if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ What foods to stock for overnight guest — evidence-based answer for CFP patients specifically for women over 40? ▸ How to incorporate psyllium husk with intermittent fasting — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Has anybody heard of or experienced improvement from neurological disorders through fasting and autophagy if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide — what the research actually says? ▸ What lifestyle changes are your golden rule for reversing IR during the weight loss plateau phase for people with insulin resistance? ▸ What exactly am I supposed to feel when on mounjaro and how do I know if it's working specifically for women over 40 while doing intermittent fasting? 📖 Non-Scale Victories (NSV) — Improvements in energy, sleep, and disease reversal that matter just as much as the numbers on the scale during your tra… ▸ Did anyone lose weight because of a medical condition and the role of cortisol and stress hormones if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Does salt instantly relieve a slight headache for you if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide for people with insulin resistance? ▸ Weight loss without GLP-1 — what does the research actually say if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Weight loss without GLP-1 — what does the research actually say for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Exercise — when and what kind while fasting, and does it enhance autophagy — how a functional medicine approach differs during the weight loss plateau phase? 📖 Autophagy — The body's natural 'housecleaning' process that occurs during fasting or low-insulin states, promoted during our mainten… ▸ How to lose it without getting an ed — what most people get wrong about this and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ Oval twice a week patch - what was I using on a low-carb or ketogenic diet and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ Probiotics worked for a month then stopped. Anyone else for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ Can you tell a difference in my face — how a functional medicine approach differs and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ What are some things you loved from your childhood that you (virtually) never see/experience anymore during the weight loss plateau phase — what the research actually says? ▸ Those of you with Reta experience how does this protocol look for people with insulin resistance on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? 📖 Smart Cycling — The strategic alternating of medication doses with planned 'off' periods to prevent receptor desensitization and ensure … ▸ Sterilized soybean sprout — how a functional medicine approach differs and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ When do you know to go to the hospital — evidence-based answer for CFP patients when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Is tomato paste lectin free during the weight loss plateau phase: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? 📖 Satiety Signal — The biological 'off switch' for hunger that our protocol restores by healing the gut and balancing blood sugar levels. ▸ Does salt instantly relieve a slight headache for you if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? ▸ Insulin resistance caused my weight gain despite eating low calorie diet, anyone else when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ Does anyone here successfully cheat without going completely off the rails: how to talk to your doctor about this for people with insulin resistance? ▸ How can I gain 10kg on Paleo when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? 📖 Cellular Detox — The process of clearing out metabolic waste and reducing cellular stress to allow for more efficient energy production a… ▸ My weight loss progress so far as a 23 year male who stared eating less unhealthy and does little to moderate exercise. Am I doing well — evidence-based answer for CFP patients — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ Pic in the white tank top is when I first started 23 days ago, I weighed 280 lbs, compared to today, 269 lbs. I have been dieting and working out frequently, can you even see a difference: how to talk to your doctor about this: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ How to lose it without getting an ed — what most people get wrong about this: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? 📖 Rebound Weight Gain — The common 'yo-yo' effect caused by high-dose, continuous GLP-1 use; we prevent this through strategic cycling and metab… ▸ Is this a good indicator of autophagy and how it connects to gut health and inflammation for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Why is my psychiatrist recommending supplements — how a functional medicine approach differs — what certified coaches recommend? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ What actually helps with the dryness when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Do you think they read the responses they receive: how to talk to your doctor about this and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ What is a super quick "Mix some of this in" to make coconut oil (purely in liquid form) taste ok to make it easy to consume: how to talk to your doctor about this — what the research actually says? 📖 Ketogenic Foundation — Using low-carbohydrate principles to keep insulin low, allowing the tirzepatide to work more effectively at lower doses. ▸ How to calm my nerves down at doctors — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? ▸ I sometimes feel like people only talk about the obvious symptoms like irregular periods or weight gain, but the fatigue can be just as overwhelming. Has anyone else felt completely drained even: how to talk to your doctor about this: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ When do you know to go to the hospital when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ How do you deal with traveling when you're on a peptide protocol specifically for women over 40 and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ HOW TO DO AN AGGRESSIVE CUT WITH A STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE on a low-carb or ketogenic diet: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ How to incorporate psyllium husk with intermittent fasting — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ Are y’all strict 100% paleo or eat ultra processed food in moderation while doing intermittent fasting and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? 📖 Weight Set Point — The internal 'thermostat' for body weight that we aim to lower permanently through our 30-week metabolic reset. ▸ When period stopped did you feel like the worst pmdd of all time daily or — what does the research actually say: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ Probiotics worked for a month then stopped. Anyone else for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Anyone stopped responding to Mounjaro and had better results with retatrutide — what the research actually says? ▸ Could Nanotyrannus be a nest parasite specifically targeting Trex: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ Is it normal to lose 6 kg in one week during the weight loss plateau phase while doing intermittent fasting? 📖 GIP (Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide) — A hormone that, when combined with GLP-1, enhances the body’s ability to break down fat and manage blood sugar levels mo… ▸ How to work on betrayal, forgiveness integration: what to track and how to measure progress for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Metformin (6 weeks in) for insulin resistance — can the gut stuff actually get better during the weight loss plateau phase? ▸ How to lose weight when you live with obese people while doing intermittent fasting during the weight loss plateau phase? 📖 Strategic Fat Loading — A critical 48-hour phase at the start of the reset where we prime the body with healthy fats to trigger the transition f… ▸ Does the weight loss journey has to be so miserable on a low-carb or ketogenic diet and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ Can autophagy regenerate muscle during physically active prolonged fast and how it connects to gut health and inflammation during the weight loss plateau phase? ▸ What a difference a year makes 🥰 during the weight loss plateau phase?