Interview with Dr. Philip Goglia
Check out my guest post (and cracker recipe) at Snack Girl!
Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Philip Goglia over the phone. As a nutritionist and trainer for celebrities, elite athletes, and regular citizens, Dr. Goglia has seen many people who have a variety of health needs. Dr. Goglia is funny (he had me giggling throughout much of our interview) and passionate about health. He was inspiring to speak with and I’m honoured that I was able to hear his thoughts on health, especially his perspective on motivation. Enjoy!
Living Healthy: What first got you interested in nutrition, fitness, and health?
Dr. G: I have a PhD in metabolic nutrition. I’m a three-time cancer survivor and I weighed 270 lbs in the seventh grade, so health has always been a concern of mine. I started wrestling in the seventh grade and I lost a lot of matches but I had a great coach who encouraged me to keep going. Later on, I managed to get a wrestling scholarship.
When I got injured, I began lifting weights for rehab. But I realized that although I was strong, I wasn’t in shape, so I started doing cardiovascular activity… at first, 110 lbs girls could easily overtake me! I’ve since been climbing mountains and cycling. The most important thing is to have a balance of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Did you come across any drug-abuse issues during your wrestling career?
At the time that I as a wrestler, no one did drugs. We used sensible food programs and moderated our diets to lose weight in a healthy way.
Glad to hear it! I get the impression that you’re not big into quick fixes- what are your thoughts on supplements and processed food?
Simple is better! We should be eating one-ingredient (whole) foods.
What is the main goal for the majority of your clients?
Nobody wants to diet. They want programs to suit their lifestyle, so we meet on a weekly basis to assess how well everything is going for them. It’s all very individual.
For the celebrities that you train, what is the best way to reduce bloat when they need to walk the red carpet?
The ultimate umbrella is always appropriate hydration! We should drink about 1/2 oz to 1 oz of water per pound of body weight. Water releases fat as an energy source; when we’re properly hydrated, we don’t need fat to help control our body temperature.
What’s your advice for people trying to motivate themselves to get (and stay!) healthy?
Don’t expect a particular result! It’s different for everyone, and if you aim for one particular result, the passion of the journey is lost. The journey should never end; benchmarks are important but ultimately, it’s a journey and it suits you in terms of performance, physique, and self-value.
Maintaining a positive outlook is really important. Take a day off from time to time and don’t get caught up in what the crowd is telling you. If we want to be a certain way, then we should live like that now, rather than thinking about it as something that we’ll eventually be doing. When you see someone that has characteristics you aspire to, figure out what they are doing to be that way.
And no matter how crazy your personal goals are, keep the attitude of reaching beyond those stars. Even if it’s a constant re-do; just try harder next time! That’s the ebb and flow of life. Life is very consequential and our actions will dictate that.
Thanks again to Dr. Goglia and to Abbie at Chandler Chicco Agency for making this interview happen!
Very, very cool interview. I’m most interested in “Water releases fat as an energy source; when we’re properly hydrated, we don’t need fat to help control our body temperature.”
I’ve never heard that before. I’m wondering about the science behind it?
I want to say something controversial and annoying, but you are just too cool. Shucks.
Great interview! Thanks for sharing. I am also very interested in the water/fat connection…
I’ve never heard about water releasing fat. I’m interested in the way that works too. I guess I don’t get how that’s possible…but then again I’m no PhD.
“Don’t expect a particular result!”
Love that! I think so many of us get derailed when we don’t get the same results so-and-so the next blog over got. We can’t control the results. I so wish I had learned this 15 years ago. 🙂
Westwood- I HEART you. About the water and fat thing: bear in mind that it might be mild paraphrasing on my part, but I do think that I understood him correctly when he was talking about that. I think that it has to do with our bodies being stabilized and balanced: when we are properly hydrated, it cleans out our systems and keeps everything running smoothly.
Andrea & Tracey- I’m definitely no science person myself, but if you think about it, humans will die of thirst LONG before they will die of hunger. Water is something that we always always always need for all kinds of important bodily functions. So it makes sense, to some degree, that it would be necessary when it comes to balancing out the macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbs).
Cammy- Not going to lie, I was having a bit of a rough day, eating-wise, when I interviewed him. And after he talked about that sort of thing it made me feel SO much better and I was able to get back on track. That’s the joy and frustration about hearing other peoples’ stories: you know that you CAN do it, but it’s likely going to take a new approach. We have to do things our own way, and we won’t get specific results. We have to go with what works for each of us!
Love his positivity! And honesty. There are too many fitness gurus who are like “Of course you can have the (unrealistic) body of your dreams! Pay me $$$ and I will transform you!” so it’s nice to hear someone say that it’s about the journey of getting healthy and the end result is different for everyone. Like Westwood however, I’m VERY interested in that concept of water aiding in fat loss. If you could, do you think you could get the research info from him? Would love to hear more.
very informative! thanks for sharing!
I love this man’s philosophies! I’m also very shocked about his answer regarding the diets of his wrestling teammates. Nick was a wrestler and some of the stories he tells me make me SICK to my stomach. Yikes, dangerous.
Great post!
thank you so much for the oppertunity to share my health and wellness ideas … your interview was very enjoyable. as well …to all you that took the time to blog in… thank you … your honesty and interests about fitness always motivate me to look beyond the box …. to reach for new practical healthy ways to manage our fitness and youthfull futures. you all are inspiring.
best
dr. p-
Wow – Dr. Goglia is an inspiration. Great interview and ditto with the surprise on the water/fat release info. Thanks for a great article/interview. I’d like to link to this in my next post (if that’s no problem?).
Jen- Not a problem at all! Please do 🙂