Why does getting healthier feel harder than it should?

With the new year upon us, a lot of us are thinking more seriously about our health goals.

We’re paying attention. We’re putting in effort. And it’s frustrating when that effort doesn’t seem to translate into results.

That frustration doesn’t just show up in January.

It shows up anytime you decide your health matters.

This week on The Health Feast, Po and I are joined by Dr. Regina Ragasa, a physician who works with patients every day who are doing “the right things” and still feeling stuck.

Dr. Ragasa is triple board–certified in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity medicine, and she helps patients achieve sustainable, compassionate weight loss by addressing root causes rather than quick fixes.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why so many well-intentioned health efforts stall, even when you’re working very hard to do everything right

- What often gets missed beneath the surface when progress feels slower than expected

- How small, meaningful shifts can completely change the trajectory of your health

- Why protein quality matters more than most people realize

- Why compassion is a practical ingredient for change that actually lasts

If you’ve ever felt like you’re trying hard and still wondering what’s not clicking…

If you’ve blamed yourself when things didn’t move the way you expected…

This episode offers a steadier, more honest way forward.

So if you’re putting in the effort and wondering what you might be missing, you’re in the right place.

Live well and RAK ON,

– Dr. Rak 👊🏽

=======

About Regina Ragasa, DO, DAOBM, DipABLM

Dr. Regina Ragasa is a physician triple boarded in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity medicine who helps patients achieve sustainable weight loss and better overall health. Her work focuses on people who are genuinely trying to get healthier, often doing many of the “right things,” and still feeling stuck.

She blends evidence-based lifestyle medicine with practical, real-world care, emphasizing food quality, sustainable habits, and compassion rather than restriction or shame. Dr. Ragasa is especially known for helping patients rethink protein, navigate a challenging food environment, and make changes that actually fit into busy lives.

Her approach blends evidence-based lifestyle medicine with practical clinical care, focusing on food quality, sustainable habits, and compassion rather than restriction or shame. Dr. Ragasa is especially known for helping people rethink protein, navigate a challenging food environment, and make changes that actually fit into busy, modern lives.

In her work and teaching, she emphasizes that the problem is rarely a lack of effort or willpower, it’s often the system, the messaging, and the way we’ve been taught to define “healthy.” Her goal is to help people move forward with clarity, confidence, and tools that support lasting change.

=======

🔗 Links + Resources

• 📸 Instagram: CaliWellnessDoc

Timestamps

00:00 – Why Does Getting Healthier Feel So Hard?

01:18 – “I’m Eating Clean… Why Am I Still Stuck?”

04:31 – The Protein Mistake Almost Everyone Makes

08:59 – The Patient Case That Changed Everything

15:29 – Why “Just Try Harder” Doesn’t Work

24:32 – You’re Not Broken — The Food System Is

31:12 – Are Medications a Shortcut or a Tool?

41:10 – Why Self-Compassion Is the Missing Skill

50:59 – Health Is a Practice, Not a Finish Line