September 21, 2025 • 46 mins
What happens when traditional weight loss approaches fail because of underlying medical conditions? In our most candid conversation yet, Cynthia courageously shares her 14-month journey with Wegovy - a path she initially kept private due to fear of judgment.
This powerful discussion reveals the complex relationship between chronic illness and weight gain. Cynthia's lifelong battle with asthma led to steroid treatments that triggered significant weight gain, creating a devastating cycle: medications caused weight gain, excess weight worsened breathing problems, which required more medication. At her lowest point, her lung capacity dropped to just 70%, making even short walks leave her breathless.
After trying countless approaches without success, Cynthia turned to medical intervention through weekly Wegovy injections. She describes her initial anxiety about the treatment, the adjustments her body underwent, and the transformation that followed. Beyond losing 30 pounds, she's experienced life-changing health improvements—reducing from four inhalers to just two, with hopes of eliminating another soon.
The conversation delves deep into emotional territory as Cynthia reveals her heaviest and the confidence she's gradually regaining. Her nutritionist's practical approach to food helped shift her perspective: enjoy foods you love, but in moderation. Instead of eliminating favorite treats, she learned to have "just one slice" rather than the whole cake or pizza.
This episode challenges common misconceptions about weight loss medications while emphasizing that each person's journey is unique. What works for one body may be ineffective for another. Whether you're struggling with weight-related health issues or supporting someone who is, this honest conversation offers valuable insights about finding your path to wellness when conventional wisdom falls short.
Have you faced similar challenges with weight and health conditions? We'd love to hear your experiences in the comments or through a message. Remember—your health journey is personal, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.
Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carmen Lezeth (00:00):
Hi everyone, welcome to All About the Joy.
This is the private lounge andin the house is Cynthia Hi
Cynthia.
Rick Costa Hi Rick.
So today I'm actually reallyexcited because we're going to
have a conversation that Iactually didn't think was going
to happen.
I never pressured her, but youactually asked and we wanted to
(00:21):
talk about your weight lossjourney.
So go ahead, cynthia.
Why don't you start a littlebit with why you wanted to talk
about it and what it is you wantto talk about?
All?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (00:32):
right.
So let's see, we're going totalk about my weight loss
journey.
So I've been on Wake Ovi for ayear and two months actually,
and I've lost about 30 poundspounds, which some people
probably don't think it's a lot,but it really is in the whole
spectrum of it I don't know whypeople wouldn't think that's a
(00:54):
lot.
But it is.
I mean, I know you mean that'sa lot.
Carmen Lezeth (00:57):
So first, before we start um, because I'm not
here to promote any of these glpones, you happen you happen to
use Wegovi, but people is thathow you call it Wegovi, yeah,
wegovi.
But other people use Ozempic.
There's Menogen, there's allthese different types.
We're not here to promote anyof them.
And also let me say we are notdoctors.
(01:18):
We are not promoting anyone touse or to do anything.
Talk to your doctors, talk toyour family.
We're just having aconversation.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (01:27):
Yeah, it definitely.
Each medication does affecteach person differently.
So I actually know three otherpeople who are on the other
medications and everyone'sreaction to them are different.
Some have lost a lot of weight,excuse me, very, very fast.
(01:48):
Others have lost it, you know,kind of at a slower pace, but
they're still losing.
Um, and I also know someone whohas had gastric bypass and the
sleeve.
And you know, everyone isdifferent and the one thing that
people don't know, like withwith weight gain, I make it a
(02:11):
little emotional sorry, it'sokay.
Carmen Lezeth (02:14):
You know I I have questions if you want to start
from the beginning, but I alsowant to let you express yourself
the way you want to.
Are you okay?
Yeah, no, we're good do someamsr yes in a better mood.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (02:31):
Okay, right um, okay, so yes, um.
So weight loss is different foreveryone and there's always
like underlining conditions thatpeople may not know on why
they're eating weight.
So it it could be genetic, itcould be hormonal, it could be
(02:52):
certain medications that they'reon which, actually, two of the
reasons were with me.
One was my asthma, two was themedications.
So I grew up with asthma mywhole life and, you know, all
through high school I playedsupports and everything and I
was, you know, had little flareshere and there, but it was
never severe as it got until Iwas older.
(03:13):
So I started on a lot ofinhalers that had steroids.
Um, when I had really badflare-ups, I would would get on
prednisone, and prednisone is avery strong steroid and it can
open up your appetite.
It makes you gain weight.
(03:33):
You eat a lot when you're on itand you feel like you had like
10 cups of coffee all at once.
So you know you're going, going, going, but yeah, you're also
eating a lot because it's justmaking you eat and you're
gaining weight.
So that was a lot of that.
That was the bigger picture.
That was the whole reason why Iwas gaining weight.
(03:54):
And you know, I tried going tothe gym.
The gym did help with cardio,gym did help with cardio.
It helped me actually like beable to, you know, walk down the
street or walk to my carwithout getting, you know,
shortness of breath.
And then I've seen, like allthese TikTok videos and Facebook
(04:15):
videos of people saying, oh,cardio is dumb, you don't need
cardio, this, and that you doneed cardio.
Carmen Lezeth (04:21):
Your heart for your heart, yeah.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (04:25):
Yeah, for your heart, and just for your
lungs.
You know what I mean.
Like you could be the skinniestperson in the world, but you
can't walk up a flight of stairs.
Carmen Lezeth (04:31):
You know, I know a lot of people who are
extremely skinny, who are theunhealthiest people I've ever
known in my life?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (04:37):
no, that's not an issue so you know and I
and you know doing that I wouldlose a little bit of weight
going to the gym.
And then I just kind of stoppedgoing because I was just like,
all right, I'm done.
Carmen Lezeth (04:49):
I remember I was like, okay, I need you to just
go out 15 minutes for a walk andthen 15 I'll do it with you,
because I was so worried aboutyou.
I was so, and it wasn't aboutthe weight, I just want to.
It was about I could tell yourheart was no, no, no, not your
heart muscle, your energy, yourspirit was just so sad.
(05:14):
I could tell that you werestruggling and I was trying to
be like how can I help you?
You know what I mean?
I mean just to be encouraging.
But then then I realized alsoand I think this is really
important for people tounderstand, like you said
something really great at thebeginning I'm also giving you a
breather so you don't cry.
The whole time is everyone isvery different.
(05:39):
That is factual.
Like, just because I want torun three to five miles a day
and think that's amazing Doesn'tmean that would be amazing for
anyone else in the 10 mileradius.
You know what I mean, right,exactly, yoga.
I mean people swear I havefriends who have the most
beautiful physique.
(05:59):
They no longer do anything thatI want them to do, and I hate
yoga with a passion.
You know what I mean.
So, yeah, but I know that youhave been struggling and you've
been trying everything.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (06:12):
Yeah, it was to a point that you know I
would go in for a pulmonaryfunction test and they would
test, like the amount ofcapacity and lung capacity I had
.
I was down to 70%, only 70% ofmy lung capacity, which is bad,
you know.
Just walking from here to mydoor I was like out of breath,
(06:35):
like this is wrong in so manylevels, you know.
So I like I used to see anutritionist this is my.
Actually I'm on my thirdnutritionist because the first
two were horrible.
The first visit I had with themI went straight out the door
and was like please do notschedule me with this person
ever again.
(06:55):
They are horrible.
Carmen Lezeth (06:57):
Wait.
Before we start with thenutritionists, can we just go
back to the GLP-1s, because Ijust want to explain to people
what they are?
This is me just doing someresearch just to help some
people.
So GLP-1 stands forglucagon-like peptide 1.
I'm sure I hacked that horribly.
That's why I wrote it at thebottom.
(07:18):
It's a hormone that plays a keyrole in regulating blood sugar
levels and appetite.
Medications like Wegovi Ozempic.
They mimic this hormone to helpwith weight loss by reducing
hunger and promoting a feelingof fullness.
So I just want to explain whatthese medications kind of sort
of do from a non-doctor medicalperson, just using Google and
(07:44):
research medical person justusing Google and research, it
absolutely does.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (07:54):
It does suppress your appetite, and it
was.
It was so bad at the beginningthat I literally was going like
morning and lunch skipping.
It had no appetite whatsoever,and I would just wait till I get
home and I make something smalllike just scrambled eggs and
that's all I ate for the wholeday, and okay, but is that what
you're supposed to do?
No, no.
So this is.
(08:16):
This is why I was working withthe nutritionist too at the same
time was because she washelping me, like telling me
exactly, even if I don't have anappetite to eat anything, I
should still eat something,because your body is telling you
you're full and you're nothungry Doesn't mean your body
doesn't need the nutrients.
(08:36):
Okay.
Carmen Lezeth (08:38):
Can I tell you how this is?
I want people to understand howdifferent people are.
I go back and this is like mytherapy session.
Right, I go back and I realizedwhen I was growing up I was
told when to eat.
After rehearsal or duringrehearsal.
They would sit me down and sayCarmen, you need to eat lunch,
Carmen, you need to eat dinner.
And because of the way I grewup, I didn't always have someone
(09:01):
cooking for me or making foodfor me, so I can go.
That's why for me, so I can go.
That's why I asked you.
I can go all day not eating,that's not good and then I'll
have like a bowl of cereal andthen feel sick to my stomach you
know what I mean and like neverwant to throw up or whatever,
but want to feel like it.
That's why I was asking Didthey say that was okay?
No, you have to force yourselfto eat.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (09:24):
You do, and you know I thought I was doing
good with having like a bowl ofcereal in the morning, even if
it was just raisin bran, butit's not because it's all sugar.
Even though they say they'rehealthy cereals and they have no
sugar, everything it's gonnahave sugar right and it's not on
trees, so it's very healthy.
Carmen Lezeth (09:46):
That's a real easy way to know.
It's probably not thehealthiest thing the vitamins.
Rick Costa (09:49):
I mean no, no, no sugar.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (09:50):
Right, exactly, yeah, um, so definitely
protein.
Another thing with theseinjections is that you can lose
muscle mass so that's why it'sso important yeah that's why
it's so important to haveprotein, um you know whether
it's chicken or fish.
Try to stay away from red meats.
Carmen Lezeth (10:10):
You know, like steak, you can have it once in a
while.
But wait, I don't want to givepeople dietary advice either.
That's for you this was.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:18):
This was for me, so this is what my
nutrition you have to do your.
Carmen Lezeth (10:23):
Do you do a shot or is it a pill?
Do you do it weekly, monthly?
How does that part of it work?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:28):
So it is an injection, it's an auto injector
.
So I don't I hate needles.
Let me be clear I absolutelyhate needles, but I don't see
the needle.
So it's not like a regularsyringe or anything like that.
I do not see the needle at all.
It looks like an EpiPen.
If anyone's ever seen an EpiPen, I'm going to show everyone an
EpiPen.
Carmen Lezeth (10:49):
I was going to show everyone an EpiPen.
I have so many of them.
This is I have an EpiPen.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:59):
Yes, so it kind of looks like that.
Yeah, and you know you don'tsee the needle at all and you
can either put it in your upperthigh, your legs, your upper arm
, or you can put it under yourbelly button like your belly
part.
Carmen Lezeth (11:17):
Yeah, so, that's why I do it.
Not in EpiPen, yeah, not inEpiPen.
The.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (11:20):
FUPA.
What the FUPA the FUPA, whatthe FUPA the FUPA?
Carmen Lezeth (11:26):
The what.
Rick Costa (11:28):
The FUPA.
Carmen Lezeth (11:29):
The FUPA.
Oh God, okay, I'm not.
I don't know, do I have todelete that Maybe?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (11:37):
So I hate needles and it took a while for
me to actually agree to do this,because it was a needle and
everything like that.
But you know, the doctor showedme what it looked like, how to
do it with a fake one.
So I was like, ok, I can dothis, I don't see the needle.
(11:59):
The first time I did it I waspetrified.
Juan was like I can do it foryou and I was like, no, no, I
need to do this.
It's a mental thing and I needto do it myself because I have
to do it myself, cause if he'snot here and I need to give
myself this injection, then Ihave to.
I have to be able to do it.
So you know.
Carmen Lezeth (12:19):
I'm speaking to myself.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (12:20):
Weekly or monthly?
How do you do it?
Sorry, it is weekly.
Once a week, oh no, it isweekly.
Wow, yeah, and they started youoff with the lowest dose, which
is like a 0.7 for the way going.
That's what they started me on.
So, um, so yeah.
So you know, I was hyping myselfup.
I'm like, okay, I could do this.
And I did it by thigh the firsttime because I was like, okay,
(12:43):
maybe I could take pain there.
I didn't even feel anything.
I think I feel a mosquito bite,more than I felt this needle.
So now I do it and I don't feelit at all.
It's like nothing.
I'll be sitting there watchingTV, do it, all done.
But the first time I did it,the first couple of weeks, I
didn't have much of an appetite.
(13:04):
I would try to force myself toeat something small, whether it
was a piece of fruit or somescrambled eggs or you know, just
something small, nothing withsugar.
Then my body started gettingused to it and you know, after
three months, you know, I hadlost 12 pounds in the first like
(13:24):
month and I was so excited forthat because I was just like
it's working.
I'm so excited, and you know.
But no one was noticing anyweight loss yet.
So you know, after a while Iwas like okay, whatever.
So after three months, my doctorum, she upped the dosage and
(13:45):
you know we kept going up everythree months just to see how I
would do it.
Um, there are a couple of sideeffects.
Again, everyone is different.
Everyone will react to thisvery differently.
Um, with me it was mostlyeither uh, not to be graphic,
but it was either constipationor it was diarrhea, and those
were the only two um sideeffects that I had but you said
(14:10):
had, so you don't have themanymore.
I don't, I don't, my body gotused to it it now.
So it's like now it's a routine, so my body's like okay, we can
work with this.
And you know, now we're eatingbetter foods and you know, and
with the nutritionist, shehelped too, because she also
helped me look at fooddifferently.
Carmen Lezeth (14:31):
Are you working out as well, are you?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (14:34):
I am not.
So that are you working out aswell, are you?
I am not, so that's anotherthing.
So again, everyone is different.
So with with me, um, this pastyear, you know, I'll walk a
little bit here and there and Ithink if I've gone, if I was
going to the gym more, I'dprobably lose weight a little
faster.
Carmen Lezeth (14:54):
Um, but again, I are you trying to get to a goal
weight before you actually thenstart working out.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:01):
I am.
I am because, um, when I was atmy largest weight, um,
obviously it was putting a lotof strain on my knees, um, so
now I'm, now I'm walkingupstairs with no problem, with
ease, um I'm, I'm also, um,breathing better.
(15:21):
And also, we did find out, youknow, with the underlying
condition with my asthma, thatmy lungs were also producing a
lot of phlegm, which was alsomaking it worse for me to do
exercise, which was also, youknow, making me gain weight,
because I couldn't really domuch.
Carmen Lezeth (15:42):
It's such a vicious cycle.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:44):
It is.
Carmen Lezeth (15:44):
It definitely is.
It's such a vicious cycle, itreally is.
Rick Costa (15:48):
Yeah, so you said they start you off with a low
dose.
How regularly do you go to thedoctor for them to regulate see
if everything's cool?
Like, how often do you go tothe doctor for them to regulate
see if everything's cool?
Like, how often do you goweekly, monthly?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:59):
every three months.
I talk to her, to my doctor, soshe, um, she'll either email me
or she'll call me asking me howam I doing with the, with this
dosage, and if we want to go upto the next one and it was
always my choice whether Iwanted to go up to the next dose
or continue on the same one.
Rick Costa (16:17):
Just to see how.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (16:20):
It all depends on how my body is
reacting to that dosage.
Rick Costa (16:24):
So yeah, so have you ever had a time where you're
like, okay, I don't feel good,this doesn't feel right, or not
really?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (16:32):
um, the only time I did was with this last
dose, which is the highest one.
It's a 2.4.
When I first started it I wasreally nauseous and one day I
actually vomited, but other thanthat and that was only once
that was like the first week onthe new dose and after that I've
(16:53):
been fine.
So we're good now.
Carmen Lezeth (16:57):
You were emotional earlier and I might
have cut it out as we're talkingabout this, but you got a
little emotional.
Can I ask why?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (17:11):
Because it's a tough journey.
It's a tough journey for anyoneto deal with Are you?
Carmen Lezeth (17:20):
are you sad that you're going through the journey
or are you?
Are there tears of joy?
I'm, I guess I'm confused.
I mean, I hope they're tears ofjoy.
It's a little both.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (17:33):
It's a little bit of both.
I'm happy that I'm losing theweight, but I'm also sad that I
had to go through all of this inorder to lose the weight and it
took so long to find all theseunderlying conditions.
Carmen Lezeth (17:53):
I love you so much for doing this and I'm so
fucking proud of you.
I really am.
I'm an emotional person anyway,so you know, everybody knows no
one would know that becauseyou're so mean on the show.
Um, I guess I can.
(18:15):
I mean, I don't understand whatyou're going through, I don't
at all, but I can empathize.
You know what I mean Because Iknow you were very athletic as a
kid.
You were a cheerleader, youwere in sports Was it soccer?
I forget what the hell we're inand then to kind of have a lot
of this stuff spiral and, likewe said earlier, it's this.
(18:42):
It seems like a bad circularthing that just kept going.
And then when you and Juan cameto visit me and I hope you
don't mind me sharing this, Imean that's when I realized like
I felt so bad because youcouldn't sleep without the thing
on your face.
What is that called the CPAP?
Yeah, the CPAP, and I'm likewhat is happening with my cousin
(19:03):
?
Has that gotten better for yousleeping and just your general
well-being?
Are you in a different space?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (19:11):
Yeah, even Juan's notice he goes.
My snoring has gotten bettersince I've lost the weight.
Carmen Lezeth (19:18):
Yeah, and as you lose weight, that's going to get
better, and your sleep's goingto get better too, for sure,
absolutely.
Rick Costa (19:24):
It happened to me as well, because when I was
heavy so I do yearly trips withthe youth and we'd be like a
bunch of us in a hotel room andthey'd be like, oh my God, rick,
snoring is so bad I was like,hey, wake up.
Hey guys, sorry if I snored.
No, you didn't snore at all.
We didn't hear anything.
Carmen Lezeth (19:42):
I was like wow, it does change things for you it
does.
Well, but I talk in my sleep.
So there you go.
It doesn't, but that's just me.
But I think what's reallyinteresting, cynthia, that your
story, I think, will highlightand that I'm just so glad you're
(20:03):
doing it is, you know, I thinkabout Oprah and I don't care how
people feel about Oprah, but ifthere is anyone on the planet
who had the money, the time, theability to lose weight quote
unquote, naturally right I'mdoing air quotes here it would
have been her right, because shehad all the money, whatever,
(20:26):
and she even said that.
And it's like I think we have toget to a place in this country
and understand that noteverybody is exactly the same
and not everything that worksfor one person is going to work
for the other, and I have noproblems whatsoever with people
using this in the way that it'sbeing used now.
I actually say thank Godbecause it's helping people who
(20:48):
have been in this struggle forso long.
How do you feel about thestigma?
Because I know at the beginningyou told me I'm not telling
anybody, nobody knows, it's justyou and I was like you didn't
tell one.
I felt so honored, but I'm justsaying it felt like you were
really in a place where you like.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (21:07):
It was a secret yeah, yeah, because
because of the stigma, becauseyou know, everybody always
talked crap about other peoplewho were on all these other
injections of the Zempic andZetbound and Manjaro, and it's
like, okay, I tried everything,this is my last resort and I
(21:29):
don't want people talking crapabout me.
You know saying, oh, you know,oh, that's, that's all fake or
you're a quitter, or you knowyou don't need that.
You can just go to the gym orhave surgery or do this and do
that.
And it's like I've triedeverything.
I've tried everything otherthan surgery.
I've tried everything.
Carmen Lezeth (21:50):
You know what?
I think it's a different worldwe live in, where I mean, this
is again, I'm not a doctor oranything, but I think this idea
that we can live as long as wedo now right.
I mean, there was a time wedied at like 30.
Right, as we progress, we haveall this technology.
We have food, that is, you know, like I'm not out, you know,
(22:12):
getting my own berries andkilling my own meat.
I'm not out getting my ownberries and killing my own meat.
We have all of these greatthings with technology, but I
think the thing that happenswith technology is that we're
also eating differently and itchanges our body types, and so
there's all these othertechnological, chemical blah,
blah, blah things that happen tous.
As we've progressed with all ofthese as modern society, it
(22:35):
makes sense to me that then wecan still we can use that
brilliance to help us get backon track so that we can live
healthier lives as well andlonger.
Rick Costa (22:44):
Does that?
Carmen Lezeth (22:44):
make sense, did that make any sense, you know,
but I am sorry that you're.
I know there's a part of youthat's sad.
I wish I have loved you, nomatter what, no matter.
And then I know that soundsstupid.
And the reason why.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (22:59):
I only told you and obviously Juan is
because you know I needed thesupport and Juan was the best
and was always there and justsaid you know, whatever you want
to do, it's, it's it's yourchoice.
Carmen Lezeth (23:15):
Oh, that's so beautiful he's from me yeah,
give him a hug from me too.
That's sweet, that's that'slove.
Right there, right, I thinkyou're amazing.
Rick Costa (23:25):
Go ahead, rick earlier you mentioned that
nobody really seemed to noticewhen you started to lose the
weight.
Um, did that like, feel like asetback?
Or you were like, no, I'm, nomatter what I got this, I'm
still doing it.
I know, like who cares if theydon't know?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (23:39):
um, I was getting discouraged at the
beginning.
I was because nobody wasnoticing and then, probably
after six months, one startednoticing.
He was the first one thatstarted noticing and I was just
like what are you talking about?
I was like no, I haven't.
And I was like the skills youknow?
Whatever, like I hate lookingat scale.
Carmen Lezeth (23:59):
He's like I could see it.
I noticed it when you got up atone point on the screen.
I haven't seen you in person,but I'll tell you.
The other way I noticed too isbecause I do, uh, I do the
editing, yeah, and, and thenI'll go back and look at some of
the old like, if I want to usea pic for one of our clips or
something you know, for our umthumbnails, and I'm like, oh, my
(24:22):
god, she's lost so much weight,I'm gonna use this one, because
I was looking at one of thevideos, one of our old ones, and
I was like, oh my god, I didlose weight oh, yeah, you lost a
lot of.
Yeah, you have lost a lot ofweight, especially your neck and
your face.
I mean, that's all we reallysee.
So I'm just really proud of youI don't even know how to say it
(24:43):
Like I think I'm not.
I don't care about the fuckingweight loss, I don't care if you
gained 200 pounds, theconfidence and the way in which
you're talking, because you knowto me I don't think you're more
beautiful because you're thin.
I do.
You know, I have never believedin that bullshittery.
Skinny don't mean pretty at all.
Yeah, can you fight me thenmaybe you know what I mean.
(25:07):
Like maybe you in my club.
That's my thing.
I ain't got nothing to do withweight, but I'm just.
Your confidence has changed.
That's what's brilliant to me.
Rick Costa (25:15):
I think two people that you know, we know this
already.
People are very judgy and theymight be like, oh, isn't that
dangerous?
And I would be like, listen, 70lung capacity is also dangerous
.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (25:27):
Yeah absolutely, absolutely.
I mean, I was on four inhalersand three pills and they've just
taken away two inhalers.
Rick Costa (25:40):
Wow.
Carmen Lezeth (25:40):
So good.
Oh my God, that's so good,that's so good.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (25:44):
Yeah, so excited yeah.
Carmen Lezeth (25:46):
And this should be something you do.
This is my preference,something you should be doing
with your doctor.
I, you know.
I know there are a lot ofplaces now that are giving
different kinds of these GLPones, but you have to be really
careful about it.
You know you have to be with amedical professional.
It's way too new on the scenefor this kind of purpose.
(26:09):
Actually, they've been aroundforever because they've been
helping, like oh Zempik was fordiabetics, right?
That's how it came out.
But be very careful and I'mgoing to put it in a way that I
understand it.
I'm going to say it this wayEveryone knows I get Botox for
the line that I have here thatyou guys never see, because I
get Botox.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (26:30):
Your imaginary line.
Carmen Lezeth (26:31):
It's not an imaginary line.
You met my Botox person.
It's not an imaginary line.
You met my Botox person.
It's not imaginary, but that'swhy it's such a good job, right,
but here's the point.
I could go to the nail salonand get my nails done and
they'll be, like you know, $5for Botox or whatever, and you
think that's a great deal.
It's like getting bad sushi atthe 7-Eleven, like I don't eat
(26:55):
sushi at all.
But I'm just saying you knowwhat I mean, you, you, you want
to put in your body.
You should be talking to adoctor too, absolutely.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (27:06):
And don't, and don't let them force you
into doing things.
Do your research, you know,find someone else who's who's
done it and see how it's reactedto them.
You know, again, everyone isdifferent, but just to talk to
people, to see how they, howthey did it and things like that
.
Also, work with thenutritionist and find the right
(27:28):
nutritionist for you.
If, if the doctor, if thenutritionist, a therapist, if it
doesn work out, if you havethat gut feeling that this isn't
the right fit, move on, move onto someone else.
Carmen Lezeth (27:41):
Can you explain what a nutritionist does?
No offense to nutritionists,I'm just what.
Exactly like you, go in andtalk to your nutritionist and
say what, and what do they sayback to you?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (27:51):
So she'll ask me what I had for breakfast,
lunch and dinner, um, andshe'll ask me, like, what am I
drinking?
Um, what am I am I exercising?
Basically, you know everythingthat you're asking me here, like
what am I eating?
What am I doing differently?
Um, and I'm I'm honest with her, you know, if I tell her, today
(28:14):
I had a cheeseburger, but youknow I had it with a whole, with
a salad or something you knowshe's like okay, well, at least
cheeseburger with thenutritionist.
Carmen Lezeth (28:26):
I'm being serious yeah.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (28:27):
So this is what I loved about this
nutritionist she made me look atfood differently, so that you
don't have to stop eating thefoods that you love.
Just don't eat the whole pizzaI have one slice.
Don't have a whole thing of pieor chocolate cake, just have a
slice.
Rick Costa (28:48):
A little brownie you know what a little brownie.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (28:53):
Okay, just a little one yeah, you know what
I'm saying.
Like, don't have the wholepackage, have one brownie.
Like um, when I first startedthis last year, you know we were
getting close to the holidaysand the holidays, you know,
everybody tends to eat a lot andhave a lot of desserts and
stuff.
She's like, okay, the holidaysare coming.
She's like, who's doing thecooking?
(29:14):
I was doing the cooking.
So she's like, okay, what areyou cooking?
So I told her everything I wasgoing to have.
(29:44):
So she's like, okay, piece ofcheesecake, that's your dessert.
She goes and then slice themall the rest of it up and give
it to everybody else to takehome.
That way it's not in your house, you're not tempted to have
more of it.
You had your, your serving andyou, you quenched that, that um,
craving of having your dessert.
So don't deny yourself, just inmoderation.
(30:07):
So see.
Carmen Lezeth (30:09):
And now I just want to say this is why I I
never take home doggy bags.
I don't take it right.
Like is exactly the reason.
I'm not saying people shouldn't, because people are like I
don't want to waste food,da-da-da, I'm like.
But there's a reason.
Like I never, I'm never goingto have.
Like.
I think it was Andrea who waslike I'll come to your house and
(30:30):
I'll just bake you a chocolatecake.
I'm like no, I will go and buya slice of cake for $8.
You, for eight dollars.
You know what I mean.
But her point is I can bake youone for cheaper.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (30:45):
No, no no, but I don't want the whole cake,
right, you know, um, becauseyou will be tempted to eat the
whole thing, and that's likethere's something emotional like
I.
Carmen Lezeth (30:53):
Everyone knows I love chocolate cake.
If you haven't gotten the joke,that's why she was saying that
chocolate cake, I love chocolate, it is my, it's like my
achilles heel.
You can get anything from me ifyou have like good chocolate
cake.
And I love chocolate cake, itis my, it's like my Achilles
heel.
You can get anything from me ifyou have like good chocolate
cake, and I don't mean expensive.
There's a difference.
Expensive chocolate cake is notalways the right chocolate cake
.
It's not the good Duncan Hinesbaby, regular ghetto chocolate
(31:15):
cake.
But I think people don'tunderstand the power of.
I think it's almost like analcoholic.
This is not to be disrespectfulto alcoholics, but if you have
something in your house, it's somuch easier to justify why
you're going to eat it.
Right, you know what I meanLike because it's there.
(31:35):
But if I have to walk my ass tothe grocery store and I make
myself walk like if I wantchocolate cake, I have to walk
to the grocery store and I makemyself walk Like if I want
chocolate cake, I have to walkto the grocery store and get it.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (31:45):
Like with me and Juan, like we were big
Pepsi drinkers, so of coursethat's just packed with sugar.
We're big.
I'm not big on sweets, he'smore on the sweets but we always
had Pepsi in the house and thenwhen I started doing this, I
was like, nope, let's cut thesoda.
So now we don't even keep it inthe house at all.
(32:08):
If he wants soda, he'll buyhimself like just a bottle, a
small bottle of pepsi, and he'lldrink it and that's it.
Carmen Lezeth (32:16):
And we're not promoting pepsi Coke, but we'd
be happy to be sponsored by anyof you Go ahead.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:22):
Sorry, but what I did find were, you know,
crystal Light, how they have theno sugar.
You know you have lemonade.
I see all that that you can mixwith your water.
But I also found other brands,like Snapple has a sugar-free
kiwi-strawberry mix, if you likethat.
Carmen Lezeth (32:43):
Ew gross, no no.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:47):
But you can find things without sugar.
Carmen Lezeth (32:52):
So your nutritionist is really about all
the sugar.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:55):
She's about sugar.
She's all about making sure Ihave my protein and vegetables.
Carmen Lezeth (33:04):
I'm not a big on the sugar.
I hate the again, yournutritionist is your
nutritionist and.
But I always hate when peopletry to debunk the sugar thing.
To me it makes no sense Cause,like the like, if I go have
crystal light, blah, blah, blah,and what I actually wanted was
a soda, I'm still going to wantthat soda the next day, the day
(33:25):
after, whatever, and I'm likejust have the motherfucking soda
.
Now I might choose to have halfof that soda and throw the half
out.
I might do that, but I may not.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (33:35):
But then she said and she also said that's
fine.
She said if you do have it, youagain you've quenched that,
that you know taste for it, andnow, rest of the day you can
have water, you can have youknow no sugar drinks and things
like that.
So again, you're not completelyeliminating it out of your life
(33:59):
, but you are going to moderatehow much you have.
Rick Costa (34:03):
I think diets that are all about depriving you they
never work.
Carmen Lezeth (34:07):
Yeah, exactly I think sweets and salts are
really important to our palate,but also it's human to want
something sweet and wantsomething salty or whatever you
know I mean.
The difference is like am Igoing to have a big, huge bag
bag of lays potato chip becauseI'm having a salt fix?
Or no but you know what I'msaying.
(34:30):
Like, I think that that's whatyou're saying is just in
moderation, you know.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (34:33):
But yeah yeah and I and I you know I also
changed the way that I cook too.
I I don't use salt in my foodanymore and now I use.
I found a woman who actuallyhas their own seasoning line.
It's called Healthy Rican.
She's Puerto Rican and Iactually told my nutritionist
(34:57):
about it and she absolutelyloved it.
It actually has no salt and youstill have adobo, sazon,
sofrito, everything, but it'sall natural, Nothing's like
processed and all that stuff init, and everybody loved it.
Carmen Lezeth (35:14):
So and then I just again I'm being kind of
mean here, but I just want tosay everybody's different
because I actually have to addsalt to my food because I have
such low blood, and that's not agood thing.
It's not like I'm like, oh myGod, my blood pressure is so low
.
That's not a good thing.
That's not a good thing either.
I actually have to put salt inmy cranberry juice in the
(35:37):
morning.
Uh, I know, because it actslike, because, instead of having
a, um, sports drink you knowactual electrolytes, you know
how they do electrolytes.
This is like a not natural, butyou know, because I didn't go
out and squeeze the fuckingcranberries.
But it's an easier way, insteadof buying those sports drinks
(35:57):
that are full of sugar, full ofcrap.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, my cranberry juice put alittle bit of salt in it.
That helps with my salt intake.
But that's just to explain.
And we're from the same sort ofbloodline, bush, but we're so
different, right, absolutely.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (36:15):
Absolutely.
Rick Costa (36:16):
Which is why, again , you should see a doctor,
because you can't.
There is no, everybody's thesame.
No, not at all.
Carmen Lezeth (36:22):
Absolutely, I tried, I tried to get weight, to
get one of these.
I tried.
I asked my doctor because of mysurgery I had gained weight and
I was like I'm just curious.
Like I went in all like justwondering.
She was like, yeah, no, it'snot happening.
I was like you, it's nothappening like you show.
(36:43):
Uh, yeah, I was kind of bummedabout that but I think you and I
talked about it when you toldme, I was like I was kind of
jealous, like but I was tryingto be supportive, sorry, um,
because I do think when you haveyou know, think when you have
you know, like when you havemore weight, no matter what your
weight is, when you don't feellike yourself, it's hard to move
(37:06):
forward and I don't mean thatphysically, I mean in your life,
when you don't feel like you'reat your best self.
I think you at your best self.
You getting there?
Huh, I'm getting there.
Look at that fucking smile andshit.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:23):
I mean, juan doesn't even know this, and I'm
saying this for everyone tohear right now.
At my biggest, I was over 300.
Carmen Lezeth (37:29):
You were not were you, I was Did.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:32):
I see you On the show.
Carmen Lezeth (37:37):
No, but when you were here, you were not.
When you came to visit me no,when I came to visit you, no, no
, no, no, because you told butwhen you were here, you were not
.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:42):
When you came to visit me.
No, when I came to visit you.
No, no, no, no, because youtold me what you were.
Carmen Lezeth (37:47):
Yeah, yeah, no, okay, okay, yeah, wow, good for
you and embracing that shit.
I did not know.
Yeah, and you're no one there.
You're short, not short, butyou're my height, right, I'm
five four yeah, same height,yeah, yeah wow, I am so fucking
(38:10):
proud of you get that being areal woman, because you know
what doesn't it feel good whenyou just embrace that shit and
you're like you know, that's how.
That's why I always talk aboutthe Botox thing.
I've lost a couple of friendsbecause they're like I don't
know why you always have to putit out there, why you always
have to say and it's becausethey're like Botox to the
fucking max, you know, and itlooks bad.
(38:33):
You know, with this shit andeverything that's filler, that's
not Botox.
Rick Costa (38:42):
If somebody is listening and they're like you
know what?
I think I'm convinced, I thinkI want to try.
What do you like?
What would be the first step?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (38:51):
What should they do?
Make sure you've triedeverything else first, you know
whether it's just working outbut definitely have a support
system and you should talk toyour doctor, as we said,
everything else.
Carmen Lezeth (39:06):
I mean and I might be overstepping, but I'm
just gonna say it it wasn't evenjust that you tried so many
different things.
At some point you were just ina like a hamster wheel kind of
on the medications and like yougetting sick and then trying to
work out and then not being ableto eat and then like and just
go on.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (39:27):
It was a vicious cycle, let me tell you,
because it was like okay, I haveto lose weight in order for my
asthma to get better, but inorder for my asthma to get
better, have to take thismedication.
But this medication is makingme gain weight and it was
literally a vicious cycle.
Absolutely, and that's why Isaid, you know, people need to
(39:47):
find out their underlyingconditions first.
You know, before tryinganything, because it make it
could be hormonal.
You know it could just bemedications that you're on that
you need to change it could justbe your lifestyle.
Carmen Lezeth (40:03):
My doctor was straight up.
She's like you have to work out.
You're fat.
Now, carmen, go work out,that's it.
You're old, you're pastmenopause.
You know what I mean?
She was mean.
That's why I love her, thoughthat's why I love her.
She just was like yeah, no,we're not doing that.
I was like but I'm tryingeverything.
(40:24):
She's like no, you're not.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (40:28):
She was like enough, Get off your ass and
work out.
Carmen Lezeth (40:30):
Right, she was like enough with the surgery.
That was like four years ago.
Let's move it on.
So everybody's different.
Wow, okay, this is so great.
Rick Costa (40:41):
How about you think your self-confidence has boomed
?
Say that again yourself-confidence.
Do you feel like it's gotten alot more now, a lot better?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (40:50):
It has.
It has especially like now.
My sisters are starting tonotice that I've lost weight.
My clothes are fitting betterand like I like, I feel it and I
see it.
Rick Costa (41:02):
So it definitely gotta make that money to buy a
whole new wardrobe pretty soon Iknow right, but yeah, it's,
it's.
Carmen Lezeth (41:12):
It has been a journey do you know if you're
going to have to and again, thisI don't know, because it seems
to be different information.
Um, as I was doing the researchon it, do you think you're
going to eventually be able toget off of the medication, or is
this something you might haveto take for the rest of your
(41:32):
life?
Like I have to take a thyroidmedication every day for the
rest of my life now, right,cause I had the thyroid
condition.
But right, which I just want tosay to my doctor, she's
listening, that's why I wasasking about where you go,
because that's why I gained somuch weight, Because, remember,
we had the thyroid thing.
Yeah, she was fucking over it.
But anyway, back to you.
But I just, do you think you'llbe able to get off of it, or is
(41:53):
it something that you probablyhave to take for the rest of
your life?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (42:06):
I'm hoping.
I'm hoping that I can get offof it once I've reached my my
goal weight, um, or at leastwhere I'm healthy enough, where
I don't have to take anyinhalers at all.
You know, um, but the doctordid say it may be something I
have to be on for the rest of mylife yeah um, but again, yeah,
it does depend on how the asthmais working, because if my
asthma gets better, I'lldefinitely be able to work out
(42:28):
more, do more things, be moreactive and stuff.
Carmen Lezeth (42:34):
So are we wearing bikinis next summer?
What?
Rick Costa (42:37):
do you?
Carmen Lezeth (42:38):
mean I already am .
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (42:41):
I was like.
I'm'm gonna wear it, no matterwhat let me tell the women out
there you know all the big,beautiful women out there no man
cares about your weight.
They can't you.
They want to see thatconfidence.
They want to see that you feelcomfortable in your own skin.
So so wear the bikini, wearwhat you want.
(43:02):
Feel comfortable.
You have a man that loves you,no matter what.
Carmen Lezeth (43:07):
Run with it girl, let me just correct you A real
man A real man yes.
That's right.
A real man Don't give a shitabout all that.
Absolutely no, sorry.
Rick Costa (43:17):
Right Rick.
Carmen Lezeth (43:19):
Speaking for all men.
Rick Costa (43:24):
Well, and I could say in my own marriage I really
didn't care.
And she'd be like I'm fat.
No, don't grant, I'm likeyou're.
What are you talking about?
You're perfect.
What are you talking?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (43:31):
about and let me, and let me tell you to
get a little personal on this.
When I gained weight, it didmess with my own self-esteem
that it was affecting myrelationship, so that it's
gotten better so yeah.
Carmen Lezeth (43:48):
I love you so much.
Thank you for doing this.
I think you're going to help somany people, but, more
importantly, I just feel likeyou've helped yourself on so
many different levels by justembracing just this brilliance
of who you are and the courageit took for you to do it.
I know you were scared.
I'm so proud of you and I loveyou so much.
(44:09):
Yeah, and we'll do anothercheck-in in six months, see how
you're doing.
No, no, but maybe next you knowwhat I mean We'll do another
follow-up and see how you'redoing, or whatever.
I mean it's up to you, but itwould be fun for me anyway.
I mean, I don't think yourealize how beautiful you're
(44:29):
coming across on this.
You know what I mean, right,rick?
Like just a whole beautifulcity.
You've always been amazing andbeautiful, beautiful, but your
spirit is back on track, is whatI'm trying to say yeah I feel
that okay, good, all right.
Well, now I'm gonna start crying.
Rick, do you have any morequestions?
Rick Costa (44:53):
so you're at the maximum dose now.
So now it's just maintaining,keep going and just going,
absolutely.
Carmen Lezeth (45:02):
Good, Do you how many more months or whatever
before you get to your goalweight or not goal weight, but
how many more months before youthink you might get rid of some
inhalers?
Or like is there a plan wherethey want to see, where you want
to see progress?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (45:17):
Yeah, they're hoping in the next I
think by November they're goingto see how I've been doing
without these other two inhalersand try to get me off another
one.
Carmen Lezeth (45:28):
Okay, good, all right All right, all right.
We're going to do it, no matterwhat.
No matter.
Thank you for doing this.
I love you.
I'm so proud of you.
Rick, Thank you for hanging outand doing this as well.
And yeah, everyone, I am alittle flummoxed, so I'm just
(45:51):
going to say remember it reallyis all about the joy.
Thanks everyone, bye.
Thanks for stopping by.
All about the joy be better andstay beautiful.
Folks have a sweet day.
Hi everyone, welcome to All About the Joy.
This is the private lounge andin the house is Cynthia Hi
Cynthia.
Rick Costa Hi Rick.
So today I'm actually reallyexcited because we're going to
have a conversation that Iactually didn't think was going
to happen.
I never pressured her, but youactually asked and we wanted to
(00:21):
talk about your weight lossjourney.
So go ahead, cynthia.
Why don't you start a littlebit with why you wanted to talk
about it and what it is you wantto talk about?
All?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (00:32):
right.
So let's see, we're going totalk about my weight loss
journey.
So I've been on Wake Ovi for ayear and two months actually,
and I've lost about 30 poundspounds, which some people
probably don't think it's a lot,but it really is in the whole
spectrum of it I don't know whypeople wouldn't think that's a
(00:54):
lot.
But it is.
I mean, I know you mean that'sa lot.
Carmen Lezeth (00:57):
So first, before we start um, because I'm not
here to promote any of these glpones, you happen you happen to
use Wegovi, but people is thathow you call it Wegovi, yeah,
wegovi.
But other people use Ozempic.
There's Menogen, there's allthese different types.
We're not here to promote anyof them.
And also let me say we are notdoctors.
(01:18):
We are not promoting anyone touse or to do anything.
Talk to your doctors, talk toyour family.
We're just having aconversation.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (01:27):
Yeah, it definitely.
Each medication does affecteach person differently.
So I actually know three otherpeople who are on the other
medications and everyone'sreaction to them are different.
Some have lost a lot of weight,excuse me, very, very fast.
(01:48):
Others have lost it, you know,kind of at a slower pace, but
they're still losing.
Um, and I also know someone whohas had gastric bypass and the
sleeve.
And you know, everyone isdifferent and the one thing that
people don't know, like withwith weight gain, I make it a
(02:11):
little emotional sorry, it'sokay.
Carmen Lezeth (02:14):
You know I I have questions if you want to start
from the beginning, but I alsowant to let you express yourself
the way you want to.
Are you okay?
Yeah, no, we're good do someamsr yes in a better mood.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (02:31):
Okay, right um, okay, so yes, um.
So weight loss is different foreveryone and there's always
like underlining conditions thatpeople may not know on why
they're eating weight.
So it it could be genetic, itcould be hormonal, it could be
(02:52):
certain medications that they'reon which, actually, two of the
reasons were with me.
One was my asthma, two was themedications.
So I grew up with asthma mywhole life and, you know, all
through high school I playedsupports and everything and I
was, you know, had little flareshere and there, but it was
never severe as it got until Iwas older.
(03:13):
So I started on a lot ofinhalers that had steroids.
Um, when I had really badflare-ups, I would would get on
prednisone, and prednisone is avery strong steroid and it can
open up your appetite.
It makes you gain weight.
(03:33):
You eat a lot when you're on itand you feel like you had like
10 cups of coffee all at once.
So you know you're going, going, going, but yeah, you're also
eating a lot because it's justmaking you eat and you're
gaining weight.
So that was a lot of that.
That was the bigger picture.
That was the whole reason why Iwas gaining weight.
(03:54):
And you know, I tried going tothe gym.
The gym did help with cardio,gym did help with cardio.
It helped me actually like beable to, you know, walk down the
street or walk to my carwithout getting, you know,
shortness of breath.
And then I've seen, like allthese TikTok videos and Facebook
(04:15):
videos of people saying, oh,cardio is dumb, you don't need
cardio, this, and that you doneed cardio.
Carmen Lezeth (04:21):
Your heart for your heart, yeah.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (04:25):
Yeah, for your heart, and just for your
lungs.
You know what I mean.
Like you could be the skinniestperson in the world, but you
can't walk up a flight of stairs.
Carmen Lezeth (04:31):
You know, I know a lot of people who are
extremely skinny, who are theunhealthiest people I've ever
known in my life?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (04:37):
no, that's not an issue so you know and I
and you know doing that I wouldlose a little bit of weight
going to the gym.
And then I just kind of stoppedgoing because I was just like,
all right, I'm done.
Carmen Lezeth (04:49):
I remember I was like, okay, I need you to just
go out 15 minutes for a walk andthen 15 I'll do it with you,
because I was so worried aboutyou.
I was so, and it wasn't aboutthe weight, I just want to.
It was about I could tell yourheart was no, no, no, not your
heart muscle, your energy, yourspirit was just so sad.
(05:14):
I could tell that you werestruggling and I was trying to
be like how can I help you?
You know what I mean?
I mean just to be encouraging.
But then then I realized alsoand I think this is really
important for people tounderstand, like you said
something really great at thebeginning I'm also giving you a
breather so you don't cry.
The whole time is everyone isvery different.
(05:39):
That is factual.
Like, just because I want torun three to five miles a day
and think that's amazing Doesn'tmean that would be amazing for
anyone else in the 10 mileradius.
You know what I mean, right,exactly, yoga.
I mean people swear I havefriends who have the most
beautiful physique.
(05:59):
They no longer do anything thatI want them to do, and I hate
yoga with a passion.
You know what I mean.
So, yeah, but I know that youhave been struggling and you've
been trying everything.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (06:12):
Yeah, it was to a point that you know I
would go in for a pulmonaryfunction test and they would
test, like the amount ofcapacity and lung capacity I had
.
I was down to 70%, only 70% ofmy lung capacity, which is bad,
you know.
Just walking from here to mydoor I was like out of breath,
(06:35):
like this is wrong in so manylevels, you know.
So I like I used to see anutritionist this is my.
Actually I'm on my thirdnutritionist because the first
two were horrible.
The first visit I had with themI went straight out the door
and was like please do notschedule me with this person
ever again.
(06:55):
They are horrible.
Carmen Lezeth (06:57):
Wait.
Before we start with thenutritionists, can we just go
back to the GLP-1s, because Ijust want to explain to people
what they are?
This is me just doing someresearch just to help some
people.
So GLP-1 stands forglucagon-like peptide 1.
I'm sure I hacked that horribly.
That's why I wrote it at thebottom.
(07:18):
It's a hormone that plays a keyrole in regulating blood sugar
levels and appetite.
Medications like Wegovi Ozempic.
They mimic this hormone to helpwith weight loss by reducing
hunger and promoting a feelingof fullness.
So I just want to explain whatthese medications kind of sort
of do from a non-doctor medicalperson, just using Google and
(07:44):
research medical person justusing Google and research, it
absolutely does.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (07:54):
It does suppress your appetite, and it
was.
It was so bad at the beginningthat I literally was going like
morning and lunch skipping.
It had no appetite whatsoever,and I would just wait till I get
home and I make something smalllike just scrambled eggs and
that's all I ate for the wholeday, and okay, but is that what
you're supposed to do?
No, no.
So this is.
(08:16):
This is why I was working withthe nutritionist too at the same
time was because she washelping me, like telling me
exactly, even if I don't have anappetite to eat anything, I
should still eat something,because your body is telling you
you're full and you're nothungry Doesn't mean your body
doesn't need the nutrients.
(08:36):
Okay.
Carmen Lezeth (08:38):
Can I tell you how this is?
I want people to understand howdifferent people are.
I go back and this is like mytherapy session.
Right, I go back and I realizedwhen I was growing up I was
told when to eat.
After rehearsal or duringrehearsal.
They would sit me down and sayCarmen, you need to eat lunch,
Carmen, you need to eat dinner.
And because of the way I grewup, I didn't always have someone
(09:01):
cooking for me or making foodfor me, so I can go.
That's why for me, so I can go.
That's why I asked you.
I can go all day not eating,that's not good and then I'll
have like a bowl of cereal andthen feel sick to my stomach you
know what I mean and like neverwant to throw up or whatever,
but want to feel like it.
That's why I was asking Didthey say that was okay?
No, you have to force yourselfto eat.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (09:24):
You do, and you know I thought I was doing
good with having like a bowl ofcereal in the morning, even if
it was just raisin bran, butit's not because it's all sugar.
Even though they say they'rehealthy cereals and they have no
sugar, everything it's gonnahave sugar right and it's not on
trees, so it's very healthy.
Carmen Lezeth (09:46):
That's a real easy way to know.
It's probably not thehealthiest thing the vitamins.
Rick Costa (09:49):
I mean no, no, no sugar.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (09:50):
Right, exactly, yeah, um, so definitely
protein.
Another thing with theseinjections is that you can lose
muscle mass so that's why it'sso important yeah that's why
it's so important to haveprotein, um you know whether
it's chicken or fish.
Try to stay away from red meats.
Carmen Lezeth (10:10):
You know, like steak, you can have it once in a
while.
But wait, I don't want to givepeople dietary advice either.
That's for you this was.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:18):
This was for me, so this is what my
nutrition you have to do your.
Carmen Lezeth (10:23):
Do you do a shot or is it a pill?
Do you do it weekly, monthly?
How does that part of it work?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:28):
So it is an injection, it's an auto injector
.
So I don't I hate needles.
Let me be clear I absolutelyhate needles, but I don't see
the needle.
So it's not like a regularsyringe or anything like that.
I do not see the needle at all.
It looks like an EpiPen.
If anyone's ever seen an EpiPen, I'm going to show everyone an
EpiPen.
Carmen Lezeth (10:49):
I was going to show everyone an EpiPen.
I have so many of them.
This is I have an EpiPen.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (10:59):
Yes, so it kind of looks like that.
Yeah, and you know you don'tsee the needle at all and you
can either put it in your upperthigh, your legs, your upper arm
, or you can put it under yourbelly button like your belly
part.
Carmen Lezeth (11:17):
Yeah, so, that's why I do it.
Not in EpiPen, yeah, not inEpiPen.
The.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (11:20):
FUPA.
What the FUPA the FUPA, whatthe FUPA the FUPA?
Carmen Lezeth (11:26):
The what.
Rick Costa (11:28):
The FUPA.
Carmen Lezeth (11:29):
The FUPA.
Oh God, okay, I'm not.
I don't know, do I have todelete that Maybe?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (11:37):
So I hate needles and it took a while for
me to actually agree to do this,because it was a needle and
everything like that.
But you know, the doctor showedme what it looked like, how to
do it with a fake one.
So I was like, ok, I can dothis, I don't see the needle.
(11:59):
The first time I did it I waspetrified.
Juan was like I can do it foryou and I was like, no, no, I
need to do this.
It's a mental thing and I needto do it myself because I have
to do it myself, cause if he'snot here and I need to give
myself this injection, then Ihave to.
I have to be able to do it.
So you know.
Carmen Lezeth (12:19):
I'm speaking to myself.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (12:20):
Weekly or monthly?
How do you do it?
Sorry, it is weekly.
Once a week, oh no, it isweekly.
Wow, yeah, and they started youoff with the lowest dose, which
is like a 0.7 for the way going.
That's what they started me on.
So, um, so yeah.
So you know, I was hyping myselfup.
I'm like, okay, I could do this.
And I did it by thigh the firsttime because I was like, okay,
(12:43):
maybe I could take pain there.
I didn't even feel anything.
I think I feel a mosquito bite,more than I felt this needle.
So now I do it and I don't feelit at all.
It's like nothing.
I'll be sitting there watchingTV, do it, all done.
But the first time I did it,the first couple of weeks, I
didn't have much of an appetite.
(13:04):
I would try to force myself toeat something small, whether it
was a piece of fruit or somescrambled eggs or you know, just
something small, nothing withsugar.
Then my body started gettingused to it and you know, after
three months, you know, I hadlost 12 pounds in the first like
(13:24):
month and I was so excited forthat because I was just like
it's working.
I'm so excited, and you know.
But no one was noticing anyweight loss yet.
So you know, after a while Iwas like okay, whatever.
So after three months, my doctorum, she upped the dosage and
(13:45):
you know we kept going up everythree months just to see how I
would do it.
Um, there are a couple of sideeffects.
Again, everyone is different.
Everyone will react to thisvery differently.
Um, with me it was mostlyeither uh, not to be graphic,
but it was either constipationor it was diarrhea, and those
were the only two um sideeffects that I had but you said
(14:10):
had, so you don't have themanymore.
I don't, I don't, my body gotused to it it now.
So it's like now it's a routine, so my body's like okay, we can
work with this.
And you know, now we're eatingbetter foods and you know, and
with the nutritionist, shehelped too, because she also
helped me look at fooddifferently.
Carmen Lezeth (14:31):
Are you working out as well, are you?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (14:34):
I am not.
So that are you working out aswell, are you?
I am not, so that's anotherthing.
So again, everyone is different.
So with with me, um, this pastyear, you know, I'll walk a
little bit here and there and Ithink if I've gone, if I was
going to the gym more, I'dprobably lose weight a little
faster.
Carmen Lezeth (14:54):
Um, but again, I are you trying to get to a goal
weight before you actually thenstart working out.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:01):
I am.
I am because, um, when I was atmy largest weight, um,
obviously it was putting a lotof strain on my knees, um, so
now I'm, now I'm walkingupstairs with no problem, with
ease, um I'm, I'm also, um,breathing better.
(15:21):
And also, we did find out, youknow, with the underlying
condition with my asthma, thatmy lungs were also producing a
lot of phlegm, which was alsomaking it worse for me to do
exercise, which was also, youknow, making me gain weight,
because I couldn't really domuch.
Carmen Lezeth (15:42):
It's such a vicious cycle.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:44):
It is.
Carmen Lezeth (15:44):
It definitely is.
It's such a vicious cycle, itreally is.
Rick Costa (15:48):
Yeah, so you said they start you off with a low
dose.
How regularly do you go to thedoctor for them to regulate see
if everything's cool?
Like, how often do you go tothe doctor for them to regulate
see if everything's cool?
Like, how often do you goweekly, monthly?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (15:59):
every three months.
I talk to her, to my doctor, soshe, um, she'll either email me
or she'll call me asking me howam I doing with the, with this
dosage, and if we want to go upto the next one and it was
always my choice whether Iwanted to go up to the next dose
or continue on the same one.
Rick Costa (16:17):
Just to see how.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (16:20):
It all depends on how my body is
reacting to that dosage.
Rick Costa (16:24):
So yeah, so have you ever had a time where you're
like, okay, I don't feel good,this doesn't feel right, or not
really?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (16:32):
um, the only time I did was with this last
dose, which is the highest one.
It's a 2.4.
When I first started it I wasreally nauseous and one day I
actually vomited, but other thanthat and that was only once
that was like the first week onthe new dose and after that I've
(16:53):
been fine.
So we're good now.
Carmen Lezeth (16:57):
You were emotional earlier and I might
have cut it out as we're talkingabout this, but you got a
little emotional.
Can I ask why?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (17:11):
Because it's a tough journey.
It's a tough journey for anyoneto deal with Are you?
Carmen Lezeth (17:20):
are you sad that you're going through the journey
or are you?
Are there tears of joy?
I'm, I guess I'm confused.
I mean, I hope they're tears ofjoy.
It's a little both.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (17:33):
It's a little bit of both.
I'm happy that I'm losing theweight, but I'm also sad that I
had to go through all of this inorder to lose the weight and it
took so long to find all theseunderlying conditions.
Carmen Lezeth (17:53):
I love you so much for doing this and I'm so
fucking proud of you.
I really am.
I'm an emotional person anyway,so you know, everybody knows no
one would know that becauseyou're so mean on the show.
Um, I guess I can.
(18:15):
I mean, I don't understand whatyou're going through, I don't
at all, but I can empathize.
You know what I mean Because Iknow you were very athletic as a
kid.
You were a cheerleader, youwere in sports Was it soccer?
I forget what the hell we're inand then to kind of have a lot
of this stuff spiral and, likewe said earlier, it's this.
(18:42):
It seems like a bad circularthing that just kept going.
And then when you and Juan cameto visit me and I hope you
don't mind me sharing this, Imean that's when I realized like
I felt so bad because youcouldn't sleep without the thing
on your face.
What is that called the CPAP?
Yeah, the CPAP, and I'm likewhat is happening with my cousin
(19:03):
?
Has that gotten better for yousleeping and just your general
well-being?
Are you in a different space?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (19:11):
Yeah, even Juan's notice he goes.
My snoring has gotten bettersince I've lost the weight.
Carmen Lezeth (19:18):
Yeah, and as you lose weight, that's going to get
better, and your sleep's goingto get better too, for sure,
absolutely.
Rick Costa (19:24):
It happened to me as well, because when I was
heavy so I do yearly trips withthe youth and we'd be like a
bunch of us in a hotel room andthey'd be like, oh my God, rick,
snoring is so bad I was like,hey, wake up.
Hey guys, sorry if I snored.
No, you didn't snore at all.
We didn't hear anything.
Carmen Lezeth (19:42):
I was like wow, it does change things for you it
does.
Well, but I talk in my sleep.
So there you go.
It doesn't, but that's just me.
But I think what's reallyinteresting, cynthia, that your
story, I think, will highlightand that I'm just so glad you're
(20:03):
doing it is, you know, I thinkabout Oprah and I don't care how
people feel about Oprah, but ifthere is anyone on the planet
who had the money, the time, theability to lose weight quote
unquote, naturally right I'mdoing air quotes here it would
have been her right, because shehad all the money, whatever,
(20:26):
and she even said that.
And it's like I think we have toget to a place in this country
and understand that noteverybody is exactly the same
and not everything that worksfor one person is going to work
for the other, and I have noproblems whatsoever with people
using this in the way that it'sbeing used now.
I actually say thank Godbecause it's helping people who
(20:48):
have been in this struggle forso long.
How do you feel about thestigma?
Because I know at the beginningyou told me I'm not telling
anybody, nobody knows, it's justyou and I was like you didn't
tell one.
I felt so honored, but I'm justsaying it felt like you were
really in a place where you like.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (21:07):
It was a secret yeah, yeah, because
because of the stigma, becauseyou know, everybody always
talked crap about other peoplewho were on all these other
injections of the Zempic andZetbound and Manjaro, and it's
like, okay, I tried everything,this is my last resort and I
(21:29):
don't want people talking crapabout me.
You know saying, oh, you know,oh, that's, that's all fake or
you're a quitter, or you knowyou don't need that.
You can just go to the gym orhave surgery or do this and do
that.
And it's like I've triedeverything.
I've tried everything otherthan surgery.
I've tried everything.
Carmen Lezeth (21:50):
You know what?
I think it's a different worldwe live in, where I mean, this
is again, I'm not a doctor oranything, but I think this idea
that we can live as long as wedo now right.
I mean, there was a time wedied at like 30.
Right, as we progress, we haveall this technology.
We have food, that is, you know, like I'm not out, you know,
(22:12):
getting my own berries andkilling my own meat.
I'm not out getting my ownberries and killing my own meat.
We have all of these greatthings with technology, but I
think the thing that happenswith technology is that we're
also eating differently and itchanges our body types, and so
there's all these othertechnological, chemical blah,
blah, blah things that happen tous.
As we've progressed with all ofthese as modern society, it
(22:35):
makes sense to me that then wecan still we can use that
brilliance to help us get backon track so that we can live
healthier lives as well andlonger.
Rick Costa (22:44):
Does that?
Carmen Lezeth (22:44):
make sense, did that make any sense, you know,
but I am sorry that you're.
I know there's a part of youthat's sad.
I wish I have loved you, nomatter what, no matter.
And then I know that soundsstupid.
And the reason why.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (22:59):
I only told you and obviously Juan is
because you know I needed thesupport and Juan was the best
and was always there and justsaid you know, whatever you want
to do, it's, it's it's yourchoice.
Carmen Lezeth (23:15):
Oh, that's so beautiful he's from me yeah,
give him a hug from me too.
That's sweet, that's that'slove.
Right there, right, I thinkyou're amazing.
Rick Costa (23:25):
Go ahead, rick earlier you mentioned that
nobody really seemed to noticewhen you started to lose the
weight.
Um, did that like, feel like asetback?
Or you were like, no, I'm, nomatter what I got this, I'm
still doing it.
I know, like who cares if theydon't know?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (23:39):
um, I was getting discouraged at the
beginning.
I was because nobody wasnoticing and then, probably
after six months, one startednoticing.
He was the first one thatstarted noticing and I was just
like what are you talking about?
I was like no, I haven't.
And I was like the skills youknow?
Whatever, like I hate lookingat scale.
Carmen Lezeth (23:59):
He's like I could see it.
I noticed it when you got up atone point on the screen.
I haven't seen you in person,but I'll tell you.
The other way I noticed too isbecause I do, uh, I do the
editing, yeah, and, and thenI'll go back and look at some of
the old like, if I want to usea pic for one of our clips or
something you know, for our umthumbnails, and I'm like, oh, my
(24:22):
god, she's lost so much weight,I'm gonna use this one, because
I was looking at one of thevideos, one of our old ones, and
I was like, oh my god, I didlose weight oh, yeah, you lost a
lot of.
Yeah, you have lost a lot ofweight, especially your neck and
your face.
I mean, that's all we reallysee.
So I'm just really proud of youI don't even know how to say it
(24:43):
Like I think I'm not.
I don't care about the fuckingweight loss, I don't care if you
gained 200 pounds, theconfidence and the way in which
you're talking, because you knowto me I don't think you're more
beautiful because you're thin.
I do.
You know, I have never believedin that bullshittery.
Skinny don't mean pretty at all.
Yeah, can you fight me thenmaybe you know what I mean.
(25:07):
Like maybe you in my club.
That's my thing.
I ain't got nothing to do withweight, but I'm just.
Your confidence has changed.
That's what's brilliant to me.
Rick Costa (25:15):
I think two people that you know, we know this
already.
People are very judgy and theymight be like, oh, isn't that
dangerous?
And I would be like, listen, 70lung capacity is also dangerous
.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (25:27):
Yeah absolutely, absolutely.
I mean, I was on four inhalersand three pills and they've just
taken away two inhalers.
Rick Costa (25:40):
Wow.
Carmen Lezeth (25:40):
So good.
Oh my God, that's so good,that's so good.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (25:44):
Yeah, so excited yeah.
Carmen Lezeth (25:46):
And this should be something you do.
This is my preference,something you should be doing
with your doctor.
I, you know.
I know there are a lot ofplaces now that are giving
different kinds of these GLPones, but you have to be really
careful about it.
You know you have to be with amedical professional.
It's way too new on the scenefor this kind of purpose.
(26:09):
Actually, they've been aroundforever because they've been
helping, like oh Zempik was fordiabetics, right?
That's how it came out.
But be very careful and I'mgoing to put it in a way that I
understand it.
I'm going to say it this wayEveryone knows I get Botox for
the line that I have here thatyou guys never see, because I
get Botox.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (26:30):
Your imaginary line.
Carmen Lezeth (26:31):
It's not an imaginary line.
You met my Botox person.
It's not an imaginary line.
You met my Botox person.
It's not imaginary, but that'swhy it's such a good job, right,
but here's the point.
I could go to the nail salonand get my nails done and
they'll be, like you know, $5for Botox or whatever, and you
think that's a great deal.
It's like getting bad sushi atthe 7-Eleven, like I don't eat
(26:55):
sushi at all.
But I'm just saying you knowwhat I mean, you, you, you want
to put in your body.
You should be talking to adoctor too, absolutely.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (27:06):
And don't, and don't let them force you
into doing things.
Do your research, you know,find someone else who's who's
done it and see how it's reactedto them.
You know, again, everyone isdifferent, but just to talk to
people, to see how they, howthey did it and things like that
.
Also, work with thenutritionist and find the right
(27:28):
nutritionist for you.
If, if the doctor, if thenutritionist, a therapist, if it
doesn work out, if you havethat gut feeling that this isn't
the right fit, move on, move onto someone else.
Carmen Lezeth (27:41):
Can you explain what a nutritionist does?
No offense to nutritionists,I'm just what.
Exactly like you, go in andtalk to your nutritionist and
say what, and what do they sayback to you?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (27:51):
So she'll ask me what I had for breakfast,
lunch and dinner, um, andshe'll ask me, like, what am I
drinking?
Um, what am I am I exercising?
Basically, you know everythingthat you're asking me here, like
what am I eating?
What am I doing differently?
Um, and I'm I'm honest with her, you know, if I tell her, today
(28:14):
I had a cheeseburger, but youknow I had it with a whole, with
a salad or something you knowshe's like okay, well, at least
cheeseburger with thenutritionist.
Carmen Lezeth (28:26):
I'm being serious yeah.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (28:27):
So this is what I loved about this
nutritionist she made me look atfood differently, so that you
don't have to stop eating thefoods that you love.
Just don't eat the whole pizzaI have one slice.
Don't have a whole thing of pieor chocolate cake, just have a
slice.
Rick Costa (28:48):
A little brownie you know what a little brownie.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (28:53):
Okay, just a little one yeah, you know what
I'm saying.
Like, don't have the wholepackage, have one brownie.
Like um, when I first startedthis last year, you know we were
getting close to the holidaysand the holidays, you know,
everybody tends to eat a lot andhave a lot of desserts and
stuff.
She's like, okay, the holidaysare coming.
She's like, who's doing thecooking?
(29:14):
I was doing the cooking.
So she's like, okay, what areyou cooking?
So I told her everything I wasgoing to have.
(29:44):
So she's like, okay, piece ofcheesecake, that's your dessert.
She goes and then slice themall the rest of it up and give
it to everybody else to takehome.
That way it's not in your house, you're not tempted to have
more of it.
You had your, your serving andyou, you quenched that, that um,
craving of having your dessert.
So don't deny yourself, just inmoderation.
(30:07):
So see.
Carmen Lezeth (30:09):
And now I just want to say this is why I I
never take home doggy bags.
I don't take it right.
Like is exactly the reason.
I'm not saying people shouldn't, because people are like I
don't want to waste food,da-da-da, I'm like.
But there's a reason.
Like I never, I'm never goingto have.
Like.
I think it was Andrea who waslike I'll come to your house and
(30:30):
I'll just bake you a chocolatecake.
I'm like no, I will go and buya slice of cake for $8.
You, for eight dollars.
You know what I mean.
But her point is I can bake youone for cheaper.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (30:45):
No, no no, but I don't want the whole cake,
right, you know, um, becauseyou will be tempted to eat the
whole thing, and that's likethere's something emotional like
I.
Carmen Lezeth (30:53):
Everyone knows I love chocolate cake.
If you haven't gotten the joke,that's why she was saying that
chocolate cake, I love chocolate, it is my, it's like my
achilles heel.
You can get anything from me ifyou have like good chocolate
cake.
And I love chocolate cake, itis my, it's like my Achilles
heel.
You can get anything from me ifyou have like good chocolate
cake, and I don't mean expensive.
There's a difference.
Expensive chocolate cake is notalways the right chocolate cake
.
It's not the good Duncan Hinesbaby, regular ghetto chocolate
(31:15):
cake.
But I think people don'tunderstand the power of.
I think it's almost like analcoholic.
This is not to be disrespectfulto alcoholics, but if you have
something in your house, it's somuch easier to justify why
you're going to eat it.
Right, you know what I meanLike because it's there.
(31:35):
But if I have to walk my ass tothe grocery store and I make
myself walk like if I wantchocolate cake, I have to walk
to the grocery store and I makemyself walk Like if I want
chocolate cake, I have to walkto the grocery store and get it.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (31:45):
Like with me and Juan, like we were big
Pepsi drinkers, so of coursethat's just packed with sugar.
We're big.
I'm not big on sweets, he'smore on the sweets but we always
had Pepsi in the house and thenwhen I started doing this, I
was like, nope, let's cut thesoda.
So now we don't even keep it inthe house at all.
(32:08):
If he wants soda, he'll buyhimself like just a bottle, a
small bottle of pepsi, and he'lldrink it and that's it.
Carmen Lezeth (32:16):
And we're not promoting pepsi Coke, but we'd
be happy to be sponsored by anyof you Go ahead.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:22):
Sorry, but what I did find were, you know,
crystal Light, how they have theno sugar.
You know you have lemonade.
I see all that that you can mixwith your water.
But I also found other brands,like Snapple has a sugar-free
kiwi-strawberry mix, if you likethat.
Carmen Lezeth (32:43):
Ew gross, no no.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:47):
But you can find things without sugar.
Carmen Lezeth (32:52):
So your nutritionist is really about all
the sugar.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (32:55):
She's about sugar.
She's all about making sure Ihave my protein and vegetables.
Carmen Lezeth (33:04):
I'm not a big on the sugar.
I hate the again, yournutritionist is your
nutritionist and.
But I always hate when peopletry to debunk the sugar thing.
To me it makes no sense Cause,like the like, if I go have
crystal light, blah, blah, blah,and what I actually wanted was
a soda, I'm still going to wantthat soda the next day, the day
(33:25):
after, whatever, and I'm likejust have the motherfucking soda
.
Now I might choose to have halfof that soda and throw the half
out.
I might do that, but I may not.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (33:35):
But then she said and she also said that's
fine.
She said if you do have it, youagain you've quenched that,
that you know taste for it, andnow, rest of the day you can
have water, you can have youknow no sugar drinks and things
like that.
So again, you're not completelyeliminating it out of your life
(33:59):
, but you are going to moderatehow much you have.
Rick Costa (34:03):
I think diets that are all about depriving you they
never work.
Carmen Lezeth (34:07):
Yeah, exactly I think sweets and salts are
really important to our palate,but also it's human to want
something sweet and wantsomething salty or whatever you
know I mean.
The difference is like am Igoing to have a big, huge bag
bag of lays potato chip becauseI'm having a salt fix?
Or no but you know what I'msaying.
(34:30):
Like, I think that that's whatyou're saying is just in
moderation, you know.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (34:33):
But yeah yeah and I and I you know I also
changed the way that I cook too.
I I don't use salt in my foodanymore and now I use.
I found a woman who actuallyhas their own seasoning line.
It's called Healthy Rican.
She's Puerto Rican and Iactually told my nutritionist
(34:57):
about it and she absolutelyloved it.
It actually has no salt and youstill have adobo, sazon,
sofrito, everything, but it'sall natural, Nothing's like
processed and all that stuff init, and everybody loved it.
Carmen Lezeth (35:14):
So and then I just again I'm being kind of
mean here, but I just want tosay everybody's different
because I actually have to addsalt to my food because I have
such low blood, and that's not agood thing.
It's not like I'm like, oh myGod, my blood pressure is so low
.
That's not a good thing.
That's not a good thing either.
I actually have to put salt inmy cranberry juice in the
(35:37):
morning.
Uh, I know, because it actslike, because, instead of having
a, um, sports drink you knowactual electrolytes, you know
how they do electrolytes.
This is like a not natural, butyou know, because I didn't go
out and squeeze the fuckingcranberries.
But it's an easier way, insteadof buying those sports drinks
(35:57):
that are full of sugar, full ofcrap.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, my cranberry juice put alittle bit of salt in it.
That helps with my salt intake.
But that's just to explain.
And we're from the same sort ofbloodline, bush, but we're so
different, right, absolutely.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (36:15):
Absolutely.
Rick Costa (36:16):
Which is why, again , you should see a doctor,
because you can't.
There is no, everybody's thesame.
No, not at all.
Carmen Lezeth (36:22):
Absolutely, I tried, I tried to get weight, to
get one of these.
I tried.
I asked my doctor because of mysurgery I had gained weight and
I was like I'm just curious.
Like I went in all like justwondering.
She was like, yeah, no, it'snot happening.
I was like you, it's nothappening like you show.
(36:43):
Uh, yeah, I was kind of bummedabout that but I think you and I
talked about it when you toldme, I was like I was kind of
jealous, like but I was tryingto be supportive, sorry, um,
because I do think when you haveyou know, think when you have
you know, like when you havemore weight, no matter what your
weight is, when you don't feellike yourself, it's hard to move
(37:06):
forward and I don't mean thatphysically, I mean in your life,
when you don't feel like you'reat your best self.
I think you at your best self.
You getting there?
Huh, I'm getting there.
Look at that fucking smile andshit.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:23):
I mean, juan doesn't even know this, and I'm
saying this for everyone tohear right now.
At my biggest, I was over 300.
Carmen Lezeth (37:29):
You were not were you, I was Did.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:32):
I see you On the show.
Carmen Lezeth (37:37):
No, but when you were here, you were not.
When you came to visit me no,when I came to visit you, no, no
, no, no, because you told butwhen you were here, you were not
.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (37:42):
When you came to visit me.
No, when I came to visit you.
No, no, no, no, because youtold me what you were.
Carmen Lezeth (37:47):
Yeah, yeah, no, okay, okay, yeah, wow, good for
you and embracing that shit.
I did not know.
Yeah, and you're no one there.
You're short, not short, butyou're my height, right, I'm
five four yeah, same height,yeah, yeah wow, I am so fucking
(38:10):
proud of you get that being areal woman, because you know
what doesn't it feel good whenyou just embrace that shit and
you're like you know, that's how.
That's why I always talk aboutthe Botox thing.
I've lost a couple of friendsbecause they're like I don't
know why you always have to putit out there, why you always
have to say and it's becausethey're like Botox to the
fucking max, you know, and itlooks bad.
(38:33):
You know, with this shit andeverything that's filler, that's
not Botox.
Rick Costa (38:42):
If somebody is listening and they're like you
know what?
I think I'm convinced, I thinkI want to try.
What do you like?
What would be the first step?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (38:51):
What should they do?
Make sure you've triedeverything else first, you know
whether it's just working outbut definitely have a support
system and you should talk toyour doctor, as we said,
everything else.
Carmen Lezeth (39:06):
I mean and I might be overstepping, but I'm
just gonna say it it wasn't evenjust that you tried so many
different things.
At some point you were just ina like a hamster wheel kind of
on the medications and like yougetting sick and then trying to
work out and then not being ableto eat and then like and just
go on.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (39:27):
It was a vicious cycle, let me tell you,
because it was like okay, I haveto lose weight in order for my
asthma to get better, but inorder for my asthma to get
better, have to take thismedication.
But this medication is makingme gain weight and it was
literally a vicious cycle.
Absolutely, and that's why Isaid, you know, people need to
(39:47):
find out their underlyingconditions first.
You know, before tryinganything, because it make it
could be hormonal.
You know it could just bemedications that you're on that
you need to change it could justbe your lifestyle.
Carmen Lezeth (40:03):
My doctor was straight up.
She's like you have to work out.
You're fat.
Now, carmen, go work out,that's it.
You're old, you're pastmenopause.
You know what I mean?
She was mean.
That's why I love her, thoughthat's why I love her.
She just was like yeah, no,we're not doing that.
I was like but I'm tryingeverything.
(40:24):
She's like no, you're not.
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (40:28):
She was like enough, Get off your ass and
work out.
Carmen Lezeth (40:30):
Right, she was like enough with the surgery.
That was like four years ago.
Let's move it on.
So everybody's different.
Wow, okay, this is so great.
Rick Costa (40:41):
How about you think your self-confidence has boomed
?
Say that again yourself-confidence.
Do you feel like it's gotten alot more now, a lot better?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (40:50):
It has.
It has especially like now.
My sisters are starting tonotice that I've lost weight.
My clothes are fitting betterand like I like, I feel it and I
see it.
Rick Costa (41:02):
So it definitely gotta make that money to buy a
whole new wardrobe pretty soon Iknow right, but yeah, it's,
it's.
Carmen Lezeth (41:12):
It has been a journey do you know if you're
going to have to and again, thisI don't know, because it seems
to be different information.
Um, as I was doing the researchon it, do you think you're
going to eventually be able toget off of the medication, or is
this something you might haveto take for the rest of your
(41:32):
life?
Like I have to take a thyroidmedication every day for the
rest of my life now, right,cause I had the thyroid
condition.
But right, which I just want tosay to my doctor, she's
listening, that's why I wasasking about where you go,
because that's why I gained somuch weight, Because, remember,
we had the thyroid thing.
Yeah, she was fucking over it.
But anyway, back to you.
But I just, do you think you'llbe able to get off of it, or is
(41:53):
it something that you probablyhave to take for the rest of
your life?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (42:06):
I'm hoping.
I'm hoping that I can get offof it once I've reached my my
goal weight, um, or at leastwhere I'm healthy enough, where
I don't have to take anyinhalers at all.
You know, um, but the doctordid say it may be something I
have to be on for the rest of mylife yeah um, but again, yeah,
it does depend on how the asthmais working, because if my
asthma gets better, I'lldefinitely be able to work out
(42:28):
more, do more things, be moreactive and stuff.
Carmen Lezeth (42:34):
So are we wearing bikinis next summer?
What?
Rick Costa (42:37):
do you?
Carmen Lezeth (42:38):
mean I already am .
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (42:41):
I was like.
I'm'm gonna wear it, no matterwhat let me tell the women out
there you know all the big,beautiful women out there no man
cares about your weight.
They can't you.
They want to see thatconfidence.
They want to see that you feelcomfortable in your own skin.
So so wear the bikini, wearwhat you want.
(43:02):
Feel comfortable.
You have a man that loves you,no matter what.
Carmen Lezeth (43:07):
Run with it girl, let me just correct you A real
man A real man yes.
That's right.
A real man Don't give a shitabout all that.
Absolutely no, sorry.
Rick Costa (43:17):
Right Rick.
Carmen Lezeth (43:19):
Speaking for all men.
Rick Costa (43:24):
Well, and I could say in my own marriage I really
didn't care.
And she'd be like I'm fat.
No, don't grant, I'm likeyou're.
What are you talking about?
You're perfect.
What are you talking?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (43:31):
about and let me, and let me tell you to
get a little personal on this.
When I gained weight, it didmess with my own self-esteem
that it was affecting myrelationship, so that it's
gotten better so yeah.
Carmen Lezeth (43:48):
I love you so much.
Thank you for doing this.
I think you're going to help somany people, but, more
importantly, I just feel likeyou've helped yourself on so
many different levels by justembracing just this brilliance
of who you are and the courageit took for you to do it.
I know you were scared.
I'm so proud of you and I loveyou so much.
(44:09):
Yeah, and we'll do anothercheck-in in six months, see how
you're doing.
No, no, but maybe next you knowwhat I mean We'll do another
follow-up and see how you'redoing, or whatever.
I mean it's up to you, but itwould be fun for me anyway.
I mean, I don't think yourealize how beautiful you're
(44:29):
coming across on this.
You know what I mean, right,rick?
Like just a whole beautifulcity.
You've always been amazing andbeautiful, beautiful, but your
spirit is back on track, is whatI'm trying to say yeah I feel
that okay, good, all right.
Well, now I'm gonna start crying.
Rick, do you have any morequestions?
Rick Costa (44:53):
so you're at the maximum dose now.
So now it's just maintaining,keep going and just going,
absolutely.
Carmen Lezeth (45:02):
Good, Do you how many more months or whatever
before you get to your goalweight or not goal weight, but
how many more months before youthink you might get rid of some
inhalers?
Or like is there a plan wherethey want to see, where you want
to see progress?
Cynthia Ruiz Lopez (45:17):
Yeah, they're hoping in the next I
think by November they're goingto see how I've been doing
without these other two inhalersand try to get me off another
one.
Carmen Lezeth (45:28):
Okay, good, all right All right, all right.
We're going to do it, no matterwhat.
No matter.
Thank you for doing this.
I love you.
I'm so proud of you.
Rick, Thank you for hanging outand doing this as well.
And yeah, everyone, I am alittle flummoxed, so I'm just
(45:51):
going to say remember it reallyis all about the joy.
Thanks everyone, bye.
Thanks for stopping by.
All about the joy be better andstay beautiful.
Folks have a sweet day.
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