Natural Weight Management & Metabolic Health in Westport, CT
When you're eating well, moving your body, and still struggling with weight changes, it's time to look beyond calories.
Weight changes, fatigue, cravings, and difficulty building muscle can reflect more than diet and exercise. Insulin resistance, hormonal changes, thyroid function, sleep, stress, and gut health may all play a role.
I provide individualized naturopathic and functional medicine for women navigating weight concerns, insulin resistance, PCOS, and metabolic changes, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.
Drawing on my background in clinical nutrition, I integrate hormone health, gut microbiome support, metabolic testing, and nervous system regulation to support sustainable metabolic health and body composition.
Could Your Weight Changes Be Related to Your Metabolic Health?
Weight gain, fatigue, increased cravings, difficulty losing weight, and changes in body composition can develop gradually, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. These changes are not always explained by calorie intake or exercise alone. Understanding your metabolic health can help uncover the factors influencing how your body uses and stores energy.
Weight Management Is About More Than Calories
I'M DR. KELLY LIVINGSTON, ND
I'm a Connecticut-licensed Naturopathic Physician with more than a decade in private practice and over 20 years in health and wellness, including extensive training in clinical nutrition and functional medicine.
I work with women navigating weight changes, insulin resistance, PCOS, and metabolic challenges, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. Many of the women I see are already making thoughtful choices about nutrition and exercise but continue to struggle with changes in their weight, energy, and body composition.
Metabolic health involves much more than calories consumed and calories burned. Insulin sensitivity, thyroid function, reproductive hormones, muscle mass, sleep, stress physiology, and the gut microbiome all influence metabolic regulation.
My approach begins with understanding your health history, nutritional patterns, symptoms, and laboratory findings. Depending on your needs, we may evaluate blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, thyroid function, hormonal changes, inflammation, and nutrient status.
Drawing on my background in clinical nutrition, I integrate personalized food-as-medicine strategies, appropriate hormone support, resistance training and movement, microbiome health, and nervous system regulation.
For women interested in alternatives to GLP-1 medications, I offer an individualized approach centered on metabolic health, nutrition, and sustainable lifestyle changes. These strategies can also complement medical weight-management treatment when appropriate.
My goal is to help you understand your metabolism, develop a healthier relationship with your body, and create a realistic plan that supports long-term health and resilience.
METABOLIC CHANGES CAN LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EVERY WOMAN
Metabolism is influenced by a complex relationship between insulin signaling, hormones, muscle mass, nutritional status, sleep, and physical activity. During midlife, changes in estrogen, body composition, and insulin sensitivity may contribute to shifts in weight and energy. Understanding these interconnected factors allows us to develop a more individualized approach.
Signs & Symptoms of Metabolic Imbalance
Weight & Body Composition
Weight gain despite healthy habits
Increased abdominal fat
Difficulty losing or maintaining weight
Loss of muscle mass or strength
Changes in body composition during midlife
Insulin Resistance
Elevated fasting glucose or insulin
Increased HbA1c or prediabetes
Energy crashes between meals
Frequent hunger or food cravings
PCOS or metabolic syndrome
Hormones & Metabolism
Weight changes during perimenopause
Fatigue or reduced stamina
Sleep disturbances
Thyroid or hormonal imbalances
Changes in cholesterol or triglycerides
Understanding Weight Changes & Metabolic Health
What's Happening in the Body
What You May Notice
Beyond Calories: A More Personalized Approach to Weight Management
Weight management is not simply a matter of eating less and moving more. Insulin sensitivity, hormonal transitions, thyroid function, muscle mass, sleep, stress physiology, and the gut microbiome can all influence metabolic health.
As a naturopathic physician with extensive training in clinical nutrition, I look at how these systems interact rather than focusing exclusively on the number on the scale. My goal is to help you understand your unique physiology and develop sustainable strategies that support metabolic flexibility, healthy body composition, and long-term well-being.
Beyond GLP-1 Medications: Building Lasting Metabolic Health
Whether you're considering GLP-1 medications, currently taking them, or transitioning off treatment, personalized nutrition and lifestyle support can help protect muscle mass, maintain adequate nourishment, and build sustainable habits for long-term metabolic health.
GLP-1 medications, including semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), have transformed the treatment of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. These medications can improve blood sugar regulation, reduce appetite, and support meaningful weight loss. But they also raise important questions about adequate nourishment, muscle preservation, digestive health, and what happens when treatment is discontinued.
In my practice, I help women navigate these considerations through individualized clinical nutrition and whole-person metabolic care. We focus on maintaining adequate protein and nutrient intake, supporting strength and muscle mass, addressing constipation and other digestive concerns, and developing sustainable eating habits. For women in perimenopause and menopause, preserving muscle and supporting bone health are especially important.
I also work with women who are preparing to discontinue GLP-1 medications or experiencing weight regain afterward. Because appetite and weight often increase after stopping treatment, we focus on realistic long-term strategies, including nutrition, resistance training, sleep, and ongoing metabolic assessment. When medication adjustments are needed, these decisions are coordinated with the prescribing clinician.
My goal is to help you build a healthier relationship with food and your body while supporting metabolic health that extends beyond any single medication.
Your body is not a problem to be solved. It is a living system to be understood, nourished, and supported.
Choose the Support That’s Right for You
CALM GUT, CLEAR MIND
A 3-week self-paced reset, guided with videos and handouts exploring the connections between gut health, inflammation, the gut-brain axis, and nervous system regulation. For women navigating metabolic concerns, it offers practical ways to support digestive health, nourishment, and daily habits that contribute to metabolism and overall health and well-being.
WORK WITH ME
Personalized naturopathic and functional medicine for women navigating weight changes, insulin resistance, PCOS, and metabolic concerns, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. Together, we explore clinical nutrition, blood sugar regulation, hormonal health, the gut microbiome, and lifestyle factors to create a sustainable plan that supports your metabolism.
BEYOND YOUR NUMBERS
An on-demand class designed to help you better understand your blood work, including thyroid markers, iron and ferritin, blood sugar, inflammation, and nutrient status. Learn what laboratory results can tell you about your health, how to ask better questions, and why the full clinical picture matters. Includes an embodied self-awareness practice so you can practice feeling more at home in your body.
ARE WE A MATCH?
You know your body. And you know something has changed.
You've been trying to eat well, stay active, and take care of yourself, but your body isn't responding the way it once did.
You want to understand what's happening with your metabolism, hormones, and blood sugar rather than simply being told to eat less and exercise more.
AND you value...
- Understanding the physiology behind weight changes rather than focusing only on calories
- Using laboratory testing, clinical nutrition, and your personal health history to guide treatment
- Exploring insulin resistance, hormonal transitions, thyroid function, and gut microbiome health
- Learning how to nourish your body without restrictive dieting or food guilt
- Supporting muscle mass, metabolic health, and sustainable body composition
- Combining evidence-informed medicine with a naturopathic approach that respects the body's innate capacity for healing
If you're looking for a more personalized, compassionate approach to weight management that considers your health as a whole, I'd love to explore whether working together is the right fit.
Real Patients. Personalized Care. Meaningful Change.
"I lost 15 pounds in our first three months working together, and I feel less inflamed. I have less stomach pain and bloating. So far, I have been able to keep the weight off, and have more energy. My relationship to how I nourish myself has changed, and I can't UN-see my microbiome health after such a thorough review of findings, and treatment protocol. Thank you, Dr. Livingston! "
Patient, LT
"I never realized how much my eating habits affected how I felt. Learning to pay attention to my body has completely changed my relationship with food. Not only was I eating and snacking mindlessly, but I didn't know how certain foods impacted my metabolism, and learning simple habits that I stick with has made all the difference. My labs went from pre-diabetic to within normal range in under 6 months."
Patient, AC
“Dr. Kelly Livingston is so thorough and thoughtful. Her plans are clear and detailed, and she goes above and beyond with her care. For the first time, I’m not just thinking about what I should or shouldn’t eat. I’m paying attention to how food actually makes me feel. I have a better understanding of my body, and eating feels less confusing and more intentional. I have tools for life after working with her. ”
Patient, SB
HOW IT WORKS
The Vital Spirit Method™: A Whole-Person Approach to Metabolic Health
Metabolic health is about much more than calories consumed or pounds lost. Insulin sensitivity, hormonal transitions, muscle mass, sleep, nutrition, gut health, and stress physiology all influence how our bodies regulate energy, maintain blood sugar balance, and respond to changes in weight.
Through The Vital Spirit Method™, I take a comprehensive, individualized approach to understanding these interconnected systems. Using clinical assessment, appropriate laboratory testing, personalized nutrition, movement, botanical medicine when indicated, and nervous system regulation, we explore the factors contributing to insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, and changes in body composition.
Whether you're navigating PCOS, perimenopausal weight changes, prediabetes, or using GLP-1 medications, our work focuses on more than weight loss. It's about improving metabolic health, preserving muscle, restoring a nourishing relationship with food, and developing sustainable habits that support your health for years to come.
Because lasting change isn't about fighting your body. It's about understanding its physiology, working with its innate capacity for healing, and creating the conditions for greater vitality and resilience.
Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?
Living with weight changes, insulin resistance, or metabolic concerns can be frustrating, especially when you're making an effort to eat well, stay active, and take care of yourself, but your body doesn't seem to respond the way it once did.
Perhaps you've noticed weight accumulating around your abdomen, changes in your energy, increasing food cravings, or difficulty maintaining the strength and vitality you once had. Maybe you're navigating PCOS, perimenopause, prediabetes, or wondering whether GLP-1 medications are right for you.
I believe you deserve more than another restrictive diet or a plan focused solely on the number on the scale. Your metabolism is influenced by your hormones, nutrition, muscle mass, sleep, nervous system, and the many ways these systems interact.
My goal is to help you understand your unique physiology, develop a healthier relationship with food and your body, and create a personalized approach that supports metabolic health, strength, and long-term well-being.
Fully human. Deeply healed.
If you're ready to move beyond dieting and begin working with your body rather than against it, I'd love to explore how we can work together.
STAY CONNECTED
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