Episode 11: From Fear to Flow - Redefining Fitness with Geof Shuford

Show Notes:

In this episode, Dr. Kristin Lloyd sits down with Geof Shuford, personal trainer, mindset coach, author, and founder of Coaching for Bariatric Success, to redefine what fitness truly means for people healing from diet culture, trauma, and burnout.

After navigating ADHD, divorce, and his own transformation, Geof discovered exercise not as punishment—but as play, therapy, and freedom. For over a decade, he’s helped bariatric patients and GLP-1 users rebuild strength, mobility, and confidence through movement that honors both body and mind.

Together, Kristin and Geof unpack how trauma, perfectionism, and gym anxiety keep people stuck—and how a trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware approach can make movement healing again.

You’ll discover:

* Why exercise is a nervous-system regulator, not a self-discipline test

* How to rebuild strength, safety, and self-trust in your body

* The “50 First Dates” approach to finding movement you actually enjoy

* Why chasing joy, not metrics, creates long-term success

* How to measure progress beyond the scale with functional wins that matter

Kristin shares how rediscovering swimming helped her manage ADHD and reconnect to her body, while Geof shares stories of clients who overcame movement fears and found confidence in their strength. Together, they invite listeners to drop the “shoulds,” break up with perfectionism, and fall in love with movement again.

If you’ve ever struggled to find consistency or joy in fitness—whether you’ve had bariatric surgery, take GLP-1s, or just feel disconnected—this episode will help you move from fear to flow.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Exercise as Meditative Practice

00:03:48 - From Gym to Bariatric Support

00:06:11 - Bariatric Journey and Fitness Motivation

00:13:01 - Strength Training Won’t Make You Bulky

00:16:02 - 50 First Dates with Exercise

00:18:21 - Find an Activity You Love

00:22:27 - Weight Trauma and Gym Anxiety

00:25:04 - Gym Shame, Sweat, and Childhood Trauma

00:30:09 - Overcoming Gym Intimidation

00:33:41 - Overcoming Gym Insecurities

00:36:30 - Dealing with Judgment and Fear

00:39:40 - Relearning Your Body for Mobility

00:47:52 - Start Slow with Short Sessions

00:54:02 - Mindful Movement and Body Awareness

00:56:57 - Non-Scale Victories and Mindset

Key Takeaways

• Movement is medicine for the mind. Fitness can be a form of meditation, regulation, and self-therapy—especially for those navigating ADHD, anxiety, or life transitions like divorce or major weight loss.

• Bariatric surgery is a beginning, not the finish line. Long-term transformation requires continued strength, mobility, and mindset work to sustain results and rebuild self-trust.

• Joyful, trauma-informed movement heals where discipline alone can’t. When exercise feels safe and playful, the nervous system opens to growth, consistency, and confidence.

• Myths like “strength training makes women bulky” are fear-based distractions. True strength training builds metabolic health, confidence, and functional freedom—not bulk.

• You don’t need to love the gym—you need to find your flow. Think “50 first dates with movement.” Experiment until you find what makes your body feel alive and your mind at peace.

• Progress isn’t just scale-based. Functional wins—lifting groceries, climbing stairs, playing with your kids—reveal genuine healing and self-trust returning.

• Self-compassion beats perfectionism every time. Sustainable fitness and healing come from curiosity, flexibility, and patience, not punishment or comparison.

Connect with Geof Shuford & Coaching for Bariatric Success:🌐 Coaching for Bariatric Success📘 Now What? What to Expect in your First Year after Bariatric Surgery on Amazon💌 Subscribe on Substack: Coaching for Bariatric Success🎧 The Weight of Change Podcast & The Lean In Podcast

Connect with Dr. Kristin Lloyd & Bariatric Mindset:🌐 Bariatric Mindset Success💌 Subscribe on Substack: Bariatric Mindset Success💬 Join the Bariatric Mindset Mavens Facebook group

Get full access to Bariatric Mindset at bariatricmindset.substack.com/subscribe