The BariNation Foundation Podcast

What does it take to decide on weight loss surgery? Therapist Derek Colvin (@giant_therapist) and his wife Sheena share how they each chose sleeve gastrectomy, recorded just two days before their surgery together.

Derek is a former basketball player, six foot ten, and a licensed therapist. After three knee surgeries, years of intense workouts, calorie cutting, a carnivore diet, and serious thought about GLP-1 medications, he decided bariatric surgery was the right tool for him. He also had to unlearn two beliefs first: that surgery is "the easy way out," and that he wasn't "big enough" to need it.

Sheena wanted surgery for more than ten years. She spent hours at the gym and months on strict diets with results she couldn't see. The operation doesn't scare her. The changes afterward do.

Host Jason talks with them about:

• Getting denied by insurance the day before surgery, and what happened next
• Eating as part of your identity
• Why diet and exercise alone stopped working
• GLP-1 medications vs. bariatric surgery, and why both are valid treatments
• The myth that you have to reach a certain weight to "qualify" for help
• Surgery to protect joint health and avoid knee replacements - Sugar cravings and snacking on the pre-op diet
• Grieving food and the life you had before surgery
• Advice for anyone on the fence about weight loss surgery

Whether you're considering surgery, medication, or both, this episode is for anyone on an obesity treatment journey who's still deciding.

Follow Derek: @giant_therapist on Instagram and TikTok

Meet Derek and Sheena Colvin:

Derek and Sheena Colvin have been married for 26 years, raised seven children together, and have spent much of their lives taking care of the people around them. Now, they’re making a major decision together for themselves: undergoing VSG on August 7, 2026.

For Sheena, the decision has been years in the making. After four C-sections and struggling with her weight since the birth of their first child, she has also dealt with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and what she openly recognizes as an unhealthy relationship with sugar.

For Derek, a former college basketball player, the decision took longer. At 6'10", being the big guy who could eat a lot had become part of his identity. But after years of trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, recurring knee injuries and three major knee surgeries repeatedly interrupted his progress. Eventually, worsening knee pain, sleep apnea, rising blood pressure, and the emotional toll of no longer recognizing or feeling comfortable with the person he saw in the mirror forced him to reconsider what getting healthy needed to look like.

After supporting friends through bariatric surgery and seeing firsthand how life-changing it could be, Derek and Sheena realized it was time to take their own next step. They enter this journey differently, but together—hoping not simply to lose weight, but to reclaim their health, mobility, confidence, and quality of life for themselves, each other, and the family they’ve spent 26 years building.

Support the show: The BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering science-based, stigma-free education and peer support for people living with obesity.

Join our Fall Into Giving campaign and become a $10/month donor: https://www.barination.org

Join the community: https://barination.mn.co

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BariNation

This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare team about the treatment options that are right for you.

Movement can be so much more than a way to change your body. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April Williams sits down with psychologist, researcher, and movement expert Dr. Kelly McGonigal and BariNation community member Charity Guerrero to completely rethink the role of movement in the obesity health journey. They discuss the “comfort paradox,” why movement may require us to step into discomfort in service of a more meaningful life, and how reconnecting with our bodies can create hope, joy, confidence, and connection. Dr. McGonigal explains the science behind “hope molecules,” why the most important shift is from nothing to anything, why your brain may need time to learn to reward movement, and how supportive movement communities can help us feel like we belong.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ Why movement doesn't have to be about weight, appearance, burning calories, or “fixing” your body, and how it can instead create hope, meaning, joy, and connection.

✅ What the “comfort paradox” means and why choosing meaningful discomfort can sometimes open the door to a fuller, more accessible life.

✅ How “hope molecules” released by working muscles can support physical, metabolic, immune, cardiovascular, and brain health, and why movement is accessible regardless of age, size, or fitness level.

✅ Why the most important movement shift is from “nothing to anything,” how to give yourself space and grace while building a movement habit, and how community can make movement more rewarding.

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding comes from generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, and the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Why the brain doesn't immediately reward movement and what it takes to experience the benefits

04:07 Meet Dr. Kelly McGonigal and why she sees movement as a vehicle for hope, meaning, and joy

08:03 The comfort paradox: why treating obesity for comfort can eventually require us to embrace discomfort

14:22 Choosing meaningful discomfort over a life limited by fear and physical discomfort

19:59 How the meaning we assign to physical sensations can change our experience of movement

24:13 Reconnecting with the body through proprioception and discovering what movement can help you feel

33:29 Learning to “befriend” a body that may have felt like a source of shame or betrayal

36:43 Hope molecules: how your muscles act like an internal pharmacy when you move

41:48 From nothing to anything: understanding the dose and intensity of movement

49:34 Why movement may take about six weeks before your brain begins rewarding you for it

51:25 The power of moving together: how supportive movement communities create belonging and connection

57:14 Finding the right movement community and giving yourself permission to keep looking

01:04:21 Rethinking what movement can look like and finding activities connected to your values

01:07:00 How movement can help unlock hope, possibility, belonging, and a sense of purpose

01:11:24 Dr. McGonigal previews her upcoming book, Joy Is a Risk Worth Taking

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Movement doesn't have to be about changing your weight or fixing your body. It can be a pathway to hope, joy, meaning, connection, and a greater sense of what your body can do.

💎 The most important movement shift is from nothing to anything. You don't have to go from the couch to a 5K to benefit from movement. Start with what your body is capable of doing today.

💎 “Hope molecules” are released when muscles contract, giving movement benefits that extend beyond physical fitness and into brain health, resilience, stress, and positive emotions.

💎 Your body may have been a source of shame, fear, or disconnection, but movement can help you rebuild a relationship with your body and experience it as a source of possibility rather than something to fight against.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success.

https://www.kellymcgonigal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kellymariemcgonigal/?hl=en

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community - $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

4 Steps to Find an Obesity Provider

Finding Your Holistic Obesity Care Team

Sign up for BariNation’s Newsletters

J&JMedTech

What does it actually take to fund the future of obesity treatment? On this episode of The BariNation Podcast, host April Williams sits down with Dr. Carlos Galvani, a bariatric surgeon of over two decades and President of the TREO Foundation (Treatment, Research, and Education to end Obesity), formerly known as the ASMBS Foundation.

Click HERE to join our free, virtual TREO Walk team!

Dr. Galvani breaks down the three pillars of TREO's work: advocating for insurance access and utilization, funding original research (including the studies that first linked GLP-1 effects to gastric bypass surgery), and educating both patients and providers on obesity as a chronic, treatable disease. April and Dr. Galvani talk candidly about why so few people with obesity actually receive treatment, why obesity should be approached like cancer or diabetes with multiple, personalized treatment pathways, and why obesity walks struggle to draw the same crowds as breast cancer or ALS walks, even though obesity affects roughly 70% of American adults.

This conversation also covers TREO's flagship fundraiser, The Walk, including the free, no-pressure Virtual Walk happening September 26th under this year's theme, "No One Left Behind."

In this episode:

• What TREO stands for and how the organization evolved from the ASMBS Foundation
• How GLP-1 medications changed the conversation around obesity as a disease
• Why only 20 to 25% of people with obesity are receiving any treatment at all
• The research TREO has funded connecting bariatric surgery, GLP-1 medications, and cancer protection
• Why a standardized obesity treatment pathway (similar to breast cancer care) is coming
• How stigma keeps people from showing up to obesity awareness walks
• How to join the TREO Foundation's free Virtual Walk on September 26th

Obesity is a chronic disease that deserves the same research investment, treatment pathways, and community support as any other chronic condition. This episode is for anyone considering treatment, currently in treatment, or supporting someone who is.

Links:

TREO Foundation: www.treofoundation.org

Join BariNation's Virtual Walk team: https://fundraise.treofoundation.org/teams/7573

Find an in-person walk near you: https://fundraise.treofoundation.org/walk2026

Email us: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The BariNation Podcast for more conversations on obesity treatment, bariatric surgery, and GLP-1 care, and follow BariNation for community support, education, and events.

http://barination.org

The BariNation Foundation is a federally recognized 501(c)(3). All donations are tax-deductible, and no services were exchanged in the production of this episode.

#ObesityTreatment #BariatricSurgery #TREOFoundation

Participation is the prescription. See you in The Nation, soon.

#BariNation #TREOFoundation #ObesityTreatment #BariatricSurgery #GLP1 #ObesityIsADisease #WeightRegain #NoOneLeftBehind

Obesity is a chronic, lifelong disease, not a failure of willpower. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April Williams sits down with bariatric surgeon Dr. Monique Hassan and BariNation community member Jasmine Fernandez to challenge the idea that one tool can treat obesity. They discuss the full range of surgical options: surgery, GLP-1s, mindset, movement, community, self-advocacy, and overcoming shame while treating obesity as a chronic, lifelong disease. If you've ever felt shame about needing more than one treatment, this conversation offers permission to stop apologizing and start healing.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ How bariatric surgery options like sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch compare, explained through a simple car analogy.

✅ Why GLP-1 medication works for some patients and not others, and how it fits into a full obesity treatment plan.

✅ How to build self-advocacy skills and find a comprehensive care team that treats the whole person.

✅ Why emotional eating, mindset work, and support groups matter just as much as any medical or surgical tool.

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding comes from generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, and the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Bariatric surgeon Dr. Hassan shares her magic wand question for setting real weight loss goals

04:07 Why one thing is not enough to treat obesity

05:20 Meet Dr. Monique Hassan, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and Jasmine Fernandez, longtime BariNation member and gastric bypass patient

08:09 Why willpower alone never cures the chronic disease of obesity

10:47 Jasmine's winding path to gastric bypass surgery in 2021

14:54 Naming the inner critic and staying accountable after surgery

18:37 Walking through goals with your doctor and advocating for yourself

31:00 The “fight” and journey of obesity

43:42 Selecting the right tool for you to fight obesity

45:41 The car analogy: sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and duodenal switch compared

56:48 How to find a comprehensive bariatric surgery provider near you

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Obesity is a chronic, lifelong disease, so bariatric surgery, GLP-1 medication, and mindset work have to work together, not against each other.

💎 A good bariatric surgeon asks about your real-life goals before ever discussing a treatment plan.

💎 Naming your inner critic takes away its power and makes it easier to catch emotional eating before it starts.

💎 Progress over perfection matters more than any number on the scale, especially in long-term obesity treatment.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Monique Hassan, MD, is a bariatric and metabolic surgeon who serves as the Division Director of Bariatric and General Surgery and Director of Obesity Medicine at Baylor Scott & White – Temple, and is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at The Baylor College of Medicine - Temple Campus.

Dr. Monique Hassan - Instagram

Dr. Monique Hassan - Facebook

Jasmine Fernandez is a wife, mom of two, operations and logistics leader, and someone who completely transformed her health. Her journey hasn’t been about chasing perfection; it’s been about choosing herself every day. Through gastric bypass surgery, lifestyle changes, therapy, and perseverance, she discovered that lasting change comes from consistency, not quick fixes. “I hope that by sharing my story honestly, I can encourage others to believe that no matter where they start, a healthier and happier life is possible.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community - $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

4 Steps to Find an Obesity Provider

Finding Your Holistic Obesity Care Team

Sign up for BariNation’s Newsletters

J&JMedTech

BariNation, Bariatric Surgery, NSVS, GLP-1, VSG, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Lapband, Roux-en-Y, Gastric Bypass, Sadi-S, Obesity Treatment, GLP-1 Medication, Duodenal Switch, Weight Loss Surgery, Obesity Medicine, Chronic Disease, Metabolic Wellness, Emotional Eating, Inner Critic, Self Advocacy, weight loss mindset, obesity treatment options, BariNation Foundation

Bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric Smith joins the BariNation Foundation Podcast to continue the six-part series on the Levers of Control. Today's episode is about the second lever: Whole Food Nutrition. Dr. Eric Smith speaks with April Williams and Melanie Lindell to reveal why whole foods quiet food noise, how ultra-processed foods were engineered for overconsumption, and what it takes to build a sustainable, whole-food nutrition-based life after bariatric surgery and while pursuing a medically based weight loss program.

Don’t miss our first episode in the Levers series: Ep 287 - Mastering Your Metabolic Health and Weight Management

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ Why GLP-1 medications blunt cravings for most foods but not for whole foods, easing food noise

✅ How ultra-processed foods are engineered to keep cravings coming back

✅ The link between emotional eating and metabolic wellness, and how to tell comfort from nourishment

✅ Simple, budget-friendly ways to start whole food nutrition without overhauling your whole weight loss journey

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding is provided by the generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, and the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Dr. Smith defines whole food nutrition as food with minimal change from nature, not a specific grocery store

07:27 Why the source of sugar changes how the body responds, not just the gram count

09:07 What makes a food ultra-processed, and how convenience and shelf life reshaped the American plate

15:36 Why everything in moderation only holds when the diet is built on whole foods, not engineered snacks

20:52 Food as comfort: unpacking emotional eating, addiction transfer and where cravings really come from

25:29 The Nature magazine study explained: GLP-1 medications blunt cravings for most foods except whole produce

35:46 The big tobacco parallel and why fixing the processed food industry matters as much as new treatments

38:51 Admitting some foods are eaten for pleasure, the results of taking on big tobacco and getting to the root of the problem

45:59 The cost of whole foods and the nutritional cost weighed

49:24 Examples of the perspective of eating

59:51 Practical, budget-friendly steps to start whole food nutrition today, one small swap at a time

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Diet soda and other zero-calorie tricks can quietly reignite cravings even without added calories

💎 Bariatric patients often lean on protein bars and shakes early on, but lasting health depends on shifting toward real food

💎 True healing from hedonic hunger means removing the trigger, not just numbing it with medication

💎 A foundation of healthy eating habits built on whole food nutrition is the best defense against obesity treatment relapse

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Eric F. Smith, DO, FASMBS, CAQ-MBS

Dr. Smith is a board-certified general, bariatric and robotic surgeon who has been in practice since 2006.

Kentucky Bariatric Institute - Website

Dr. Eric Smith - Instagram

Hyper-Palatable Foods: Development of a Quantitative Definition and Application to the US Food System Database - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.22639

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community - $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

Sign up for BariNation’s Newsletters

Weight recurrence after bariatric surgery or GLP-1 treatment isn't a personal failure, it's often a natural part of treating the chronic disease of obesity. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April welcomes bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Saniea Majid to discuss her groundbreaking research on weight recurrence, why the medical community is moving away from the term "weight regain," and how ongoing, individualized care can improve long-term outcomes. Together, they explore the importance of eliminating shame, redefining success beyond the number on the scale, staying connected with your clinical care team, and empowering patients with practical strategies to navigate obesity treatment for life.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ Why weight recurrence after bariatric surgery is expected and why the word "failure" needs to be stricken from the conversation

✅ The three categories of response (partial, non, and clinically significant) and why each needs its own plan

✅ How consistent follow-up care and multidisciplinary care help prevent or reverse recurrence

✅ Practical ways to shift from shame to action while protecting metabolic wellness

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding is provided by the generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, and the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Dr. Saniea Majid discusses weight recurrence after treatment and her research regarding standardizing terminology and data sets

04:42 Why patients avoid follow-up care after bariatric surgery

10:01 The wide range of reported weight recurrence after bariatric surgery rates

15:18 Health benefits that remain even with weight recurrence

24:19 The importance of follow-up care

29:15 Why the word failure is banned in modern obesity care

34:44 Recommended definitions for partial response and non-response

45:08 Advice for a listener stuck at limited weight loss two years later

50:32 Dr. Majid answers rapid fire questions related to obesity

01:00:57 Final thoughts on seeking the right team for lifelong care

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Weight recurrence signals the chronic nature of obesity and calls for more treatment, not self-blame

💎 Regular follow-up care with the right multidisciplinary team is the strongest tool against progression

💎 Revisional surgery and GLP-1 medications are part of continuum care, not last resorts

💎 Patients retain meaningful health gains even when some weight returns

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dr. Saniea Majid is a board-certified bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist, founder and Medical Director of the Weight Loss and Wellness Center in northern New Jersey. She has built multiple accredited metabolic and bariatric programs and was the first surgeon in the state to perform the SPATZ adjustable gastric balloon and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.

A national leader in the field, she just completed a 2 year term of the ASMBS Foundation TREO (Treatment, Research and Education to End Obesity), sits on the ASMBS Board of Directors, and is committed to comprehensive, compassionate care for patients of all ages, including adolescents.

Meet Dr. Majid – Award-Winning Weight Loss Doctor NJ | WLWC

Proposed Definitions and Clinical Recommendations for the Management of Weight Recurrence Following Bariatric Surgery

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community - $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

Sign up for BariNation’s Newsletters

J&JMedTech

BariNation, Bariatric Surgery, NSVS, GLP-1, VSG, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Lapband, Roux-en-Y, Gastric Bypass, Sadi-S, Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery, Weight Recurrence, Bariatric Surgery, Obesity Treatment, Metabolic Wellness, Follow Up Care, Chronic Disease, Multidisciplinary Care, Bariatric support, Bariatric patient education, Clinically Significant Weight Recurrence, Revisional Surgery, GLP 1 Medications, ASMBS, Shame And Blame, Weight Fluctuations, Surgical Success, Long-term weight loss maintenance

What if the biggest obstacle to getting the help you need isn't your body, but the belief that you have to earn it?

Even therapists struggle with shame, self-doubt, and asking for help. In this episode of the BariNation Foundation Podcast, April sits down with longtime therapist and BariNation supporter Lora Grabow, who shares her own journey through menopause, unexpected health changes, and the difficult decision to begin GLP-1 treatment. Despite decades of helping others heal their relationship with food, Lora discovered she had been holding herself to a different standard, believing she needed to "work harder" before deserving treatment. Together, April and Lora discuss the damaging myths surrounding obesity, menopause, self-worth, and medical care while exploring why community, self-compassion, and evidence-based treatment are essential for lasting health.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that you don't have to suffer in silence, you don't have to earn help, and hope begins the moment you allow yourself to receive the support you deserve.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

Why obesity is a chronic disease, not a personal failing, and why that reframe lifts shame around GLP-1 weight loss

How menopause weight gain can stall even the healthiest habits, and why biology, not effort, is often the real barrier

Why self-compassion, not self-criticism, is the tool that actually leads to lasting behavior change

How community support helps people move past the belief that they must earn help before accepting it

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding is provided by the generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, and the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Lora Grabow discusses her two decades in weight management and therapy

06:16 April sets the stage: doing everything right without results

07:48 Lora explains obesity as a chronic disease, not a decision

08:17 Lora shares her menopause weight gain and hormone therapy story

12:17 The friend who asked why Lora wasn't starting a GLP-1

17:15 Unpacking the belief that you must earn help before treatment and the power of community

26:48 Finding safe support in virtual spaces; April shares a personal story

31:20 How are we talking to ourselves and having self-compassion

41:57 Lora reflects on hope, healing, and life after starting Zepbound

46:04 Why it took Lora so long to go on a GLP-1, the many benefits of the drug

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Shame keeps people stuck. Self-compassion is what actually opens the door to change.

Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease, and no one should have to manage it alone.

GLP-1 medications, like other metabolic wellness tools, aren't something you have to "earn."

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Lora Grabow, LMSW, is an obesity medicine therapist, coach, and professional speaker with over 20 years of experience working with patients in obesity medicine. Lora helps patients discover the missing piece of their treatment plan: A piece she calls Headwork™.

She is the owner of a thriving private practice serving patients affected by obesity. Her expertise includes providing individual therapy and 1:1 coaching, facilitating support groups, and engaging patients in her online course, Foundations in Headwork for Healthy Weight Loss. She is an active leader in the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. (ASMBS) She is a sought-after podcast guest and speaker at national provider and patient obesity medicine conferences.

Lora Grabow Instagram

Lora Grabow - Website

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community - $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

Sign up for BariNation’s Newsletters

J&JMedTech

Episode 287: What if everything you believed about obesity was wrong? Bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric Smith joins the BariNation Foundation Podcast to launch a six-part series on Mastering Metabolic Health and Weight Management. Today's episode is about the first lever: Beyond the Scale...Obesity as a Chronic Disease. He explains why only 0.5 to 2% of people can lose enough weight through diet alone to no longer be classified as obese and what the hormones ghrelin and leptin have to do with it. Mental health therapist, bariatric patient and BariNation Foundation Board, Community member, and licensed expert, Melanie Lindell adds the emotional truth: accepting obesity as a chronic disease is not giving up; it is finally getting honest. This conversation will shift how you think about your body, your habits, and your future. Join us for this six-part series, Mastering Your Metabolic Health and Weight Management.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

Why obesity as a chronic disease cannot be resolved through willpower alone, and what the actual success rates of diet and exercise reveal about the biology working against you

How the hormones ghrelin and leptin resistance change the way your body responds to calorie deficits, making sustainable weight loss far more complex than simply eating less

Why bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications create the conditions for change but cannot replace the controllable habits that determine long-term metabolic health outcomes

How building consistent habits around sleep, whole food nutrition, and movement forms the true foundation of lasting obesity treatment success

This episode of the BariNation Podcast is produced by the BariNation Foundation, a 501c3 dedicated to advancing metabolic wellness for people living with obesity by providing evidence-based education, stigma-free support, and meaningful connections in the moments that shape daily life. Funding is provided by the generous donations to the BariNation Foundation from listeners and viewers like you, Johnson & Johnson, the Texas Center for Bariatrics & Advanced Surgery, led by Dr. Joe Cribbins.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 The psychology of results and why visible change drives obesity treatment commitment

04:00 Dr. Eric Smith and Melanie Lindell introduce themselves and the bariatric surgery series

08:04 The six levers of metabolic health and weight management are introduced

09:18 Why diet and exercise alone fail: success rates as low as 0.5% for obesity as a chronic disease

11:56 How triggering life events lead to obesity and why reversing behavior is not enough

23:44 The hormonal science of ghrelin and leptin resistance and their role in weight loss, and why the body fights back against calorie deficits

33:00 The golf analogy: why patients become complacent and stop applying controllable health habits

38:30 The danger of removing friction and how easy access to GLP-1 medications can backfire, and leaning into the idea that obesity is a lifelong disease

44:13 Sleep consistency as a lever: the real science behind sleep and weight loss, and the mental health part of finding joy in yourself

53:08 April's personal gut check and the honest conversation about stalled weight management

1:00:12 How KBI redesigned its entire approach to treating obesity as a chronic disease

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Obesity as a chronic disease has a biological basis. With success rates of 0.5 to 2% for diet and exercise alone, this is not a failure of character but a failure of biology working against patients without proper obesity treatment.

Surgery and GLP-1 medications provide the spark, but they are not the solution on their own. Without the controllable levers such as whole-food nutrition, sleep, and movement, results will stall or reverse.

Leptin resistance and rising ghrelin levels mean that the longer someone has lived with obesity, the harder the body fights against weight loss, making medical intervention and habit-building both essential.

Goals bring short-term motivation, but habits create lifelong results. Celebrating the consistency of controllable health habits rather than only the scale is what sustains metabolic health over time.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Eric F. Smith, DO, FASMBS, CAQ-MBS

Dr. Smith is a board-certified general, bariatric and robotic surgeon who has been in practice since 2006.

Kentucky Bariatric Institute - Website

Dr. Eric Smith - Instagram

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

BariNation Community- $19 a month

BariNation Website

BariNation - Email

BariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist Guide

Sign up for BariNation’s newsletters

J&JMedTech

Summer is here, and so is every barbecue, pool party, and 4th of July spread your family could throw at you. No judgment. We're gonna talk about all of it.

April and Nat are back together for a real one, a summer celebration episode built around the four BariNation pillars: movement, mindset, metabolic wellness, and community. They're sharing how they personally live these pillars when routines go out the window, the weather gets hot, and the paper plates get absolutely massive.

This one is for you whether you're six weeks post-op or six years out. Because bariatric life doesn't take a summer break, but it absolutely can feel like a party.

What we get into:

MOVEMENT: Why movement does not have to mean the gym, and how painting rocks, kayaking for the first time, and water balloon fights with your niece absolutely count. Nat shares how she's getting back to exploring outdoors after a really hard school year, and April talks about finally being able to show up at the lake without dreading every moment.

MINDSET: The brain gremlins don't stop just because it's summer. Nat (almost six years post-op!) gets real about still dealing with "what are people thinking about my plate" anxiety at social events. April walks through the "catch it, check it, change it" tool, a practical mindset skill from BariNation's licensed mental health support groups, and why the goal is never to stop having these thoughts, just to get better at catching them.

METABOLIC WELLNESS: Summer food is protein city if you think about it — burgers, ribs, brats. You're already set up. April and Nat talk about the plate size swap that changed everything at Nat's 4th of July prime rib dinner (yes, really), how to set up a buffet table so you naturally eat in the right order, and why 10 BBQ meals out of 400 summer eating occasions is not the thing that derails you.

COMMUNITY: Why the BariNation membership community is becoming both April and Nat's go-to over social media feeds packed with ads and AI content. Real humans, zero algorithm, no one selling you something. Plus, April is launching a summer Whole Food Learning series in the community every Tuesday night with experts and registered dietitians.

AND THE BIG NEWS: BariNation is officially becoming the BariNation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, as of July 1, 2026. That means the podcast is now a foundation production, your support is 100% tax-deductible, AND the BariNation membership community is dropping from $39/month to $19/month. Less than a dollar a day. We are not calm about this.

Links:

• Join the BariNation Community: https://barination.mn.co/plans/1983996?bundle_token=403d003e4d6e5c649341e4319c80a3d8&utm_source=manual
• BariNation Community Calender: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cqvlhco5fdmkk0lsuasl7ggdu88emhuc%40import.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FLos_Angeles
• Donate to the BariNation Foundation: https://barination.givecloud.co/fundraising/forms/8NDR96EK
• Follow April: @actively_april
• Follow Natalie: @breakingbari_ers
• Follow BariNation on Instagram: @bari.nation
• Follow BariNation on Facebook: @barination
• Get our weekly newsletter: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/O2S7vlT
• Visit our website: www.barination.org

Your metabolism is not broken. It just might need a new strategy.

If you've had bariatric surgery (or started a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Mounjaro) and you've hit a wall, struggled with cravings, felt like you can't go more than two hours without eating, or watched the scale stop moving entirely, this episode is for you.

Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Kayla Girgen, RD, CPT is back, and she's here to explain one of the most talked-about, least understood topics in the metabolic health space: metabolic flexibility. What it is, why it matters after weight loss surgery, and what you can actually do about it starting today.

In this episode, we cover:

• What metabolic flexibility actually means (in plain, real-person language)
• The interstate traffic analogy that makes insulin resistance finally make sense
• Why insulin resistance can make it nearly impossible to lose weight and how the disease of obesity is directly connected
• The difference between being metabolically flexible vs. stuck in what researchers call "metabolic gridlock"
• How movement, even a short walk after a meal, can bypass insulin resistance and get your metabolism moving again
• Why sleep is one of the most unsexy, underrated tools for improving metabolic health
• Whether a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) is worth it, and what you can do to balance your blood sugar if one isn't in your budget
• A real community member question about reactive hypoglycemia, weight gain on GLP-1s, and what strength training might do to help

Kayla leads live meetups and classes inside the BariNation community every other month. Drop your questions in the comments or send us an email at [email protected].

Find Kayla at @KaylaGirgenRD on Instagram or at KaylaGirgenRD.com.

BariNation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Learn more and join the community at barination.org.