The BariNation Foundation Podcast

While it may be a newly federally recognized holiday, Juneteenth is not new for those in the African American community. Today, the CEO of Bariatric Society, Nerissa Stewart joins the show to talk about Juneteenth, the importance of the holiday, where some of the traditions come from, and how the day is celebrated within black communities. We encourage you to listen to this episode to learn more about a day that celebrates freedom. 

Comment “Juneteenth” below, and we will DM you links to the BariNation podcast playlist, amplifying black voices and expertise in our community, an educational resource, and a robust website to find and support black-owned businesses local to you. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

RESOURCES:

BIOGRAPHY:

Nerissa Stewart is the CEO of Bariatric Society and four years post-op VSG. Aside from her work within the Bariatric Community, Nerissa is a respected leader and speaker in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) field with over 15 years experience leading diverse teams and initiatives. In her corporate roles, Nerissa has worked for the inclusion of all and has received numerous awards including the distinction of Outstanding Black Alumni by her Alma mater Mary Baldwin University.

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians.

BariNation - Website

BariNation - Podcast

We cannot believe we have made it to our 200th episode! Come celebrate by getting a peak into a BariNation Community Member meeting. This is a safe place for our community members to share their wins, struggles, and goals with likeminded people. During this episode, you will hear from several of our BariNation members, with a focus on self love and self talk throughout your bariatric journey. You’ll understand why having a support system is so important after bariatric surgery. Tune in today to learn more about the community and connect with others.  

IN THIS EPISODE:

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

RESOURCES:

BariNation - Website

BariNation - Podcast

Join the BariNation Membership community for daily meetups just like the one you're listening to or watching - https://barination.com/pages/join-our-community

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.
About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians.

Welcome to the very first professionally produced episode of the BariNation Podcast! Your hosts, April Williams, Jason Smith, and Natalie Tierney, are thrilled to embark on this journey with you. In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Pesta, a renowned expert in bariatrics. Dr. Pesta starts the discussion by sharing the critical markers of obesity. He then delves into the various preliminary approaches to overcoming the disease of obesity, including bariatric surgery. He also highlights how different cultures are affected. The conversation continues with an in-depth look at post-surgery medical approaches, weight loss statistics, the safety of bariatric procedures, insurance considerations, and the importance of patient readiness for surgery. Finally, Dr. Pesta leaves us with an essential tip: don’t give up. Take the first step and commit to weight loss for long-term good health.

IN THIS EPISODE:

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

RESOURCES:

BariNation - Website

BariNation - Podcast

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Carl Pesta is a McLaren Macomb board-certified general surgeon who specializes in advanced laparoscopic surgical weight loss procedures. He is also a “Center of Excellence” bariatric surgeon.

He earned his medical degree from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Pesta completed his residency at McLaren Macomb and a bariatric surgery proctorship at Henry Ford Bi-County Hospital. He performs a wide variety of bariatric procedures, as well as revision and conversion procedures.

Dr. Pesta is leading the comprehensive bariatric program  Dr. Carl Pestaat the McLaren Macomb. With 18 years experience as a surgeon, Dr. Pesta has performed more than 5,000 bariatric procedures. The bariatrics program at McLaren Macomb provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to caring for the healthcare needs of patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians.

Do you think about food often? Are there constant food-related thoughts racing through your brain every day? This constant chatter centered around food has been dubbed “food noise,” and it seems to be a topic of great discussion lately, but for good reason. For decades, people fighting the disease of obesity knew what it was because they experienced it constantly, we just never had a term for it, and we just didn’t know it was something other people experienced. 

Obesity is an isolating disease, and for so long, April, Jason, and Natalie through their excess weight were 100% their fault. Despite trying every diet, workout program, cleanse, fast, and pill, they could never find and maintain a healthy weight. But after they each underwent bariatric surgery, they noticed that food noise disappeared. It just went away, leaving them in shock at just how much time, energy, and capacity the disease was taking from them. 

In this episode, your hosts shared their experiences with "food noise," the constant chatter in the mind about food, and its impact on their relationship with food post-surgery. They shared strategies for managing this food noise, including visualization, community, education, therapy, mindful eating, and self-compassion.

They also share some very exciting news at the end of this episode, so listen and watch to the end! BariNation is growing in the most amazing ways and we have YOU, our listeners, watchers, supporters, and community members to thank! 

If you are struggling with food noise and want some professional help dealing with it, join the BariNation Support Community, and connect with fellow patients and experts in our safe and inclusive community. Visit https://barination.mn.co to learn more!

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty. 

 About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

Is there a right time to have bariatric surgery? 

We always hear this question from BariNation Members, our friends, and followers. Undergoing bariatric surgery requires months to prepare for your procedure and can require a few months of recovery. The process often involves our friends and family and significantly disrupts our daily lives. Many of us will take extended time off work to recoup, and arrangements must be made for the humans we care for. There is a lot that goes into planning and preparing for surgery. 

But at the end of the day, we do think there is a right time to have surgery. And our answer might surprise you! 

In this episode, BariNation hosts April Williams, Jason Smith, and Natalie Tierney have an honest conversation about the process they went through when deciding to have bariatric surgery. Each followed a different path, but their worries and concerns were the same. In the end, the decision to treat their disease of obesity through surgery has been one of the most pivotal moments of their lives, and they would make the same decision again. 

If you have been thinking about having surgery or are committed to surgery but are worried about the timing of it all, this episode is for you! If you have questions, you would love to ask other bariatric patients, join the BariNation Support Community, and connect with fellow patients and experts in the pre-operative stages today! Visit https://barination.mn.co to learn more!

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty. 

 About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

The disease of obesity will require a lifelong fight and many different treatment modalities. With the advancements in medication and care, anti-obesity drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy are positioned to become viable options for bariatric patients in their pre and post-operative stages. But what happens if you lose access to these medications? Will you regain some or all of the weight you lost while taking these powerful and effective drugs?

In this episode, BariNation CoFounder April sat down with BariNation Expert and Professional Chef Stephanie Mitchell, a bariatric patient and professional chef who shares her experience with GLP-1 medication and life after stopping it. Stephanie discusses her journey on the medication, the challenges she faced after stopping it, and how she has maintained the low weight that she achieved while on Mounjuaro. 

The conversation highlights the importance of mindset, self-acceptance, and constant self-reflection in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stephanie emphasizes having conversations with oneself, setting goals, and staying accountable. The episode also touches on the bariatric community's and BariNation's power in providing support and guidance. In this conversation, she discusses the importance of maintaining healthy habits and mindset after bariatric surgery. She has learned to lean into BariNation’s Pillars of Bariatric Success of Movement, Mindset, Metabolic Wellness, and Community when things started to feel overwhelming. 

If you have been thinking about onboarding an anti-obesity medication but are worried about what could happen if you ever stop taking medication, this powerful episode is for you. We hope you leave this conversation knowing that you can maintain your low weight, with or without medication; you have the tools you need to find lasting success. 

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty. 

About our Guests: Stephanie Mitchell is a professional chef, wife, and mother living in Bear, Delaware. After battling obesity since childhood, she decided to have VSG surgery in 2020 and introduced Mounjaro as an adjunct treatment in 2022. After reaching her goal weight in 2023, she has been inspired to help others maintain with or without anti-obesity medication. Follow Stephanie on Instagram @steph_the_shrinking_chef and listen to her podcast, We Are Losing It. 

 About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

Moving our bodies is a BariNation Pillar of Bariatric Success, but it is one that so many people struggle with. We know it is essential for short-term recovery and long-term success, but finding joyful movement, building a practice, and sticking with it can be challenging. 

In this episode, April, Jason, and Natalie sat down with BariNation Movement Expert Monique Coleman to understand where we can start when we don’t even know where the start line is. Each shares their personal movement struggles and the strategies they will use during BariNation’s Spring Into Summer Movement Challenge. 

To cross the start line, we have to begin by addressing our movement mindset and understanding what we are telling ourselves about movement. We can embrace starting small and shifting our definition of movement to help us begin where we are, not where we were with movement before surgery or how we hope to move.

If you have been wanting to move more but are finding it hard to start, this conversation is for you! And if you think moving with fellow patients and friends would motivate you, join our Spring Into Summer Movement Challenge. Visit https://barination.mn.co to join the Support Community and participate in the Challenge. You've got this, and we've got you! 

About our Guests: Monique Coleman is a body-positive fitness instructor, who believes all bodies belong in fitness. She is the Founder of Thick Chixx Fitness and holds it down and keeps it real for the 40+ community. Follow Monique  on Instagram @healthylivingwithmonique1 and find her at www.thickchixxfitness.com

 About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

Summer is the best time to start a movement practice! The weather is warmer, we are outside more, and stress usually decreases because our work demands are lower. And all that sunshine just calls us to move more! But there are some other fantastic reasons to spend your summer dialing in your movement routines. 

April Williams sat down with BariNation Expert and friend Rob DiMedio to better understand how powerful it was to establish some movement guardrails in the summer. And if you are just trying to figure out where to start regarding movement, they shared two excellent resources to help you get started!

Rob is hosting a Busy Bariatrics Summer Camp if you want one-on-one coaching experience. In this boot camp, you will learn how to optimize your nutrition, overcome gymtimidation, and focus on the headwork that might keep you from reaching your movement goals. It kicks off on May 1st and will run through the summer. Click HERE to learn more about this amazing coaching opportunity!

BariNation is launching its Spring Into Summer Movement Challenge, an accessible opportunity for BariNation Members to set their own goals, move in ways that are accessible to them at this moment, and learn about movement and mindset from experts Kayla Girgen, RD, CPT, Monique Coleman, CFI, Rodolfo Alvarez, CWC, and Jody Boninsigna, RYT2000. Our seven-week Challenge kicks off May 7th and will run through June 20th. Join BariNation today and move with us this spring!

Are you ready to make movement a part of your summer plans? Start moving with us this spring and set up the sunny days ahead for success!

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty. 

About our Guest:  Rob DiMedio is a lifelong educator and bariatric patient. Rob holds a Bachelors Degree in Education, A Masters's degree in Educational Leadership, and a second Master's in Athletic Administration. Rob takes those dual certifications in Personal Training and Nutrition by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Next Level Coaching Academy to help his clients understand the importance of movement mindset macros and behavior change after bariatric surgery.

About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

Making the decision to undergo bariatric surgery is life-changing. It requires lots of research, soul-searching, and some hard-core commitment to being ok with learning how to live life differently. Our friend and BariNation Expert Timisha MAlone, LMSW, and her husband Tim recently made the decision to sell their home and travel the US on an RV and we wanted to know how they are adjusting to bari life on the road! 

Both Timisha and Tim are bariatric patients, are raising two small children, and learning to navigate some newly diagnosed chronic conditions. Timisha’s health requires her to live with a Service Animal and their dog Winston is a constant companion as they learn how to live life in new, exciting, and different ways. Even when we onboard treatments for our health, other issues can still appear and this conversation is all about learning how they have all adjusted to a life they never imagined. 

We hope you leave this episode with some new ideas on how you can keep living aligned with your bariatric goals when life changes course on you. The more we know about other people's stories and journeys, the more open we are to adapting our own life when change happens. 

In this week's bonus podcast episode, Members of the BariNation Support Community and our Patreon supporters of the BariNation Podcast will get a private look into Natalie's own journey of chronic illness and how she is learning to balance her bariatric life with new treatment protocols. 

Connect with Timisha in the BariNation Membership Community where she leads weekly General Support and Bariatric Grief Groups and on on Instagram @time_for_a_change_rny

About our Guest:  Timisha and Tim Malone are bariatric patients who inspire others by sharing their ups and downs as they learn to navigate full-time life on the road. Timisha is a licensed therapist and owner of Time For A Change Wellness, a patient advocate, and a member of the ASMBS. She is also learning to treat her newly diagnosed chronic illness’ as a mother, patient, and advocate. 

About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!

We know that movement is one of the most important things we need to focus on after bariatric surgery; it’s even one of BariNation’s Pillars of Bariatric Success. We also know that it can be one of the hardest Pillars to live because of the role exercise played in our lives before bariatric surgery. If movement was how we “punished” ourselves for food-related decisions, we might not be overjoyed to start moving again. 

We sat down with Daryl Perry, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Habit-Based Nutritional Coach, and founder of You Level Fitness to understand the connection between mental health and movement. We want to know what we can do when we know what we need to do but are having a hard time doing it. Our discussion explored some of the elements or things we might be inviting into our lives (looking at you, social media) that could be negatively impacting movement and shared how comparison and unrealistic expectations keep us stuck.

We hope you leave this episode inspired to look at the things in your life that could be holding you back from moving more and adopting some new mindsets around movement that pull you towards more activity! 

Members of the BariNation Support Community and our Patreon supporters of the BariNation Podcast will get access to the amazing Bonus Episode with Daryl. He shares more about his personal wellness journey and how weight has impacted his life. 

Connect with Daryl online at darylperry.com on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @darylperry

About our Guest:  Darul Perry is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Habit Based Nutrition Coach, and the owner of Your Level Fitness. He holds a B.S. in Marketing, and produces multiple fitness and motivational podcasts. Daryl helps people embrace who they are, as they are, using his personal story and struggles to guide and inspire. 

About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers. 

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians. 

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers. 

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!