The BariNation Foundation Podcast

Obesity is a chronic, lifelong disease with no known cure. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for the disease and has the highest and longest treatment efficacy rates. But new medications have been developed that support the treatment of the disease in multiple ways. These new GLP-1 medications work in multiple ways in our bodies and are proving to be a powerful adjunct or secondary treatment for the disease. Many post-op patients are onboarding these medications to help them lose their regained weight or reach a weight that allows them to be metabolically well.

Bariatric surgeon, Dr. Matthew Weiner, and Clair Paulye, PA-C, joined us to talk about how these medications work and why they are such a powerful treatment option for anyone struggling to manage their disease of obesity. Follow Dr. Weiner on Instagram @drmatthewweiner and visit him online at www.poundofcureweightloss.com.

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Jason and Natalie sat down with Chris Baker, a bariatric patient, philanthropist, father and husband. Chris is the founder and Executive Director of The Other Ones Foundation, a nonprofit on a mission to transition Austin's unhoused neighbors into an engaged community through shelter, opportunity, and support. He started The Other Ones Foundation in the summer of 2017 to bring his innovative ideas for addressing homelessness to life via a client-centered, people-first approach.

They talked about the male perspective on body positivity and how society's norms can hinder men from experiencing that toward themselves, as well as how community and love are really what make this bariatric experience successful. Showing up for ourselves, for others, and the community can help propel us forward in the most unconventional ways. Chris took us through his journey to self love, as well as how he loves others through his work.

You can follow Chris and his organization at @toofound on Instagram or online at toofound.org

You can follow Chris on his personal Instagram @it_aint_christopher

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Bariatric surgery will not be the only thing that helps us find and maintain our happy, healthy weight. As patients, many of us believe that surgery will be the one thing, the only thing that will get us to a low and sustainable weight. Sure, we know there will be challenges and changes ahead, but surgery will be “the ticket” out of obesity and into our goal pants.

We are here to tell you this is categorically false. Surgery will be the primary treatment you will onboard to treat your disease of obesity, but to find and maintain a happy, healthy weight; you will need many other secondary or adjunct treatments along your journey. Obesity is a chronic and lifelong disease that has no known cure. The disease will present in new and challenging ways throughout our lives, even when your most visable symptom (excess weight) has disappeared.

Dr. Eric Smith, the director of the Kentucky Bariatric Institute, joins the BariNation crew for this powerful discussion that will empower you with the education you need to embrace your bariatric life. Dr. Smith is an advocate for patients and their lifelong care and believes in the power of community. Follow Dr. Smith on Instagram @doctorericsmith_ and visit him online at https://kentuckybariatricinstitute.com/

Are you feeling alone or stuck along your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! Members can join virtual support led by bariatric therapists, classes taught by registered dietitians, wellness coaches, and movement experts, and meetups hosted by patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Find April @actively_april, find Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and find Natalie @breakingbari_ers

It’s one thing to have a goal; it is another thing to achieve it. April, Jason, and Natalie are on a mission to achieve some big thing this year, and they sat down to review how it has all been going. They shared what has been working well for them and what has stopped them in their tracks. Join the BariNation crew for an insightful conversation about growth, change, and decision making.

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Why do we make “bad” decisions? Why is it so hard sometimes to make decisions aligned to our goals? Why is it easier on some days and harder on others? Well…humans, on average, make 35,000 unique decisions every day, and at least 227 of them are food-related. That’s A LOT of thinking. No wonder we reach a decision-making breaking point and rely on our automatic choices!

To reach our goals, we have to become the person who thinks and does things aligned with that goal. We need to make decisions about what we do and think, and these decisions will either move us toward our goals or away from them. When it comes down to it, goal achievement is about decision-making, not necessarily about taking action.

We sat with BariNation expert and friend Melanie Lindell to understand why we make decisions that are not aligned with our goals and onboard new tools to help us fight decision fatigue and make more aligned choices. Follow Melanie Lindell on Instagram @myroux_n_why or join BariNation to interact with her in upcoming support groups!

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Why do we give up on our goals? How can we be so motivated one day and the next day, completely abandon them? 92% of New Year's resolutions go unmet, and we wanted to know what we can do to keep our heads in the game. We sat down with Rodolfo to better understand the mindsets behind giving up on our goals and learn new insights and tools to help us stay committed, even on the hard days.

Follow Rodolfo Alvarez on Instagram @rodolfoalvarezx or join BariNation to interact with him in our Being Me Cohort!

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Did you know that only 8% of people fulfill their “new year's resolutions”? Setting our goals and intentions in the new year fills us with hope and can add a little fuel to our motivation and willpower tanks. But these feelings can be quickly replaced by guilt, shame, and defeat. Why does this happen, and what can we do to keep working toward our goals when hope fades?

Our friend Melanie Lindell, therapist and bariatric patient, joins us to share two of the mechanisms that contribute to our goal achievement struggles and shares ideas on how to move past the Imposer Syndrome and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy to help us reach our goals!

Follow Melanie on Instagram @myroux_n_why or join BariNation to interact with her from her patient and expert perspectives!

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

What a year 2022 has been! At times, it was the year that would never end. And in other times, the year went by in a flash. This year was filled with travel, tragedy, and triumphs, and through all those things, we connected, learned, and grew.

In this episode, Jason, April, and Natalie reflect on the year that has been and share our biggest takeaways. We then look forward to 2023 and share who we want to be, why we want to become that person, and how we think we can become that person. We hope this episode allows you to reflect on your year and identify who you want to be int he new year, too! Cheers to 2022, friends!

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

**Trigger warning: Trauma is mentioned in this episode. We do not share specific traumas we have experienced, but we do discuss it in very broad and general terms.

The holidays can be a real mixed bag of emotions. Some years, the holiday “spirit” is readily available, you are inspired to give back, you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, and the season fills you with joy. In other years, you never want to hear a holiday song and the tree can stay int he forest.

This season can be “heavy” for a few reasons, we could be fighting against traditions that no longer serve us, we could be thinking about traumatic experiences from seasons past, and we could be grieving the loss of people, places, and things. In this episode, April, Jason, and Natalie deep dive into these topics and share how they have impacted their holidays. By sharing our experiences, we can find meaningful ways to move through these experiences and lower the temperature throughout our holiday.

Are you feeling alone or isolated on your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers

Bariatric surgery only works on our physical body. Most of our actual work as patients must be done in our emotional world; it lives in the work we have to do with the people we love the most. But how do we foster these relationships as our relationship with ourselves changes rapidly before and after surgery? How do we invite them to join us on our journey if we don't even know where our journey is taking us?

We sat down with Devon Colvin, a Licensed Professional Counselor, to talk about what it means to have a connected relationship with our spouses, partners, friends, and family and how we can work to stay connected throughout our bariatric journey.

Follow Derek on Instagram and TikTok @thegiantherapist and check out the app he recommended at https://www.gottman.com/couples/apps/

Are you feeling alone or stuck in your bariatric journey? Connect with fellow patients and experts in the BariNation Membership Community! As a member, you can access virtual support led by bariatric therapists, registered dietitians, wellness coaches, movement experts, and patient moderators. Try our community for 14 days to see if it is right for you! Find us at https://barination.mn.co

Follow BariNation on Instagram @bari.nation for continued support aligned with your bariatric journey. Follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian_, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers