The BariNation Foundation Podcast

By April WilliamsAlternative Health Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement

The BariNation Foundation Podcast episodes

January 06, 2021024: Rapid Fire Q & A with Wendy Rawlings, LMHC
No one makes it through without support- and we just so happen to have the "Rocky" of bariatric support, Wendy Rawlings! Wendy is a licensed mental health counselor in Washington State who specializes in bariatric recovery. She helps us dig into the big questions and helps us find solutions that allow us to live our lives at a healthy weight after weight loss surgery.
We recently asked the community what questions they would ask Wendy if they could sit down with her and the community answered with some power-house questions. In this episode, we will toe-dip into the answers and give us all a starting point to begin a deeper understanding of these issues and topics. Buckle up...and grab a notebook and pen...you are going to need it!
Episode Topics:
Is food addiction real?

Food addiction: Is abstinence the only solution?

How do we battle to regain and depression caused by the regaining?

How do we overcome body dysmorphia?

Episode Mentions:
Yale Food Addiction Scale

Yale Food Addiction Test and Scoring Rubric

Mindfulness Coach App

Eat Right Now App

Wendy Rawlings

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april
Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 13 min
January 05, 2021Struggle Bus #4: Prepairing for Your FIRST WLS Surgical Consultation!
You have made the decision to *consider* bariatric surgery! WOOHOO! Now, how the heck do you prepare for something you have never done before? WE'VE GOT YOU! In Episode 4 of the E2W_WLS Struggle Bus, we walk you through some steps we recommend you take to prepare for your first surgical consultation with a bariatric surgeon.
Brainstorming your "whys", worries, and concerns.

Making a list of all of the things that you think will change after losing your excess weight.

Questions you should ask the surgeon.

Bariatric terms and resources you should become familiar with.

Insurance questions and actions to take to make sure your approval process is timely.

The Struggle Bus is all about in the moment support. If you are struggling with something, we are here to help!
Leaving us a voice message on our Anchor Homepage!

Send us a Direct Message (DM) on Instagram Comment on the most recent Struggle Bus graphic on our Instagram feed

Send us a message on our website Send any of us a DM on our personal Instagram pages

Listen on to see how the East2est_WLS crew suggests we work through these struggles and get us moving in the right direction. So hop on and stay awhile...the ride is free and we think you will hop off with some new ideas, insights, and inspiration!
You've got this and we've got you!
41 min
December 30, 2020023: 2020 Reflections
Finding or creating time in our busy day for reflection does not take time away from us; it is using our time wisely. Reflection is necessary and needed for our bariatric recovery, yet it is most often missed or overlooked. By reflecting on what we have achieved, accomplished, and faced, we can identify the work ahead of us and create a plan to take on that work.
In this episode, all 5 East2West_WLS crew members gathered to reflect by answering three big questions:
What did we accomplish this year?

What did we struggle with this year, and how did we face these struggles?

What are our 2021 goals, intentions, and resolutions, and how do we plan on achieving them?

We hope this episode leaves you inspired. And that our stories of struggle and strife offer you solutions or pathways out of your struggle. As Natalie so beautifully states in this episode, "We grow through what we go through."
CHEERS to 2020! We greet 2021 with gratitude, joy, and hope.
We encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls

YouTube: East2West_WLS

Website: www.east2westwls.com

Jason: @tha_smithsonian

April: @actively_april

Becca: @refreshing.becca

Ashlea: @becomingashlea

Natalie: @breakingbari_ers

How to Support East2West_WLS
SUBSCRIBE to our podcast and YouTube Channel!

Share our podcasts, videos, and content with your friends, followers, and family!

Leave us a written review and rating on your podcast player app.

Follow us on social media and become a member of our website!

Attend one of our many free, virtual events.

Purchase our affiliated products through our links and shop our Amazon Store!

Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 17 min
December 28, 2020022: New Relationship with Meal Planning
After bariatric surgery, our entire relationship with food changes. And many times, we are taken aback by just how much anything food-related changes...it can be downright daunting. Many of us find even our tastebuds change and our entire food palet is reformed. In this episode, we sit down with Kristin Willard, a certified bariatric dietitian to talk about all things FOOD! Kristin's approach is different- she wants us to focus on what we can eat, what we can add to our diets now that we are starting with a blank canvas of sorts. She has curated an amazing spot on Instagram where she shares invaluable information about food after weight loss surgery- portion sizes, what food at different stages looks like, protein ideas, and recipe ideas- all in very "consumable" content squares! Kristin is on a mission to lift the veil on meal prep and planning and we are here for all of it!
We are so thankful to have connected with Kristin and are thrilled to be passing along her valuable information to others in the bariatric community. We are looking forward to many more conversations with her in the future!
Episode Topics:
The new role of food after WLS

Having an "addition" mindset when crafting our new plates and pallets.

The importance of meal planning

Tips and tricks for making meal planning and prep apart of your daily routine

Episode Mentions
Instagram: @bariatric.meal.prep

Website: Bariatric Meal Prep

We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We sometimes graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april
Thank you for being the best part of this community!
57 min
December 23, 2020 021: Small Changes and Big Wins with Gizelle @sleevelife_
Sometimes we get overwhelmed thinking about all of the things we have to do after weight loss surgery to find ourselves on the lighter side of life. Between water and macros, movement, and our mental health, it can feel like it is all just too much. We have to follow our eating plan 100% after weight loss surgery to lose and maintain our weight. Making no mistake, reaching our low weight was one of the most difficult and challenging things we have ever done, but we did not do it in one day and were by no means perfect.
Meet Gizelle, a mother of 3 who has birthed three children in the last five years, has undergone VSG, and lost over 120 pounds. In this episode, she shows us how she has done it all and learned from her steps along the way. She teaches us how making small, little changes in our habits and routines add up to big wins on and off the scale. Her timely and useful tips will have you thinking about how you can make similar changes in your own life that will add up to the wins you are seeking along your journey.
Follow Gizella on Instagram @sleevelife_ and be looking for her as a special guest at one of our upcoming Virtual Bariatric MEetups!
We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april
Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 27 min
December 16, 2020020: WLS Friendly Celebrations with Callie Holcomb
Celebrations can be tricky after weight loss surgery. Traditionally, these gatherings centered around food and beverages, and after our procedures, we can only partake in very small qualities, and sometimes we find we cannot partake at all. But celebrating is apart of life, and none of us want to give up this joyous part of life.
In this episode, we welcome Callie Holcomb, founder and creative director of Holcombe Wedding and Events. She is one of Seattle's premier event designers known for crafting beautiful celebrations that focus on each client's "why". She works with businesses and clients to identify the celebration's goals and build each event to capture the unique why. Callie teaches us how to employ these techniques in our own lives to create meaningful and memorable celebrations in our everyday life. She also shares how we can accomplish these goals while celebrating at a distance!
Episode Topics:
Everyday celebrations: how to create memorable moments throughout our day.

Identifying our “why” and using that to help us plan our celebrations.

How to make food the “accessory” and the reason for celebrating our “centerpiece”.

How we can plan a celebration of any size that meets our needs.

Episode Mentions:
Book: “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker

Holcomb Wedding and Events

Callie Holcomb @holcombweddings

We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april
Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 13 min
December 15, 2020Struggle Bus #3: Stalls, Going Through the Motions, Dealing with Dry Skin and Brittle Hair
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! Hop on the Struggle Bus with @East2west_WLS as we help our community through some of their current struggles.
In this episode, we talk through:
Stalls and how to work through them

What do you when we feel like we are just going through the motions

Dealing with dry skin and brittle hair.

Episode Mentions:
Palmers Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick

Osea Undaria Algea Body Oil

Booda Butter Daily Moisturizer

Creve Moisturizing Cream

Carmex

Dove Dry Skin Bodywash

Gratitude Journal

HydroJug

The Struggle Bus is all about in the moment support. If you are struggling with something, we are here to help!
Leaving us a voice message on our Anchor Homepage!

Send us a Direct Message (DM) on Instagram Comment on the most recent Struggle Bus graphic on our Instagram feed

Send us a message on our website Send any of us a DM on our personal Instagram pages

Listen on to see how the East2est_WLS crew suggests we work through these struggles and get us moving in the right direction. So hop on and stay awhile...the ride is free and we think you will hop off with some new ideas, insights, and inspiration!
You've got this and we've got you!
29 min
December 09, 2020019: Addiction Transfer with Wendy Rawlings, LMHC
Many of us have noticed that when we can no longer turn to food in moments of discomfort and pain, we turn to something else to help us regain that old, familiar feeling of relief. It could be drinking, it could be shopping, it might be gambling, or it might still involve food, but purging after binging. This behavior is a tactic that we will use to find comfort after our bariatric procedure. It is called addiction transfer and it is real. Sometimes called "cross-addiction", addiction transfer is what we do when we "swap" one addiction or dependence for another. And because many of us will look to transfer our addiction instead of learning how to cope with our emotions and feelings in healthy ways, we have a 50% chance of regaining our weight after our weight loss surgery procedures.
In this episode, we sit down with Wendy Rawlings, a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in bariatric recovery. We define addiction transfer and talk about the differences between addiction, dependence, and tolerance. We highlight the "look for" and outline steps that we can all take to avoid addiction transfer and move our selves down a healthy path of recovery after bariatric surgery!
Episode Topics:
Defining addiction transfer

Defining and discussing the differences between addiction, dependence, and tolerance

Learning how we can identify if we are addict, dependant, or tolerant of things to help us cope

Discussing tools we can use to avoid addiction transfer

Episode Mentions:
Yale Food Addiction Scale

Yale Food Addiction Test and Scoring Rubric

Mindfulness Coach App

Eat Right Now App

Wendy Rawlings

We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april

Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 12 min
December 07, 2020Struggle Bus #2: Sugar Cravings, Water Goals, Food Rage
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! Hop on the Struggle Bus with @East2west_WLS as we help our community through some of their current struggles.
In this episode, we talk through:
Major sugar cravings- all I want to do is eat sugar!

Not being able to hit my daily water goals

Being totally D O N E with food (spoiler alert- this is a BIG struggle that taps into multiple areas of struggle)

The Struggle Bus is all about in the moment support. If you are struggling with something, we are here to help!
Leaving us a voice message on our Anchor Homepage!

Send us a Direct Message (DM) on Instagram

Comment on the most recent Struggle Bus graphic on our Instagram feed

Send us a message on our website

Send any of us a DM on our personal Instagram pages

Listen on to see how the East2est_WLS crew suggests we work through these struggles and get us moving in the right direction. So hop on and stay awhile...the ride is free and we think you will hop off with some new ideas, insights, and inspiration!
You've got this and we've got you!
40 min
December 02, 2020018: Community Spotlight- Ashlea and the Power Of Our WLS Story
We continue to be amazed at the wisdom and power that exists in the bariatric community. Ashlea recently underwent RNY- a type of weight loss surgery. After being in the pre-op stage for a year, she successfully underwent her procedure and is enjoying the lighter side of life! But she has come to understand the POWER of community and our stories. As she reflected on the life of a fellow bariatric community member who lost his life after complications from his own procedure, she realized that she owes part of her success to the connection she made with Christian and his ability to "speak her back to reality" when she was at her lowest point. This episode deep dives into the positive impact our stories can have on people's lives and how making one simple connection with a member of this community can keep us all grounded.
Episode Topics:
Understanding the differences between bariatric procedures, from pre-op to post-op.

Discussing the risks of undergoing bariatric surgery and the reasons we got through with it.

Celebrating Christian and the bariatric community.

How we can speak ourselves and others back to reality.

We also encourage you to VIEW this podcast on our YouTube channel. We shared some graphics and images that aid our visual learners who listen and enjoy listening! If you like what you hear and see, follow/subscribe to the feed and leave us a review!
Our goal is to create content that is of value to our community. If you have a topic, idea, question, or threat you would like us to explore in-depth, please leave us a comment on whatever platform you are listening to or watching from or message us directly on Instagram! We are @east2west_wls and welcome your feedback! Please like, share, and review this podcast- your review helps us grow and reach more people.
Where to follow along:
Our Website: www.east2westwls.com
Instagram: @east2west_wls
YouTube: East2West_WLS
Jason: @tha_smithsonian
April: @actively_april
Ashley: @becomingashlea
Thank you for being the best part of this community!
1 hr 10 min

About The BariNation Foundation Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The BariNation Foundation Podcast, where you’ll hear real talk about bariatric surgery, obesity medicine, medical weight loss, metabolic health, weight management, and lifelong obesity care. Whether you're considering bariatric surgery, preparing for weight loss surgery, recovering after surgery, or looking for evidence-based strategies to maintain long-term weight loss, this podcast gives you the education, support, and community you need to succeed.

Hosted by members of the bariatric community who are living the journey themselves, The BariNation Foundation Podcast brings together leading bariatric surgeons, obesity medicine physicians, registered dietitians, psychologists, exercise specialists, and real patients to share practical advice, inspiring stories, and the latest research in obesity treatment.

Obesity is a complex, chronic disease, and lasting success requires more than a procedure. Every episode explores the science, strategies, and mindset behind sustainable weight management. We discuss bariatric surgery, gastric bypass,vertical sleeve gastrectomy, duodenal switch SADI, revision/conversion surgeries, medical weight loss, bariatric nutrition, healthy weight loss, obesity medicine, lifestyle medicine, metabolic health, obesity care, emotional eating, body image, mental health, exercise, protein, vitamins, supplementation, meal planning, and long-term success after surgery.

You'll also hear honest conversations about the challenges that many people face, including weight reoccurrence, plateaus, transfer addiction, emotional health, relationships, loose skin, excess skin surgery, fertility, pregnancy after bariatric surgery, hormone changes, body confidence, and navigating life before and after surgery as well as GLP1’s. Our goal is to provide realistic expectations, expert guidance, and encouragement so you never feel like you're facing your journey alone.

As obesity treatment continues to evolve, we also explore the latest advances in obesity medicine, including GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro, and emerging therapies, while helping you understand how these medications may fit alongside bariatric surgery and comprehensive medical weight loss. We break down the latest research into practical, easy-to-understand conversations that empower you to make informed decisions with your healthcare team.

Where ever you are in seeking treatment for the chronic disease of obesity, be it researching bariatric surgery for the first time, preparing for your procedure, celebrating major milestones, overcoming setbacks, or supporting a friend or family member through their journey, you'll find expert interviews, patient success stories, nutritional guidance, motivation, and actionable strategies that help you build healthy habits for life.

The BariNation Foundation Podcast is more than a podcast. It's a supportive community built on education, compassion, accountability, and hope. We believe every person deserves access to trusted information, meaningful support, and evidence-based resources that improve health and quality of life.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon or wherever you listen to podcasts, and join thousands of people committed to improving their metabolic health, achieving sustainable weight loss, and thriving after bariatric surgery. No matter where you are on your journey, BariNation is here to help you take the next step with confidence.

Website: https://www.barination.com