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The BariNation Foundation Podcast

The BariNation Foundation Podcast

By: April Williams
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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.comApril Williams, Jason Smith, and Natalie Tierney Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The Levers of Control: Mastering Your Metabolic Health and Weight Management - with Dr. Smith

    The Levers of Control: Mastering Your Metabolic Health and Weight Management - with Dr. Smith
    Jul 1 2026
    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 youHow 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 lessWhy bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications create the conditions for change but cannot replace the controllable habits that determine long-term metabolic health outcomesHow building consistent habits around sleep, whole food nutrition, and movement forms the true foundation of lasting obesity treatment successThis 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 commitment04:00 Dr. Eric Smith and Melanie Lindell introduce themselves and the bariatric surgery series08:04 The six levers of metabolic health and weight management are introduced09:18 Why diet and exercise alone fail: success rates as low as 0.5% for obesity as a chronic disease11:56 How triggering life events lead to obesity and why reversing behavior is not enough23:44 The hormonal science of ghrelin and leptin resistance and their role in weight loss, and why the body fights back against calorie deficits33:00 The golf analogy: why patients become complacent and stop applying controllable health habits38:30 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 disease44:13 Sleep consistency as a lever: the real science behind sleep and weight loss, and the mental health part of finding joy in yourself53:08 April's personal gut check and the honest conversation about stalled weight management1:00:12 How KBI redesigned its entire approach to treating obesity as a chronic diseaseKEY 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-MBSDr. Smith is a board-certified general, bariatric and robotic surgeon who has been in practice since 2006.Kentucky Bariatric Institute - WebsiteDr. Eric Smith - Instagram RESOURCES MENTIONED: BariNation Community- $19 a monthBariNation WebsiteBariNation - EmailBariNation’s How to Find an Obesity Specialist GuideSign up for BariNation’s newslettersJ&JMedTech
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Summer, Swimsuits, BBQs & Bariatric Life: How to Celebrate Without Losing Ground

    Summer, Swimsuits, BBQs & Bariatric Life: How to Celebrate Without Losing Ground
    Jun 17 2026

    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
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Your Metabolism Isn't Broken. Here's What's Actually Going On

    Your Metabolism Isn't Broken. Here's What's Actually Going On
    Jun 3 2026

    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 hello@barination.org.

    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.
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    44 mins
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