Bariatric Banter Podcast

Let's talk about the elephant in the room that nobody warned you about before surgery: being a bariatric patient is EXPENSIVE. And not just in the obvious ways.
In this episode, Hannah and Steph get real about the hidden costs of bariatric life in Canada – from $60 bottles of Fairlife protein to the mental load of meal prepping for work trips. They're diving into why it's so damn hard to hit your protein goals when chicken breast costs $42, why most protein products taste like cardboard (sorry not sorry), and how grocery shopping has become a strategic mission of hunting down that magical 50% off sticker.
But it's not all doom and gloom! They're also sharing their best tips for making it work on a budget, from protein prep strategies to finding the rare products that actually taste good (shoutout to Built Bars and Vector cereal for being the real MVPs).
Plus, they're calling out the good food/bad food nonsense, discussing why sometimes you just need to eat half a real muffin instead of a $12 protein one, and announcing their plans to test all the viral bariatric recipes and products YOU want to see.
Whether you're pre-op, post-op, or just bariatric-curious, this episode is a refreshingly honest conversation about navigating the financial and logistical realities of life after weight loss surgery. No sugar-coating here – just two friends keeping it real about the struggle bus that is trying to eat 80+ grams of protein a day without going broke.
Topics covered:
The shocking cost of bariatric-friendly groceries in Canada
Meal prep strategies that actually work (and won't make you cry)
Why protein products taste terrible (and the rare exceptions)
Traveling as a bariatric patient without losing your mind
The one-bad-day-won't-ruin-everything pep talk you needed

Welcome to the first Bariatric Banter episode of 2026! Hannah and Steph kick off the year with some real talk about the dangers of pushing your body too hard post-surgery, the pressure of New Year's goals, and why slowing down isn't failure—it's necessary.
Hannah opens up about her incredibly challenging 2025, from severe pneumonia to cardiac issues, blood sugar crashes, and ultimately hitting a wall of complete burnout. Through raw honesty, she shares how refusing to process her illness and grief led her body to essentially force a shutdown. Steph chimes in with her own experiences of feeling guilty for resting during illness and the realization that our bodies can take 12-18 months (or more!) to fully recover from major events like surgery.
The duo tackles the tricky topic of New Year's resolutions, vision boards, and goal-setting—questioning whether these well-intentioned practices actually set us up for disappointment. They discuss the pitfalls of comparing ourselves to social media influencers whose full-time job is creating content, and why it's okay to skip the elaborate goal-setting entirely.
Plus: Hannah reviews Kirkland protein shakes and Cobb's new protein bread, announces their 30-day sugar reset challenge, and both hosts commit to focusing on gratitude, realistic expectations, and learning to appreciate stillness in 2026.
Key Takeaways:
Your body needs WAY more recovery time than you think
Control issues often stem from our pre-surgery lives
Small, achievable goals beat ambitious vision boards
Taking a break isn't failure—it's self-preservation
Going slow helps you go fast in the long run

What is it really like to support someone through bariatric surgery?
In this special mini matinee episode of Bariatric Banter, Hannah is joined by a very special guest—her mom, Mary Ann—for an honest, down-to-earth conversation about what it looks like to be on the other side of the bariatric journey.
From the moment Hannah announced she was having surgery, to attending surgeon appointments, navigating holidays, changing family eating habits, and learning how to support without judgment, this episode dives into the role family plays in long-term success.
They talk about:
How family members actually feel when surgery is announced
Why support doesn’t have to mean completely changing how everyone eats
Reading labels, portion sizes, and avoiding “diet culture traps”
Navigating holidays, desserts, and traditions after surgery
Why communication and respect go both ways
Whether you’re considering bariatric surgery, already post-op, or supporting someone you love—this episode is for you.

This week on Bariatric Banter, we’re cozying up with tea (lots of it), navigating rogue stomach gurgles, laughing through unexpected burps, and sharing our top bariatric-friendly food gift ideas for the holiday season. 🌲✨
From Smart Sweets to collagen powders, protein hot chocolate, condiment must-haves, edamame snacks, and the stocking stuffers we wish we had early post-op — we’re giving you the full holiday guide.
We also chat caffeine sensitivity, sipping-while-eating confessions, crunchy knees, naming your stomach noises (shoutout to Gurgling Greta), and staying on track when the season gets hectic.
Whether you’re shopping for someone bariatric or you are the someone, this episode is full of cozy vibes, laughs, and legit helpful ideas.
🎧 Tune in now & get your holiday list started!

This episode felt like one big “okay… let’s get honest.” We’re heading into the holidays while juggling work chaos, winter moods, and the lovely little sugar voice that keeps trying to drag us back into old habits. Both of us admit we’ve slipped in different ways these past few months. Hannah talks about going a bit wild with sugar over the summer and trying to pull things back before Christmas hits. Steph opens up about hitting a plateau at the one-year mark and how frustrating it is when the scale just… stops.
We talk about how sneaky old patterns can be. How your brain tries to convince you that grabbing McDonald’s “just this once” is fine. How sugar slowly gets back into your thinking without you noticing. How the busiest season of the year also seems to be the easiest time for excuses to sound reasonable.
We get into the mental side of all of it. The weird inner voice. The food noise. The habits you thought you broke. And the part everyone forgets: this is a lifelong thing, not a one-year sprint.
If you’re feeling a bit off, or overwhelmed, or like your brain is trying to sell you on cookies every day, this episode will feel familiar. And at the end, we ask for your ideas for our last three episodes of the year, plus your questions for our listener episode.