Bariatric Banter Podcast

Well, week one on Ozempic is officially over—and I’ve lost almost six pounds, acquired a bruise roughly the size of a small country, and discovered that remembering to eat is apparently a full-time job now.
In episode two of GLP-1s After Surgery, I’m sharing everything that happened after my first injection: the almost nonexistent nausea, the weird abdominal pressure, the day-five anxiety and the complete disappearance of my hunger cues.
Turns out, not thinking about food sounds fantastic until it’s 7 p.m., you’ve survived on protein coffee and audacity, and you’re wondering why you feel exhausted.
I’m also walking 6K again, challenging the fear that I can’t trust my body—and, for one tiny moment, wondering if I might actually run again someday.
This week wasn’t perfect. There were freezer meals, emergency protein snacks and a very serious conversation with myself about ordering A&W. But there was also something I haven’t felt in a while: hope.
Regain isn’t failure. It’s life. And I’m finding my way back—one walk, one snack and one tiny injection at a time.

After almost a year of staring at an Ozempic pen in my fridge, I finally took my first injection.
In this deeply personal first episode of my new GLP-1s After Surgery mini-series, I'm sharing the story I've been avoiding: how severe pneumonia, ongoing health challenges, stress, burnout, and life changes led to a 40-pound weight regain after bariatric surgery—and why I've decided it's time to ask for another tool.
This isn't a success story... yet. It's the beginning of one.
I'll take you through:
Why I waited nearly a year to start Ozempic
The health struggles that changed everything after bariatric surgery
What weight regain looked like (and felt like)
What my first Ozempic injection was actually like
My treatment plan, goals, and what I'll be documenting each week
Why there's absolutely no shame in using a GLP-1 after surgery
This series will be completely honest—the good, the bad, the side effects, the wins, and the setbacks. If you've been considering a GLP-1 after bariatric surgery or you're struggling with regain yourself, I hope you'll follow along.
You're not alone.

Worried about scars and incisions before your bariatric surgery? You're not alone — it's one of the most Googled (and most fear-inducing) parts of the whole journey. In Episode 55, Hannah and Steph get real about what those 5–6 little incisions are actually like: how much they hurt (spoiler: barely), the gauze-and-tape healing phase, the itchiness no one warns you about, and what to do if one opens up (Hannah's been there — day three!).
They also tackle the scary stories floating around Reddit — "worse than childbirth," incisions "ripping skin apart" — and explain why, for a VSG, that's almost never the reality. Plus the no-nonsense scar care that actually works: skip the expensive products, grab some vitamin E oil, and let your belly catch some sun. ☀️
If you're heading into surgery soon, this one's the reassurance you've been looking for. Tell us about your scars — we'd love to hear from you!

Episode 54 and yes, Hannah finally looked at the number this time.
Buckle up, because this one starts exactly where you'd hope a bariatric podcast wouldn't: with a deeply unhinged trip down memory lane involving dog food kielbasa (human grade, allegedly), a handful of Whiskas Temptations mistaken for Gravol while the entire room just watched, and a tender childhood tradition of peeling pre-chewed gum off arena benches. We're fine. We turned out fine. Probably.
Once the girls scrape themselves off the pet-food tangent, they get to the actual point: running. Steph's four weeks in and shocked at how fast she's improving (when she's not convinced she's going to vomit on the school lawn). Hannah unpacks the brutal first week back, the magic of the run where you stop giving a damn and accidentally set a personal best, and why "I don't give a fuck" is apparently solid therapist-approved sports psychology.
You'll also get the real talk on fueling as a bariatric runner — why running on empty might be sabotaging you, the case for a banana and peanut butter, what "bonking" actually means, and the controversial world of running gels (yes, they'll make you poop, no, you probably can't avoid them forever). Plus: interval training that makes you want to cry, the great two-pairs-of-shoes debate, and why you should absolutely not be walking around in your running shoes, you animals.
It's gross. It's helpful. It's banter. Welcome back.

Fair. Let me strip it down — no "dig into," no "real one," no "roaring back," no em-dashes doing emotional work. Just how you'd actually describe it.
Episode Description
Hannah and Steph are back, and neither of them remembers what episode number this is. (It's 53. Probably.)
This one starts with both of them admitting that some weeks, recording the podcast is the only time they actually sit down and think about bariatrics. Which is kind of the whole point of the episode: you can't put this on autopilot. Not at one year out, not at three, not at ten.
They talk about treating bariatric life like a job (sorry), the mindset people bring into surgery and why "I'm not giving anything up" tends to catch up with people, the 3-5 year mark when hunger hormones come back, transfer addiction, and why tying your self-worth to the scale will wreck you the second the number stops moving.
Also covered: Steph storming out of a pizza place over a missing slice, Hannah's therapist making her figure out why she actually runs, and both of them giving themselves homework to pay better attention this week.