BariDiaries™

S2 Ep4 Destinee LeBlanc: Bariatric Surgery is 90% Mental

✨ Destinee: Bariatric Surgery is 90% MentalIn this episode, Destinee LeBlanc (@everydaywithdestinee) shares the raw truth of what it means to face obesity, find the courage to choose bariatric surgery, and rebuild life completely on her own terms. Now more than 175 pounds down, her journey isn't just about the weight lost — it's about what she found on the other side: herself.At her highest weight of 326 lbs, Destinee was 28 years old, 5'3", dealing with PCOS, postpartum weight gain, and years of burying childhood trauma and food scarcity under food noise so loud she didn't know how loud it was — until surgery made it go silent.Nine months post gastric bypass, she's running 5Ks, opening a fitness studio with her aunt, chasing her daughter on the playground, and finally learning who she actually is without her weight defining her. But she keeps it real: the surgery was the easy part. The mental work is where the real journey begins."This surgery is 90% mental. It is going to mess with you in ways you can't even anticipate until you're in it. And I would do it all over again."✨ Episode Highlights• Her wake-up moment — "Ah Ha moment" Old Navy dressing room• Growing up with food scarcity and how it became a lifelong trauma response• What food noise actually is — and what the silence felt like when it finally disappeared• Why her brain still sees 326 lbs when she looks in the mirror• The grief of losing food as a coping mechanism after surgery• Loose skin, mirror dysmorphia, and the days that are still hard• What she'd tell anyone whose family is talking them out of surgery: "Choose your hard"• Her non-scale victory goal: going down a water slide with her daughter this summerIf you've ever felt defeated, doubted your worth, or wondered if real change is possible — Destinee's story will remind you that transformation isn't about perfection. It's about choosing yourself, even when it's hard.📲 Follow Destinee: @everydaywithdestinee🌐 bariatriccommunity.orgThis podcast is powered by Bariatric Community — a Texas nonprofit dedicated to peer-to-peer support and lifelong bariatric aftercare.✨ Powered by Healing. Fueled by Community.

S2 Ep3 Megan and Melissa: Two sisters. One surgery date. A lifetime of healing.

✨ Megan & Melissa: Two Sisters. One Surgery Date. A Lifetime of Healing.When I first met Megan and Melissa (@sleevedsisters), I instantly felt their bond — two sisters who decided to take control of their lives together. Same surgery date. Same fears. And a strength they found in each other when it mattered most.In this episode, we talk about what it really means to heal side-by-side: the fear before surgery, the courage it takes to say yes to change, and the freedom that comes one sip, one step at a time.They share how sisterhood, accountability, and pure determination helped them push through doubt, learn food freedom, and find peace beyond the plate. This is what community looks like up close.If you've ever struggled to start over or wondered whether you can really do this — their story will remind you that you're never alone, and that healing is so much more powerful when it's shared.✨ Episode Highlights• What made two sisters decide to have surgery on the exact same day• How they leaned on each other through fear, doubt, and the hard early days• Sisterhood as accountability — and what that looks like in real life• Finding food freedom and what it means to heal beyond the plate• Why shared healing hits different — and what they'd tell anyone on the fence 📲 Follow Megan & Melissa: @sleevedsisters🌐 bariatriccommunity.orgThis podcast is powered by Bariatric Community — a Texas nonprofit dedicated to peer-to-peer support and lifelong bariatric aftercare.✨ Powered by Healing. Fueled by Community.

S2 Ep2 Jaime Erin Blair: Grief, Resilience, and Showing Up

✨ Jaime Erin Blair: Grief, Resilience, and Still Showing UpIn this episode, I chat with Jaime Erin Blair (@jaime_is_gonna_lose_it) to talk about the kind of strength that doesn't look like strength from the outside — the kind that's born from pain, loss, and still choosing to show up anyway.Jaime opens up about navigating family, illness, and the grief that quietly reshapes how we see ourselves and our bodies. We talk about what it really means to keep going when life hits hardest — healing while still chasing health goals, rebuilding your spirit after heartbreak, and finding light in the middle of seasons that feel impossibly dark.This one goes deep. And it's for anyone who's ever tried to heal while still hurting.✨ Episode Highlights• Navigating grief and illness while still pursuing health goals• How loss reshapes the way we see ourselves and our bodies• What resilience actually looks like when life doesn't slow down• Rebuilding your spirit after heartbreak — one day at a time• Why you can grieve and grow at the same time📲 Follow Jaime: @jaime_is_gonna_lose_it🌐 bariatriccommunity.orgThis podcast is powered by Bariatric Community — a Texas nonprofit dedicated to peer-to-peer support and lifelong bariatric aftercare.✨ Powered by Healing. Fueled by Community.

S2 Ep1 Angela Poll: Self-Care is Non-Negotiable

✨ Angela Poll: Self-Care is Non-NegotiableIn this episode, I sit down with Angela Poll to talk about her powerful journey through bariatric surgery — and the life she's built on the other side of fear.Angela opens up about discovering a Center of Excellence right in her hometown and realizing that surgery wasn't giving up — it was finally choosing herself. We get into the highs, the hurdles, and the honest truths of post-surgery life: food allergies, overeating, rebuilding self-trust, and finding confidence in a body that still feels unfamiliar some days.Her wisdom is raw and real — a reminder that comparison steals joy, self-care isn't optional, and healing is never one-size-fits-all.If you've ever questioned your worth, your strength, or your next step — Angela's story will remind you: transformation starts with permission. Yours.✨ Episode Highlights • Finding a Center of Excellence in her own hometown — and how that changed everything• Why surgery wasn't giving up — it was finally choosing herself• Navigating food allergies and overeating after surgery• Rebuilding self-trust and body confidence post-op• Why comparison steals your joy and how to stop letting it• The truth about self-care: it's not a luxury, it's non-negotiable🌐 bariatriccommunity.orgThis podcast is powered by Bariatric Community — a Texas nonprofit dedicated to peer-to-peer support and lifelong bariatric aftercare.✨ Powered by Healing. Fueled by Community.

Ep38 Jovanna Brown: Building BariHair While Healing Herself

✨ Jovanna Brown: Building BariHair While Healing Herself In this episode, I sit down with Jovanna Brown (@itsjojob) — CEO and co-owner of BariHair and Skincare — to talk about what it looks like to build something meaningful while still doing the inner work of healing after bariatric surgery. Jovanna's story is one of those that reminds you what's actually possible. Raising a family, co-founding a business built specifically for the bariatric community, and staying committed to her own health journey at the same time — she didn't wait until everything was perfect to start. She just started. We get into her WLS story, the real behind building BariHair and Skincare, and the mindset that keeps her going when life piles up. Honest, grounded, and genuinely motivating — not because it was easy, but because she kept showing up anyway. ✨ Episode Highlights * Her WLS story and what finally made her say yes to surgery * Co-founding BariHair and Skincare — and why the bariatric community needs it * Balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and her own healing journey * Staying committed when life doesn't slow down * The mindset shifts that helped her achieve success against real odds * What she'd tell anyone ready to take charge of their own health journey 📲 Follow Jovanna: @itsjojob 🌐 bariatriccommunity.org This podcast is powered by Bariatric Community — a Texas nonprofit dedicated to peer-to-peer support and lifelong bariatric aftercare. ✨ Powered by Healing. Fueled by Community.