Bariatric Banter Podcast

Episode 55: "The Truth About Bariatric Incisions (They're Tinier Than You Think)"

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: Sorry this might be a running podcast now (and how we survived eating cat food)

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.

Episode 53: The Bariatric Life Isn't a Side Quest

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.

Ep 52: We're Baby Runners and We're Not Okay (But Also We Are)

Hannah is back from Miami with conference plague and a lot of feelings. Steph just survived her longest run interval to date and nearly died (she didn't). This week we're getting into all of it — what it actually feels like to start running when your whole relationship with exercise has been shaped by being the last kid picked, the one who dreaded track and field day, the one who got yelled at during The Loop. We talk about the treadmill-to-outdoor humbling experience, why "conversational pace" sounds like a personal attack, and what happens when you pass someone in your first 5K and immediately blow your entire race plan because the thrill of not being last is too powerful. Hannah also gets vulnerable about something she hasn't fully admitted until now: she's grieving. Grieving the running version of herself she was building before pneumonia, tanking iron levels, and cardiac scares took it all away. She shares a raw therapy session moment that a lot of you are probably going to relate to — what happens when you realize you're not lazy, you're just carrying a lot. We also shout out Emma Flynn (@itsemflynn) and Tatiana Forbes, two runners worth following who actually keep it real, and talk about why obsession and motivation aren't the same thing — and how confusing the two will make you hate something you used to love. Come run with us. We're slow, we're loud, and we're not stopping.

Ep 51: Protein Balls, a 5K Announcement & Hannah's Honest Weight Check-In

Episode 51 and we're back with back-to-back weeks — which means we're either very dedicated or very unhinged. Possibly both. This week we're getting into the stuff nobody talks about enough: what it actually feels like to slip, own it, and claw your way back. Hannah gives a raw, honest update on where she's at with her weight, her clothes, and the GLP-1 prescription sitting unused in her drawer. Steph drops the protein ball recipe that her whole family is absolutely devouring (and that Hannah is already obsessed with). We also get into the 10-minute workout rule — the one trick that gets you off the couch even when your brain is screaming at you to stay home — and Steph casually reveals she's training for a 5K. No big deal. We cover: * The 10-minute rule for when you really, really don't want to work out * Steph's protein ball recipe (and whether they're actually as good for you as they feel) * Post-workout protein: 30g in 30 minutes and why it matters * Hannah's honest weight check-in: what "regain" looks like after bariatric surgery * GLP-1 fears, side effects, and why Hannah still hasn't taken the plunge * Steph's 5:30am running era begins * Why Steph says: "It's not a regain. It's a re-lose." New page. Let's go.