Shows
Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 238: GLP-1’s, Part 2. A Conversation with Kellie Wilson: Bariatric Surgery with a Side of GLP-1“Welcome to Weight Loss Winformation - I’m your host, Dr. Connie Stapleton. This is episode 238. Our topic today is GLP-1’s, Part 2. In this episode I’m talking with Kellie Wilson, who is a favorite in the bariatric world. Kellie had bariatric surgery several years ago now and has used a GLP-1 at times. Kellie talks openly about a healthy use of GLP-1 medication and a time when she didn’t use it in the most healthy way! The Weight Loss Winformation Podcast gives you essential psychological information to help you lose weight and more importantly, to help keep you at a...2025-07-231h 13Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 237: GLP-1’s, Part 1 with Katie Chapmon, RD“Welcome to Weight Loss Winformation - I’m your host, Dr. Connie Stapleton. This is episode 237. Our topic today is GLP-1’s, Part 1 with Katie Chapmon, RD. This is the first of several episodes designed to educate you about the GLP-1 medications from the perspective of professionals as well as people who are taking the medications. Katie Chapmon, who has worked for many years in the weight loss arena, explains some basic information about GLP-1 medications and her experiences working with patients who have used, or who are currently, using the medication. The Weight Loss Winformation Podcast gives you essentia...2025-07-161h 10Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 234: Are You A People Pleaser? If so, Your Healthy Lifestyle is in Jeopardy!“Welcome to Weight Loss Winformation - I’m your host, Dr. Connie Stapleton. This is episode 234 and our topic today is Are you a people pleaser? If you are, or if you deal with a people pleaser in your life, you’ll want to listen to this episode. People pleasing can absolutely interfere in your plans to follow through with a healthy lifestyle that leads to a healthy weight for YOUR body! The Weight Loss Winformation Podcast gives you essential psychological information to help you lose weight and more importantly, to help keep you at a healthy weight for your bo...2025-06-261h 17Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 233: Who Cares What They Think? We ALL Do!“Welcome to Weight Loss Winformation - I’m your host, Dr. Connie Stapleton. This is episode 233 and our topic today is Who cares what other people think? Are you kidding? We ALL do – at least to some extent. Where do you fall on that caring what others think continuum? Not much at all or Way TOO Much? Listen to this episode of Weight Loss Winformation and listen to the signs that suggest people are WAY too invested in what other people think about them. If you ARE one of those people who care too much, you can also learn in this...2025-06-191h 06Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 226: Facing the Music Together…Identifying our personal Thinking TrapsEvery single one of us is guilty of using some pretty common forms of Stinkin’ Thinkin’ at times. Psychologists use fancier word to describe Stinkin’ Thinkin’… we call them Cognitive Distortions. Thinking Traps are also words to describe negative thoughts because they often leave us feeling TRAPPED on a hamster wheel of negative thoughts that spin out and result in negative feelings and ultimately result in unhealthy behaviors. I had a patient say it much more clearly… she told me, “Negative thoughts result in negative behaviors.” Enough said! Therefore, we need to become aware of the Cognitive Distortions we use most frequen...2025-04-301h 06Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 199: The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating: A Detailed Description, Part 1Last week I had a fun discussion with Shea Quinn, the newest peer mentor for the full BariAftercare online program. Shea and I discussed intuitive eating and how this eating theory fits, or may not fit, persons who have had a surgical procedure to treat the disease of obesity. I got questions from listeners after the podcast dropped, asking what, exactly, intuitive eating means. Oops – apparently we forgot to clearly define intuitive eating! Because intuitive eating is a prominent topic for those who have been chronic dieters, I decided it would be a good idea to clearly define and de...2024-10-231h 09Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 198: Intuitive Eating — Yay or Nay? A Conversation with Shea QuinnIntuitive Eating… sounds, well… intuitive, instinctive, automatic. And it is! When we’re infants, anyway…. We are built to eat when we’re hungry and to stop eating when we are physically satisfied. By the time we’re adults, intuitive eating has been interfered with in a whole lot of unnatural ways. We don’t just eat when we’re physically hungry… we eat because someone brought treats to the office and the treats are just there… to be eaten, whether we’re hungry or not! We eat – or don’t eat – based on the messages we got at home, which had nothing to d...2024-10-171h 09Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 197: Fertility, PCOS and YOUR Bariatric JourneyDid you know that approximately 20% of women suffer with PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome? It affects women of all sizes and shapes and races. For those who also suffer from obesity, having PCOS makes it very difficult to lose weight without intervention. Fertility can also be affected by PCOS and obesity. In this episode, Kate Fuss, an extraordinarily talented PA in the field of bariatrics, interview a renowned Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility physician, Dr. Carter Owen, about the complex and interrelated issues of PCOS, fertility, insulin resistance and myriad of issues associated with these struggles. Listen in and learn a...2024-10-091h 14Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 196: A Big Word That’ll Bring You Big Results — INDIVIDUATIONIndividu – WHAT? Yeah… it’s a big, fancy psychological word… individuation. But it’s a word worth knowing and a process well worth going through! Why, you ask? Because individuated people know a lot of things: they know who they are, what their purpose is, what they want, how they feel, what they think, and what they are willing to do and what they are not willing to do… WITHOUT WORRYING what others will think of them. And THAT means, if you are willing to work toward being an individuated person, you’ll do things like set healthy boundaries with yourself...2024-10-021h 11Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 195: Calling all FOODIES — Meet Jared Gleaton, Author of A Feast for the Senses: The Psychological Art of Eating WellI saw something on Instagram that caught my eye and am I ever glad it did! The reason is that whatever it was (and I honestly don’t remember what it was that I saw) led to this great interview with Jared Gleaton! Jared is a man who knows what it is like to absolutely love food and how food interacts with every one of our senses! He also knows what it is like to carry excess weight. Jared lost 175 pounds in a year’s time and has maintained that weight loss for several years. Get this! Jared maintains a he...2024-09-251h 00Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 194: Katie Chapmon, RD is back with — Your Gut Biome, Part 2!She’s back with us! Katie Chapmon, who helped me – and hopefully you – better understand some very important information about our gut biome is here with more great information! People had questions after listening to the first episode on the gut biome and wanted more information! Katie enthusiastically shares, in this episode, more fascinating education about how our gut biome interacts with hormones, how insulin resistance and the gut biome intersect, and how medications (to include antacids) change the gut biome in ways that affect our system and our health! And there’s more! So much more! Take a listen...2024-09-181h 04Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 193: The Doom Loop of IrresponsibilityAnyone with a chronic disease knows that a host of factors have collided to result in their having that disease. Obesity being a classic example. Addiction, hypertension and heart disease being others. In many cases, there is a genetic predisposition for a disease and factors in the environment along with personal choices lead to the disease taking root in our lives and causing us problems! While we are not responsible for the genetics that predisposed us to a particular disease, we are 100% responsible for managing our disease… or not! We impact, to a large part, the impact the disease wi...2024-09-111h 01Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 192: Do What, Now?In life, when we make changes there are often things we gain and things we lose. A new job may mean the loss of some free time or the loss of a previous job you really liked. The new job also brings gains: perhaps an increase in salary, additional education about your profession, and hey – maybe even a new wardrobe! Bariatric surgery most certainly brings losses and gains into your life… the loss of some favorite foods perhaps, or the loss of the emotional comfort you got from food. The weight loss provides gains in mobility, improvements in health and...2024-09-051h 00Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 191: Your Gut Biome: What YOU Need To Know!Boy, did I learn a lot of great information in this interview with Katie Chapmon, Registered Dietician, who specializes not only in working with bariatric patients, but also in helping people understand their gut biome and how imbalances in our guts can wreak havoc on how we feel on a daily basis and with our overall health! Listen in and learn things like what the differences are between prebiotics, probiotics, and symbiotics and how you know if you need to take these supplements and if you do need them, which ones? Learn how to address bloating, gas and intestinal...2024-08-281h 03Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 190: What Exactly IS Trauma and How Does Trauma Impact Your Bariatric Journey?The last three episodes of the podcast have focused on Diane Petrella’s fantastic book, Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors. The core of the information in these episodes has been trauma resulting from childhood neglect or abuse. There is a great deal of misunderstanding when it comes to what trauma is exactly … what kinds of actions or behaviors define neglect and what specifically counts as abuse? Far too many people who have experienced neglect or abuse as children are not emotionally ready or prepared to acknowledge this and remain in denial about having experienced either themselves. And one of t...2024-08-211h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 189: Book Review of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors, Part 2Let’s pick up where we left off in the last episode, completing the book review of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors by Diane Patrella. I’ll continue sharing insights and wisdom that Diane offers readers to help them heal from emotional eating and from trauma that is likely related to their use of food as a source of comfort. I’ve gotten great feedback from listeners about the benefits of the past fews episodes and many people have shared that they have purchased Diane’s book from Amazon! WAY TO GO! Please be sure to give her a great...2024-08-141h 01Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 188: Book Review of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors, Part 1In the last episode, I interviewed Diane Petrella who wrote this incredible book! Today, I start a thorough book review, sharing with you the insight and wisdom Diane shares with readers to help them heal from emotional eating and from trauma that is likely related to their use of food as a source of comfort. Listen thoughtfully and with an open mind to this episode and discover what information can help you as you proceed in your adventure through the weight loss surgery process. You are sure to find tools in Diane’s work to make living a healthy mi...2024-08-0758 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 187: Meet Diane Petrella, Author of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma SurvivorsThis podcast episode is absolutely one of my favorite ever! It was a complete honor talking with Diane Petrella, author of Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors. Diane has been a therapist for the past 40 years and is a therapist anyone would be fortunate to work with! Her years of experience led to her writing the incredible book, Healing Emotional Eating for Trauma Survivors. Not only did I learn some new information reading this book, I was so encouraged by the compassionate, creative strategies Diane presented for dealing with emotional eating. The book is a must read and this...2024-07-311h 08Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 186: Readiness for Change…At Every Step Along the WayWhether you are getting ready to have bariatric surgery or are one, two or twenty years out from surgery, you can always increase your readiness for ongoing change! Thinking about change and creating change are two different things, as most of us have figured out! Sometimes we talk about making changes but maybe we’re not ready to actually follow through with the changes! Are there things about your bariatric lifestyle that you say you’d like to change right now in your present journey? Do you think you’re ready? Let’s find out… Listen in and learn about what...2024-07-251h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 185: Weight Loss Surgery is Like a Wedding! Who Knew?One day I’m going to turn this episode into an ebook… I’ve had that in the back of my mind for years now, actually! So here you go – a sneak peek at the ebook that will one day be available to one and all! For now, listen to this lighthearted but really relevant comparison between what goes into having bariatric surgery and what goes into having a wedding! While it’s a fun and rather funny comparison, the serious message is that planning a wedding is not the same as creating a healthy marriage! Similarly, getting ready for bariat...2024-07-1746 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 184: Always Go Back to the Basics — The Bariatric BasicsGetting used to the bariatric lifestyle following surgery can be like a full time job! There are bariatric specific vitamins to take at certain times of the day, there’s a lot of water to be consumed, more than a lot of protein to take in, movement goals to squeeze into the day, and so much more! It can be overwhelming for sure! As soon as it seems you’ve gotten into a good routine, the honeymoon bliss takes over and the surgery does its work … the weight seems to fall off and you may slack off from some of the...2024-07-101h 02Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 183: Post-Op Amy is Crushing the NSV’s and Kelsey is Helping Her!BariAftercare’s movement contributor, Kelsey, who is a personal trainer and Burn Boot Camp instructor, met a post-op who is shaking things up in the best way, not only at the gym but in her life as a mom, a teacher, and through her posts on social media! In this episode, Amy highlights the fact that each of us is born to shine in this world! Listen as Amy shares how she made the choice to create a life rich in non-scale victories, how she shares her wisdom, her positive attitude and her understanding that each day is filled wi...2024-07-031h 10Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 182: Modification or Transformation. What’s It Gonna Be?The Butterfly Effect. You may or may not have heard of this, but the butterfly is commonly recognized in the world of bariatrics to represent the transformation people go through as they modify their bodies through significant weight loss. The transformation of a butterfly is sometimes thought of as being symbolic of rebirth and personal growth. Transformation is thought to represent self-discovery and the ability to change and evolve. When people go through significant weight loss following surgery or with the aid of medications, they have the opportunity to experience either modification, or changes in their body, or they...2024-06-2658 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 181: Personal Power, Happiness and Long-Term Success, Part 2This week I conclude this two-part series on establishing and utilizing a sense of personal power that will facilitate you in defining and reaching your goals, not only related to your bariatric adventure, but your life beyond bariatrics, as well! Having a healthy sense of personal power is an attitude, a way of approaching all areas of your life, with confidence and a can-do, will-do attitude. Learn what some professionals have to say about developing and demonstrating the amazing way of life associated with personal power. Use YOUR personal power to make it easier to maintain weight loss and...2024-06-191h 07Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 180: Personal Power, Happiness and Long-Term SuccessAs part of the full online BariAftercare program, we have a word of the week that corresponds to our word of the year, which is accountability. One of the words we recently discussed is the word POWER. This word has a lot of definitions, which I hadn’t thought about until I actually looked on dictionary.com. For our purposes, we are talking about PERSONAL POWER, which is the ability you have within yourself to create the life you want for yourself. UNLESS… you don’t believe you do … have that sort of power within. We need to develop the skil...2024-06-121h 10Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 179: What Do Mental Toughness For Young Athletes And Life As A Post-Op Patient Have In Common? PART 2In this episode I pick up where we left off last week, only in this episode I provide a number of five to ten-minute practical exercises you can use to help ensure your long-term success as a post-op. These exercises are ones the author of Mental Toughness for Young Adults suggests for kids so if they are easy enough for kids…. You and I can certainly manage them! AND these exercises are directly related to skills post-ops can use to reach their long-term goals, not just related to the bariatric aspect of their lives, but in all areas! Tune in...2024-06-0559 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 178: What Do Mental Toughness For Young Athletes And Life As A Post-Op Patient Have In Common?This episode has been so much fun to record! I have been reading a book called Mental Toughness for Young Athletes to two of my grandsons. As I’ve been reading it aloud to them, I’ve found myself regularly saying, “I need to share this with my bariatric patients!” And so I did! In this episode, I share the beginning of the information that the authors have prepared for young kids to develop some mental and emotional toughness to get through the struggles and “failures” related to playing sports. My daughter, their mother, reminds us, “Baseball is a game of failur...2024-05-291h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 177: Perception vs Perspective and YOUR BariAftercare!We have some terms to define in today’s podcast episode. More specifically, we need to explore what the words perception and perspective are… and what they have to do with increasing the likelihood that you maintain your weight loss and live a healthier quality of life. Once we have talked about the difference between perception and perspective, we’ll discuss how, by being able to identify both, you’ll be able to decide if by tweaking your perspective you might improve your relationships with other people… and more importantly, with yourself! The bottom line… any time we improve our relation...2024-05-2257 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 176: Self-Efficacy, Habits and YOUR Success!What a fancy word… Self-Efficacy! What the heck does it mean? What’s the connection between self-efficacy, habits and your long-term success after bariatric surgery? You’ll have to listen to this week’s episode to get the answers to those questions! But trust me… self-efficacy is well-researched and is important in reaching your long-term goals of maintaining weight loss, improving your health and getting on with living out your dreams! Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.comBariAftercare website: https://www.conniestapletonphd.com/bariaftercareBariAfter...2024-05-1553 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 175: Find a Bariatric Therapist with Ashlyn Douglass-BarnesSo many people ask about how they can find a bariatric therapist to work with! Well – in this episode you are going to get the answer to that question! In addition, you’ll learn more about Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, creator and founder of the Find A Bariatric Therapist program. You likely already know Ashlyn! She herself is a bariatric therapist and is also a bariatric post-op of many years! Ashlynn is popular on Instagram as @ashlynchange4life2012. Her contact information is right here in the show notes, as is the link for the Find a Bariatric Therapist program! There’s a lot...2024-05-081h 03Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 174: You – Taking Personal Responsibility for Creating the Life You Want to LIVE!What does it look like on a daily basis to take responsibility in order to create the life you imagine… the life you can create… the life you want to live? In this episode you’ll be given a phrase that has helped guide my behavior and helped me make responsible choices for the past 35 years. Being able to respond in healthy ways… otherwise known as being responsible, is one powerful way to reach your goals and create the life you want! Listen in and learn how!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleto...2024-05-011h 02Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 173: Summer Camp with Rob Demedio's Busy BariatricsIt’s that time of year when lots of us are re-igniting that New Year’s resolution to work out more… because the weather is getting better every day! Tune in and listen to one of my favorite podcast guests and one of your favorite bariatric men, Rob Demedio, as he gives you some words of wisdom, encouragement and enthusiasm. AND… he’s going to help you reach your physical fitness goals by inviting you to join him at the Busy Bariatrics Summer Camp! Just in time, Rob! Let’s hear what he has to say! Resources:BariAfte...2024-04-2449 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 172: Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can (Part Two)Welcome to Part II of the book review… the book being Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can by Caroline Myss. In the last episode we got deep into ways people consciously or subconsciously interfere with their own healing. In this episode we’ll be focusing more on ways those who CHOOSE to heal can do so! I really love this book and although it’s not specifically written for a bariatric audience, it applies! And, it applies to anyone struggling with any disease, so please – share this podcast and recommend the book! Let’s get started!Res...2024-04-171h 15Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 171: Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can (Part One)This is an episode that tops my list for all-time favorites! Why? The book I review! I loved it so much and it applies so well to the process of healing from the disease of obesity. The book is called Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can. It is written by Caroline Myss, who is an incredibly intuitive human whose life work is dedicated to helping people understand that they have a great deal of power in terms of healing their own physical illnesses. I think you’ll get a lot from this episode… in fact, this episod...2024-04-101h 06Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 170: The Disease of Obesity and Your Food ChoicesDo you believe that having the disease of obesity lets you off the hook for making unhealthy food choices? Is what you choose to eat even related to the disease of obesity? Does knowing that obesity is considered to be a chronic disease relieve you of all personal responsibility for assisting in the treatment of the disease? What about other chronic diseases? Aren’t most people advised to eat healthy foods and to exercise as a way to help manage diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases? Having the disease of obesity is not related to...2024-04-0358 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 169: The Bleepity Bleep Goal Weight!I’m pretty fired up in this episode! The goal weight fixation is a sign that so many of us are caught up in a very unhealthy phenomenon called the diet mentality, which is part of the diet culture, which is a sickness in our country… if not throughout the world! In this episode I talk about the struggles inherent when focusing on a goal weight, which most often sets people up for failure. I then describe diet mentality and diet culture and encourage people to extricate themselves from this toxic way of life, sharing tips for how to do s...2024-03-2754 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 168: Meet Kevin Stephens: A Post-Op Who Models What it Means to “Give Back”Not only is Kevin Stephens a very successful long-term post-op who is an example to everyone of what it means to Give Back to your community, Kevin is undisputedly a great human. I’m excited for you to hear Kevin’s story and to learn about various bariatric organizations in the community. Kevin has, and continues to, participate in many of these organizations. You may or may not be interested in becoming active within one or more of these groups. Either way, you’ll learn about some great conferences that take place around the country that you may want to att...2024-03-201h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 167: A Talk with Kelley Gunter, 22-year post-op about Persistence, Vitamin Deficiency and Doing the “Head Work”Kelley Gunter is the author of one of the best books I have read from a bariatric patient. Her book is called “You Have Such a Pretty Face,” a perfect title that so many people who struggle with the disease of obesity can relate to! Kelley is 22 years out from her bariatric surgery and maintains a weight loss of over 200 pounds. She has done a tremendous amount of “head work,” which she talks about in this podcast episode, along with the significant issues she has suffered due to a lack of having taken bariatric specific vitamins… hair, teeth, vision problems a...2024-03-131h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 166: Regain and The Return of Those Old Habits…What’s up with that?SOOOO many people struggle with weight regain, regardless of how they have lost weight. If YOU have a history of yo-yo’ing with your weight, this episode is important for you! You’ll likely hear things you’ve heard before, but I suspect you may also learn thing or two about YOURSELF… if you’re willing to listen with an open mind! The information in this episode may also be a bit painful – emotionally, that is. But please don’t let that stop you from listening because what I talk here may be just the thing you need to point you in t...2024-03-0650 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 165: Are You Making Your Health and Wellness a Priority?IS your health and IS your overall wellness a priority in your life? Well… how can one know!? I’ll tell you! When I look at your lifestyle, the choices you make, the values you live by, the significance that your health plays in your life… I know. And so do others… by seeing how you treat yourself and how you take care of yourself… or not. And if you’re willing to be honest with yourself, you know the truth about whether or not you are prioritizing your health and wellness. In this episode, I ask some tough questions so...2024-02-2853 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 164: The Un-Sciency Version of The Science of VitaminsI’m gonna sound like everyone’s mother here for just a minute: TAKE YOUR VITAMINS! Not just any vitamin! TAKE YOUR BARIATRIC-SPECIFIC VITAMINS. And listening to Heather Mackie, a Registered Dietician who has worked in the bariatric field for over 18 years will hopefully be the reason you become the reason you never miss another day of taking your bariatric specific vitamins. The information in today’s video is some of THE most RELIABLE information you will get when it comes to Bariatric Vitamins because it comes to you from one of the most respected professionals in the bariatric indust...2024-02-221h 15Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 163: Consistency: How Anger Provided Her Motivation!You DO know that if you consistently follow through with a behavior… one of the Gotta Do ‘Em, perhaps… and IF you use an accountability tool, as well… the Gotta Do ‘Em checklist, perhaps… then without any question you increase your odds of developing a healthy habit AND reaching your goals! Listen to how Laura used some BIG anger to motivate her to develop unwavering consistency with one critically important behavior that is crucial for ALL post-op patients to do. Listen in, learn from Laura and then get your Gotta Do ‘Em sheet out, use it for accountability, and create a lifel...2024-02-141h 03Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 162: Consistency, the Gotta Do ‘Ems, and Believing in Your Ability to SucceedThe BariAftercare word of the year is Accountability. The word for this week is Consistency. A listener asked for a podcast about self-efficacy. How did I put all of these things together? Well, I added one additional ingredient to the mix and came up with what felt like a really great episode! The additional ingredient?! The brand new version of the Gotta Do ‘Ems, The Gotta Do ‘Ems, Version 2.0! You’re gonna have to listen and get all the goodies from this episode!!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.connie...2024-02-0648 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 161: The Bariatric Therapists Chat: Meet Lora GrabowBariatric therapist Lora Grabow joins me for this episode of BariAftercare. Like myself, Lora has worked in the bariatric field for 20 years. Listen to our conversation and hear the discussion between two bariatric therapists about common struggles we see with patients, what is the same today as it was 20 years ago and what has changed! I have the utmost respect for all of the work that Lora does. You’ll love learning more about her, as well. Let’s get started! Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.com...2024-01-3147 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 160: Self-SabotageIn the last episode we talked about what to do when others sabotage, or get in the way of, our goals. THIS week we go a step farther and talk about something even closer to home: SELF-SABOTAGE. When we interfere in our OWN progress toward our goals. It’s not logical to set ourselves up for failure. So, why, then, do we do it so frequently???? Listen in and get some answers… as well as tips for stopping this annoying, and unhealthy behavior!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conn...2024-01-241h 02Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 159: Sabotaging Partners and Other Well-Meaning MeddlersA listener asked what to do about her husband of many years who brings home foods that are not consistent with her post-op health goals. She believes he is not happy about losing his “eating buddy.” His behaviors have the potential to sabotage her progress! What about you? Are there people in your life that seem to trying to sabotage your healthy post-op lifestyle? What does sabotage look like, what are the reasons people engage in sabotaging behaviors, especially if they are one the people you are closest to, and what can you do if this happens? Listen in and...2024-01-1759 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 158: Get BariEDucatedFor this episode I am joined by two amazing women who thoroughly understand the bariatric community. Kelly Broadwater is a certified eating disorder specialist with extensive experience working in the field of bariatrics. Chaundra Evans is a registered dietician who specializes in bariatrics and eating disorders. They have been working together to help hundreds of bariatric patients over the past 20 years and have recently published a book, aptly titled BariEDucated. While this book is geared more toward bariatric professionals, their work is with patients. These two women totally understand the bariatric population and, in addition to working with patients...2024-01-101h 10Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 157: Accountability – A Deep Dive!Accountability is the BariAftercare word of the year! We chose it because the research is extensive and makes it clear that using accountability measures improves the likelihood of experiencing success, in particular when it comes to keeping weight off! AND… using accountability measures like tracking devices for food intake, water consumption, and movement tends to wane over time. It doesn’t have to! Listen in and learn reasons people quit following through with these beneficial strategies and how about you recommit to being more accountable in your weight journey. The BariAftercare community can definitely help! Let’s get started!R...2024-01-031h 04Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 156: Words Matter. Language Matters.Join Laura Preston and me for a lively discussion about the power of words! We chose the word Accountability for BariAftercare’s word of the year. In this podcast episode we announce a special invitation to join us for a 3-series workshop inside BariAftercare to create a vision project based on YOUR word of the year for 2024! Listen to the end of the podcast to learn how you can sign up for the workshops!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.comBariAftercare website: https://www.conniestapletonphd.co...2023-12-2755 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 155: A Bari Merry Christmas and what’s coming in the NEW YEAR on BariAftercare!NOT to get completely ahead of myself… BUT… I wanted to give you a sneak peak at what we have in store for you in the New Year at BariAftercare! Get ready to learn and grow with our BariAftercare community as we live and breathe ACCOUNTABILITY and all things related throughout the year. Why accountability? Because it is the number one way to get and stay on track when it comes to weight maintenance! YEP! And before the year is over… as in next week, Laura Preston and I will be hosting a BariAftercare podcast to tell you all about...2023-12-201h 26Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 154: Alone or Lonely?We’ve all been alone and I’m guessing we’ve all felt lonely at times… in fact, I’d venture to say that most of us have felt lonely at times when we are with other people and when we have been alone. In this episode, I’ll talk about the physical and mental health benefits of spending some time alone and, if you’re uncomfortable being alone, I’ll share some tips on how to make that a bit easier. I’ll also talk about loneliness and how loneliness can, at times, lead to physical and mental health issues. In...2023-12-131h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 153: Are You a Control Freak?Have you ever been referred to as a control freak? Well, I have. Even if you aren’t a controlling person, chances are good that you know someone who is… or several someones, perhaps! In this episode, you’ll learn what it actually means to be controlling, what being controlling looks like, and the reasons people become controlling in the first place. And of course, we’ll talk about what this all has to do with your life as a post-op! Listen in! I think you’ll find this fascinating!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConni...2023-12-0646 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 152: The Harshest Person in the Bariatric CommunityIn this episode, one of my best bariatric buddies joins me to talk about… all kinds of bariatric wisdom, to include how all of us can fall into the social comparison game. But we talk about SOOOO much more in this episode… we get real and personal with you throughout the episode! Let’s just get started… and be sure to listen to the very end as there is a very specific call to action!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.comBariAftercare website: https://www.conniest...2023-11-291h 05Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 151: Passive-Aggressive CommunicationWait… What? There’s passive communication… we’ve gone over that. There’s aggressive communication… we’ve talked about that! What then, is passive-aggressive communication? I mean, passive communication and aggressive communication couldn’t be any more opposite? What’s up with combining the two into a category of communication all its own?! Passive-Aggressive communication. Yep – it’s a thing. A not-at-all healthy thing! Listen in and hear how this interesting combination of behaviors converge into one confusing, and one very unhealthy way of expressing yourself… again possibly leading to emotional eating and the ultimate result of that… the dreaded regain. Let’s get...2023-11-2250 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 150: Passive CommunicationWe’ve discussed the most healthy form of communication, Assertive communication, and we’ve discussed a pretty detrimental form of communication, Aggressive communication! In this episode, I’ll be explaining what is referred to as a PASSIVE communication style. Passive communication is another form of less-than-healthy communication and one used by a LOT of folks… namely those who “want to avoid conflict at any cost.” Sound like anyone you know? Sounds like a LOT of people I talk with in my work! Listen in and learn how to break yourself of passively communicating (which, by the way, sets you up to be tak...2023-11-1554 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 149: A Professional and Traveling Post-OpThe guest on this episode has travelled to an astonishing 70+ countries, to include over a handful since having gastric bypass surgery… which was… get this … less than a year ago! She is ALSO a professional! A professional traveller? No, although I’m not sure a) if there is such a thing or b) what would qualify one as such! Today’s guest, Kenda Harrison is a nurse practitioner who has a private practice. Listen and hear not only about her amazing travels and how she navigates other countries as a post-op, but also about how she interacts with patients suffering...2023-11-081h 08Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 148: From Aggressive Communication to Assertive…Making the ChangesThe goal for everyone when it comes to communicating with others would be to use ASSERTIVE communication… directly, respectfully, and honestly sharing your thoughts, feelings and desires with others. If you know your style tends to be more aggressive, listen to these real life situations and learn how to tweak that aggressive manner – which will create distance between you and whoever you’re dealing with – so you can become a much more effective ASSERTIVE communicator – and get a more positive result! Let’s get to learning… Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: ww...2023-11-011h 03Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 147: Aggressive Communication A Lose-Lose in Life!Far from being an effective way to interact with people in life – and definitely as you navigate the many changes you face following bariatric surgery, aggressive communication is almost ALWAYS a lose-lose! If YOUR natural or habitual manner of talking to others has an aggressive edge, or if someone in your life regularly speaks to you using an aggressive tone, you’ll want to listen to this episode – maybe a number of times! Let’s get started so you know why!Resources:BariAfterare: www.bariaftercare.comConnie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.comBar...2023-10-2554 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 146: YOUR Real-Life Examples and Assertive Communication“How do I tell my mother to back off my teenage girls and their lack of cleaning skills?” “What do I say to my almost-adult kids who told me they were fully supportive of me having surgery but now eat whatever they want in front of me? They tell me THEY didn’t have surgery and THEY aren’t trying to lose weight so they’ll eat whatever they want, wherever they want? HELP!” Here are some real-life examples of questions you have about addressing difficult issues using healthy, assertive communication. You guys provided some great situations, so let’s get on with th...2023-10-1856 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 145: Assertive Communication in Your Post-Op LifeWhat is assertive communication? This is: “Hey! When you listen to my podcast, I feel grateful because I know you are working to understand yourself better as you create a healthy life you love!” Assertive communication is sharing with someone else how you feel about something, the reason you feel the way you do, and oftentimes, includes something you want or would appreciate. People often fear communicating in an assertive way, confusing being assertive with conflict or aggression! Not so! Being assertive is calm, respectful and direct! Even when you’re having what we refer to as a “difficult” conversati...2023-10-1145 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 144: Stop Should’ing on Yourself!What does SHOULD’ing on yourself even mean? It means you’re being rigid, causing yourself, guilt and tension, and imposing additional obligations on yourself… by virtue of using the word SHOULD. Using shame-provoking words like “should,” “must,” “ought” and “have to” decreases motivation and decreases self-esteem… and increases stress, which, as I hear from patients every day, is one of the leading causes of a return to unhealthy eating habits… unhealthy eating habits leads to weight gain/regain. Therefore, we need to stop should’ing on ourselves… and on others, as well! Listen in and learn more about how this form of negative self...2023-10-0448 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 143: The 2nd Six “Hows” of HappinessStrange name for a podcast episode! But not if you listened to last week’s episode, because it was called the First Six “How’s” of Happiness. What the heck is a “How” of Happiness anyway? Quite simply, it’s a way to increase your happiness… and the 12 items listed in the book titled The How of Happiness have been scientifically researched and proven to help you increase your levels of happiness. And who isn’t up for that? Listen in and get the scoop on the remaining six proven ways you can increase your happiness. AND… since this podcast is all about...2023-09-2750 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 142: The First Six “Hows” of HappinessDo you know HOW to be happy? We all have an idea of what being happy means, but did you know there is a LOT of research on the topic of happiness. A woman named Sonja Lyubomirsky wrote a book called The How of Happiness in which she lists “how” to create and increase your happiness. I thought this list of 12 “Hows” of happiness fit right in with creating an overall healthy lifestyle for bariatric patients… well, for all people, actually. In this episode, I talk about the first 6 of the ways you can increase your happiness and specifically how to app...2023-09-2052 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 141: What are You Do-ing Differently This Time?I couldn’t decide what to call this episode. I thought about calling it Those Old Habits That Seem to Creep Back In… Why? Because I hear that saying so frequently! “I can lose weight… but I just can’t seem to keep it off! Those old habits just creep back in.” I wonder every time… what do they creep back in on? Tiny little legs? Let’s get honest with ourselves, my friends! Habits do not have anything with which to creep back into your life. If you have returned to engaging in unhealthy eating habits – YOU have done the creeping…...2023-09-1340 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 140: Grow with Shea!This episode of the podcast was so much fun to record! I got to interview Shea Quinn, who many of you may know from her two … yes, TWO podcasts! She hosts Grow with Shea on which she talks not only about her journey of weight loss following bariatric surgery, but openly discusses issues related to emotional healing, something everyone can relate to. Shea is also a host on the Weighting Table podcast along with her co-hosts Rob and Murph. These three talk about hottest topics in the bariatric and weight loss community. Shea was delightful to talk with… we stuc...2023-09-0656 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 139: Anger and Its Affects on Your Weight and HealthAnger is a normal and yes, a HEALTHY emotion! What can be unhealthy about anger is the way one expresses it. Equally unhealthy – and literally dangerous to your physical health – is NOT expressing anger at all! Yep! Unexpressed anger can increase your levels of stress, which, in turn, can increase the likelihood that you develop high blood pressure, heart problems and diseases related to inflammation! Learning to express anger in an assertive way is critical! Knowing HOW to express anger is one thing… but many people are AFRAID of anger as they saw it expressed in very frightening ways! Or the...2023-08-3053 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 138: Your Bariatric HOME CommunityToday I am joined by my favorite co-host and bariatric post-op, Laura Preston. In today’s episode we talk about how finding your bariatric community in today’s climate is so much easier than when she and I entered the bariatric community nearly 2 decades ago! It’s critical as a bariatric patient to find a “home group” if you will, while still following your favorite individuals on social media. IN a home group, you develop relationships with a core group of people you can get to know, to count on to be there for you, to answer questions, to share idea...2023-08-2253 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 137: Lifestyle, Health and Where YOU Could be HeadedI end most of my podcasts and anything else I do when speaking to patients by saying, “It’s Your Health! Your Responsibility. This Day. Every Day.” After reading so much lately about how lifestyle, and specifically, how STRESS affects not only weight gain or regain, but the prevalence of cancers, Multiple Sclerosis, autoimmune diseases and Alzheimer’s disease, not to mention heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, I am even more passionate about getting the word out about the importance of creating a healthy lifestyle for ourselves. A lifestyle that includes, of course, the quality of the foods you eat and...2023-08-1648 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 136: Lifestyle Chat with LauraIn the last episode of BariAftercare, the Podcast! I talked about how the bariatric lifestyle is more than developing healthy habits in the areas of eating and exercise! Lifestyle incorporates your hobbies, your attitudes, the people you hang with and so much more! My good friend and passionate advocate of creating the life you love, Laura Preston was very enthusiastic about that episode and so we decided to have a chat together about how important creating a healthy lifestyle is, not only to your goals with weight, but in order to get the most out of life all the...2023-08-091h 07Weight Loss WinformationEpisode 135: A Healthy Lifestyle at Any SizeIn the world of bariatric medicine, the word Lifestyle is often associated with nutrition and physical movement. Those are absolutely part of what lifestyle means. In addition, a healthy lifestyle includes your mindset, the people you hang out with, and the activities you participate in. Lifestyle is about your whole self… mind, body and spirit. Your overall lifestyle, as it turns out, has a huge impact on chronic disease. You’ve been told how much your weight has negatively affected your health for a long time… Turns out there are other aspects of lifestyle that also play a tremendous role i...2023-08-0244 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 134: Meet Jeannie, a dynamo Bariatric RD!I recently met Jeannie, a very dynamic, straightforward (my kinda woman) bariatric dietitian. Jeannie was recommended to me by my good friend and 18-year post-op, Laura Preston. Laura texted me these exact words: “Jeanie is a ROCK star…..super real. Super realistic. Funny. Straight Shooter.” And she on target with every one of those descriptive words! I had a wonderful time talking with Jeannie about how and why we both love working with the bariatric population. Listen as Jeannie shares terrific tips for patients who are working to create truly healthy lifestyles and you’ll hear for yourself why Laura AN...2023-07-2544 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 133: Mind Prep – the Book! Part 2In the last podcast episode, I reviewed my book called MindPrep – the Book! The title says “the book” in it because I have a video series called MindPrep. The video series is what inspired me to turn the content into a book. Not only do I include all of the information from the Mind Prep videos in the book, I have added information I’ve accumulated over the many years since initially developing the initial video series. If you missed the last podcast episode in which I reviewed the first half of the book, be sure to listen to it! In t...2023-07-1848 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 132: Mind Prep – the Book! Part 1Fifteen years ago… or maybe it’s been longer ago at this point, I created a series of ten videos I require every person for whom I complete a presurgical psychological evaluation to watch. OK… I only require that they watch the first five as they are predominantly focused on pre-surgical psychological and emotional issues, but I strongly encourage them to watch the five post-op videos as well… even though they haven’t yet had surgery. The MindPrep series was created in part to assuage my sense of guilt. I felt guilty – and frankly – unethical having only one session with a patient...2023-07-1245 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 131: Let Freedom Ring! Casey shares her wisdom to maintaining freedom from Obesity!Casey is an incredible example of how to live life FULLY and enjoy the freedoms that significant weight loss offers. Casey is no longer hindered by excess weight and is able to participate fully in the many outdoor activities she has always loved. Jamie has learned to free herself to a significant degree from the negative self-talk she engaged in related to her weight, and THAT is a big deal! She has freed herself to be the person she naturally is! Casey is an avid learner, using books, podcasts and individual therapy to learn the skills and tools she...2023-07-0559 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 130: Talking with Caleshia – a post-op peer mentor on DO-ing!There are hundreds and thousands of post-op patients on the planet! A LOT of them are talking the talk about how to live a healthy post-op life… I wonder how many of those people are also WALKING THE WALK! Hopefully, a lot of them! I know for SURE that the post-op peer mentor I am talking to in this episode is doing both… talking the talk AND DO-ing the walking, as well! Listen as Caleshia shares some of the ways she works to maintain a healthy post-op life and how she shares what she is doing with so many othe...2023-06-2849 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 129: Bonus Podcast — Bariatric Men’s RetreatThe number of women for whom I conduct pre-surgical bariatric evaluations far outweighs the number of men! According to the National Institutes of Health, 80% of those who had bariatric surgery in the ten years beginning in 2002 were women … meaning only 20% were men. These numbers remain pretty consistent today. Consequently, men are left out of the post-op bariatric community in a number of ways… which includes the therapeutic retreats I have been doing for the past five years. That all changes this year when, with the help of two of my favorite men in the bariatric community, I am offering the...2023-06-2231 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 128: Bariatrics info from The Land Down Under: Meet Jacqui Lewis from BN HealthyOne of the things I love most about the Internet is being able to connect with people in other parts of the world. Last year I had the opportunity to attend a bariatric conference in Australia. I met a number of professionals who are passionately working in the field of bariatrics. In this episode, I talk with Jacqui Lewis from BN Healthy, a bariatric vitamin company based in Australia. BN Healthy also sells bariatric vitamins in the US. I was recently at a patient-focused conference and BN Healthy was a major sponsor of the event! Listen in as Jacqui...2023-06-2151 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 127: The Scale: Friend or Foe?The scale… for some, this box of springs, pins, and gears shoved into a stainless steel or aluminum case… is a source of neutral information that can help them make behavioral adjustments in order to lose, maintain, or even gain weight (can you imagine…)? For others, the scale is the equivalent of a ferocious monster capable of mass emotional destruction should it display a number dreaded by the eyes of the beholder. For years, researchers have debated over the optimal frequency of weighing oneself to get maximum weight loss results… is it daily, or weekly… or perhaps not at all? In th...2023-06-1549 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 126: Body Image: A Never-Ending Battle?Struggling with body image is a pre-surgery issue for many, a post-surgery issue for most, and a no-surgery problem for nearly everyone! The VAST majority of women (as in over 90% of us) struggle with body image issues while only 5% of women naturally have the figure traditionally depicted in media as THE ONE we should all aspire to have! Well, those are not good odds! Yet so many of us continue to harshly criticize our VERY normal imperfect figures! The national obsession to seek body perfection has led to serious emotional health issues and has the potential to interfere with...2023-06-0652 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 125: Body Dysmorphic Disorder: What It IS and What It Is NOTPeople, to include medical professionals, seem to be throwing the term Body Dysmorphic Disorder around willy nilly these days. Unfortunately, many people are uneducated about what Body Dysmorphic Disorder actually is. In the world of bariatrics, it is my suspicion, based on the fact that only 1-2% of the population suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder and 90% of people (at least women) suffer from negative body image issues, that post-ops are dealing with DISTORTED BODY IMAGE issues but refer to this as Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I’m here to set the record straight so you know what you’re actually deal...2023-06-0142 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 124: The Inimitable Laura PrestonI read a fiction series one time and the female protagonist was referred to by the author throughout the series as being “inimitable.” I loved the word… after I looked it up to see what it meant. The word “inimitable” means, “impossible to copy; unique.” That is how I think of Laura Preston. Laura is an 18-year post-op who has also worked in several professional roles in the bariatric community. MOST importantly, in terms of bariatrics, Laura has educated, inspired, encouraged, nudged, and walked the walked with thousands of bariatric friends. She has taught me so much, both personally and profession...2023-05-2355 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 123: Fear of Success!Are you really fearful of succeeding at weight loss or are you possibly afraid of the life changes that often accompany weight loss success? Do you fear changes in your relationships? Changes in the amount of attention you will receive after losing weight? Changes related to what others may expect of you as a healthier-weight, more active person? Are you afraid of the amount of effort it will take to maintain your weight loss success? If you are like so many others, these are valid concerns when it comes to the weight loss journey. The great news is, your...2023-05-1745 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 122: Fear of Failure and YOUR Weight!If you’ve ever lost weight before, only to gain some, most, or all of it back, then you are likely familiar with fear of failure! Now you’re considering, or have had bariatric surgery, you may realize that the pesky old fear of failure lurks in the back of your mind, never too far from consciousness. Let’s talk openly about this nagging nuisance. AND let’s talk about some great ways to minimize the power that fear of failure can have over developing a healthy lifestyle so you can participate in the life of your dreams! To receive...2023-05-1049 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 121: Meet Your BariAftercare Support TeamOne of my favorite sayings is, “No one can do it for you, but you can’t do it alone!” Meaning… you are the one who ultimately does the DO-ing required for making the changes in your life. However, without the support, encouragement, accountability and an occasional loving kick in the rear from others, the DO-ing may not get done! In this episode of BariAftercare, the Podcast, meet the amazing group of peers and professionals who will, on a daily basis, contribute to your education about how to live a healthy post-op life, provide you with ongoing encouragement, give you lots...2023-05-0439 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 120: Dr. Susan Mitchell talks about Dieting After Bariatric SurgeryThe diet mentality can keep you sucked into the vortex of maintaining an unhealthy relationship with food… which, by the way, often impacts your relationship with yourself… also in an unhealthy way. One of my hopes, which is also shared by Dr. Susan Mitchell, a registered dietician who has worked in the world of weight loss and bariatric surgery for many years. In this episode, Dr. Mitchell talks about DIETING after having bariatric surgery. Invite everyone you know who has had, or who is thinking about having bariatric surgery, to listen to this episode with Dr. Susan! And be sure...2023-05-0245 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 119: How Expectations Can Lead to TroubleYou know how we get ourselves in trouble with expectations? We mistake wishes, wants, dreams and desires for realistic outcomes. Expectations are defined as a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. Realistic expectations are based on what is actually possible, not on desire or dreams alone. When it comes to weight loss, unrealistic expectations run amok. Let’s dig in to this episode and look at how unrealistic expectations are a form of self-sabotage and lead to giving up on our goals all together, cause problems in relationships, and damage self-esteem. AND… we’l...2023-04-2648 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 118: Obesity… Whose FAULT is it, anyway?Have you seen the latest headlines by professionals in the world of bariatric medicine? Extra, Extra… read all about it: Obesity Is Not Your Fault! Who doesn’t want to hear that? Besides me, that is… Why don’t I want to hear that obesity is not your fault? Is it because I believe that obesity IS your fault? I certainly do NOT think your genetics are your fault, nor do I think your childhood environment was your fault, nor do I think many illness and medications that lead to weight gain are your fault. So, what IS my issue wi...2023-04-1951 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 117: “I’m my own worst enemy…” Self-Sabotage and Weight LossBrittany Spears confessed it many years ago, and many of us could do the same most days of our lives: “Oops. I did it again.” I can’t remember what Brittany had done again, but when it comes to sabotaging weight loss and healthy lifestyle efforts, there is no shortage of examples. As with most behaviors, those we engage in that lead us away from our goals usually begin in our thoughts. Oh, the power of our thoughts. And the destruction of self-sabotaging behaviors. You CAN learn to stop setting yourself up for failure and you CAN stop behaving in way...2023-04-1347 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 116: Identity Exposed Through Self-TalkIf you’re regularly dissing on yourself in what you say to and about yourself (or even think negative thoughts about yourself), not only will your life suffer, but so will the lives of those around you! Let’s be honest… if you’re feeling angry with yourself, if you’re down on yourself all the time… it’s like being lost in a mental boxing ring in your head and you’re about to knock yourself out because you’ve been beating on yourself with negative self-talk. Not only are you being hurt, but the others in your vicinity are gonna...2023-04-0544 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 115: Self-esteem, Identity, and BehaviorWho wants to acknowledge that their behavior broadcasts to others their level of self-esteem (at least to some degree)? Let’s see… when my body was emaciated from anorexia, it was an outward sign, unfortunately, of my internal low self-esteem. When I got drunk five nights a week during my last two years of college, it too, was an indication that my self-esteem was in the toilet, as did my abuse of prescription pain medication. Our behaviors reflect, to some degree, how we feel about ourselves. Research is clear that disordered eating, which can lead to obesity, emotional health issu...2023-03-2938 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 114: The 4 ACES — SELFSome self-disclosure for you on THIS episode of BariAftercare! The SELF is a work in progress throughout our lives. There is a big TO DO following bariatric surgery when it comes to the SELF. Why? Because how we feel about ourSELF has a LOT to do with how we treat our bodies, the kinds of relationships we have … with other people, with food, with finances, with alcohol and many other things. Listen in and hear about my recent revelations about SELF and give some consideration to your relationship with YOUR self and what you might need to do to wo...2023-03-2351 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 113: The 4 ACES — EffortI found a quote I really like and it’s perfect for today’s podcast. The quote goes like this, “Success is never owned; it is only rented – and the rent is due every day.” Rory Vaden, the author of “Take the Stairs: 7 steps for Achieving True Success, is the person who said that. Basically, what Mr. Vaden is saying is the effort you put in today – to whatever it is you’re doing – determines your success tomorrow. The effort you put into developing your healthy lifestyle TODAY… will determine your long-term success. And isn’t that what you’re really interested in...2023-03-1637 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 112: The 4 ACES: AccountabilityMany years ago, I was a patient in an outpatient program that met four nights a week. One day, the counselor approached me and told me I could no longer wear any makeup – to include mascara – to the sessions each night. From that night on, I was held accountable for following through with the no make-up/no mascara agreement as the counselor literally scrutinized my face every evening! Accountability. Being responsible, being obliged to do something we have agreed to do, being … well… an adult, could we say? Accountability can significantly increase the odds of your maintaining a healthy weight a...2023-03-0931 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 111: The 4 ACES: ACCEPTANCE… it IS what it ISI was with two of my grandsons this weekend… on Saturday and Sunday … for quite some time. On Monday my son, their father, informed me that not only did both boys test positive for strep throat on Monday, so did my son and his wife, their mother! I adamantly told my son that I am NOT going to have strep throat! My insistence that I won’t be getting strep does NOT negate the reality that I was exposed and that I may, in fact, come down with strep throat. I would be wise to ACCEPT that I was expose...2023-03-0236 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 110: The 4 ACES: Focus on AttitudeIn the movie, Cool Runnings (a must see in my book), the main character, Daresse, who is preparing for the Olympic try-outs as a sprinter, says to his wife, “I don't care how fast they run, I'm going to run faster. I don't care how much they want it, I want it more. I'm going to the Olympics, baby. I feel it.”THAT is a positive attitude! And having a positive attitude is critical to achieve one’s goals.Attitude. That’s what we are talking about today. And in particular, we’re talking ab...2023-02-2831 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 109: The 4 ACES: Focus on Awareness“Connie! You’ve got to be careful with your voice!” people would tell me... a lot of people… “What do you mean?” I asked, sincerely not sure what was wrong with my voice. What I learned was that, unaware to myself, I always spoke very loudly, I sounded angry and more intense than I was feeling. I was unaware. Completely unaware that I came across that way. With awareness, I have learned that I can change how I use my voice and doing so greatly improves my relationships with people. When it comes to your weight loss journey, what do you need...2023-02-1632 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 108: How’s Your Relationship With Food?Relationships … we have relationships with family members, friends, co-workers, partners, pets, … and yes – we have a relationship with food! What is the quality of your relationships? Are some of them healthy and others unhealthy? What makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy anyway? If you have an unhealthy relationship … with food, in this case… what can you do to improve that relationship? Listen in and give some thought to YOUR relationship with food… and then write a letter to food! What??? Let’s get started….Resources:Connie Stapleton PhD website: www.conniestapletonphd.comBariAftercare website: https://www.conn...2023-02-0844 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 107: Actions Speak Louder Than Words… and Also Demonstrate Your Desire for Change!We’ve all heard that actions speak louder than words. This definitely holds true in the world of bariatrics! Prior to surgery or any weight loss program, most people talk about their commitment, their readiness for change, and proclaim their promises to do things differently this time. In this episode of BariAftercare, we’ll explore 9 objective factors that can help determine if a person is realistically likely to make changes in their life. These factors were introduced by best-selling author Henry Cloud, and are from the book Necessary Endings. Dr. Cloud also co-authored the phenomenal book, Boundaries. As we revie...2023-02-0231 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 106: Focus on the Process in Order to Reach Your GoalsIn the bariatric world, we focus a lot on setting goals. A goal answers the question: What do you want? As a post-op, you want to lose weight, improve your health and the quality of your life, and you want to maintain that healthier weight for life! Those are truly great goals! Having a process, or system, answers the question, “How are you going to reach those goals?” Goals point you in the direction you want to go. Your process, or system, is made up of the things you do each day so that you reach those goals. Listen to t...2023-01-2640 minWeight Loss WinformationEpisode 103: Family, Friends and Relationships after Bariatric Surgery: Meet Tabitha, aka BariBossWelcome to 2023 and BariAftercare, the Podcast! I’m your host, Dr. Connie Stapleton... even though I’m not quite sounding like myself! BUT… the show must go on, so this is me with a touch of laryngitis. This is episode 103: the first of a monthly video series this year called Family, Friends and Relationships after Bariatric Surgery. In this episode I’d like to introduce you to Tabitha Johnson, aka BariBoss! Tabitha is a post-op herself. She is also a bariatric coach and a licensed Marriage and Family therapist. Every month Tabitha and I will have a discussion together about ho...2023-01-0534 min