Our Sleeved Life Podcast

Epi 208 – STOP Doing This Before Bariatric Surgery! Pre-Op Mistakes to Avoid + Surgeon Selection Tips 🚨 Pre-Op Patients: This is your wake-up call. Whether you're just starting your journey or already counting down to your surgery date, Kellie & Mel are giving you the ultimate pre-op pep talk you didn’t know you needed. 🎙️ In this hilarious yet honest episode, they break down what NOT to do befor...

Epi 207   Do you ever want to just kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in the grass or sand? 🌿 That’s not just a feel-good moment—it could be a powerful grounding practice that helps you reconnect with your post-op body and emotions . In this calming, insightful episode, Kellie and Mel speak with Terri , a certified forest therapy guide , counselor, and bariatric patient, who shares how mindful...

Epi 206: Breaking the Food Guilt Cycle After Bariatric Surgery | Shame, Triggers & Support Ever feel guilty after eating something “off plan”? 🍕🍪 You’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. In this powerful and vulnerable episode, Kellie and Mel share their personal experiences with food guilt after bariatric surgery —including recent real-life moments of emotional eating, spiraling thou...

Epi 205: Transfer Addictions After Bariatric Surgery | Alcohol, Gambling, Shopping & More After bariatric surgery, food might no longer be the go-to coping mechanism... but what replaces it? 🎙️ In this powerful follow-up episode, licensed bariatric therapist Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, LCSW , returns to dive deeper into transfer addictions after weight loss surgery . From alcohol misuse to compulsive...

Epi 204: The Story Behind OSLP | How Two Bariatric Patients Launched a Movement Ever felt like you had no one to turn to after weight loss surgery ? That’s exactly how Kellie and Mel felt—and it’s why they created Our Sleeved Life Podcast in 2020. 🎙️ Epi 204 tells the origin story of the first patient-produced bariatric podcast , now a growing movement that reaches thousands of patients each week....

Epi 203: Two Men. One Goal. The Bariatric Brotherhood with @jarps_journey & @robmotivation What happens when two men connect over their weight loss journeys , compete in a transformation competition, and become bari-besties for life ? 💪 In this episode of Our Sleeved Life Podcast , Mel and Kellie hit Brooklyn, NY on their East Coast Tour and sit down with two inspirational bariatric men : John (@...

Epi 202:  On the road again! 🚐✨ In this special East Coast Tour episode, Mel and Kellie take on Philadelphia and sit down with two standout voices in the male bariatric community : Rob (@robmotivation) and Rob (@myweightishistory) — aka The Robs of WLS! This one’s about consistency, courage, and community —and how two men turned personal transformation into public impact. 🔍 What You’ll Learn in...

Epi 201: Understanding GLP-1, GIP & the Future of Obesity Medicine | Dr. Lydia Alexander (Part 2) Back for Part 2! 🎉 This week on Our Sleeved Life Podcast, Dr. Lydia Alexander (President-Elect of the Obesity Medicine Association) returns to continue an eye-opening discussion on obesity as a disease—and how GLP-1 and GIP hormone treatments are changing the landscape of care. Missed Part 1? 👉 Catc...

Epi 200: Obesity is Not a Willpower Issue — Understanding the Science with Dr. Lydia Alexander (Part 1) This week on Our Sleeved Life Podcast , we sit down with Dr. Lydia Alexander , President-Elect of the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) , for an essential conversation about what truly causes obesity and how it's treated as a chronic, complex disease—not a personal failure . 👉 This is Part 1 o...

Epi 199   OSLP Goes On Tour: Orlando with The Sleeved Dietitian 🍊🎤 We’re hitting the road! 🚐 In this exclusive vlog-style episode of Our Sleeved Life Podcast (OSLP) , Mel & Kellie kick off their first-ever bariatric podcast tour starting in sunny Orlando, Florida ! 🌴💙 We had the honor of connecting with the amazing Sleeved Dietitian , where we dive into life after weight loss surgery , bariat...

Epi 198 💬 In This Episode: Kellie and Mel sit down with bariatric coach Laura Ballantyne, who shares her incredible post-op journey after having Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) in New Zealand back in 2018. 🌏 What makes her story so powerful? 💯 She lost 100% of her excess weight, kept it off, and even navigated a healthy pregnancy three years after surgery! This is an unfiltered conversation a...

Epi 197   💌 About This Episode: Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance — it’s also about navigating cravings, expectations, and emotions… especially after weight loss surgery. 💘 In this episode, the OSLP girls dive deep into how to handle Valentine’s Day post-op, including: 🍫 How to deal with food triggers and emotional eating 💝 Creative, bariatric-friendly celebration ideas 🧠 Tips for shif...

Epi 196   About This Episode: After several tries, the OSLP ladies finally got to sit down with David Anderson — aka The Business Bully — for one of the most real & refreshing conversations we’ve had yet 🎤💥 A year and a half post-op, David shares his experience with weight loss surgery as a Black man, and his mission to empower the Black bariatric community. He opens up about:   ⚖️ Relationship...

Epi 195 About This Episode: In this heart-to-heart studio chat, Kellie and Mel open up about the bariatric truths they wish someone had told them — before and after surgery. From emotional health to realistic expectations, this episode is full of real talk and gentle reminders for anyone navigating life after WLS. 🧠💖   🎯 Topics We Cover:   🔁 Weight loss stalls are NORMAL — at every stage   🧠...

Epi 194 About This Episode: Today, the OSLP ladies are joined by Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, LCSW — a bariatric therapist who’s also a bariatric patient herself (RNY, 10+ years post-op!). 🎙️   Ashlyn brings powerful perspective from both sides of the bariatric journey — sharing therapeutic tools, GLP-1 hormone therapy insights, and lived experience to help patients understand the mental & emotional si...

Epi 193 About This Episode:   Whether you’re pre-op or post-op, one thing we all face is… cravings 😩🍫   In this honest and heartfelt episode, Kellie and Mel share their personal experiences dealing with cravings and food addiction as weight loss surgery patients. They dive into:   🔄 The most common causes of cravings after bariatric surgery   🧠 Emotional triggers vs. physical hunger   🧰 Real...

Epi 192 About This Episode: In this informative and energizing episode, Kellie and Mel chat with Dr. Fridley, a bariatric surgeon at Surgical Associates of Bayonet Point and a sponsor of the Just Be You Bariatric Awards Show. 🩺✨ Dr. Fridley shares why he became a bariatric surgeon and how his patient-first approach is reshaping what aftercare should look like across bariatric programs. He gives...

🎬 Season 7 is HERE! Kellie and Mel are back in the studio and ready to fire you up with their most personal, empowering season yet 🔥 In this live kickoff episode, they’re sharing why you should stop waiting for the “perfect time” — and start taking messy, beautiful action on your health, healing, and happiness NOW 💪✨   They answer real questions from the live audience and talk about:   📅 Why...

About This Episode:   It’s the last episode of 2022, and the OSLP girls are reflecting on the growth, the struggles, and the changes this year brought 💬💛   Kellie and Mel open up about:   🍽️ Their own food challenges and recent cravings   🧠 Why judgment around new weight-loss tools is so common — even internally   🔄 How evolving as humans means evolving on this journey   🚧 The ongoing challen...

Kellie and Mel had a great conversation with the founder of Banana Bariatrics, Kate Fuss, PA-C, whose passion is collaborating with weight loss patients who struggle with post-op regain and assisting them to get back on track.   In the first half of the episode, they discuss common early post-op questions Kate gets from weight loss surgery patients, the main pillars of bariatric surgery, and how t...

Inspired by a post by Jamie, The Balanced Nutritionist , about holiday eating, the ladies of Our Sleeved Life Podcast recorded this episode to help and encourage the community for the holidays. Spoiler: you can eat your favorites (unless, of course, you are newly post-op — in that case, follow your doctor’s guidelines). Kellie and Mel begin the episode by discussing hunger cues and how to know whe...

Amanda, with Portion Perfection, is back on the podcast to talk about meal structure. Kellie, Mel, and Amanda discuss how often and when to eat throughout the day. Amanda explains why several smaller meals are ideal for controlling weight, mood, cholesterol, and blood sugar. She describes how much protein, vegetables, and starches are ideal for weight loss patients and suggests consuming various v...

Following the unforgettable Just Be You Bariatric Awards, OSLP still feels the amazing sense of community many felt at the event. Kellie and Mel decided to focus this episode on peer support and the bariatric community support they’ve seen and experienced in the last two years of the podcast. They discuss the JBY Award show and the importance of attending live events to connect with other bariatri...

In this week’s episode of Our Sleeved Life Podcast, Kellie & Mel talk with Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT. She went to school to become a dietitian and help women navigate their health. While doing clinical rotations, she found the niche of bariatrics and hasn’t looked back. She is on a mission to bridge the gaps for women after weight loss surgery.   Kellie, Mel, and Kayla debunk common food myths tha...

On today’s episode of OSLP, we have the pleasure of introducing Kayla, also known as @wls_Barbie  to the bariatric community. Originally from Australia, she now lives in Las Vegas, NV, with her husband and works for EOC. She has a beautiful, positive mindset and zest for life that’s so energizing.   Kayla talks about growing up overweight and the impact it had on her as a child, the turning point...