This episode is a little different because I am on the other side of the mic. Rather than asking the questions, I am answering them. Podcaster Don Moe asked me to be a guest on his podcast, Weigh In Radio. I was honored he asked and had fun chatting with him, so much so that I decided to share the episode here with you.

 If you are not familiar with Don’s podcast, Weigh In Radio, I highly recommend you check it out. He launched his podcast in August of 2018 and to date has published 12 episodes with more coming. Don is someone who is personally affected by obesity and he has included bariatric surgery, specifically Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, a.k.a. the Sleeve, as part of his treatment plan. Through both thoughtful interviews and commentaries, his podcast focuses on helping people along their weight loss journey, whether bariatric surgery is part of that journey or not.

 I am happy to lend my podcast platform to Don if that helps him help more people. His heart is in the right place and his podcast is excellent. I highly recommend you become an active subscriber of Weigh In Radio and the community he is building over there. His podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Discussed in this episode

• Reeger’s Intro
• Don’s Intro
• Some of my reasons for creating the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast.
• The role the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast has played in helping Don along his journey.
• The science of obesity and bariatric surgery should be made available to everyone.
• Possible future episode: Exploring Bile Acids as a hormone with Dr Randy Seeley.
• Obesity is a chronic, recurring disease and needs to be treated as such.
• Bariatric surgery is not the end of the treatment plan.
• The importance of the ongoing continuum of care for obesity.
• How shame, blame, bias, and guilt can be disempowering.
• Courtsey and sensitivity towards people affected by obesity.
• Food addiction is a real a thing.
• Current and new surgeries and devices.
• The role of bariatric surgery for adolescents.
• Don’s concluding thoughts and invitations to join the Weigh In Radio community.
• Reeger’s concluding thoughts.

In this episode I bring you my conversation with Dr Angela Fitch. Dr Fitch is medical doctor at Massachusetts General Weight Center in Boston, Massachusetts.  As you are about to hear, her role is very comprehensive in that she provides obesity medicine care for pediatrics and adults seeking medical and bariatric surgery as part of […]

EPISODE 100! In 2013 when I launched the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast if you had asked me how many episodes I hope to publish I may have dared to say 20. In this episode I want to take a look back over some highlights between episodes 01 and 100. To help me do this I […]

In this episode we explore the topic of addiction. Much of the focus is on alcohol because as it pertains to bariatric surgery, that’s what been most significantly studied up to this point. However, as listeners will know, addiction comes in all forms and is certainly not limited to alcohol and drugs. To guide us […]

This episode brings an important topic to the forefront of the pre- and especially post bariatric surgery journey- the phenomena of Loss of Control (LOC) eating. In order to help us understand what Loss of control eating and is not, I had the pleasure of talking with two experts in the field, clinical psychologists and […]

In this episode we catch up with Leslie who had bariatric surgery, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy specifically, in Tijuana, Mexico in May, 2018. If you have not heard our first episode together, published in June 2018, I strongly encourage you to go back and listen to episode 94, titled “Leslie Goes to Mexico.” This was a […]

In this episode, I called upon my professional colleagues from around the USA to offer some tips for you. Specifically, I reached out to non-physician professionals. You know, these are the team of people you see so often when you go to your bariatric surgery practice who are usually there with you each step of […]

In this episode, we catch up with our old friend, John Bukenas. This is John’s fourth time being a guest on the podcast. John is a fellow podcaster who is very open about his struggles with his weight. John and I have chatted on this podcast in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Our last conversation found […]

  In this episode, we follow the journey of Leslie, a 43 year old woman who went to Mexico for her bariatric surgery, and lucky for us, she took us with her. I have danced around the topic of medical tourism a little bit over the past five years, but I have never gone to […]

In this episode we follow-up with Jeff Newell. For those of you new to the podcast, Jeff had Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass (RYGB) on 12/1/2014 after reaching a lifetime highest weight of 533 lbs (242 kg). He has been a guest on the podcast before, specifically episodes 42, 43, 49, and 55 as we have followed along […]

Welcome to the Weight Loss Ssurgery Podcast where we talk about obesity and bariatric surgery one episode at a time. I’m your host, family nurse practitioner, Reeger Cortell. I recently heard the quote, “Great stories happen to people who can tell them.” I think that’s what this podcast is about, giving people the opportunity to […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Dr Arya Sharma. Dr Sharma is Professor and Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta, Canada as well as Medical Director of the Alberta Health Services Provincial Obesity Strategy. He also led the charge in creating the Canadian Obesity Network, which since its […]

In this episode, as I promised in my last episode, I bring back Dr Walter Medlin of the Bariatric Medicine Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah to talk about the bariatric surgery known generally as Duodenal Switch, but commonly called the “D.S.” Now for those of you new to the podcast, welcome, I’ve got over […]

In this episode we have a special guest-host, Dr Walter Medlin. Dr Medlin takes us along with him has a experiences ObesityWeek2017. ObesityWeek is an annual conference hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).  If you are not familiar with Dr Medlin, he is a bariatric […]

Welcome to the WLSP where we talk about obesity and BS one episode at a time. I’m your host, family nurse practitioner, Reeger Cortell. In this episode I am going to give you the breakdown on why follow-up matters after bariatric surgery in 11 reasons. When I started crafting this episode I knew I wanted to […]

In this episode I talk with fellow podcaster Mary Rogers of the “Experience 50, The Podcast.” Mary’s podcast explores life from the perspective of people in their 50’s. She asked me to be a guest on her podcast because many of her listeners have concerns about their health and if weight is one of those […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Zoe Belle, author of “Queen of Crop“ which is a book version of the weekly blog she kept for the first 14 months after her bariatric surgery. After a life-long struggle with her weight and a consideration of bariatric surgery for all of one month, Zoe, who was […]

In this episode I talk with Elizabeth Anderson MA, RD, LD. Elizabeth has been a Registered Dietitian for more than 16 years and has worked in community nutrition, industry, and clinical settings. She began her own counseling practice, lovingly called CrackerJack Nutrition in 2013 as a way to work exclusively with people on a bariatric surgery […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Dr Samer Mattar. Dr Mattar is a bariatric surgeon and director of bariatric surgery at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Additionally, he is the president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. In this episode Dr Mattar shares thoughts on: Why he chose to […]

This episode is unique in that I follow a free-form monologue method. I had some thoughts I wanted to share with you and so I decided to simply open the mic and start talking to you. Let me know what you think. Discussed in this episode: Gratitude to my new Patreon Super Fans Happenings over […]

In this episode I talk with Jerry Ross about his experiences with post-bariatric surgery reactive hypoglycemia. Jerry had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 2002 when he was in his early thirties. Although the fact that Jerry had RYGB is central to this story, gastric bypass alone is not the reason Jerry and I recorded this conversation. […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Laura Van Tuyl. April, 2017 is Laura’s 14th Barisurgaversary for having Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. We talk about many aspects of her journey but some of the highlights include her thoughts of how being a very picky eater as a child contributed in part to her eating habits as […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Dr Janine Kyrillos. Dr Kyrillos is Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and she is Director of Jefferson Comprehensive Weight Management Program at Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. She is also someone who herself is affected by obesity and has undergone Roux-en-Y Gastric […]

Happy New Year everyone! In this episode I bring you a podcast version of the bariatric surgery seminar I give twice monthly at Southern Oregon Bariatric Center. This version is more generic to bariatric surgery in general because my intent is not to tell you specifics about SOBC, but rather introduce you to important concepts […]

In this episode I talk with Amy Swayzee who had gastric sleeve in May of 2015. We talk about her life before bariatric surgery, how she came to the realization that bariatric surgery was not cheating or the easy way, and that if she was finally going to bring her weight under control perhaps she […]

In this episode I bring you my conversation with registered dietician, Sarah Muntel. Sarah has been a registered dietician in bariatric surgery for over 17 years. She brings a wealth of information and education to you in this episode. Covered in this episode: Sarah’s role as a registered dietician and program coordinator Pre-surgery nutrition plans […]

In this episode I have a conversation with Dr. Walter Medlin about bariatric surgery rules. You may remember Dr. Medlin from episode 53. He is a bariatric surgeon at the Bariatric Medicine Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also a bariatric surgery patient having had sleeve gastrectomy. During this conversation Dr Medlin and I […]

What you are about to hear is the unedited version of my most popular episode to date: Episode 34, titled “Set Point, Biology, Environment & Obesity: An Interview with Dr Randy Seeley.” I first published the edited version of this conversation on August 17th 2014. Over the past two years that episode has had the […]

In this episode I welcome back John Bukenas. We explore how to choose a bariatric surgery program. If you are new to the podcast, John and I have talked about his obesity and the possibility of bariatric surgery in episodes 26 and 45. Topics discussed in the episode John’s struggles and declining health First Step: […]

Welcome to the weight loss surgery podcast where we talk about obesity and bariatric surgery one episode at a time. I’m your host, family nurse practitioner, Reeger Cortell. This episode is brought to you by you, my listeners. I am so touched by the love you show me, whether that is iTunes rates, sharing the […]

In this episode Jeff Newell returns to the podcast to catch us up on his life since having Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on 12/1/2014. Jeff has been on the podcast before on episodes 055, 049, 043, and 042. He is now 18 month out from his surgery and 300 pounds down from his pre-surgery weight of […]

Presenting Your Host, Reeger Cortell, FNP Over the last 18 months or so, I, Rob Portinga, have had the pleasure of going from being a guest, to being a contributing host on the Weight Loss Surgery Podcast (WLSP). It was started by Reeger Cortel, FNP nearly three years ago now. One of the driving themes, and […]

My guest today is Dr Raul Rosenthal. Dr Rosenthal works at the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston Florida, where he is a bariatric surgeon, chief of surgery, chief of staff, and the director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Metabolic and Bariatric Institute. In addition to all those good works, he is also the current president of […]

In this episode I bring you my conversation with Sarah Bramblette. As you are about to hear, Sarah is many things but above all she is an inspirational mix of hardwork, intelligence, grit, compassion, and determination. She is everything you would want in a loved one, a friend, a daughter, and an obesity advocate. Sarah’s […]

In this episode I bring you my interviews with six different bariatric surgeons. I conducted these interviews while I was at ObesityWeek in Los Angeles, CA in November 2015. I asked each surgeon one or two of the following questions: How do you help people decide which surgery to choose? And, If you could wave […]

In this episode I bring you my conversation with clinical psychologist, Connie Stapleton, PhD. Dr Stapleton has been working in the field of bariatric surgery for 11 years and as you would image, and are about to hear, she has a wealth of information and insight to share with you. Discussed in this episode: How […]

In this episode, I bring you my conversation with Nikki Massie. Nikki is many things within the bariatric surgery community including a bariatric surgery patient who had Roux-enY Gastric Bypass in 2008, the creator of the ever popular website Bariatric Foodie where she encourages you to “play with your food,” a prolific blogger, a storyteller, a […]

  In this episode I bring you my conversation with pharmacist, Scott Monte, PharmD. I met Scott at the 2015 Obesity Week conference in Los Angeles. Since 2009 Scott has worked as a pharmacist with the bariatric surgery program known Synergy Bariatrics in Buffalo, NY. After talking with him at the conference I knew I […]

  After a lifetime of struggling with obesity, Pandora Williams underwent Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on October 19th, 2010. Now, five years later and through a lot of hard work and dedication, she is a fitness and wellness coach, blogger, avid runner, and motivational speaker. In this episode with interviewer Rob Portinga, Pandora tells her story […]

  This episode is a quick update telling you about a video I produced called “I Have a Disease; It’s Called Obesity.” The video won the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery “It Starts Now” video contest! In this episode I tell you a little bit about how I came to write the script, […]

  After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, in 2004 Sandi Henderson’s weight was up to 425 lbs. She had uncontrolled high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma, and significant daily pain from bone-on-bone arthritic knees. After a significant health scare, Sandi decided it was time to make some lasting changes. As part of her decision to […]

  In this episode I go the second part of the Pre-Op education I teach to our patients who are getting ready for bariatric surgery. The focus of this second part is on the psychology of life after bariatric surgery. Discussed in this episode: The 7 right ingredients to live a Bari Great Life The […]

  I’ve attempted to avoid the whole Nicole Arbour  “Dear Fat People” thing. In general, 99% of the time I do not respond to hatefulness, whether it’s on the internet or elsewhere because I know that people who spew this kind of hatred are just energy vampires who feed off of other peoples responses, no […]

In this episode I am going to take you on a walk of sorts, an MBSAQIP walk. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you will soon. For starters, MBSAQIP stands for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program. What you’re about to hear are my reflections, sort of “A day in […]

  This episode I brought my mic to the people! Specifically the wonderful people at the Obesity Action Coalition’s Your Weight Matters Convention in San Antonio, Texas in August, 2015. While I was there I interviewed eleven different people about their bariatric surgery journey. Part of the interview included a game I invented called Texas […]

In this episode I go over the first part of the Pre-Op education I teach to our patients who are getting ready for bariatric surgery. The focus of this first part will be on the common early questions and concerns people have who have just undergone bariatric surgery. I have found that providing this education […]

In this episode I bring back Randy Seeley, Ph.D.. Dr Seeley is a research scientist at the University of Michigan School of Medicine. The focus of Dr Seeley’s work is examining how various hormones produced by the body work to influence the brain, food intake, and body weight. Dr Seeley and I last spoke one […]

  In this episode, Rob Portinga and I have a conversation with Jeff Newell. Jeff is now 7 months out from having Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery. This is our fourth conversation with Jeff along his Bari Great Life journey. Previous conversations have been episodes 042, 043, and 049. Discussed in this episode: Jeff’s journey so […]

      June 13th was the 2 year anniversary of launching this podcast. In this episode I walk you through my journey of starting this podcast. I also share some of my thoughts about getting ready for bariatric surgery. It is all a journey of learning, for me, for you, for all of us. […]

Dr Walter Medlin is a bariatric surgeon at the Bariatric Medicine Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr Medlin is also a bariatric surgery patient, having had gastric sleeve. In this episode Dr Medlin and I discuss: His personal history with the disease of obesity The influences that led him to become a bariatric surgeon […]

  Katie Jay is the founder/director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery. She holds a masters degree in social work (MSW), is a certified WLS life coach, and is author of  Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story, How Weight Loss Surgery Gave Me Hope for Living. Recognized as a leading spokesperson for WLS, […]

  Rev. Philip Tanner, M.Div, M.Ed., had RNY Gastric Bypass on 6/24/2013. He views the surgery as one of the most important decisions of his life. Philip’s BMI went from 44.6 to 22.5 and he no longer has co-morbidities such as pre-diabetes, severe acid reflux, sleep apnea, and hyperlipidemia; however, he knows that surgery is […]

In this episode, I bring back our WLSP friend, Rob Portinga. Perhaps you remember Rob from episode 36 when I interviewed him about his experience with life before and after bariatric surgery. I am bringing Rob back to have a different kind of conversation and role with the podcast. In this episode, Rob and I […]

Jeff Newell of DefyingObesity.org underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass  (RYGB) on December 1, 2014. This episode is our third installment along Jeff’s Bari Great Life journey. Our first conversation, episode 42 occurred just before Jeff had RYGB. The next episode featuring Jeff was episode 43 which featured the first month of his journey. We now pick […]

  In this episode I talk about birthdays, allowing what you want in your life and I answer your questions. Today, 2/16, is my birthday. I have lovingly spent much of it working on this podcast episode and it is now time for me to lovingly spend time with my family. I know you understand […]

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dr Duc Vuong, bariatric surgeon and director of Lovelace Bariatrics in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr V, as his patients call him, is not only a surgeon, but also a speaker, author, and out-of-the-box thinker when it comes to caring for bariatric surgical patients. If you have not […]

  Dr Duc Vuong is a bariatric surgeon and director of Lovelace Bariatrics in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is also an author, public figure, and avid user of social media, especially Facebook. Whether in person or virtually, Dr Vuong is redefining bariatric surgical care through his heart-felt and soul-touching presence. This is Part One of […]

In this episode I catch up with my friend John Bukenas of the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast. If you have been following my podcast for a while, you will remember I interviewed John last year in episode 26 titled “Considering WLS? A Conversation with John Bukenas.” Because I care about John and his journey, I […]

Dr Alexis Conason is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in New York City. She is also a researcher, author, and speaker. One of her particular areas of interest includes helping people along their bariatric surgery journey. In this episode we discuss: How she became interested in working with people who are undergoing bariatric […]

Jeff Newell had RYGB on December 1, 2014. This is our second podcast episode together. In this episode Jeff takes us along on his journey from just before to just after bariatric surgery. He shares his thoughts on Thanksgiving day just a few days before his surgery. Then he picks up his recorder and tells […]

  Jeff Newell is about to have bariatric surgery (early December, 2014). This episode is the start of a new, semi-regular series following Jeff as he transitions from life before bariatric surgery to different points in time after bariatric surgery . In This Episode We Discuss:  How Jeff came to decide on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass […]

Nanette Wilson Adams, M.Ed is both a receiver of bariatric care and a provider of bariatric care as a licensed professional counselor. In this interview she shares her personal and professional journey’s including: Her childhood and the conflicts she felt about gaining weight The point at which she became more interested in nutrition and fitness […]

In this episode I talk with Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA about obesity medications. Ted is a pharmacist who has now moved on to his second career as the founder of ConscienHealth which “exists to help experts and organizations work for sound approaches to health and obesity.” Ted blogs daily and is very knowledgeable on many […]

At his heaviest, Jeff Butts weighed 643 pounds. Every day was a profound struggle against exhaustion, pain, fear, and shame. 1999 he almost had bariatric surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, but in his words, he “chickened out” because he was not yet ready to make the changes he knew he would need to make. Then, in […]

Lea Crosetti Andes is the founder and creator of BariAthletes™. Lea is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. Lea has many years of experience specializing in not only nutrition and exercise, but specifically nutrition and exercise for a person who has undergone bariatric surgery, hence the term she coined, BariAthletes™. Lea created her […]

In 2008, at his heaviest, Rob Portinga weighed over 380 pounds. After years of trying various ways to lose weight on his own, he came to the decision that he needed some help. He had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery in April of 2009. Since then he has lost over 150 pounds Rob is now a […]

Dr Michelle May is a recovered yo-yo dieter and founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training. Am I Hungry? helps people resolve mindless and emotional eating so they can live the vibrant life they crave! She is also the award-winning author of the book, “Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.” […]

  In this episode, I am happy to bring you my interview with Dr Randy Seeley. Dr Seeley is a PhD scientist who studies obesity from the perspective of hormones in the central nervous system that serve to regulate food intake, body weight, and energy balance. He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles including articles […]

  I don’t consider myself a boat rocker. Traditionally, I’ve been happiest when the waters are calm and everyone rows together; when feathers lay flat, not ruffled; and when panties stay put, not all tied in a knot. You know, business as usual.  But recently, for reasons I am still working out, I became professionally […]

In this episode I bring you the wonderful Denise London, also known as the Bariatric Beauty Queen. By early 2010 Denise was on pills and insulin to control her type 2 diabetes. She had sleep apnea, worsening asthma, chronic knee pain, and chronic calf pain that was so vexing she saw 22 different medical specialists. […]

  Dr Thomas Clark has been a bariatric surgeon for 21 years. His practice is the Center for Weight Loss Success in Newport News, Virginia. In addition to being a board certified bariatric surgeon, he is also a board certified bariatrician (a medical doctor specializing in medical weight management). In this episode Dr Clark shares: […]

Robanne Robin had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on 8/4/2009. At the time she had surgery she weighed 300 pounds. She was pre-diabetic, had bad knees, was depressed, and had two episodes of a very elevated heart rate that landed her in the emergency room each time. Now, almost 5 years later she is beyond healthy in all […]

In this episode I discuss the metaphor of moving into the Quiver Zone of your life. But before I go into that, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you! Today, June 14th, is the one year anniversary of the launch of my podcast. I can’t believe one year has gone […]

Wendy became BandedWendy on 3/23/2009 when she had Lap-Band surgery. In this episode Wendy takes us on her journey from being a successful person in all areas of her life, except her weight, to now living the life of her wildest dreams, which includes successfully losing weight and keeping her excess weight off through healthy nutrition, […]

In this episode I do a deep dive into what we believe and how those beliefs can either hold us back or propel us forward.Topics Discussed:  The problem with connecting beliefs to conditions or goals. The story of one of my biggest life struggles. STOP moving the goal post. You are enough. Why being enough […]

In this episode, John Bukenas and I talk about weight loss surgery from the perspective of someone who is considering surgery. John is a fellow podcaster and is the creator of the podcast, Let’s Reverse Obesity, where he talks about his own struggles with the disease of obesity. It’s a great podcast and I totally […]

IN HER 44 YEARS ON THIS PLANET, KIM ELZAIBAK HAS FACED SOME CHALLENGES. Where many might be defeated, Kim has overcome. LISTEN TO HER TELL HER STORY OF: A childhood caught in the cycle of abuse. Her 20’s struggling with eating disorders, obesity, depression. Her 30’s struggling with one gastric band, then having that one […]

FARNOOSH BROCK is a former corporate employee, turned blogger and creator of ProlificLiving.com. She is an entrepreneur, an author, a podcaster (of 101 episodes), a world traveler, a Yogini    (which if anyone is unfamiliar with that term is a female practitioner of yoga), and a life and health coach IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: […]

Abby Lentz, 66 years old, has been practicing Yoga for over 42 years. In 2004 Abby took her personal Yoga practice to a whole new level when she became a Kripalu trained Yoga instructor. It was during this training and early on in her instructing that she realized the critical importance of creating a Yoga […]

Interview with Maria Caprigno. At Maria’s heaviest weight, she weighed 443 pounds. Her story is very similar to many people I see in the clinic every day. During her life she had been on numerous diets with little to no success. At her heaviest weight, her quality of life was seriously suffering, and she was […]

An Interview with Antonia Namnath, CEO and founder of the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America Antonia, aka Toni, underwent RYGB in 2009 after a life-long struggle with obesity and being oxygen dependent due to Pickwickian Syndrome. As Toni relates in this episode, she was fortunate enough to have the ability to fund her own […]

TRANSFORMING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FEAR OFFICE THEMES OF FEAR: There seems to be a theme recently in the patients I have been taking care of, the theme is fear: Fear of Change, Fear of Failure, Fear of Success, Fear of Letting Go of what is familiar (even if what is familiar is unhealthy, or harmful, or […]

Your Questions Answered. Elizabeth: Questions about vitamins after WLS. She knows a number of people who have had different types of WLS. Her question is regarding the vitamins they are taking because they seem to be on very different vitamin regimes. Now, I can’t speak to those individuals and you know the rules and regs, I […]

Why Diets Fail: An interview with Nicole M. Avena, PhD Dr Nicole Avena is a world-renowned neuroscientist and expert in diet, nutrition, and addiction. She received her doctorate in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton University and did her postdoctoral fellowship at the Rockefeller University in New York. She is currently a faculty member at the […]

All of Me: A Story of Love, Loss, and Last Resorts. Alexandra Lescaze: Producer and Director, An Interview All of Me is a new documentary about a group of female friends in Austin, Texas. The women are morbidly obese. “The Girls” as they refer to themselves, initially met via the National Association to Advance Fat […]

IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA Do you know your ferritin level? Anemia is a catch-all term for low red blood cells and/or low hemoglobin levels on the red blood cells What is hemoglobin? It is protein on our red blood cells that binds and carries Iron.  Iron in turn binds and carries oxygen. Iron is the reason […]

On April 5, 2010, Jim Blackburn followed through with one of the biggest decisions of his life, he underwent Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB). During this episode 15, Jim reflects back on his life-long history with obesity, the circumstances leading up to his peak weight of 420 pounds at age 45, his decision making process that lead […]

Interview with Dr John Dixon. Dr Dixon is the Laboratory Head of Clinical Obesity Research at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Associate Professor and Head of the Obesity Research Unit, and the Obesity Assessment and Management Clinic at the School of Primary Health Care at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia. During this interview our […]

A Post-Op & A Doc (APOD) An Interview with Cari De La Cruz (A Post-Op) and Dr Connie Stapleton (A Doc) are a surprisingly obvious synergistic pairing of a bariatric post-op (Cari De La Cruz) and an expert psychologist (Dr. Connie Stapleton), specializing in recovery and weight management. Together, they help patients find life beyond […]

Stress, Food Motivation, and Eating Behaviors Obesity Week, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013, Notes from Dr Rajita Sinha presentation. High stress increases food cravings and snacking of high calorie, highly palatable foods in overweight people but not lean people Over weight/obese people show greater brain activation in motivation, reward, and emotionally driven parts of the brain. This […]

Dr Jacqueline Jacques is a Naturopathic Doctor with more than 15 years of expertise in medical nutrition. She has spent much of her career in the dietary supplement industry as a formulator, speaker, writer and educator.  For most of the past 12 years she has been working in the area of obesity and bariatric surgery, […]

Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Nutritional, Metabolic, and Nonsurgical Support of the Bariatric Surgery Patient- 2013 Update: Cosponsored by the American Association of the Clinical Endocrinologists, The Obesity Society, and the American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. In this WLS Podcast episode #10, I go over highlights of the clinical practice guidelines addressed […]

In this episode of the WLSP I go over Dumping Syndrome starting with: Pre-WLS surgery upper gastrointestinal tract functions. WLS changes that make Dumping Syndrome more likely. DEFINITION OF DUMPING SYNDROME: Early Dumping Syndrome       Intestinal symptoms &       Vasomotor symptoms. Late Dumping Syndrome:       Reactive Hypoglycemia. MANAGEMENT OF […]

                Joseph Nadglowski, is President and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), which is a National non-profit organization formed in 2005 dedicated to elevating and empowering those affected by the disease of obesity through education, advocacy, and support. He is a frequent speaker and an author.  He has […]

Banded in 2009 at a weight of 258 lbs with a BMI of 44.3. She lost 115 lbs over the following 14 months. She has maintained her goal weight of 140-145lbs for the past 3 years. In this interview Lap Band Gal shares her story of: Her history with obesity and dieting Her decision to […]

Roux-en-Y gastric Bypass An Interview with bariatric surgeon Dr Mark Eaton, medical director of Southern Oregon Bariatric Center in Medford, Oregon, USA. During this interview Dr Eaton goes over: ◆ Pre-op criteria for having bariatric surgery including RYGB. ◆ Considerations for why someone might or might not be a good candidate for RYGB. ◆ His […]

Episode 005  BODY In this episode:  Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG): The gastric sleeve is the surgical removal, as in permanent removal, of approximately 85% of the stomach. The remaining stomach is long tube referred to as a sleeve. We go over: The surgical techniques of creating a gastric sleeve. The Risks Does VSG work to […]

This episode of the WLS Podcast is unique compared to the prior episodes. I have been on holiday which has included a large family reunion and some very relaxing time with my husband and daughters. All this has given me time to reflect and look back on my life and in the words of Steve […]

003 Weight Loss Surgery Podcast Reeger Cortell, FNP-C Welcome and THANK YOU for listening! In this episodes: BODY How clinicians seek to answer the question, “Why am I not losing weight?” or “Why am I not losing enough weight?” It’s not all about the number on a scale. Sometimes it’s the composition of fat loss […]

Episode 002 Welcome and THANK YOU for listening! BODY Lap Band: to adjust or not to adjust that is the question and the art and science of band follow-up care. What is Hunger? The Beck Diet Solution by Judith S. Beck, PhD LapBandGalsJourney.blogspot.com Adding fluid to a band: When and why Not adding fluid to […]