Welcome to the BariNation podcast! Today, we're diving into the theme of curiosity—how it shapes our journey, fuels personal growth, and helps us navigate life after bariatric surgery. Curiosity isn’t just about asking questions; it’s about staying open to new possibilities, exploring uncharted paths, and discovering what works best for you. Our definition of thriving is to progress towards or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances, and curiosity plays a key role in helping us thrive. Together, we’ll unpack how curiosity can lead to breakthroughs, deepen your self-awareness, and transform your perspective on health, wellness, and beyond. Let’s jump in and spark some curiosity!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0:49] Using the tool of curiosity to thrive in 2025 after bariatric surgery
• [2:54] Jason describes how relentless curiosity has taken him to the gym
• [7:01] Natalie shares how she struggled with what was within her control
• [10:33] This episode is for everyone to thrive and use relentless curiosity 
• [11:53] Get curious about your bariatric journey and try new things within your control
• [13:44] Being relentless about curiosity to thrive and actively using the BariNation community

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Try using curiosity as a proactive tool to overcome obstacles and thrive, regardless of circumstances. This approach involves shifting from frustration to asking empowering questions like "I wonder what would happen if...?" to spark problem-solving and innovation.
• Instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the challenges, try solving one problem at a time. This focused approach allows for incremental progress, whether adapting a fitness routine, making bariatric dietary adjustments, or tackling life challenges.
• Practicing curiosity within a supportive community amplifies its impact. Engaging with others who understand and encourage experimentation creates a safe space to try new things, share insights, and celebrate progress together and bariatric surgery.

RESOURCES:

• BariNation Website 
• Join the BariNation Membership community meetups to support you on your journey with obesity treatment. https://barination.com/pages/join-our-community
• Want to see bonus content? Head over to Patreon to get more and to support the podcast for as low as $5 per month! https://www.patreon.com/BariNationPodcast 

ABOUT:

If the BariNation podcast helps power your bariatric journey, become a monthly podcast supporter and help us produce the show! Visit www.barinationpodcast.com and help us support people treating the disease of obesity with humor, humility, and honesty.

Jason Smith: [00:00:00] Hi, welcome to Barrie Nation, where we support the bariatric community with humor, humility, and honesty.

Natalie Tierney: Our goal is you leave us today feeling helpful, inspired, and ready to live your best bariatric life.

In 2025, our kind of big mission is to thrive. We want to thrive in 2025. And a tool that we are utilizing [00:01:00] is curiosity. And not only is it a tool that we're really utilizing, but the more we lean into this, the more we're discovering just how powerful it can be. And it doesn't apply just to our bariatric lives.

And y'all know we are working through the chronic and lifelong disease of obesity. So despite fighting this disease of obesity, we are going to learn how to thrive. And curiosity is that tool that, that, that we were using. [00:02:00] So, and we're going to get into this a little bit later, but we say relentless for a reason.

And I think the thing that all three of us are [00:02:30] proud of is that after four or five years on this journey, we are starting to understand I don't have to solve every problem at once. I need to pick one that's in front of me at the moment and solve for it. So we're going to [00:02:45] share with you now how we're doing just that.

Jason, let, let's start with you. What's a problem that you have been solving this year using curiosity?

I can't be a morning workout person. That's for other people, not for me. And then I got curious about it and thought about it. It was like, what if tomorrow I just set my [00:03:15] alarm for five 45 and see what happens. And I did. And that way I put myself on the hook to say, well, now the alarm's going to go off.

April Williams: And like, how does it feel? How, like, I mean, because it's [00:03:45] got to feel different than it has in the past.

Like I'm lifting now. Now I've got an actual program that I've started. And within this six months now, I'm lifting. heavier and I'm stronger and I look and feel better than I did when I lifted for a year solid before. [00:04:15] Also, I didn't quite have as, as dedicated a routine as I do now. So every day that I'm going, I'm working the same things that, you know, pretty much on the same days, there's a rotation that goes into play and everything about it is different now.

April Williams: You said something that is magical to, to this tool that we're talking about. And that is that phrase of what if I wonder if that's where curiosity begins.

Jason Smith: Well, and there's days like today, I even posted on my story today. Today was the hardest day. One of the hardest days I've had in the gym since I've been going because my body was telling me I couldn't do what I've been doing. So I've been at the same weight on all of my [00:05:30] workouts for two weeks now. So I know I can lift what I've been lifting.

So then I just pushed my way through. But then it was like every single thing I did past that was that I had to legit use [00:06:00] everything in me to get through it. And, you know, it really all correlates to mindset. Like your mind will try to tell you a hundred times out of a hundred that you cannot do something, but it's how you approach it.

April Williams: [00:06:45] Ooh, that like double play on yourself is a part of this. Oh, okay. We, we, we're going to dive into that in the bonus episode. Let's put a pin in that. We're going to pin that. Uh, miss that. What about you? How have you been using this [00:07:00] tool?

Natalie Tierney: Yeah, I feel like I used it in two different ways this year. 1 was in regards to bariatrics, uh, in the metabolic wellness.

Like, I know that my situation right now, I'm frustrated because I don't have what I need. Feel like I [00:07:45] need, um, but how can I Make this work. What can I do right now? In the grocery store that I'm at currently What are things that I can look for and how can I make you know meals or? You [00:08:00] know, how can I shop and plan ahead?

I was applying for jobs. I probably applied for over 1500 jobs in the last year, but it was this constant, like, okay, maybe I can fit this or how can I make this work for me instead of the other [00:08:45] way around. And it finally worked, but it was that that relentless piece of, like. Okay, yeah, I'm tired. I can notice myself getting to a point of not wanting to do this ever again.

April Williams: Yes. And you said something else again, that is like a critical part of this tool. And that is what is within my control, [00:09:15] right? Because if I'm getting worked up, if I'm spinning around things that are completely out of my control, it can be really difficult to get our brains to that point that we ask ourselves what actually is possible or what, what can I [00:09:30] have some control over?

What could I do differently? But what we want you to know is that there is so much joy in curiosity. It is [00:10:00] fun to explore and to kind of figure things out. It's just like enlightening and it's empowering when you really start to say, okay, I am in control of this facet of my life or this part of my journey.

This is not just for people who are newly post op. This is for everybody, even if you're pre op, right? Getting curious about what is out there for me above and beyond the things that I have already tried when it comes to [00:10:45] my excess weight, right? When it comes to treating the disease of obesity, you have not given up.

For us to continue to seek out those answers to the [00:11:15] things that keep getting in our way. Uh, and hopefully you're leaving this episode with a new, like, huh, insight or idea, um, and a way that you can apply it to, to your own journey, because we're going to be leaning heavily into [00:11:30] the, this year we're going to be sharing about how we are using, uh, curiosity along the way.

Jason Smith: Man. I would say getting curious about just any part of the journey that you don't, that you aren't really [00:12:00] familiar with at this point that can help you in the long run, just get curious about all of it.

April Williams: not.

Natalie Tierney: Yeah. I mean, it seems daunting. I was listening to, um, I don't know if it was a podcast or if it was just like I was on, like on a social media, I don't know what I, where I heard it. Um, [00:12:45] but someone said something about how life is like a stack of pancakes that you can get at IHOP, right? You try out, you top it with, with one thing.

You can try out new things. You can get excited about it. It's going to be scary and it's going to be [00:13:30] big, um, or small, but either way, you're going to be a little bit scared and just doing it scared and trying to have fun with it and doing it with community with these guys. It makes it a lot easier.

April Williams: It does.

And that's what this is all about. We have built a space for us to practice. Asking these questions and trying things on being being scientists in our own experiment, as we say all the time. [00:14:15] So, yeah, being a part of a community is the 1 of the best places that we can absolutely be when we lean into curiosity.

Let us know [00:14:45] either comment on this show on YouTube, comment on Spotify, uh, you can actually comment on any platform, or you can even send us an email, hello@baination.com. But we would love to know what area of your bariatric journey you are going to be using curiosity in [00:15:00] this year to help you thrive in 2025.

That wraps up another empowering episode of the BariNation podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, keep the conversation going by joining the BariNation membership community where you can attend live support events, access podcasts, and more. On demand resources and find a [00:15:30] caring community.

Natalie Tierney: Join us at barination.mn.co. If you found this podcast valuable, help us produce it by becoming a 5 monthly supporter at barinationpodcast.com.