Have you ever felt stuck in your bariatric journey, unsure what to do next?  Are you seeking a supportive community that understands life's challenges after surgery? If these questions resonate with you, you won’t want to miss this episode of the BariNation podcast.

On the BariNation podcast, we dive deep into the real experiences and challenges of bariatric patients, offering tools and insights to help you on your journey. In this episode, we’re exploring two pivotal concepts—"space and grace" and "pause and pivot"—that are integral to the BariNation support community for bariatric patients. These tools are designed to assist members in navigating their weight loss journey with greater ease and understanding.

Whether you're just starting your weight loss journey or you've been living with bariatric surgery for years, the BariNation community is designed to provide the support and motivation you need to stay on track. Tune into this conversation and community that will make you feel understood, supported, and empowered on your path. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:26] BariNation is here for your bariatric surgery journey
• [3:20] BariNation offers Space and Grace
• [7:12] When facing a challenge, Pause and Pivot
• [11:11] The BariNation community is here to support you

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Space and Grace – This concept emphasizes the importance of removing yourself from triggering situations (physically or mentally) and giving yourself understanding rather than harsh self-criticism. It’s about creating space to manage emotions and extend yourself grace without making excuses.
• Pause and Pivot – When facing challenges or hitting a plateau in the bariatric journey, taking a moment to pause, reflect, and reassess your direction can help you make intentional and sustainable changes. This prevents reactive decision-making and supports long-term success.
• Community and Support Matter – The BariNation podcast and support community provide a space for bariatric patients at all stages to connect, share experiences, and seek guidance from professionals and peers. Engaging with others on a similar journey can provide essential encouragement and perspective.

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.

We need your help to keep the BariNation Podcast in production. Your one-time or recurring donations help us ensure this free support remains open to everyone. Click Drive To Thrive - Donation to learn more and give. THANK YOU for your support!  

I wanted to come on [00:00:15] and chat with you guys about two terms that we use quite often in the Berry Nation support community and also on the Berry Nation podcast. We have a lot of new members and a lot of new [00:00:30] listeners. Hi, hello. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you found us wherever you are on your journey.

You found a really great home in the Berry Nation podcast. If you're looking for a little bit of extra support, that happens almost [00:01:15] daily via Zoom just like this. If you're watching the podcast on YouTube, it happens just like this. You go on Zoom, you chat with professionals, with support, um, [00:01:30] sorry, with, uh, therapists that lead support groups, and you speak with people just like me and you, bariatric peers, bariatric patients.

We've been talking about those a lot, quite often, uh, in and out of the [00:02:15] community, and I just thought it was time to define what they mean when we, uh, when April, Jason and I talk about them on the podcast, when we talk about them in the Berry Nation support community, what do we mean by [00:02:30] that? So I'll start with space and grace because that was one of the first terms that we came up with here in Berry Nation.

For me, my kitchen, my living room, tend to be where I get the most snacky, so sometimes I'll go for a walk. Sometimes I'll go to bed. I just need that space [00:03:30] from the trigger, honestly. Whether it's just sitting down, watching TV, um, sometimes it's just getting ready in the morning, uh, hanging out, watching TV, or uh, flipping [00:03:45] through my phone.

Give me, give me a day or two to respond. That's also space. [00:04:15] Grace, uh, and this is my definition, uh, but I think April and Jason would agree. The grace part does not necessarily mean Giving yourself an excuse, right? Sometimes the grace can be a little bit of [00:04:30] tough love. Sometimes the grace is just the understanding that we give ourselves.

The Grace is, hmm, okay, I felt like eating popcorn. Maybe, maybe I should make a snack or maybe I should make like a meal with some protein in it. [00:05:15] Um, and maybe while I'm eating my protein packed meal or snack. I can think about why I felt compelled to, to eat in that moment, or maybe I'll bring this [00:05:30] up with my therapist later or a bariatric friend to talk through it.

Well, they're both kind of thought provoking. But I think the pause and pivot after I explain it will make a little more sense. So pause, there's a lot of power in this pause. Okay. [00:06:30] Um, we just had a member, uh, today posting about how you come to this point in your journey, we call it the commitment where maybe your weight loss has stalled.

Um, in society these days, uh, with bariatrics, even if you're not a bariatric patient, right, [00:07:30] it's very easy for us to act. In motion, right? We build up a lot of momentum, and then we think we just have to think and think and think quicker and quicker and quicker. When in [00:07:45] reality, when we hit those walls, it doesn't mean that we failed or that we've given up or that we can't go on.

And as we're pausing and reflecting, we can plan about where we're going to pivot. So, I know for [00:08:15] myself, when I think of pause and pivot, I'm going in a trajectory, let's take that newly post op stage, you just had surgery, you're losing all the weight, and everything is going really quickly, and then all of a sudden you hit this, [00:08:30] you hit a stall.

Maybe they are, but you're making decisions really, really fast. So when [00:09:00] we hit that wall, we think, okay, I'm going to sit and rest and reevaluate. And as we reevaluate, we can kind of take a look around [00:09:15] and go, hmm, you know, that trajectory I was going on, all of a sudden doesn't really make sense for me.

So from, I'm keeping on to this anecdote with the newly post op stage. Calorie deficit is really low. Uh, you might not be eating a lot of veggies. Um, you're probably adding [00:10:15] in more movement. You're probably learning more about Bariatric Mindset, whether it's in the Bari Nation Support Community or amongst others.

Where we want to be [00:11:00] in six months, a year. And we're going to choose that trajectory. We're going to pivot to match that trajectory that we have thought about.

And if where you're headed is not where you want to [00:12:00] be, maybe take a pause and think about how you can pivot to make your journey the best it can be. All right, guys, thank you so much for [00:12:15] listening. I hope this helped and we'll see you next week on the Berry Nation podcast.