We spend so much time looking for the "right way" to do bariatric surgery — the right surgery, the right diet, the right rules. But after talking to so many people on this podcast, I've realized something: there probably isn't one right way.

Cory Padarathsingh is back for Part 2, and we're getting into his full research process — how he chose the sleeve, why Facebook groups told him more than his surgeon consultations did, and the moment daily life (literally just getting the mail) told him it was time. We also talk about grieving food, the friendships that didn't survive the journey, and why "everyone can't be right" when it comes to what your body needs.

If you've ever felt like you were doing this wrong because your journey didn't look like someone else's — this episode is for you.

What we cover:

• Researching surgeons, surgeries, and sorting through conflicting advice
• Why Facebook groups can tell you more than consultations
• Choosing the sleeve vs. the bypass
• The daily-life moment that made surgery undeniable
• Grieving food, lost friendships, and old habits
• Building a real relationship with a nutritionist post-op
• Why there's no single "right way" to do this journey

Timestamps:
00:00 Bariatric Intro — There's No One Right Way
01:21 Bariatric Research — Facebook Groups vs. Surgeon Consultations
07:12 Bariatric Surgery Choice — Sleeve vs. Bypass
09:16 Bariatric Daily Life — The Moment Surgery Became Necessary
10:10 Bariatric Food Grief — Losing Friends and Old Habits
17:34 Bariatric Nutritionist Relationship — Year-Long Support
20:46 Bariatric Vitamins — Why Skipping Them Is Dangerous
28:14 My Journey, My Business — Cory's Honest Take

Connect with Cory:
🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/sleevedwithcory
📖 His Bariatric Journal: https://a.co/d/0dlvK7AW
🎙️ His Podcast — Heavy Topics & Lighter Lives: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcEcKWufK7CdoiAOXwJiLCg
📱 Social: @sleevedwithcory

Join the Parallel Paths membership community:
👉 https://www.bariatricpaths.com/parallel-paths

Subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode.

Ever wonder what really happens after you lose 100+ pounds? The attention changes. The dating changes. And the fear of gaining it all back? That gets LOUDER.

This week I'm joined by Cory Padarathsingh, who lost 162 pounds and is giving us something we rarely hear in this space — the male perspective. We're talking pretty privilege, the DM flood, dating when you're still a "big guy at heart," and why the surgery changes your stomach but NOT your brain.

If you've ever questioned someone's motives after your transformation, mourned your relationship with food, or lie awake scared of regaining — this episode is for you.

What we cover:

• How people treat you differently after major weight loss
• Pretty privilege — and why it's uncomfortable at first
• Dating standards, confidence, and finding someone who gets the lifestyle
• Why food triggers don't disappear after surgery
• The fear of regain and how to manage it mentally
• Emotional eating, binge patterns, and building real discipline

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro — Losing 162 Pounds
01:23 Bariatric Dating — Being Treated Differently
03:38 Bariatric Weight Loss & Pretty Privilege
07:45 Bariatric Dating Standards & Finding a Partner
12:31 Bariatric Food Triggers — When Love Looks Like Cookies
14:45 The Bariatric Mental Battle — Stomach, Not Brain
21:19 Bariatric Discipline & Binge-Eating Triggers
25:18 Bariatric Fear of Regain & the Scale

Connect with Cory:
All links: https://linktr.ee/sleevedwithcory
His Bariatric Journal: https://a.co/d/0dlvK7AW

His Podcast — Heavy Topics & Lighter Lives: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcEcKWufK7CdoiAOXwJiLCg
Social: @sleevedwithcory

Join the Parallel Paths membership community:
https://www.bariatricpaths.com/parallel-paths

Subscribe so you never miss a Tuesday episode.

You did the surgery. But what about your marriage, your mental health, and the patterns you brought with you?

In Part 2, licensed therapist and bariatric patient Danielle Palermo, LMSW joins Jatoyia Armour to get real about the work that makes bariatric surgery actually stick — accountability, support systems, GLP-1 as a tool, marriage after surgery, addiction transfer, depression after weight loss, and why the mental health piece is the one nobody prepares you for.

This episode covers: how to stop self-sabotage, what real accountability looks like post-op, why your support network matters more than any coping skill, GLP-1 after bariatric surgery, the real reason bariatric divorce rates are high, and why insurance is failing bariatric patients on mental health coverage.

If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but still falling apart — this episode is for you.

Connect with Danielle: Instagram @daniellepalermo.lmsw Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1797899095 Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595270663220246 Visit the Website: https://www.BariatricPaths.com

00:00 How to get unstuck after bariatric surgery

01:14 Identity — are you doing this for you or for others?

03:12 Acceptance, self-awareness, and breaking old patterns

04:01 What real accountability looks like post-op

05:22 Coping tools that actually work long-term

06:20 Why your support network matters more than coping skills

08:09 Bringing your family and partner into your new routine

09:24 Working out with an accountability partner (real talk)

10:25 GLP-1 after bariatric surgery — it's just another tool

11:21 Why the mental work matters even more on GLP-1

12:36 Why mental health is deprioritized in bariatric programs

13:02 The psych eval that doesn't actually prepare you

14:06 What should change in bariatric pre-op and post-op care

15:39 Insurance gaps — mental health and GLP-1 coverage

16:30 How bariatric surgery can trigger depression

17:08 Bariatric surgery and divorce — the real conversation

19:06 How to recalibrate your marriage after massive weight loss

20:20 Starting therapy and marriage counseling at the same time

21:37 Embracing your new body — loose skin, crop tops, and confidence

22:16 Why weight can't be your only measure of success

23:59 How to find and work with Danielle Palermo

24:24 My Journey, My Business: Danielle's moment of truth

You lost the weight. But the emotional healing? Surgery can't do that part.

In this episode of the Bariatric Paths Podcast, licensed therapist and bariatric patient Danielle Palermo joins host Jatoyia Armour for an unfiltered conversation about the emotional side of bariatric surgery — the part nobody prepares you for.

In this episode:

• Why goal weight doesn't automatically create happiness or confidence
• Identity shifts after massive weight loss
• Addiction transfer and fixation patterns post-op
• Self-sabotage cycles and how to break them
• Why women lose their emotional 'shield' after surgery
• Regain anxiety, shame, and fear
• Body image struggles after bariatric surgery
• Why so many bariatric patients still feel lost post-op
• How therapy and self-awareness create lasting change

If you've ever asked yourself: 'Why do I still feel stuck after losing the weight?' — this episode is for you.

Connect with Danielle Palermo for coaching and support focused on emotional healing, identity shifts, self-sabotage patterns, and navigating life after bariatric surgery.

🌐 Website: www.daniellepalermocoaching.com
📧 Coaching Consultations: daniellepalermolsw@gmail.com
📱Instagram: @daniellepalermocoaching

🎙️ Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1797899095

👥 Join the Community: Bariatric Paths: Your Journey, Your Tribe

🌐 Visit the Website: BariatricPaths.com

00:00 The Emotional Healing Bariatric Surgery Can’t Do
00:49 Why We Keep Starting Over In Weight Loss
02:33 Regain Fears and Self-Sabotage
03:35 The Emotional Weight Moms Carry
05:13 Why Progress Feels Like It Disappears
06:38 Addiction, Weight Loss Highs, and Transfer Behaviors
08:03 Goal Weight Doesn’t Create Happiness
09:17 Discovering Your Identity Beyond Weight Loss
10:17 The Emotional Reality After Surgery
11:58 Why Women Blame Themselves
12:32 Society’s Expectations After Massive Weight Loss
14:00 Obesity as Emotional Protection
15:39 Identity Shifts After Bariatric Surgery
17:47 The Questions People Ask After Weight Loss
18:59 Old Habits and Patterns Returning
20:10 Life After The Honeymoon Phase
21:48 Food Freedom, Balance, and Accountability
23:24 Self-Compassion Without Self-Sabotage
25:52 Emotional Triggers and Mental Health
27:17 Balancing Mental and Physical Health
28:49 Lasting Change Starts With Understanding Yourself
30:03 Self-Awareness Can Feel Uncomfortable
31:40 Healing Through The Layers
32:49 What Happens When You Avoid The Inner Work

#bariatricsurgery #weightlossjourney #bariatricpodcast #emotionalhealing #bariatricmentalhealth #vsgjourney #gastricbypass #weightlosssupport #bariatriclife #selfworth

People always ask moms how bariatric surgery changed their lives. But no one asks the kids.

In this Mother's Day special, my 9-year-old son RJ sits down with me for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what he saw, felt, and noticed throughout my 179-pound weight loss journey after gastric sleeve surgery.

From the stitches that confused him to the trampoline he finally got to share with me — RJ saw things I didn't even realize. And he said things that stopped me in my tracks.

This one is for every bariatric mom who's doing it for her kids.

Topics covered:

• What RJ remembered about me before surgery
• How he noticed (and didn't notice) the weight loss
• Changes in my energy, personality, and habits
• What confused him most during recovery
• The moment he knew mom had really changed
• Why I got the surgery — in his own words
• Mom vs. Son quiz
• My Journey, My Business moment

🎙️ Bariatric Paths Podcast — Season 2, Episode 16

🔗 Subscribe: https://pod.link/1797899095 👥 Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595270663220246 🌐 Website: https://www.BariatricPaths.com

Weight regain after bariatric surgery is one of the hardest and least discussed parts of the journey — and it does not mean you failed.

In Part 2 of this Bariatric Paths conversation, Jatoyia and bariatric coach Allyson Jackson go deeper on food noise, emotional eating, GLP-1 medications, and the mental side of long-term success after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery.

This episode covers the real conversation around why so many post-op patients struggle years after surgery — the shame around regain, the trap of "starting over," and how to rebuild without punishment or extremes.

You'll hear honest conversation about emotional eating and coping mechanisms after weight loss surgery, why therapy should be part of standard bariatric care, the truth about food cravings post-op, sustainable habit changes vs crash dieting, and why a slip is not a slide.

This episode is a reminder: regain is not failure, and you are not alone in this process.

Guest: Allyson Jackson IG: @ajacks324 | TikTok: @allysonjackson5 | Facebook: Allyson Elizabeth FB Group: The Bariatric Comeback | Support After Weight Regain | YouTube: coachallysonj

Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1797899095 Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595270663220246 Website: https://www.BariatricPaths.com

Weight regain after bariatric surgery is one of the most common and least discussed parts of the journey. In this episode of Bariatric Paths, we talk about the end of the honeymoon phase, the emotional impact of regain, and how to rebuild structure and consistency without shame.

Jatoyia is joined by Allyson Jackson, a bariatric coach and gastric sleeve patient over a decade post-op. Together, they break down what really happens years after surgery, why so many patients struggle in silence, and how to create sustainable habits that support long-term success.

You’ll hear honest conversation around identity shifts, fear of regain, the pressure to “get it right,” and why extreme dieting cycles keep showing up—even after surgery. This episode focuses on practical mindset shifts and simple actions you can take to reset your journey.

If you’re post-op, feeling stuck, or afraid the weight is coming back, this episode will meet you where you are and help you move forward.

Guest: Allyson Jackson
For Coaching Sessions: https://paperbell.me/allyson-jackson
IG: @ajacks324
TikTok: @allysonjackson5
Facebook: Allyson Elizabeth
FB Group: the Bariatric Comeback- Support After Weight Regain
YouTube: coachallysonj

🔗 Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1797899095

👥 Join the Community:
Facebook Group: Bariatric Paths: Your Journey, Your Tribe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595270663220246

🌐 Explore More:
Visit the Website: https://www.BariatricPaths.com

Sign up for tips, events, and podcast drops!

Travel after bariatric surgery, plus size travel tips, bariatric lifestyle, post-op confidence, flying plus size, weight loss surgery journey, travel hacks after surgery—this episode breaks down what it really takes to travel confidently after bariatric surgery.

What does it look like to explore the world when your body, confidence, and mindset are changing?

In this episode of the Bariatric Paths Podcast, we sit down with Kaycee Bivens, creator of The Plus Size Passport, to talk about the real experience of traveling before and after weight loss surgery.

From navigating airports and airplane seating to asking for accommodations without shame, Kaycee shares what most people don’t talk about when it comes to plus size travel and life after bariatric surgery.

This conversation dives into confidence, accessibility, mindset shifts, and how to stop shrinking yourself in spaces that were not built with you in mind.

If you’ve ever avoided traveling because of your weight, felt anxious about flying, or wondered how to enjoy trips after surgery, this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to travel after bariatric surgery without derailing your progress
• The truth about flying plus size and what to expect
• Must-have travel tips for bariatric patients
• How to advocate for your needs without embarrassment
• Why confidence changes everything post-op
• How to balance food, fun, and your bariatric goals while traveling

📱 Follow Kaycee:
TikTok: @the_kayceebivens
Other: https://linktr.ee/purposewithkaycee

🔗 Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1797899095

👥 Join the Community:
Facebook Group: Bariatric Paths: Your Journey, Your Tribe
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595270663220246

🌐 Explore More:
Visit the Website: https://www.BariatricPaths.com
Sign up for tips, events, and podcast drops!

Chapters:
00:00 Why She Finally Said Yes to Surgery
09:51 Creating a Safe Space for Plus Size Travel
20:16 The Truth About Traveling After Surgery
22:18 What You Actually Need to Pack
24:18 The Fear Nobody Talks About
25:39 What You Can and Can’t Do on Vacation
27:57 Dream Destinations After Weight Loss
32:41 Confidence, Growth, and Owning Your Journey