Celebrations can be tricky after weight loss surgery. Traditionally, these gatherings centered around food and beverages, and after our procedures, we can only partake in very small qualities, and sometimes we find we cannot partake at all. But celebrating is apart of life, and none of us want to give up this joyous part of life. In this episode, we welcome Callie Holcomb, founder and creative director of Holcombe Wedding and Events. She is one of Seattle's premier event designers known for craf...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 20
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! Hop on the Struggle Bus with @East2west_WLS as we help our community through some of their current struggles. In this episode, we talk through: Stalls and how to work through them What do you when we feel like we are just going through the motions Dealing with dry skin and brittle hair. Episode Mentions: Palmers Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick Osea Undaria Algea Body Oil Booda Butter Daily Moisturizer Creve Moisturizing Cream Carmex Dove Dry Skin Bodywash Gratitude Journal HydroJ...
Dec 15, 2020•28 min•Season 99Ep. 3
Many of us have noticed that when we can no longer turn to food in moments of discomfort and pain, we turn to something else to help us regain that old, familiar feeling of relief. It could be drinking, it could be shopping, it might be gambling, or it might still involve food, but purging after binging. This behavior is a tactic that we will use to find comfort after our bariatric procedure. It is called addiction transfer and it is real. Sometimes called "cross-addiction", addiction transfer i...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 19
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! Hop on the Struggle Bus with @East2west_WLS as we help our community through some of their current struggles. In this episode, we talk through: Major sugar cravings- all I want to do is eat sugar! Not being able to hit my daily water goals Being totally D O N E with food (spoiler alert- this is a BIG struggle that taps into multiple areas of struggle) The Struggle Bus is all about in the moment support. If you are struggling with something, we are here to help! Leaving us a...
Dec 07, 2020•40 min•Season 99Ep. 2
We continue to be amazed at the wisdom and power that exists in the bariatric community. Ashlea recently underwent RNY- a type of weight loss surgery. After being in the pre-op stage for a year, she successfully underwent her procedure and is enjoying the lighter side of life! But she has come to understand the POWER of community and our stories. As she reflected on the life of a fellow bariatric community member who lost his life after complications from his own procedure, she realized that she...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Are you struggling with something along your bariatric journey? Do you not know where to turn for support? GET ON THE STRUGGLE BUS WITH US! We are so excited to be rolling out a *new* way to support you along your weight loss surgery journey. Each week, we will share the struggles of this community and talk about ways we can fight back, overcome, and move beyond the struggles and set us on a road to success! There are a few ways you can share your struggle with us: Leave us a voice message right...
Nov 30, 2020•56 min•Season 99Ep. 1
Food is more than nutrition. Food- and the pressure that can come from and with food- is emotional. With the holiday’s right around the corner or that big celebration coming up, we are feeling the “food pressure”. Life after bariatric surgery requires that we develop and maintain a different relationship with food. Understanding how food can be used against us and then utilizing tools to help us fight back against this pressure is key to our long term success after weight loss surgery. Episode T...
Nov 23, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Fate introduced us to Natalie, an active member of the bariatric community on Instagram. Her humor is infectious, her positive attitude uplifts the community and her dedication to living her life at a healthy weight is unparalleled. In this episode, Natalie describes the long and twisted bariatric path that has to lead her to the present moment and how she is moving into her new life with persistence and gratitude. Natalie is so passionate about giving back to this community. She has created a m...
Nov 16, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Happiness- what does it mean and how do we each define it? We start our conversation there and dive deep into how we can find lasting happiness before and after WLS! Check out the full episode for some deep and meaningful conversations about happiness.
Nov 11, 2020•2 min•Season 2Ep. 15
People often ask us, “Will I be happier after WLS?” or “Will I find happiness after WLS”. Our short answer is no. Our long answer is yes. Happiness- what it is and what it looks like, is unique to you. But it is something we are all seeking. The key to finding happiness, living a life of fullness and contentment is to define what being happy means to you, and taking active steps to live and feel that way. In this episode, Jason and April deep dive into happiness- what it is, how we each define i...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Tracking...the bane of our existence. For some people, tracking is easy and natural. It’s just what they do. For many of us, tracking is just a giant pain in the ass. It’s time-consuming, can be confusing, and when we track, we have to face the reality of our decisions. If we don’t track, we can tell ourselves stories about why we are not losing weight or regaining our weight. It can be easier to listen to our lies than to do the work to track and make changes. In this episode, April and Jason t...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 14
It is one thing to research and connect and prepare for life after your bariatric surgery. It is another thing to live through it. In Episode 13 of the East2West_WLS podcast, Jason and April sit down with Becca @ refreshing.becca to talk about her -very current- post-op life! We have all received "the handbook" from our surgeon, filled with tangible information needed to succeed after weight loss surgery. What you can and cannot eat before and after surgery, how much water and protein you need t...
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr 45 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Welcome to Season 2 of the East2West _WLS podcast! We are so excited to continue to dive deep into topics that are important to the bariatric community! This season, we will be talking with our community members about their journeys, discussing how to handle small ups and downs, explore how the stories we tell ourselves hold us back, and clear up some common misconceptions about bariatric surgery. To kick off this season, Jason and April explore what happens when we start to feel "normal" after ...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Stall: When something stops running, typically because of an overload the system; to stop or cause something to stop making progress. Synonyms: obstruct, impede, interrupt, hinder, hamper, frustrate, sabotage, slow, delay. In our bariatric world, a stall can refer to points in your recovery where you stop losing or gain weight, resulting in holes being punched in your walls. Stalls after bariatric surgery can be the most *frustrating* part of your recovery. You are eating so little yet the numbe...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Life changes the moment you wake up from your bariatric procedure- your physical self has changed and the lens' that you use to view your life change too. In this episode, Jason and April dive deep in life after weight loss surgery, exploring the physical and emotional changes they experienced after their VSG procedures. And what makes the conversation interesting is learning how their different reasons lead to the same decision to have bariatric surgery. While their recoveries were similar, the...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Dating- trying out people for the role of "significant other". Dating is a straight-up workout- it takes mental toughness, stamina, and a whole lot of planning to get it right. The rewards can be life long...and so can the scars. In Episode 9, April's friend Veronica (@vko_1977) joins Jason and April to talk all things dating and compare the ups and downs before and after WLS. Having any weight loss procedure can be a real game-changer, but it can also impact and change your dating game. Do you ...
Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 9
We asked, then you asked...and we answer! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for our first Q and A episode...you sent ins some good ones! Here are the questions that we address in this episode: How can I prepare for taking 20 minutes to eat a meal post WLS? How can someone build confidence before and after WLS? What negative side effects have we noticed post-WLS? What has been the most frustrating part of your WLS journey? What are all program guidelines so radically different? Scienc...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 8
After we have decided to have weight loss surgery, we want to share our decision with our closest friends and family. We are excited and want them to share in our new adventure! But sometimes, our news is met with reactions that we were not anticipating; negative statements, constant and digging questions about our decision, and attempts to talk us out of our weight loss procedure. Often, we are told just to eat less or follow a different diet, to start a specific workout regimen or program, to ...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The road you have to travel to get to your actual bariatric procedure can be a long and twisty one filled with pit stops, roadblocks, and potholes. In this episode, Jason and April talk about ways to navigate the seemingly endless checkpoints with efficiency and joy . Of course, you need to follow your doctor's orders and meet all requirements set forth by your surgeon and the insurance company. And your surgeon will provide you with some clinical information about your pre and post-op experienc...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Knowing that our identity needs to change after weight loss surgery is one thing, but what if we don't really know what our current identity is? What if we have never thought about our identity before? In this episode, April and Jason welcome Becca- a community member and follower of East2West_WLS, who asked this very question. After listening and watch the podcast episodes on identity and joining us at our virtual bariatric meetup where identity was discussed, Becca realized that she had never ...
May 18, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 5
How to craft and maintain an identity that supports our weight loss goals.
May 12, 2020•1 hr 22 min
What is identity, how has it shaped our lives, and how can it help us find success after bariatric surgery.
May 04, 2020•1 hr 28 min
Deep diving into the changes we must make if we want to get to a healthy weight after bariatric surgery.
Apr 28, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Who we are, why we had WLS, changes and challenges post-WLS.
Apr 28, 2020•57 min
A brief summary of this episode
Apr 27, 2020•59 sec
