Do you think about food often? Are there constant food-related thoughts racing through your brain every day? This constant chatter centered around food has been dubbed “food noise,” and it seems to be a topic of great discussion lately, but for good reason. For decades, people fighting the disease of obesity knew what it was because they experienced it constantly, we just never had a term for it, and we just didn’t know it was something other people experienced.

Obesity is an isolating disease, and for so long, April, Jason, and Natalie through their excess weight were 100% their fault. Despite trying every diet, workout program, cleanse, fast, and pill, they could never find and maintain a healthy weight. But after they each underwent bariatric surgery, they noticed that food noise disappeared. It just went away, leaving them in shock at just how much time, energy, and capacity the disease was taking from them.

In this episode, your hosts shared their experiences with "food noise," the constant chatter in the mind about food, and its impact on their relationship with food post-surgery. They shared strategies for managing this food noise, including visualization, community, education, therapy, mindful eating, and self-compassion.

They also share some very exciting news at the end of this episode, so listen and watch to the end! BariNation is growing in the most amazing ways and we have YOU, our listeners, watchers, supporters, and community members to thank!

If you are struggling with food noise and want some professional help dealing with it, join the BariNation Support Community, and connect with fellow patients and experts in our safe and inclusive community. Visit https://barination.mn.co to learn more!

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.

About Your Hosts: April, Jason, and Natalie are all bariatric patients who were inspired to create the community and support they needed. BariNation empowers people to treat their disease of obesity in kind, compassionate, and caring ways through the community they founded. As they learn to live the pillars of bariatric success (movement, mindset, metabolic wellness), they share their experiences and “aha” moments with their friends and followers.

About BariNation: BariNation is a bariatric educational organization on a mission to empower patients to access and utilize the tools, resources, and education needed to find and maintain personal wellness. We connect patients with the support they need, when and where they need it. BariNation produces an award-winning weekly podcast distributed on all major podcast and video platforms and hosts a support membership community that teams up with credentialed and licensed bariatric experts and clinicians.

Follow BariNation on Instagram and TikTok, and visit us online at www.barination.com. You can also connect with each of the hosts personally on Instagram; follow April @actively_april, follow Jason @tha_smithsonian, and follow Natalie @breakingbari_ers.

You’ve got this and we’ve got you!