Australian Weight Loss Surgery Podcast

Weight regain after bariatric surgery is one of the most feared — and most misunderstood — parts of the journey. So when does it become a problem, and what can you actually do about it?

In this episode, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Dietetics Lead Jennifer Tsoutsoulis from Melbourne Weight Loss Solutions unpacks why some degree of weight regain is a normal part of the post-surgery curve and how to tell the difference between a natural rebound and a genuine red flag.

Jennifer explains why the first 12 months after surgery is the "honeymoon period," what happens to hunger hormones beyond that window, and how changes in portions, food quality, and eating routine quietly drive regain over time. She also covers the role of the body's set point, why the scale will often settle slightly above your lowest post-surgery weight and why that's not failure.

For anyone seeing the numbers creep up and wondering whether to panic, Jennifer offers a clear, practical threshold: when to pause, what to check, and who to reach out to first. Tune in to find out what to do next.


Episode Highlights:
Why weight regain is multifactorial and always expected to some degree
What the "honeymoon period" means and why hunger changes after 12 months
How ghrelin, portion creep, and food quality combine to drive regain
The body's set point explained and what a normal rebound actually looks like
The 5kg rule: when to pause, check in, and reconnect with your team
Why GLP-1 medications are now a legitimate tool in managing post-surgical regain
The iceberg analogy: why dietitians, psychologists, and surgeons all have a role
Why obesity being treated as a chronic disease is changing the conversation
About Our Guest:
Jennifer Tsoutsoulis is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Dietetics Lead at Melbourne Weight Loss Solutions, with over 8 years of experience in both surgical and non-surgical weight management. She is passionate about supporting individuals through evidence-based nutrition care, delivering practical and personalised strategies that empower clients to achieve sustainable, long-term results. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Human Nutrition, majoring in Genetics, along with a Master of Dietetic Practice. Her professional approach combines scientific expertise with a compassionate, client-centred philosophy, helping individuals improve their health, build confidence, and enhance their overall quality of life.

Connect with Jennifer
Jennifer Tsoutsoulis LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-tsoutsoulis-69316315a
Melbourne Weight Loss Solutions | mwls.com.au
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What should women know about preparing for pregnancy after bariatric surgery? And how can nutrition during this time support both maternal health and a baby’s long-term development?
In this episode, Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, Melanie McGrice explains why the period before conception and through a child’s first two years is one of the most important windows for nutrition. She focuses on what women who have had bariatric surgery need to consider when planning a pregnancy, including weight stability, nutrient levels, and timing.
Melanie discusses why weight management can become more complex after pregnancy and how nutritional status before conception can shape fertility outcomes. She also explores how epigenetic programming may influence a baby’s future health.
Melanie breaks down practical guidance for bariatric patients who want to start or grow their family. She explains how to time weight loss before conception, what adequate protein and micronutrient intake looks like with a restricted stomach, and why the folate conversation is more nuanced than many prenatal supplements suggest.
For anyone navigating pregnancy preparation after bariatric surgery, this episode offers clear, evidence-based guidance on supporting both mother and baby during this critical stage.
For health care professionals: Home - Early Life Nutrition Alliance
For public: Nutrition Plus Dietitians - Fertility, PCOS, Pregnancy & Paediatrics
Episode Highlights:
Why women often can't reverse weight changes that started during pregnancy — and the science behind it
What epigenetics actually means, and why the first thousand days sets a child's lifelong health trajectory
The landmark mouse study that changed how we think about what mothers eat during pregnancy
Folate vs. folic acid vs. methylated folate — Melanie's practical middle-ground recommendation
How to manage nausea-driven eating in the first trimester without compromising nutrition
Why bariatric patients need specific micronutrient and protein targets before and during pregnancy
The timing strategy Melanie uses for weight loss before IVF egg collection
Why nutrition should come before IVF — not after multiple failed cycles
About Our Guest:
Melanie McGrice is an advanced accredited practising dietitian and one of Australia’s leading experts in early life nutrition. With over 20 years’ experience, she specialises in fertility, pregnancy, and the first 1,000 days, helping individuals and families optimise health during life’s most influential nutritional window.
Melanie is the founder of the Early Life Nutrition Alliance, a global community of dietitians dedicated to improving health outcomes through evidence-based nutrition care. She also leads consumer-focused services through Nutrition Plus, supporting people with fertility concerns, hormonal health challenges, and complex conditions such as PCOS, Endometriosis, and metabolic changes related to bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications.
A regular media commentator, researcher, and educator, Melanie is passionate about making high-quality nutrition science accessible, practical, and compassionate. Her work empowers individuals to feel confident, supported, and informed as they navigate significant health decisions and transitions.
Connect with Melanie McGrice
Website | www.melaniemcgrice.com.au
Instagram | www.instagram.com/melaniemcgrice
Facebook | www.facebook.com/MelanieMcGriceDietitian
YouTube | www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMqzbbepjpirMANLvA2TEQ
X (Twitter) | @MelanieMcGrice
LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-mcgrice-91885638/
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What if everything you've been told about willpower and weight loss is wrong?
Obesity Specialist GP and dietitian Dr. Mais Hussein reveals why obesity isn't a character flaw—it's a chronic disease driven by over 100 hunger hormones working against you. We explore why GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are powerful tools, not magic fixes, and what happens when people use them without proper nutritional support.
Dr. Mais breaks down the three critical pathways GLP-1s work on—inflammation, hunger suppression, and food addiction—and why pairing them with resistance training and adequate protein is non-negotiable. She shares why eating very little is actually your worst enemy, how emotional eating is a symptom, and what post-bariatric patients need to know about long-term support.
If you've been stuck in the diet-shame-motivation cycle or wondering whether GLP-1s are right for you, this conversation offers a science-backed path forward that treats obesity as the treatable chronic disease it actually is.

Episode Highlights:
Why GLP-1s are tools, not solutions—and what happens when used without lifestyle support
The three pathways GLP-1s work on: inflammation, hunger hormones, and reward systems
Why muscle loss is inevitable with any weight loss method—and how to prevent it
How hunger levels differ between people with and without obesity
Why "eat less, move more" fails when you're fighting 100 hormones
The shocking truth about food addiction and emotional eating
What bariatric surgery patients need to know about lifelong vulnerability
About Our Guest:
Dr Mais Hussein is a medical doctor with 16 years of experience and an obesity specialist for the past 3 years, with a strong background in nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
She works at the intersection of medicine, metabolism, and real life , translating complex clinical frameworks into practical, sustainable strategies.
Her upcoming program, Weight Loss & Beyond, is designed to move people past generic advice and endless trial-and-error, offering evidence-based guidance without extremes, shame, or quick fixes — focusing on long-term health, not just the number on the scale.

Connect with Dr. Mais Hussein
Website | www.weightlossandbeyond.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You take your vitamins religiously for the first year after surgery, your labs look fine, so you stop. What could go wrong?
Kate Fuss, Physician Assistant-Certified and founder of Banana Bariatrics, has watched patients arrive at clinics unable to walk straight down the hallway, their teeth cracking, skin deteriorating—all because they believed vitamins were temporary.
In this episode, she reveals why your "normal" lab results might be hiding serious deficiencies, what irreversible brain damage from thiamine deficiency actually looks like, and why your body will break down your bones before letting your calcium levels drop. She also shares myths that leave patients vulnerable years after surgery. Kate explains why eating healthy will never be enough, how to spot vitamin deficiencies before they become emergencies, and why one patient's hair loss was actually the least of her problems.
If you've ever thought "my calcium is always normal" means you could skip supplements, or wondered why you're exhausted despite eating well, this episode could prevent serious complications.
$1 for a week trial membership
Episode Highlights:
Why "normal" lab ranges don't tell the whole story for bariatric patients
The two-week thiamine window that separates prevention from brain damage
How your body sacrifices bone health to maintain blood calcium levels
Warning signs of vitamin deficiency that mimic other conditions
Why malabsorptive procedures require different supplementation than gastric sleeve
The real cost of skipping vitamins: from hospital admissions to irreversible damage
About Our Guest:
Kate Fuss, PA-C is a Surgical Residency trained Physician Assistant from Yale / Norwalk hospitals in Connecticut. She obtained her Masters of Medical Science at Wake Forest School of Medicine in NC.
Kate has over 12 years of clinical and operative experience in Bariatrics, General, and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. She additional obtained a Board Certification as a Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management.
Her passion lies in serving weight loss surgery patients throughout their entire operative journey. She carries a special interest in serving those struggling with post-operative weight regain and believes in a whole foods nutritional approach for overall health and wellness.
When Kate has extra time on her hands, she enjoys pouring it inside Banana, being present with her two daughters and husband, and traveling the world with her family to experience new cultures and cuisines.

Connect with Kate Fuss
Website | bananabariatrics.com
Instagram | @banana.bariatrics
Facebook | www.facebook.com/groups/bariatricweightlosssurgery
Providers | bananabariatrics.com/private-practice/
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What if the pain, heavy bleeding, and chaos you've accepted as "normal" isn't normal at all?
Naturopath and author Lara Briden reveals why your menstrual cycle is the most underrated health report card you'll ever get—and what it's actually telling you about insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic health. We explore why hormonal birth control isn't regulating your period (it's suppressing it), how dairy might be the key to lighter, pain-free cycles, and why perimenopause doesn't have to be the health crisis it's become.
Lara walks us through the hidden metabolic consequences of decades on the pill, the real drivers behind PCOS and endometriosis, and practical strategies that actually work—from antihistamines to magnesium to simply quitting alcohol during perimenopause.
If you've been told your symptoms are "just hormones" or that you need to live with the pain, this conversation offers a different path forward.

Lara Briden's Books
Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods
Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40
The Metabolism Reset
VIDEO: The Hidden Story of Endometriosis: Pain, Lesions, and the Microbiome
Episode Highlights:
Why pill bleeds aren't real periods—and what that means for long-term health
How to tell if you're actually ovulating and why it matters beyond fertility
The link between dairy, histamine, and heavy, painful periods
What normal menstrual flow actually looks like—and when to seek help
Why hormonal birth control may be undermining metabolic health
Practical strategies for navigating perimenopause without losing your mind
About Our Guest:
Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and the bestselling author of Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and The Metabolism Reset. She has consulting rooms in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she treats women with PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and many other hormone- and period-related health problems.

Connect with Lara Briden
Website | www.larabriden.com
Facebook | www.facebook.com/LaraBriden
X | @LaraBriden
Instagram | @larabriden
YouTube | www.youtube.com/larabriden
TikTok | @larabriden
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.