Australian Weight Loss Surgery Podcast

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/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

What if the biggest obstacle after weight loss surgery isn't the stalls, the food aversions, or even the physical recovery—but the voice in your head?
Alex Lauren takes us five months into her bariatric journey, beyond the highlight reel most people share online. She unpacks the hypercritical inner dialogue that emerged during her first stall, the unexpected ways her autoimmune condition shaped her approach to food and movement, and why preparation for surgery started eight months before she ever stepped into the operating room.
This isn't another "I lost X kilos" story. Alex reveals how she used GLP-1 medication strategically before surgery, rebuilt her relationship with food through therapy and journaling, and learned to decenter weight loss when chronic pain demanded it. We explore the comparison trap that dominates bariatric communities, why vulnerability became her most powerful tool, and how showing up authentically online created connections she never knew she needed.
If you've ever wondered what really happens when the scales don't move as expected, or how to navigate bariatric life when your body has its own rules, this conversation matters.
Episode Highlights:
Why the first weight loss stall hits harder psychologically than physically
How intentional pre-surgery preparation shaped seamless post-op life
Using bariatric surgery as a reset to identify autoimmune food triggers
The hidden cost of comparison in Facebook groups and online communities
Why expressing emotions replaced emotional eating
Balancing chronic pain management with weight loss goals
About Our Guest:
Alexandra has just hit five months post-op following weight-loss surgery and shares her journey online with a strong focus on honesty, sustainability, and mindset. She lives with ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune condition, so her experience includes navigating surgery alongside chronic pain, inflammation, and medication, something that’s shaped her approach to both food and movement. Online, she creates engaging, no-shame content that focuses on building a healthy relationship with food, dismantling diet culture, and showing what real life after surgery actually looks like, not just the highlights.
If you need something shorter: Alexandra is five months post-op and shares her weight-loss surgery journey online with an honest, no-shame approach. Living with ankylosing spondylitis, she speaks to the realities of balancing surgery, chronic illness, and mindset, while showing what real life after surgery looks like beyond the highlights

Connect with Alex
Instagram: @keepingupwithalexlauren
TikTok: @keepingupwithalexlauren
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the simple act of stepping on the scales is doing more harm than good?
Dr. Cal Paterson challenges something we've all accepted as routine: weighing patients. We explore why weight and obesity aren't the same thing, how the scales have become a measure of worth rather than health, and why this seemingly innocent medical procedure deserves far more thought than it gets.
Cal walks us through the changing landscape of obesity medicine, where patients with lived experience now sit on panels alongside doctors, and where the conversation is shifting from "what do you weigh?" to "how are you living?" We discuss the collision of the eating disorder and obesity worlds, the problems with BMI as our go-to measure, and why grip strength might tell us more about health than a number on the scales ever could.
If you've ever felt that tightness in your chest before a weigh-in, or watched a patient's face fall when they see the number, this conversation matters.
Dr Cal Paterson has shared some additional materials:
Cal will be hosting a webinar for IFSO later this month on the role of psychology in obesity surgery across the Asia-Pacific region. Details: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4_1X1jtQTO6fug9OjMVRPA#/registration
Cal’s paper will be published in the Journal of Public Health Ethics in the new year. Journal link: https://academic.oup.com/phe

Episode Highlights:
Why weight and obesity are two completely different things
How weighing functions as a medical procedure that requires consent and care
The role shame and stigma play in perpetuating poor health outcomes
Why doctors rarely define success by weight, yet it dominates consultations
Alternative ways to measure health and progress
What patients can actually control versus what they're blamed for
About Our Guest:
Dr Cal Paterson is a clinical psychologist working in Sydney. He has practiced as a clinician, teacher, and consultant in mental and chronic health since 1997. Cal has presented papers and workshops on obesity care, eating disorders, and behaviour change in Australia and internationally. Cal completed a Clinical Psychology Doctorate in 2007 with the acceptance of his thesis titled “Great Expectations; Applying common factors theory to practice in treatment for Anxiety and Depression." He is a founding member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association, and Vice-chair of the Integrated Health committee of the International Federation of Surgery and other Therapies for Obesity Asia-Pacific chapter. Cal is the author of papers and book chapters on topics ranging from child development, to CBT, to the role of placebo in psychology treatment. He most recently had a discussion paper accepted for publication by the Journal of Public Health Ethics, titled: “Should Weight be Given Less Weight in Obesity?”

Connect with Dr. Cal Paterson
LinkedIn | https://au.linkedin.com/in/cal-paterson-19891b26
X (Twitter) @obesitypsych
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.