Episode 203 - GLP-1s for Perimenopause Weight Gain: A Bariatric Surgeon Explains
GLP-1s and bariatric surgery are powerful medical tools, and the real risk is starting them without understanding what long-term weight maintenance actually requires.
This conversation pulls obesity treatment out of the culture wars and back into medicine. Dr. Betsy Dovec, one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in the country,speaks plainly about what long-term care actually demands, whether someone chooses bariatric surgery, GLP-1 medications, or a combination of both. The question beneath it all is simple and uncomfortable: are you looking for a short-term result, or are you prepared for a long-term strategy?
There is honesty here about weight regain, about the reality that stopping GLP-1 medications often leads to reversal, and about why a plan for maintenance matters more than the initial drop on the scale. The discussion touches on Microdosing GLP-1, the rise of GLP-1 oral medication, and how access and expectations shape outcomes. It also moves into GLP-1 for menopause and perimenopause, acknowledging how hormones change the metabolic equation for women and why GLP-1 inflammation benefits may explain why some feel better beyond weight loss alone.
This episode challenges the shame narrative. Obesity is treated as a chronic metabolic condition influenced by biology, environment, and hormones. The deeper takeaway is not which tool to choose, but whether you are approaching your health with clarity about what sustainable care truly involves.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Bariatric Surgery Explained: What It Really Is
09:11 Long-Term Weight Loss Success and Maintenance Strategies
11:57 GLP-1 Medications, Ozempic, and Weight Regain Reality
18:04 Hormones, Perimenopause, and GLP-1 for Women
28:00 Visceral Fat, Fatty Liver, and Metabolic Risk
37:01 Modern Bariatric Surgery and Recovery Timeline
About Dr. Betsy Dovec:
Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Dovec is the top female bariatric weight loss surgeon in the world. She is a trailblazing surgeon and the founder and CEO of BodyByBariatrics and The Surgical Institute of Central Florida in Orlando. Over the past 12+ years, she has performed more than 6,500 bariatric surgeries. Passionate about ending obesity stigma, she advocates for treating obesity as a chronic medical disease, not a personal failure, and provides unprecedented lifelong support.
Visit BodyByBariatrics Website
Follow BodyByBariatrics TikTok
Listen To Episode 203:
Shop This Episode:**
You know we love to give you the best of the best in wellness products and resources to help you learn more about our podcast topics. In this week’s episode, here are the products and brands that we talked about:
This Week’s Episode and ShopMy Shop
About Wellness Junkies
Your wellness + beauty go-to 🎧 A wellness + beauty edit making it all feel more approachable. Made more fun, less overwhelming, and never too serious. New episodes weekly. Real conversations, tips, and recs to help you feel your best.
💕 Join the community:
Listen to Wellness Junkies Podcast
Follow us @wellnessjunkiesofficial on Instagram
Subscribe to our newsletter
Shop this episode + our faves on ShopMyShop
Follow us @wellnessjunkies on YouTube and TikTok
Follow Amy @amynicolle on TikTok
Visit wellnessjunkiesofficial.com
Shop our Amazon Store
💌 Say hi at press@wellnessjunkiesofficial,com
🙏🏻 Please subscribe, rate, review + share to help us grow the community ✌🏻
Review & Share The Podcast:
Did you like this episode? Let us know by subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on Wellness Junkies on Apple Podcasts. It is so important to the future of Wellness Junkies podcast for our listeners to leave honest reviews. Thank you in advance for your support!
Help us to spread the message of approachable and relatable wellbeing for everyone. As you're listening and connecting with us, please take a screenshot on your phone and share it on your social media, tagging us @wellnessjunkiesofficial. We’re so grateful!
About Wellness Junkies:
Wellness Junkies is a relatable wellbeing, beauty, and lifestyle brand founded by sisters-in-law Amy Sherman and Katie Chandler. They explore and explain beauty, skincare, nutrition, movement, mindfulness, and more with an approachable style aimed at helping everyone achieve a lifestyle to help you feel your best.
For more on wellness and beauty tips, listen to the Wellness Junkies wellbeing podcast, and browse their blog for helpful advice on wellbeing, approachable tips for mindfulness, realistic ideas for body movement, and honest reviews on beauty and skincare products they love.
** Disclosure: We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. Read our full privacy policy here.