Welcome To BariBoss Academy

Lesson Transcript:

Updated December 2020

Hello, and welcome to the BariBoss Academy. My name is Tabitha Johnson, a.k.a. The BariBoss.

I will be your personal wellness coach and guide through this seven-part learning series on how to maximize the benefits of your bariatric surgery and help you create sustainable habit change to aid you on your journey.

In 2014 I was in a car accident that had some consequences I wasn’t pleased with. The pain I was in caused me to lose sight of myself and I gained an excessive amount of weight.

Prior to the car accident, I had struggled with my weight most of my adult life. I would often swing back and forth between sixty-pound gains and fifty-pound losses; without any real concern for my weight gain or loss. 

After the car accident, things were different. Due to the pain I was experiencing, I found it difficult to exercise and often re-injured myself. My doctor told me to consider back surgery, but due to my age, the surgeon decided it wasn’t the best idea for me. 

Here’s a picture of me from 2015…

I knew I needed to make a change — and that’s exactly what I did. After thoroughly researching the best weight loss options available for me, I decided to undergo gastric sleeve or bariatric surgery at Blossom Bariatrics in Las Vegas Nevada, and 4 years later I’m here to say that you too can become your own BariBoss — and live the life you want.

I earned my Masters of Counseling in 2009 from Regis University and have since been practicing as a licensed marriage and family therapist in Las Vegas, Nevada where I live with my family.

I’m a certified health and life coach, as well as a licensed clinical alcohol and drug abuse counselor, well versed in working with addictive behaviors.

Now, I want to make myself available to you, (virtually in this case), to help you achieve your goals and realize your true potential.

With that being said, it is vitally important that you be an active participant and not a bystander to your health and wellness goals.

In the recovery world, we often say, “keep showing up,” and I, as your virtual coach, will not only continue to push you to ‘keep showing up’, but I will show you how to do it for yourself, and keep doing it.

This course is best suited for anyone who may be considering or has already had bariatric surgery. As a bariatric success story myself, I’ve tailored this course to be highly useful and relevant to your circumstances.

That isn’t to say that this course is solely designed for bariatric patients. Really anyone who would like to create sustainable habit changes in their lives by practicing healthier habits will benefit from the lessons within this course.

You’ll find the curriculum is set up like most online learning classes; individual lessons are grouped in modules focusing on core concepts, each building upon the last. It is designed for you to go through at your own pace, though the materials are originally based on a 12-week program. You can expect to receive practical information and tools you’ll be able to immediately apply to your daily life.

For example, in the first module, you will be learning about your Big MOFA, (or your Big Motivating Factor), and along the way, you’ll learn how to find daily reminders for you to stay on track with your weight loss and health goals. 

In order to get the most out of this course, please find a quiet spot to watch the videos, have a pen and paper handy, and an open mind.

Before you start the videos I would like you to take a minute to just breathe. Slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth, to calm yourself and get ready for the lesson.

If you are tired of feeling stuck, and want to achieve your health and weight loss goals, I will be your guide. Know that you are no longer alone, and I encourage you to get started today on your path to success by signing up, and if you already have, let’s get started.