Episode 11 - bonus

Daily Dump, Day 10: Pilates Foundations, No-Spend Resolve & Real Talk

Published on: 10th November, 2025

Hey Bari Besties 💜

Today’s dump is a mix of edits, endorphins, and honest opinions. Sacha starts with her Miracle Morning, edits The High-Functioning Disaster, and lines up work on Life in the Bari Lane. She meets a therapist who serves primarily men of color and reconnects with intuitive coach Shannon Curtis — a conversation that feels like the start of a meaningful friendship.

On the movement front, she’s hunting for better Pilates options: testing a short BetterMe trial, calling out FitOn’s meh Pilates selection, and (big win) discovering the YouTube Pilates channel’s Master the Foundations series — short, free, and form-first.

Then it gets real: No-Spend November, how to keep date nights while staying disciplined, and a heartfelt rant about dignity, living wages, and helping our neighbors without strings attached. Sacha wraps with a bright spot — her best friend’s call to plan a birthday dinner — and the reminder that connection is the point.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

  • The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
  • YouTube Pilates – “Master the Foundations” playlists [https://www.youtube.com/@YouTubePilates]
  • BetterMe (trial), FitOn app (Pilates vs. yoga)
  • No-Spend November parameters (needs > wants, with room for birthdays, Thanksgiving, and date nights)
  • Volunteering/charity ideas (e.g., Gleaners Food Bank)
  • Shannon Curtis (medium/intuitive coach)
  • The High-Functioning Disaster (editing in progress)
  • Scentsy: sachasmells.com

💜 Support & Connect:

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Free, quality Pilates exists — foundations matter.
  • No-Spend rules work best with clear, humane exceptions.
  • You can hold strong opinions and still lead with empathy.
  • Community (friends, guests, listeners) makes the hard days lighter.
  • Progress is a practice — show up, even imperfectly.

⚠️ Content Note

Includes discussion of U.S. politics, economic inequality, food insecurity, and organized religion — all handled respectfully and thoughtfully. Tone moves from calm reflection to passionate advocacy, ending with warmth and personal connection.

✨ Connect with Life in the Bari Lane:

Keywords

bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, post-op life, Life in the Bari Lane, Daily Dump, Miracle Morning, Pilates foundations, YouTube Pilates, BetterMe app, FitOn, no-spend November, volunteering, food insecurity, dignity, living wage, trauma-informed healing, intuitive coach, Shannon Curtis, therapist for men of color, podcast editing, bariatric mindset, self-care, integrity, Scentsy consultant

👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to Life in the Bari Lane so you don’t miss my next dump.

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About the Podcast

Life in the Bari Lane
Come along for the ride — it's no fun going alone.
Life in the Bari Lane is your 30-minute dose of real talk about life after bariatric surgery — the good, the hard, the weird, and the “nobody warned me about this” moments. No fluff, no “just follow the plan” nonsense — just honest conversations about what it’s like to change your body, your habits, and your whole damn life.

This podcast is a space for the highs and lows of the weight loss journey. Because here’s the truth: bariatric surgery is a tool — not a magic fix. It’s still work. It’s still messy. And it’s still life — with a different GPS.

Whether you’re pre-op and researching, post-op and thriving, or somewhere in the “what the hell did I just do?” stage, you’re in the right lane. This show is about building community — the kind that gets it, supports you, and doesn’t sugarcoat the process.

I’m Sacha — a real-life bariatric patient navigating this wild ride — and I’m here to keep it honest, funny, and deeply human.

You’ll hear:
💥 Unfiltered talk about the hard days
🥗 Nutrition talk that’s actually realistic
🧠 Mental health, body image, and identity shifts
👯‍♀️ Support systems and “friendship fallout”
💪 Motivation that doesn’t suck
🙃 Oops moments, progress wins, and honest reflections

New episodes drop weekly — short enough to fit into your day, but packed with the good stuff to keep you going.

About your host

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Sacha Holder

Sacha Holder is a project manager, podcast host, and bariatric patient who’s not here to pretend it’s all perfect. With over a decade of professional experience and a whole lot of lived experience, she creates podcasts that tell the truth about what it means to live, heal, and grow — through chaos, and curveballs, while keeping it together (mostly).

She’s the voice behind Life in the Bari Lane, a bite-sized bariatric podcast for real people navigating post-op life, and The High-Functioning Disaster, a show about showing up even when everything feels like too much. Through humor, honesty, and zero judgment, Sacha builds community through conversation — because no one should have to figure it out alone.