Episode 18 - bonus

Daily Dump, Day 16: Chai Gains, Core Pain & Meetup Magic

Published on: 15th November, 2025

Hey Bari Besties 💜

Today’s dump hits all the cozy, productive notes: friendship, fitness, finances, and a spicy chai hack.

Sacha oversleeps (relatable), skips the tail end of her Miracle Morning, and heads to her Meetup group for women 55+ — even though she’s not quite there yet. She makes a new friend, shares laughs, and finds hope in building in-person community during a tough caregiving season.

Post-meetup, she hacks her chai latte into a protein drink win, catches the IU football game, and knocks out 87 grams of protein for the day. Then it’s Pilates time (abs on fire 🔥), a little Dateline binge, and a deep dive into the EveryDollar budget app while mapping out 2026 personal and couple goals.

Oh, and the pool? Still open. But it’s fine. (Mostly.)

Mentioned in this episode:

  • The Miracle Morning (Hal Elrod)
  • YouTube Pilates – 34-min mat routine
  • Dateline on YouTube TV
  • The Total Money Makeover & EveryDollar app
  • Scentsy: sachasmells.com
  • Venmo: venmo.com/sachasmells

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Community matters. Building real-life friendships hits different.
  • Protein > perfection. 87g for the day = win.
  • Pilates = humbling. Yoga prepped her; Pilates tested her.
  • Budgeting tools are powerful—if you actually use them.
  • No-spend November is on track, even if the pool isn’t closed.

⚠️ Content Note

Light mentions of caregiving stress, food tracking, and budgeting; mild lifestyle frustrations.

✨ Connect with Life in the Bari Lane:

🪶 Keywords

bariatric surgery, gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, SADI, post-op life, protein goals, chai latte, Miracle Morning, Pilates, YouTube Pilates, EveryDollar app, Total Money Makeover, no-spend November, budgeting, caregiver life, friendship after 40, Meetup groups, Life in the Bari Lane, Daily Dump, bariatric podcast

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

📌 Standard Disclaimer

This podcast is based on personal experience and is intended for information, education, and entertainment purposes only. I am not a medical professional, therapist, or financial advisor. Always seek the guidance of your qualified health, wellness, or financial professional regarding any medical condition, treatment, or decision. Listener discretion is advised. 💜

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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.