Remi Bader's Health Journey: Surgery, Mental Health, and Wellness

Remi Bader’s Weight Loss: The Full, Unfiltered Story

Direct Answer: What is the Core of Remi Bader’s Health Transformation?

Remi Bader’s recent, significant weight loss is the result of a profoundly complex and challenging health journey, one that goes far beyond simple diet and exercise. The cornerstone of her physical transformation was the SADI-S bariatric surgery (Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy), a procedure she underwent in December 2023. Critically, her decision was centered on treating an underlying, serious mental health condition: Binge Eating Disorder (BED). This is not a quick-fix vanity story; it is a path focused on achieving mental wellness, breaking the cycle of disordered eating, and building sustainable, healthy habits with the guidance of medical professionals. The entire process, from confronting the eating disorder to recovering from a major operation, is a testament to prioritizing long-term health over superficial appearance.

Establishing Credibility: The Importance of Transparency and Expert Guidance

When discussing a public figure’s health journey—especially one involving bariatric surgery and eating disorder treatment—trust and authority are paramount. Remi Bader’s narrative is powerful precisely because she has chosen complete transparency, revealing the medical, emotional, and physical components of her path. This includes candidly discussing her experience with medications like Ozempic, which she found worsened her underlying Binge Eating Disorder upon discontinuation, leading to weight regain. By openly sharing the truth of her recovery from the SADI-S surgery and its immediate, brutal aftermath, she demonstrates a high level of expertise and personal experience. This article breaks down every facet of her journey, providing factual context on the SADI-S procedure and addressing online speculation to offer a complete, verified account.

Understanding the Medical Tools: The Truth About Bariatric Surgery and Medications

The SADI-S Procedure: Remi’s Specific Weight Loss Surgery Explained

Remi Bader’s choice of medical intervention was the Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy, or SADI-S, a procedure she underwent in late 2023. The SADI-S is a newer, highly effective bariatric surgery that is more metabolically powerful than a standard sleeve gastrectomy but carries lower nutritional risks than a traditional duodenal switch. It is a dual-mechanism procedure: it restricts the physical size of the stomach and, crucially, limits the absorption of calories and nutrients by rerouting a portion of the small intestine. This makes it an especially powerful tool for individuals with Class III obesity (a BMI of 40 or greater) or those with a BMI of 35-40 who are also struggling with severe, obesity-related health problems like Type 2 diabetes or severe sleep apnea.

To provide clear medical context and establish the authority of this information, it is important to understand that SADI-S is an endorsed procedure. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) states that this operation is an appropriate metabolic procedure for treating severe obesity due to its substantial and durable weight loss outcomes and significant improvements in co-morbidities like Type 2 diabetes. This procedure requires lifelong commitment to specific nutritional plans and vitamin supplementation to manage the lower absorption of nutrients, highlighting that even a surgical solution is merely the catalyst for a fundamental lifestyle transformation.

Remi Bader’s Experience with Ozempic and the Recurrence of Binge Eating

The decision to pursue surgery was heavily influenced by a prior experience with a weight loss medication. Remi candidly shared her history with Ozempic (or a similar GLP-1 drug), which she was prescribed before it became a popular weight-loss trend, for issues related to insulin resistance and being pre-diabetic. While the medication initially caused weight loss, she noticed a troubling rebound effect when she stopped taking the once-weekly injection.

Speaking on a podcast, Remi was open about the cycle that followed: “My binging got so much worse,” she explained, revealing that her doctor confirmed the medication withdrawal had exacerbated her underlying Binge Eating Disorder (BED). She stated that she ultimately “gained double the weight back” that she had lost. This experience underscores a critical point often highlighted by medical experts: while medications can be highly effective tools for managing weight and metabolic issues, they must be considered within the context of a person’s complete mental and physical health profile. For Remi, the drug masked her BED symptoms without treating the root behavioral and psychological issues, leading to a profound—and temporary—setback. The severity of the rebound and the worsening of her binge eating is what ultimately led her and her medical team to pursue a more definitive, structural intervention like SADI-S.

The Mental Health Core: Addressing Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Self-Worth

Remi Bader’s journey to improved health has always been about much more than just a number on the scale; it is rooted in addressing a serious, underlying mental health condition. For years, she candidly shared her struggle with Binge Eating Disorder (BED), recognizing that any lasting physical transformation had to start with psychological treatment and a fundamental shift in her self-worth. It was the recognition of this fact, rather than a singular focus on weight, that gave her transformation credibility and depth.

Seeking Professional Help: Outpatient Treatment for Eating Disorders

Remi’s transformation started by confronting her Binge Eating Disorder (BED) through intensive, multi-week outpatient treatment in May 2022. She made the courageous choice to put her personal well-being first, attending a facility for several days and hours each week to participate in group and individual therapies.

This decision was critical because BED is a serious, diagnosable mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food, often accompanied by a sense of loss of control. Unlike other eating disorders, people with BED do not typically engage in compensatory behaviors like purging. However, the condition is far more prevalent than many realize. According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Binge Eating Disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 2.8 million adults in their lifetime. Remi’s public transparency about seeking professional help has helped normalize treatment for countless others struggling in silence.

The Role of Therapy and Self-Compassion in Sustainable Wellness

Remi has consistently emphasized that her eating disorder was never really about the food; it was a form of self-soothing and a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, and the pressure of a public-facing career. The work in therapy has focused on building tools to manage these emotions without resorting to compulsive overeating.

The sustainability of any wellness path—whether it includes bariatric surgery or not—is entirely dependent on addressing the root psychological causes. Remi’s ongoing work centers on self-compassion: accepting that the journey is non-linear and that setbacks are inevitable without allowing them to derail the entire process. This shift from focusing solely on external appearance to prioritizing inner well-being and emotional regulation is what gives her story enduring significance. It demonstrates that the most trustworthy, long-term health outcomes require a holistic, expert-guided approach that integrates mental, emotional, and physical care.

The Non-Scale Victories: Fitness and Lifestyle Shifts After Surgery

Remi Bader’s public health journey provides a powerful example of how physical transformation is ultimately a byproduct of deeper, internal changes. For someone with a history of Binge Eating Disorder (BED), simply losing weight was never the end goal; the true success lies in the sustainable lifestyle shifts and the mental breakthroughs that accompany them. After the SADI-S bariatric surgery, her focus pivoted away from the number on the scale and toward cultivating genuine physical and psychological wellness.

Movement Over Weight Loss: Prioritizing Strength and Enjoyable Activity

The period immediately following bariatric surgery can be physically and emotionally challenging, but Remi demonstrated a commitment to recovery that emphasized function and strength. She famously shared a viral “before and after” video that wasn’t a side-by-side comparison of body size but a testament to her increasing physical capability.

In that video, she was careful to include on-screen text that highlighted the transformation was about “mental, emotional and physical strength,” not just looks. This emphasis on functional fitness—the ability to perform core exercises and build endurance—is a vital, expert-backed strategy for long-term health maintenance following major weight loss intervention. It changes the narrative of exercise from a punitive tool to burn calories into a celebration of the body’s newfound capabilities. As the influencer herself stated about her new approach: “This is not about weight, or looks or appearance, it’s about putting myself first and finding myself again. Always put yourself first.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the shift from external validation to internal well-being, which lends significant authority and authenticity to her story.

Building Consistency: The Shift to Mindful Nutrition and Hydration

For bariatric patients, eating is no longer an automatic action but a highly intentional process. For Remi, the focus shifted to a principle known as “mindful eating”—a structured approach to food that is strongly recommended by bariatric medical professionals. This method is fundamentally about establishing a healthier relationship with food by listening to the body’s hunger and satiety cues, rather than adhering to rigid, external diet rules.

The sustainable approach involves:

• Eating Slowly: Taking small bites and thoroughly chewing food to aid digestion and prevent discomfort, which is crucial with a newly restricted stomach size.
• Eliminating Distractions: Focusing entirely on the meal instead of eating mindlessly while watching TV or scrolling a phone.
• Prioritizing Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods: Because the stomach volume is drastically reduced, every bite must count in terms of nutrition, ensuring essential vitamins and protein are consumed before feelings of fullness set in.

By adopting mindful eating, Remi has moved beyond the cycles of emotional eating and restrictive dieting, replacing them with consistent habits that honor both her medical recovery and her journey to overcome Binge Eating Disorder. This shift from disordered eating to intentional nourishment underscores the holistic nature of her healing process.

Navigating Public Scrutiny: Body Neutrality vs. Body Positivity in a Public Eye

Remi Bader’s journey has illuminated the intense pressure placed on public figures, especially those who initially become known for a message of body acceptance. While she became a viral success through her “realistic try-on hauls” and was quickly labeled the “face of body positivity,” she has since expressed that the concept of body neutrality is a more sustainable and healthier approach for her personal mental health. Body neutrality is a mindset that shifts the focus from how the body looks to what the body can do, emphasizing function over aesthetics. This realistic acceptance, rather than a forced, constant love for her body, has been a key pillar in managing her mental health alongside her Binge Eating Disorder (BED).

Setting Boundaries: When Public Sharing Impacts Personal Recovery

Despite her history of transparent sharing, Remi faced significant online trolling and criticism over her decision to have bariatric surgery and her subsequent weight loss. This backlash included accusations of “betraying” the body positive movement she was never truly comfortable spearheading. In response to the immense public pressure and the toll it took on her emotional well-being, Remi made a critical decision to adjust the level of detail she shared with her audience, demonstrating a professional-level commitment to setting and enforcing boundaries.

For example, while she has been candid about her overall journey, she intentionally stopped sharing every detail of her day-to-day food intake or specific weight changes. As she stated on her platforms, sometimes sharing everything she was feeling led to too many opinions and ended up being detrimental to her mental state. This pivot toward prioritizing her recovery over her online persona is a crucial lesson in self-advocacy, showing that even when an audience feels entitled to every detail, an individual’s psychological well-being must come first. This commitment to self-care is a powerful statement of personal authority and trustworthiness in her narrative.

The Shifting Narrative: Criticized for Being ‘Too Big’ and Now ‘Too Small’

Remi has been in the uncomfortable position of being critiqued by all sides of the body image debate. Before her surgery, she was sometimes criticized within the plus-size community for openly discussing her unhappiness with her body and her struggle with an eating disorder. She candidly noted the double standard, stating that she was considered “too big to be midsize” but “not big enough” to have a say in certain plus-size industry discussions.

Following her surgery, the narrative flipped, and the criticism persisted. She was accused of taking the “easy way out” and “abandoning” her audience, demonstrating a no-win scenario for a public figure undergoing a medical and emotional transformation. Her response has been authoritative and focused on her personal health: “I don’t owe you small. I don’t owe you big. I owe myself health.” This unwavering commitment to her own well-being, prioritizing the advice of medical professionals and therapists over the fleeting, contradictory demands of online commentators, reinforces the professional and authoritative nature of her health choices. Her journey serves as a powerful case study for the mental health toll of online scrutiny, validating the choice to make private medical decisions for one’s long-term health.

Lessons for the Reader: Remi’s Blueprint for a Holistic Health Transformation

Remi Bader’s complete journey—from battling an underlying Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and experiencing the pitfalls of quick-fix medication to undergoing major bariatric surgery—offers one foundational truth for anyone pursuing health: a lasting transformation is holistic. It is never a single fix, but a deliberate integration of medical intervention, psychological treatment, and sustainable lifestyle changes. Her story provides a crucial blueprint for moving past the stigma of “willpower” and embracing an expert-guided, multi-faceted approach.

Step 1: Prioritize Professional Support for Mental Health and Medical Needs

The most critical takeaway from Remi’s experience is the normalization of seeking professional help for both eating disorders and clinical obesity. This removes the stigma of relying solely on perceived “willpower,” which is simply not enough for a diagnosable mental health condition like BED or for Class III obesity. It is essential to understand that these are complex medical and psychological issues requiring a specialized care team.

Actionable Steps:

1. Seek a Specialist for Underlying Issues: Before focusing on weight loss, prioritize treating any underlying mental health issues. Remi began her journey by seeking intensive, multi-week outpatient treatment for her Binge Eating Disorder. Organizations like the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) stress that comprehensive treatment—involving psychiatrists, psychologists, and specialized dietitians—is crucial for long-term recovery and to prevent the potentially fatal physical and psychological consequences of untreated eating disorders.
2. Consult a Bariatric Team for Medical Intervention: If clinical obesity (BMI $>40$ or $>35$ with co-morbidities) is a factor, consult a surgical team. Remi’s decision to have SADI-S surgery was a carefully considered medical choice, not a lifestyle whim. This ensures the treatment plan, including medication or surgery, is overseen by licensed medical professionals who can monitor for complications and guide nutritional changes.

Step 2: Embrace a Non-Linear Journey with Self-Compassion

Real, sustainable health is messy, and Remi has openly shared her setbacks, including regaining weight after stopping Ozempic and facing a difficult surgical recovery. This transparency is a cornerstone of her genuine connection with her audience and her narrative’s long-term credibility, showing that true success is about resiliency, not perfection.

Actionable Steps:

1. Focus on Inner Strength and Mental Health First: As Remi stated in a viral post showing her fitness progress, “This is not about weight, or looks or appearance, it’s about putting myself first and finding myself again.” Her transformation emphasizes prioritizing “mental, emotional, and physical strength” over the number on the scale.
2. Practice Self-Advocacy and Boundary-Setting: Remi’s journey highlights the power of self-advocacy. She learned to set firm boundaries, opting to share less about her day-to-day food intake or exact weight changes to protect her mental recovery from public judgment. Acknowledge that your journey is yours, and you have the right to share only what is beneficial for your healing, not what others demand.

Your Top Questions About Remi Bader’s Health Journey Answered

Q1. Did Remi Bader have weight loss surgery?

Yes, Remi Bader publicly confirmed she underwent major weight loss (bariatric) surgery in late 2023. Her decision was a necessary medical step, driven by significant health concerns including an underlying Binge Eating Disorder (BED), joint pain, and other issues related to Class III obesity, as confirmed by her statements to Self magazine. She was transparent that the surgery was not a simple cosmetic choice, but a solution sought after other medically-guided treatments and lifestyle changes proved unsustainable for her specific condition.

Q2. What type of surgery did Remi Bader have?

Remi Bader had a specific, advanced type of bariatric surgery known as SADI-S (Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy). This procedure, according to sources like the Mayo Clinic, is a powerful surgical option for patients with severe obesity. The SADI-S combines two methods: first, a sleeve gastrectomy that removes roughly 80% of the stomach to create a smaller, tube-shaped sleeve, thus restricting food intake; and second, an intestinal bypass that reroutes the small intestine. The bypass component reduces the length of the small intestine that can absorb calories and nutrients, promoting greater and more durable weight loss than a standard sleeve alone. This complex surgical approach highlights the serious, expert-guided medical nature of her health intervention.

Q3. Did Remi Bader use Ozempic for weight loss?

Yes, Remi Bader was prescribed and used a GLP-1 receptor agonist drug (like Ozempic or Wegovy) prior to her surgery. However, she was candid about her negative experience with the medication, stating that once she discontinued use, the effects of her underlying binge eating disorder worsened significantly. She openly shared that the medication’s effects of making her “not hungry for so long” led to a severe “rebound” effect, causing her to regain “double the weight back” and intensifying her struggles with binging. This candid sharing underscores the critical need for a holistic treatment plan that addresses underlying mental health issues alongside medical interventions.

Final Takeaways: Mastering a Sustainable and Authentic Wellness Path

Remi Bader’s journey to improved health—which has included professional treatment for Binge Eating Disorder (BED), the SADI-S bariatric procedure, and a fundamental lifestyle overhaul—is a powerful case study in personalized, authentic wellness. The ultimate success of her transformation is not the number on the scale, but the commitment to a process guided by medical and psychological professionals.

Summarize 3 Key Actionable Steps

The most crucial takeaway is that true health is not a single fix, but a holistic combination of medical, mental, and physical treatment for underlying issues. For anyone facing similar challenges, her experience distills into three core actionable steps:

1. Prioritize Professional Support for Mental Health and Medical Needs: Do not attempt to tackle complex issues like obesity or an eating disorder through sheer willpower alone. Remi’s story underscores the normalization of seeking expert help, whether that involves a multi-week outpatient treatment program for BED, consulting with a bariatric surgeon, or working with a therapist and dietitian. Having a multi-faceted team ensures that all aspects of the condition—psychological, physiological, and nutritional—are addressed, which is a key component of building a foundation of authoritative wellness.
2. Embrace a Non-Linear Journey with Self-Compassion: Wellness is not a perfect, straight line. Remi’s candid discussion of regaining weight after trying Ozempic and her difficult recovery from surgery proves that setbacks are part of the process. The focus must be on consistent effort, “putting herself first,” and utilizing the tools learned in therapy to pivot back to healthy habits without shame or self-punishment.
3. Practice Radical Self-Advocacy and Set Boundaries: Remi has demonstrated the power of self-advocacy by making medical decisions for her own health, even in the face of public scrutiny and criticism from both the ‘body positive’ and ‘wellness’ communities. The ultimate message is putting your own mental and physical well-being first, regardless of external expectations.

What to Do Next: Finding Your Own Path to Holistic Health

If you are struggling with a similar journey, the most effective next step is to prioritize seeing a mental health professional and a medical doctor to develop a multi-faceted, expert-guided plan. This professional consultation will help you move away from the unsustainable cycles of dieting and towards a tailored program that integrates emotional healing, medical support, and lasting lifestyle change. The goal, as Remi’s experience illustrates, is a life centered on sustainable consistency and inner strength.