Who is a BariGirl? This duo offers support, recipes, love and welcome other to join

For Linda Donaldson and Kiley Williams-Bowls, bariatric surgery has been a way to a whole new life — and a business venture. The Lenexa mother and daughter duo have channeled their experiences into The BariGirls, with the aim of helping people adjust to life after bariatric surgery.

Through their website, barigirls.com, and social media channels, the two focus on healthy lifestyle choices in food and exercise while also providing support, consulting and information for fellow bariatric surgery patients.

It’s been 14 years since Williams-Bowls had her surgery.

“At first, there were no places I could get help and guidance pre- or post-bariatric care. I was like, ‘I need to do something. … I need to build a place where people can go for love, support, motivation, dedication, recipes — everything,’” she said.

She started her website several years after her own gastric sleeve surgery at 22. Donaldson followed in her daughter’s footsteps several years later with a gastric bypass at age 50.

“It’s so hard to get weight off and keep it off. For those that have tried and failed, and they’re at their wit’s end, (bariatric surgery) is a last resort, but it’s a good resort,” Williams-Bowls said.

Their individual experiences help them relate to more of their clients and followers.

“We cover a huge range of issues: two different surgeries, two different ages,” Donaldson said.

The goal of their recipes is to help people eat healthy, delicious food that doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare or cost a lot.

If factors like cost, taste and ease aren’t checked off, “you usually will fall off the wagon,” said Donaldson, adding that healthy eating does not have to be expensive.

To that end, they’ve partnered with Hen House to share their recipes and offer recipe demonstrations. You can find some of their work at henhouse.com/bari-girls and though their TikTok, @thebarigirls.

“I did not have a background in culinary or anything like that,” Williams-Bowls said. “I just knew that I needed to eat, but I needed to eat a certain way. I had to develop a whole different line of foods that are acceptable for my bariatric body.”

Connecting with the supermarket was easy: Donaldson called them up and pitched their healthy-eating brand.

“They have such an authentic story. Everything they say is very real. That’s what drew me to them,” said Bill Esch, director of advertising for Balls Food, the parent company of Hen House. “They’re good partners because we want people to eat healthy and have fun doing it.”

It’s not just about food. Through TikTok, they also share workout strategies and general advice on how to navigate life in a healthy way after bariatric surgery. With the community they’ve built, it’s all about trust.

“That was the big thing to build. It was very hard to do, because you have to establish why they should trust you. How they trust me is my longevity and the fact that I practice what I preach,” Williams-Bowls said. “They really express their deepest, darkest fears to you. … I make sure I give them the things I needed to hear when I was at their stage.”

One thing they’ve found is that bariatric patients often feel alone, because people in their lives don’t understand why they’ve taken such a drastic step. Donaldson said she’d exhausted all her other options for weight loss before turning to surgery but still encountered push-back from people she knew.

She and her daughter want to be there to help create a community for those who also feel like no one understands their experience.

“I think the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone to the positive — I get the comment, ‘I’m so glad I found you,’” Donaldson said. “Wow, to get that kind of impact, that is the most gratifying thing.”