Ep 276: Adding Weight to Maximize Metabolic Wellness with RuckFit Author Kayla Girgen
Wed Feb 04 2026
Have you ever worked so hard to lose weight, only to feel frozen at the idea of intentionally putting weight back on your body?
You’re not alone. And this episode is for you.
In this BariNation Podcast episode, we sit down with Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT, registered dietitian, personal trainer, and author of the new book Ruck Fit, to break down rucking through a bariatric lens, the fears, the resistance, and why this simple practice may be one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools for post-op metabolic health.
Rucking is simply walking with weight, and while that sounds straightforward, for bariatric patients, it can bring up a lot of hesitation:
“I worked so hard to lose this weight—why would I add it back?”“What if I hurt myself?”“What if it doesn’t actually help?”
Kayla meets those fears head-on with science, compassion, and real-world experience.
Episode Quotes:
"It might sound dramatic to say that rucking saved me, but shouldering the load helped me reclaim my sense of self, perseverance, and inner peace." Kayla Girgen
“Rucking's going to help preserve that muscle and help make sure that you can maximize your blood sugar management...By adding weight back in the form of a weighted vest or a ruck, you help provide that weight bearing stimulus that helps tell your skeleton, hey, we still need this bone density."
What We Cover in This EpisodeWhy Bariatric Patients Hesitate to Try RuckingThe emotional and psychological resistance to “adding weight back”How fear, all-or-nothing thinking, and perfectionism keep us stuckWhy doing nothing often feels safer than trying something new
What Rucking Actually Is (and What It’s Not)Walking with a weighted vest or backpack (ruck)Why rucking is low-impact, scalable, and accessibleHow rucking is different from traditional cardio or gym workouts
Muscle, Bone Density, and Post-Op StrengthWhy rapid weight loss can increase risk of muscle and bone lossHow rucking provides the weight-bearing stimulus your skeleton needsWhy preserving muscle matters more than “burning calories”
Metabolic Health & Flexibility Explained SimplyWhat metabolic flexibility actually means (without medical jargon)Why bariatric patients often feel hungry quickly or “carb dependent”How rucking helps muscles access fuel without relying on insulinWhy this matters for insulin resistance, inflammation, and long-term health
Mental Health, Burnout, and ConsistencyHow rucking...
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Have you ever worked so hard to lose weight, only to feel frozen at the idea of intentionally putting weight back on your body? You’re not alone. And this episode is for you. In this BariNation Podcast episode, we sit down with Kayla Girgen, RD, LD, CPT, registered dietitian, personal trainer, and author of the new book Ruck Fit, to break down rucking through a bariatric lens, the fears, the resistance, and why this simple practice may be one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools for post-op metabolic health. Rucking is simply walking with weight, and while that sounds straightforward, for bariatric patients, it can bring up a lot of hesitation: “I worked so hard to lose this weight—why would I add it back?”“What if I hurt myself?”“What if it doesn’t actually help?” Kayla meets those fears head-on with science, compassion, and real-world experience. Episode Quotes: "It might sound dramatic to say that rucking saved me, but shouldering the load helped me reclaim my sense of self, perseverance, and inner peace." Kayla Girgen “Rucking's going to help preserve that muscle and help make sure that you can maximize your blood sugar management...By adding weight back in the form of a weighted vest or a ruck, you help provide that weight bearing stimulus that helps tell your skeleton, hey, we still need this bone density." What We Cover in This EpisodeWhy Bariatric Patients Hesitate to Try RuckingThe emotional and psychological resistance to “adding weight back”How fear, all-or-nothing thinking, and perfectionism keep us stuckWhy doing nothing often feels safer than trying something new What Rucking Actually Is (and What It’s Not)Walking with a weighted vest or backpack (ruck)Why rucking is low-impact, scalable, and accessibleHow rucking is different from traditional cardio or gym workouts Muscle, Bone Density, and Post-Op StrengthWhy rapid weight loss can increase risk of muscle and bone lossHow rucking provides the weight-bearing stimulus your skeleton needsWhy preserving muscle matters more than “burning calories” Metabolic Health & Flexibility Explained SimplyWhat metabolic flexibility actually means (without medical jargon)Why bariatric patients often feel hungry quickly or “carb dependent”How rucking helps muscles access fuel without relying on insulinWhy this matters for insulin resistance, inflammation, and long-term health Mental Health, Burnout, and ConsistencyHow rucking...