Who is a BariGirl? This duo offers support, recipes, love and welcome others to join
By Beth Lipoff
Special to The Star
April 5, 2023 5:00 AM
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.
Kiley Williams-Bowls offers shopper Lilly Heller a food sample at Hen House Market in Leawood as Linda Donaldson watches. The BariGirls have a partnership with the grocery store that involves both making cooking videos and doing in-store sampling events. Beth Lipoff Special to The Star
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.”
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