Justine Shera on choosing health, honesty and herself

You may remember Justine from an earlier podcast episode where she spoke about having gastric bypass surgery.

This time, the discussion moves into new territory: her tummy tuck overseas, the emotional freedom it brought, and why she’s stepped away from her corporate career.

In the latest episode of We Need To Talk with Toni Street, Justine Shera returns for a refreshingly honest conversation about making changes that weren’t always easy but will lead to brighter health and happiness outcomes.

When Justine first chose weight loss surgery in 2022, it wasn’t about aesthetics. “I just wasn’t healthy,” she told Toni. “I wanted to feel better. I desperately wanted to be active, and I was trying, but it was really, really hard.” With a young son, everyday tasks had become a struggle, and something needed to change.

The surgery was transformative, but Justine is clear about the realities - “It’s not one‑and‑done,” she said. “Once you get past about 18 months post‑op, you face the same struggles as before. You just choose your hard.”

That truth resurfaced when a knee injury stopped her from going running and weight crept back on - all made more complex when Justine started to navigate perimenopause. “When you’ve had weight loss surgery, the word ‘regain’ is terrifying,” she admits. Though it can feel daunting, Justine also reminds listeners that weight fluctuation is totally normal, and perspective matters.

After significant weight loss, Justine was left with excess skin on her stomach, something she’d struggled with emotionally since childhood. It caused discomfort, infections, and as a result, Justine carried long-held shame. While she had learned to accept her body over time, this felt different, and after much thought, Justine decided to have an extended tummy tuck in Bali. The surgery removed 3.5 kilos of excess skin and subcutaneous tissue, but what surprised her most was the emotional response. “When the surgeon removed the binder and I looked down, I just burst into tears,” she said. “I’d never seen my body like that before.”

Her surgeon expressed that Justine had done all the groundwork, but he had just given her back her natural shape. For Justine, that framing mattered, this wasn’t undoing the work she’d done ... it was finishing it.

As with her weight loss journey, being in the public eye, Justine chose to be transparent with the women who followed and resonated with her journey, even if it felt scary. “I didn’t want to disappear, come back smaller, and say ‘just drink more water’,” she said. Sharing the reality of the whole journey has sparked a huge response – mostly positive - from women who finally saw their own bodies reflected honestly.

Around the same time, as a new lease on life would give you, Justine realised she wanted to shake up her working life, too, and made another big decision to leave a corporate job she’d been in for nearly 25 years. “I just kept asking myself, what am I waiting for?”

Today, Justine runs women-only group travel experiences around the world, creating connection and space for women to do something purely for themselves. The trips sell out quickly, and she finds such meaning in her role.

If there’s a single thread running through Justine’s story, it’s one she leaves listeners with: It’s your life - you write the next chapter.