I previously sought out weight loss surgery in 2015, thinking it would be the perfect solution to my yo-yoing weight problems. Years later, I was still experiencing serious difficulty and was struggling to keep food down. I hadn’t achieved my weight loss goals, in fact, I felt that I was putting on more weight and it was getting worse as I got older.
My initial approach to weight loss simply was not the right fit for me. I knew I wanted the procedure reversed, but I was so worried about gaining even more weight after the reversal, and that I would find myself in a worse position than I was previously.
I was aware of other options, but never seriously considered them for myself, however after speaking to a friend who was also considering weight loss surgery, I was motivated to investigate further.
I didn’t want my future to revolve around being overweight. It really was a combination of wanting to reverse the initial procedure and giving something else a try, as I knew I needed professional help to lose weight in a healthy way. I wasn’t giving up!
The key reason why I wanted to explore other options was because of previous health issues including a cancer diagnosis 15 years ago. Whilst it wasn’t weight-related, I didn’t want the source of any other health issues to be linked to my weight.
I also had an image of how I looked in my head, yet every time I would see my reflection in the mirror or photos of myself, a very different image would be staring back at me, and I was embarrassed and hated the size I had become. I started to limit going out to large social gatherings, which is something I really enjoyed previously, but I was just too self-conscious of how people saw me in social situations.
I am a very open person, who is willing to accept help from others, so it got to a stage where I was ready to discuss my options with friends and family, as well as seek professional medical advice before making any decisions. Relying on my support network was crucial in my journey.
After gaining professional advice and exploring the options made available to me, I decided on an approach that I felt was the best-fit, whilst at the same time entering the new journey cautiously based on my previous failed attempt.
I was ready and well-informed on what to expect when I went into the procedure with equal elements of excitement and fear. Despite this, the first three days following surgery really caught me by surprise.
Straight after surgery I started to regret my decision. The first few days were tougher than expected, however I want to highlight that this isn’t the same for everybody. Each person’s journey is different.
Thankfully, every day after that initial period things started to significantly improve for me, and my previous regret dissipated completely. I focused on and followed the advice of the professionals around me and quickly realised that I had made the right decision to undertake a second weight loss procedure, making every step in the process worth it.
Post surgery I gave myself the necessary time to heal combined support from my network. This really aided me in the early stages of my recovery.
I learnt that caring for yourself and your health afterwards is the key to success. Taking professional advice seriously and putting in the required work is what makes the weight loss surgery either successful or unsuccessful.
The professionals gave me all the tools I needed to be successful, it was then up to me to follow their advice and make it work. Changing old and unhealthy habits and focusing on what my body needed to succeed in this journey in both the short term, but even more so the long term has become my focus going forward.
Even now, 24 months later, I still follow the guides on portioning food and consuming the right amounts of protein and vitamins. Straight after the procedure, I purchased bowls that were the recommended portion sizes to set myself up for success from the start, and I continued to use the smaller bowls to maintain my portion sizes. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with food portions and suggest prepping your food for the week ahead on the weekend.
Pre-planning makes it so much easier to focus on fuelling your body with the right foods recommended by professionals and helps to retrain us with what to eat going forward in a healthy and positive direction. After all, the advice we are given is to enable us to succeed, so trust the process!
Now I am fully recovered and have reached my goals I find that exercising is so much easier, and I have learnt to enjoy it. My focus has shifted from exercising in an attempt to just lose weight to now focusing on strength training to build muscles and stronger bones which is so crucial the older I become.
I now have the lifestyle I always wanted for myself; I just previously couldn’t get there on my own. Accepting help can be tough, but it is worth it.
I have now lost 34kg and have gone from a lady’s size 16 to a size 8. Rather than feeling defeated about the initial procedure not working and feeling like a failure, I now feel confident and proud of myself for working hard and kicking goals.
Where previously I was too embarrassed to go out and catch up with friends, my love of socialising has been rekindled, and I have found a new lease on life. I have transitioned from feeling depressed shopping for clothes to really enjoying it, and I feel good about how I now look in clothes. I no longer resent how I look in photos and have friends and family saying that I just seem happier and brighter and that they can see that I am enjoying life again.
I finally feel the freedom to maximise everything in my life as opposed to holding back. This journey has changed my life in ways I could never have predicted. I am now a strong advocate of talking to professionals for anyone considering a similar option to what I chose.
In this journey, I relied on my medical team, friends and family, but also found support in community online groups dedicated to weight loss surgery. My entire support system was and still is dedicated to helping me succeed and I feel like I am part of a greater family.
It is a scary process, and it is important to have support throughout to give you advice and address any concerns.
My advice to anyone considering weight loss surgery is to just trust the process. My only regret is not seeking this option sooner.
We acknowledge the Bindal and the Wulgurukaba peoples, the traditional custodians on the land in which we are gathered today. We pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge that we benefit from living and working on these lands.
This land is Aboriginal land, always was, is, and always will be.
Are you considering weightloss surgery?
If your BMI is between 30-35 without obesity-related health conditions, Dr Whiting will carefully determine your eligibility for surgical weight-loss interventions.
