Surgery Date: 6th March 2023
I wasn’t always big, my weight went on in my early 30’s.
Back in the day I was a fit young man who enjoyed the outdoors and what it had to offer. When my weight started to creep up I would always thinks it’s ok I can lose it if I want to but that wasn’t the case.
I would always be thinking about my size and what other people were thinking about me and how I looked. I found that I had lost interest in being socially interactive and I would think of any excuse to get out of going to gatherings.
Clothes shopping was my worst nightmare as I would see the sizes going up everytime I went to get something new. Health wise I was lucky enough to be what would be deemed to be “healthy” but I wasn’t able to enjoy physical activities. I didn’t have the energy or agility.
My weight started to take a toll on my joints, resulting in knee surgery and constant back pain issues.
I was thinking of weight loss and had a discussion with my GP 5 years ago about surgery, but didn’t get a positive response. I then put the idea to the side and just carried on with life and dieting losing 20 kgs but then putting on 30 kgs. There was a regular cycle of yo-yoing in weight despite my best efforts.
When I turned 55 years old the thought that my father passed away at the age of 56 really came to the forefront on my mind and I wanted to give myself the best shot at enjoying my retirement, something he was never able to do. As I say you can be financially set up for your retirement but it means nothing if you haven’t got your health.
So one day in mid 2022 I finally talked to my wife Debbie about the idea which she was 100% behind and from that point on there was nothing in my mind that was going to stop me starting this amazing life changing journey.
To be honest I haven’t had what I would call “big challenges” during my weight Loss Journey. I did all the research I could before making my first appointment so I had a good idea of what I was signing myself up for. I’m pretty much an open book so i don’t mind talking to people and sharing my journey. I was never what you would call a “foodie” so I can’t say that I miss food at all. It was just getting used to the new normal which I found quite easy to do. The only area that is still a bit of a challenge is eating in social situations around a lot of people as I need to remember to take my time eating and chew thoroughly. This is more challenging when other people are eating at a “normal” pace.
I had lots of positive changes –
· I am a better person to be around
· Mentally I am in a better place
· You can’t stop me from going out socially
· I love going clothes shopping
· Everyday life is just easier
· 100% into getting as fit as I can because I now can.
· I am entering running events and I am doing my first half marathon soon
The multi disciplinary team at Surgical weight Solutions, really gives you the full support package you need. Follow their advice to the letter – they know what they are talking about. Don’t hesitate to email or phone with any questions as you go through the journey. You don’t always know the questions to ask at appointments but the team are always there to help.
If you are contemplating surgery, research, and get a clear understanding of what you are signing up for as it is a total commitment to changing your eating habits for the rest of your life. Go all in and commit 100% to get the true benefits.
Follow all of the guidance related to supplements, Fibre etc.
Don’t get side tracked by listening to negative people or their judgement or social media. This is your journey and to a certain extent you have to be totally selfish and focused on yourself to achieve the results you want. Lots of people are very judgmental when you say you have had surgery but that really is only one aspect of the treatment and they often have no idea of the total commitment you have put into your journey and the sacrifices you are making to achieve your goals.
Believe in yourself