TheAesthete
New Member
Hello Everyone!
This is my first post on WLS.
I have taken the plunge and have spent all day researching weight loss surgery.
I have been battling with my weight since the age of 16 and despite following various diets and plans such as Slimming World etc have come to the conclusion that if they didn't help me then they are not going to help me now or in the future. I need something more permanent and life changing as, as it stands, my life seems to be dictated by food.
I have been on a course of Orlistat which did nothing really as well as seeing a dietician who told me what I already new.
I really REALLY enjoy food
and LOVE to cook, I even write about food and restaurants but enough really is enough:wave_cry:
As much as I love food it has become my enemy, my tormentor, my master and my shame. It feeds not just my body but my guilt, insecurity, lack of confidence, depression and many other parts of my psyche that have taken a battering (both the punchy kind and the fish and chips sort) for most of my 28 years on this Earth.
I consider myself to be an intellectual. Having studied hard at University and attained good skills in philosophy, politics and in literature. I therefore have even more trouble in explaining why I am the way I am when I have knowledge of whats going on.
I KNOW why I am fat, I KNOW what I SHOULD do and I KNOW that you can lose weight with diet and exercise. Try telling all of that to my brain however and the food gremlins take over.
I have an eating disorder, that is plainly clear. I eat too much food and occasionally binge to the point of deep depression. I was (lightly) bullied at high school which couldn't have helped and believe I turned to food as I believe that in my mind if people were not nice to me because of my weight it was not actually ME they were bullying? - does that make any sense?
Any-hoo the bullying didn't last all that long and it wasn't physical or by any means worse than what most kids go through at high school but it did start me on a path of using food a distraction tactic which I think is how I got to where I am today.
I am 6ft 5 and over 400lbs (not exactly sure how big exactly as I have yet to find scales that go beyond 400lbs - apart from the embarrasing ones always slap bang in the middle of supermarkets or boots). I have a waist of 60inches.
All of my clothes have to be bought on the Internet and style always as an afterthought with all of these clothes. I am left temporarily scarred by my clothes every evening by all the imprints, dents and red marks that occur all over my body.
Until recently, the cosmetic reasons were all that occupied me as far as weight loss was concerned. I had no other issues.
In the last 2 years, however, I have suffered with debilitation Chronic IBS and CFS which I believe, cannot be helped by being so over weight.
My knees have begun to actually crunch when I walk up and down stairs. I have noticed that I get breathless much quicker (although I am remarkably fit and nimble for my size). My lower back every few months or so also causes a great deal of agony.
I have had many cholesterol and blood sugar tests and amazingly I have very low bad cholesterol and very high good cholesterol. My blood sugar is bang on normal and my heart function is tip top.
All of these are reasons that I believe weight loss surgery is the only way to go. I also believe that I should go for it whilst I have low cholesterol, a healthy heart and no sign of type 2 diabetes - it shocks me how many people are forced to wait until getting these life threatening conditions before they are given assistance.
The one thing on my side, ironically, is my mass. My BMI is spot on 50 which means by the NICE guidelines I should be eligible for surgery without having to have any co-morbidities.
I have just moved to London (tower hamlets) and I am about to register with a new doctor surgery. The London PCT's all use the NICE guidelines. My previous PCT had their own which stated that at ANY BMI you needed to have diabetes to get funding.
I am hoping that things will be more straightforward in London and wondered if any of you have any advice for someone seeking first support on the journey towards Bariatric Surgery on the NHS.
Well thats my story over for now but I hope to be able to share what happens through the coming months (hopefully not years).
All the best.
C x x x
This is my first post on WLS.
I have taken the plunge and have spent all day researching weight loss surgery.
I have been battling with my weight since the age of 16 and despite following various diets and plans such as Slimming World etc have come to the conclusion that if they didn't help me then they are not going to help me now or in the future. I need something more permanent and life changing as, as it stands, my life seems to be dictated by food.
I have been on a course of Orlistat which did nothing really as well as seeing a dietician who told me what I already new.
I really REALLY enjoy food
and LOVE to cook, I even write about food and restaurants but enough really is enough:wave_cry:As much as I love food it has become my enemy, my tormentor, my master and my shame. It feeds not just my body but my guilt, insecurity, lack of confidence, depression and many other parts of my psyche that have taken a battering (both the punchy kind and the fish and chips sort) for most of my 28 years on this Earth.
I consider myself to be an intellectual. Having studied hard at University and attained good skills in philosophy, politics and in literature. I therefore have even more trouble in explaining why I am the way I am when I have knowledge of whats going on.
I KNOW why I am fat, I KNOW what I SHOULD do and I KNOW that you can lose weight with diet and exercise. Try telling all of that to my brain however and the food gremlins take over.
I have an eating disorder, that is plainly clear. I eat too much food and occasionally binge to the point of deep depression. I was (lightly) bullied at high school which couldn't have helped and believe I turned to food as I believe that in my mind if people were not nice to me because of my weight it was not actually ME they were bullying? - does that make any sense?
Any-hoo the bullying didn't last all that long and it wasn't physical or by any means worse than what most kids go through at high school but it did start me on a path of using food a distraction tactic which I think is how I got to where I am today.
I am 6ft 5 and over 400lbs (not exactly sure how big exactly as I have yet to find scales that go beyond 400lbs - apart from the embarrasing ones always slap bang in the middle of supermarkets or boots). I have a waist of 60inches.
All of my clothes have to be bought on the Internet and style always as an afterthought with all of these clothes. I am left temporarily scarred by my clothes every evening by all the imprints, dents and red marks that occur all over my body.
Until recently, the cosmetic reasons were all that occupied me as far as weight loss was concerned. I had no other issues.
In the last 2 years, however, I have suffered with debilitation Chronic IBS and CFS which I believe, cannot be helped by being so over weight.
My knees have begun to actually crunch when I walk up and down stairs. I have noticed that I get breathless much quicker (although I am remarkably fit and nimble for my size). My lower back every few months or so also causes a great deal of agony.
I have had many cholesterol and blood sugar tests and amazingly I have very low bad cholesterol and very high good cholesterol. My blood sugar is bang on normal and my heart function is tip top.
All of these are reasons that I believe weight loss surgery is the only way to go. I also believe that I should go for it whilst I have low cholesterol, a healthy heart and no sign of type 2 diabetes - it shocks me how many people are forced to wait until getting these life threatening conditions before they are given assistance.
The one thing on my side, ironically, is my mass. My BMI is spot on 50 which means by the NICE guidelines I should be eligible for surgery without having to have any co-morbidities.
I have just moved to London (tower hamlets) and I am about to register with a new doctor surgery. The London PCT's all use the NICE guidelines. My previous PCT had their own which stated that at ANY BMI you needed to have diabetes to get funding.
I am hoping that things will be more straightforward in London and wondered if any of you have any advice for someone seeking first support on the journey towards Bariatric Surgery on the NHS.
Well thats my story over for now but I hope to be able to share what happens through the coming months (hopefully not years).
All the best.
C x x x
