Richard is on top of the world after losing 10 stones in 9 months

Back in July 2008 I first started to get interested in weight loss surgery as a possible option for me. All my life I had struggled to control my weight with countless self-control diets and fad quick fixes all failing. It wasn’t losing the weight that was the problem, it was maintaining the loss long term. I would have success losing weight only to put it all back on…and more.

I found my way to Healthier Weight and read through their success stories, with the sceptic inside me wondering if they were true. Could their success rate really be this good? Even still, I knew deep down that a major operation was my last option.

I had ballooned to 24.6 stones with a BMI of 50, my heaviest ever, and knew I had to do something fast or I’d probably end up dead or suffering from one of the many awful conditions associated with obesity. Four weeks after meeting Dr Ashton for my initial consultation I was checking into the Alexandra hospital in Manchester for my gastric bypass. Full of nerves and expectations, I could only hope that this weight loss surgery was finally the answer to my prayers.

I had a good idea what to expect after my operation and had accepted the fact that I’d no longer be able to consume those blow out dinners or complete a large pizza on my own. I really didn’t care - I just wanted to be normal and accepted for who I was rather than what I was.

Nine months after my weight loss surgery, I’ve lost 10.4 stones and 22 inches from my waist and I’m still losing. I have another 2 stones to go to reach my personal goal of 12 stones. The operation has literally given me back my life. I no longer suffer with sleep apnoea and I’ve found a new lease of life. I can run and take part again in the sports I used to enjoy – in fact I’ve gone from getting out of breath from simply walking up stairs to running up and down mountains! Plus I can now buy clothes in normal high street shops with my shirt size falling from a massive 4XL to a medium.

The biggest surprise has been that my eating is now back to a kind of normality, I can sit in a restaurant and pretty much eat whatever I want just in smaller portions. I’m able to drink and do have the odd glass of wine or beer from time to time, and so far I’ve not had the dreaded dumping syndrome that some people suffer.

Thanks to my gastric bypass surgery, the future now looks much brighter for myself and my family. I’m now able to do things with my 7 year old son, and can look forward to seeing his future now, rather than sitting around waiting for the inevitable heart attack or stroke to happen. This truly is a life changing procedure, and with the excellent help, advice and support of all the staff at Healthier Weight guiding me on my weight loss journey, I’ve so far had no problems at all.

Richard

Apr 2009