We have all heard the phrase ‘eat less and move more’ but for those suffering with obesity, or eating disorders that have lead to obesity, this doesn’t quite work. ’97 percent of dieters regain everything they lost and then some within three years.’
Looking at statistics like this, we asked our patients what diets they had tried before Weight Loss Surgery and why they didn’t work. Here is what they said:
“Slimming World taught nothing about portion control or portion sizes and no food should be a ‘syn’.
“All the diets before Weight Loss Surgery didn’t work because:
1. Lighter Life and Cambridge diets only worked whilst I was using their products but once I introduced normal food, the weight came back.
2.Slimming World and Weight Watchers didn’t help because I have PCOS induced insulin resistance so I couldn’t eat the recommended diet and ended up having to amend it to fit my needs.
3. Keto diet was hard to maintain as you had to cut out carbohydrates.
4. Slim Fast. I only lost a few pounds but then you can’t live off milkshakes for the rest of your life so when I started eating normal food, I gained weight again.
All of these diets didn’t work because they were not sustainable, some of them were too restrictive and others just didn’t work for my health conditions.”
“I tried the Cambridge Diet. How is anyone going to stick to packet food made from powder? You do not know how it’s made and overall it was just vile.”
“Slimming world never teaches you why we need to eat, how to stop when you’re full or portion control. You’re encouraged to eat lots of processed food and high sugar yoghurt just because it’s zero ‘syns’ even thought there are better options. Even the word ‘sin’ is damaging. It’s giving a negative and damaging effect on food and it has made me still feel guilty about food now.
I spent years eating because I was ‘allowed’ to and not when I actually wanted to and felt hungry. It was never about loosing weight, it was about rewarding you with stickers and certificates which wasn’t actually helpful and no psychological investigation was taken as to why people over ate or what was the driving force for your eating disorders.”
“I tried Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Slimfast, Juice Plus, Atkins, Exante and they all failed the minute I went back to food. As soon as you start eating a normal balanced diet again, old habits creep back up and before you know it, you’ve put on more weight than what you originally were! You get back into that vicious cycle of unhealthy habits and bad yo-yo dieting.
“I firstly tried the Keto Diet. This didn’t work because of different reasons. The main one for me was to cut carbs completely off and having a job where I ‘grab and eat’ didn’t make it easy to maintain. Also, it requires a lot of fat intake and gave me awful acne!”
“With Slimming World I just couldn’t cope with the ‘syns’, the meetings and the meal plans given by them and I always said to myself ‘If I want to look like I want to, will I need to be a part of this for life?’. So I quit.”
“Juice Plus you literally have to starve. The food you eat is not enough and your nutrition plan isn’t bespoke. They give one plan to everyone, same food, same portions, same everything and the cost is HIGH!! The shakes and supplements just ended up being too costly!”
One of the biggest benefits of having Weight Loss Surgery is that is really helps to restrict your portion sizes therefore helping you to form healthier attachments to food. Without this, you will just continue to go back to the way you were before which is what tends to happen with diets or clubs like Slimming World or the Keto Diet. They are all short-term if you are not taught how to change your relationship to food.
Weight Loss Surgery doesn’t give you ‘syn’ foods, it teaches you how to eat in moderation and nourish your body with the food you actually need. Our specialised bariatric surgeons and support team will be there to answer any important questions you may have and support you through your initial liquid and soft food stages and back to eating a variation of normal foods. This means no dependence on smoothies or milkshakes for life to help you continue to lose weight, but actually eating food you love!
Reading Time: 2 minutes November is a time when your life shifts to cosy moments, savouring hot drinks with your favourite films on. For obese patients who have undergone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bariatric surgery is a life-changing step towards achieving a healthier body and a healthier lifestyle. Whilst it does offer a physical transformation, it’s crucial to