At Health Volition, we are here to support our clients on their weight loss journey every step of the way. That means sharing their weight loss success story with the world, celebrating their wins, and giving them an opportunity to show other Australians wanting to lose weight and live a healthy, fulfilling life that it is possible.
Year: 2015
Starting weight: 115kg
Current weight: 60kg
Procedure: Conversion of a failed Gastric Band to an Omega Loop Gastric Bypass with a Minimizer Ring + Partial Gastrectomy, repair of Hiatus Hernia
How has your weight affected your quality of life?
I am a child from a family of 7 children, and all my life, I was referred to as the chubby, solid one and always got teased. I can honestly say I was not fat, just not skinny, which was the fashion back then as we ate very well, with my Mum preparing fresh food, mainly meat and vegetables, all the time.
Because of this, I was one of those people who tried every diet: Cabbage soup, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, the CSIRO diet and more. I would lose some weight, then it would all come back on, plus more. Then bad habits started to form, and I noticed I was a picker and grazer with food, plus I love my chocolate.
What are the biggest weight loss challenges you’ve faced?
I was married at 21 at a weight of 70kgs and fell pregnant at 24; this is when I stacked on the weight. I put on 32kg, and I just could not shift it after I had my beautiful daughter. So, in 1987, I decided to have surgery for a balloon to be put in my stomach. Back then, I think I only lost 5kg, and the balloon deflated, so I had to have it removed.
By 1998, my weight had increased to 126kg, so I had a lap band weight loss surgery. This time, the weight started coming off, and I was so happy. I would have lost about 25kg through having the lap band. However, I worked out that I could eat biscuits and chocolate and not compromise the lap band, and the weight slowly started to come back on.
I still had the lap band in, and in 2011, I was assaulted at work. I was a support worker; sometimes, this happens with high-risk clients. Then, in 2012, I was assaulted again; this was much more serious. The lap band moved during the assault, which made me unable to eat as I was throwing up all the time.
How did Health Volition help you on your weight loss journey?
This is when I came across my wonderful surgeon at Health Volition. His advice was that I had to get the lap band removed, and he asked me if I wanted to have another surgery done at the same time. With me suffering from Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS), I decided not to. My thinking was that this time, I’m really going to try and lose weight on my own.
In 2015, I decided to see my surgeon again; by this stage, my weight had gone up to 125kg. We had a big talk, deciding that a bypass was the way for me to go. So, I was all booked in, and before I knew it, I was in surgery. I had the support of the Allied Health Team, the psychiatrist, Anastasia, and the dietitian, Ali, and I was ready to go.
I can easily say this was the best decision I ever made. My weight came off consistently and slowly, and I was so happy; it was the first time I felt this good. I spoke with the dietitian every week and saw the nurse (Louise) as I needed to; the whole place was so helpful.
The team at Health Volition were all with me for my journey, providing the support I needed. My weight did go down a little too far for my liking, but after speaking to the Dietitian, I slowly put some weight back on, which suited me personally. I lost over 60kgs, and to this day, I have still kept 55kg off. I truly cannot thank the Health Volition team enough.
