Chanelle

My life before WLS

Before weight loss surgery, I couldn’t cope with doing anything strenuous and I couldn’t spend time with my children in the way I wanted to. My eating was out of control and I had been yo-yoing. I’ve been every size of clothes you can think of, from a size 4 to a size 20. I got into an unhealthy cycle of binging and emotionally eating. It really impacted on my weight and overall health. This directly impacted on my job and my life, and I lost all my happiness.

My Tonic experience 

I researched every surgery in England – and I’m very thorough. What stood out to me about Tonic, is that it wasn’t a get you in the door, do the surgery and get you out the door. It’s an ongoing relationship with a team that works with you to keep you on track. If you are an emotional eater and/or have a food addiction, you have access to regular psychological appointments with a professional. This is something you cannot get on the NHS or nip to talk to your GP about. The fact I have that service through having my bariatric surgery is phenomenal and you can’t put a price on it.

Life after surgery 

A year out from surgery, I’m a completely different person. Last year, my body fat percentage was in the morbidly obese category. Now, I’m in the healthy weight category. Previously, I couldn’t get through a spin class. Now, I could do back-to-back classes if I wanted to. I couldn’t go on long dog walks before. Now, I could walk for days. I would always have joint problems in my knees, hips and back. After surgery, that’s all gone. I cannot explain in words how grateful I am for this opportunity. It makes me emotional. It has completely turned my life around and given me and my children a second chance to create memories and have fun together. It’s all thanks to Tonic.