Patient Success Story – Craig

“I wanted and needed to improve my lifestyle and health,” said Craig.            

Craig from Caerphilly, South Wales was over 17 stone and had been steadily putting on weight for over ten years when he decided he had to change.

Craig had a gastric band fitted, since the surgery he has lost over 5 stone.*

“I had always been thin and quite active when I was younger but when I reached 18 I started to drive rather than walk to places, which affected how much exercise I was doing.  I began to take less care of myself.

“I hated the way I looked. From the moment I got up to the moment I went to bed, the worst thing was the way people looked at me and treated me. It began to really affect my work life, I had no desire to progress in my career because that would have involved meeting new people and I knew that all they would see when they looked at me was a fat man.

“The idea of going on public transport was just as bad. I kept thinking ‘I’m the fat guy no one wants to sit next to’. Plane journeys made me uncomfortable as well and when I went on holiday I never wanted to take my top off on the beach because of the way people would look at me.

“My weight started to really affect my health as well. I was borderline Diabetic and my cholesterol levels were dangerously high. I tried every diet that was available and went to the gym but nothing was working. My diet was terrible, you name it I ate it; I could easily eat several packets of crisps a day. After years of failed diets and bad eating habits my body was a mess.

“I was desperate to lose weight as I was getting close to my 30th Birthday and I wanted and needed to improve my lifestyle and health. I felt terrible all the time and surgery was my last chance.

“I met Guy Slater and I knew that this was a fantastic opportunity. After an hour I trusted him completely, he really understood my condition and my needs and was so helpful. I decided to undergo surgery with Guy and the results were incredible, I’ve never been happier.

“I am now 12 stone 6lbs and feel fantastic. My confidence has never been better and I’ve got my life back, I’m no longer stuck in a rut. I’ve moved jobs and got a promotion, I’m no longer held back by what people think of me and I have the confidence I need to succeed.

“My whole life has improved thanks to the surgery. I can go on public transport with confidence and I can’t wait till my next holiday not only will the travelling be so much easier but when I get on the beach I won’t be ashamed to take my top off.
“I’m so much more active, I recently took part in a 29 mile bike ride which I would never have been able to do before and I go to the gym three times a week, I really want to do a sky dive too when I get up the courage! My energy levels have taken off and I’m as fit as I was as a teenager. I also slimmed down enough to get a tattoo, something I’ve wanted for years.

“My friends and family are all so proud of me and the progress I’ve made, my Mum is a serial diet and her weight is always up and down and she thinks it’s amazing.

“Bariatric surgery was a really big decision and it’s no magic pill. It’s a lot of hard work, but with commitment and a desire to make it work it will completely turn your life around.”*

*Weight loss surgery results and benefits vary and are different for every individual.