Referrals

29 May 2014


The news has been full of stories recently regarding the NHS referring patients to weight loss organisations such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers.

Some people think that it’s an excellent idea…others do not.

One article I read discusses a Slimming World study in which the figures suggest that a third of people drop out before the end of the 12-week referral. This is my biggest concern over this type of scheme I suppose.

At my biggest, had I been offered a referral to Slimming World, I would have accepted it…but in my heart of hearts I would never have believed that I could do it. Now I appreciate that not everybody reaches the level of ‘issues’ with food that I had – and still have – yet I know plenty of people with a heck of a lot less to lose than me who do have these issues.

And these issues centre in the ‘mind’.

Slimming World, for me, do a great job in addressing the psychology of weight loss. You only have to flick through a copy of the magazine to see that they work hard to develop our understanding of our relationship with food. Image Therapy goes some way towards addressing this too – my consultant is particularly bloody good in helping people with their mind issues…but as with all things, some consultants aren’t so good – purely as they have never had these issues and struggle to understand why someone like me didn’t stop eating cake and McDonalds at 25st! ;-)

I guess what I am saying is that it doesn’t matter what the NHS throws at you, if you aren’t in a place in which you really believe that you can shift your weight and lead a healthy lifestyle…then it’s going to fail. Which means that NHS costs spiral and my fellow fatties and I become a target for people who think we are a strain on the NHS – and we are…but so are smokers, drinkers, nobbish drivers, sun-worshippers…the list of drains and strains on the NHS is far longer than I am wide! :-)

This article states that the NHS spent nearly £37m on anti-obesity drugs last year. It also mentions that other treatments include working with dieticians and psychologists. I have tried all of these measures…the drugs failed, the dietitian is fantastic but couldn’t really tell me anything that I didn’t already know given my lengthy search for answers to my predicament. As for the psychologist – well, he takes no crap from me…but is well aware that unless you want to change then nothing he can say will make a difference.

What made me smile was the article stating that in the most extreme cases, some people may choose weight loss surgery, such as gastric band operations. I was told that my only option was surgery. I was told this time and time again. What do you think this did for my self-belief and confidence in my ability to change my life?

I went from someone who didn’t want the surgery – and was only there in order to access the psychological help as getting it elsewhere was impossible – to being someone who was resigned to the fact that I had no choice but to have life-threatening surgery. I lost all self-belief, I stopped trying as I felt that my weight was out of my control now…beyond any boundaries of personal responsibility.

When I look back and think about how I felt – based on the messages I was given from people working within the NHS – well…it is like looking at another person. Yet I am very much still the same person – I have just managed to claw back that belief…but it takes time and effort – I will save that for another blog post as Mr WLB requires my attention for the evening! :-)

Today has been good. A nice coaching session this morning was followed by a visit to the gym. I then took Mr WLB for lunch, then to his doctors appointment, then I went to see the horses, and headed to the shops…and now I am relaxing.

Breakfast: Banana and boiled eggs.

20140529-173400.jpgLunch: Jacket potato, beans, cottage cheese, and fruit.

20140529-173438.jpgDinner: Butternut squash and mushroom risotto, grilled veggies, and Linda Mc sausages.

20140529-192744.jpgSnacks: Ryvita ‘pizzas’ (1 x HEB and 2 x HEA), nuts (1 x HEB), and Nakd bars (13 syns).

20140529-195855.jpgAnother good food day. My usual brekkie kicked the day off and was followed by a jacket potato from the lovely van I visit! I grabbed a bit of fruit to go with it to stop the superfree police mentioning my lack of. Then I made a risotto this evening – butternut squash and mushroom. I made it plain as Mr WLB is avoiding certain foods…so no garlic or onions…but I put the butternut squash (which I had softened in the microwave) and mushrooms in the pan with a tiny bit of chicken stock and mixed herbs. Once this had cooked, I added the rice, and ladled in the stock…stirring all of the time. I then grilled some veggies to add to mine, and some sausages. I had a hungry head on today, so made my Ryvita pizzas tonight – you just spread tomato purée on the Ryvitas, then some lazy garlic, a sprinkle of herbs, and top with cheese.

Exercise: 20 minutes rower, 20 minutes elliptical, 20 minutes treadmill, plus cool down and stretches.

Thank you for reading,

Weight Loss Bitch xxx

  

WeightLossBitch

On a health and fitness driven journey to lose over 32st / 448lbs / 203kgs – yes, it is a considerable amount – I am committed to losing my excess weight without the aid of weight loss surgery, diet pills, or quick fixes…as there aren’t any! Changing my eating habits and building up my fitness levels, along with addressing the ‘head issues’ will be crucial in order for me to achieve my goal. Living in England as a 31 year old super morbidly obese woman can be challenging to say the least. I have been shouted at in the street and verbally abused far too many times to mention; hence the name ‘Weight Loss Bitch’…the day I am just called a ‘bitch’ instead of a ‘fat bitch’ will be the day that I know I have cracked my weight loss! With many reasons to lose this weight I am documenting my journey for a number of reasons. Firstly, I would like to keep a record of the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and the challenges I face with such an enormous task to tackle. Secondly, I would also like to inspire and encourage other people who are in a similar situation and to show them that significant amounts of weight can be lost naturally…with a bit of motivation, hard work, dedication and will power. Thirdly, all of the blogging, Facebook-ing, Tweet-ing, Pinterest-ing and YouTube-ing keeps me occupied and keeps my fingers out of the fridge!

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