This week, we celebrate the successful weight loss of Alice Anderson.
Here’s his story:

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I’m lucky that I can enjoy a small piece of steak, not too much steak but it’s enough for me and my new stomach. I have learnt to appreciate the food I eat now.

My weight loss journey started in 2017 and then truly begun in June when I had lap band surgery that same year. My doctor suggested the best option for me would be to have the gastric bypass, but the thought of that type of surgery scared me as I wasn’t willing to have my stomach cut open. I wish I had listened to my doctor back then and invested in the gastric bypass because I would have felt freer sooner. The quality of my life would have started sooner, I would have been more of myself sooner.

After having some hiccups with my lap band, I started looking at my options to have it removed as I wanted to convert to the sleeve or bypass all in one operation. I didn’t know where to start until I had seen an add for WLSA. It was hard admitting I needed further help to lose weight so I decided to email them instead of calling. The next day I had a phone call from one of the lovely receptionists and explained what I wanted to be done, and they went above and beyond to help me, explaining that they had two doctors who could do the band removal and convert it to bypass all in one operation. I reviewed the WLSA surgeon’s work and found only glowing reviews, so I started to get the ball rolling.

My pre-op started on the 1st June where I weighed in at 120.8kgs (this was not my biggest). Pre-op was hard but I had the help of Isabella, the dietitian and she basically held my hand as I was going through the phases of the two-week pre-op. Without Isabella and the help of my husband, I would not have been able to make it through. I managed to lose 7kgs on the pre-op diet alone!

Surgery day came around and the staff at The Wesley Hospital was nothing but amazing! After I was released on the following weekend I was experiencing a bit of pain in my stomach. I reached out in the WLSA Facebook support group for help and one of the nurses, Asha, reached out immediately and after we spoke I realised she was able to help me. Knowing that one of the staff members was willing to call me after hours on a weekend made me know that I booked my surgery through the right company, as I felt I wasn’t just another number to them, I was a person who they cared about.

After the liquid phase was over it was really rocky for me as I was getting sick after eating certain foods even though I could eat comfortably the day before. I kept cutting my portions down and changing the types of food I was eating. Isabella helped me through these phases as I needed to go back into the food phases again. This was due to going from band to bypass and probably should have stayed on the food phases a bit longer than normal.

After 2 months everything had fully settled for me. This was exciting news as I was able to start enjoying more varieties of foods again and the foods that I loved to eat! Every now and again I might have something that is not quite right, but they are the “sometimes” food, not the food I eat daily as I know if I eat it, it’s empty food and not worth the stomach space.

I am now close to 7months since the surgery and I finally weigh under 100kgs, sitting at 85kgs. Not at my goal weight yet, but I’m so excited to be where I am today. The last time I was in the double digits was back in 2011! Since surgery I feel free now, I feel like myself. I can run and play with my daughter out and about and not feel embarrassed about my weight and how I looked. I know it’s no one’s place to judge me, but the mental game that came with it all was something I could not shake off. But now I don’t care! I am who I am and my family loves me and that’s what counts. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me and my family now that I no longer feel trapped and weighed down.

Thank you WLSA, my family and friends for your support then and now.

#WeightLossWarrior,
Alice Bell

Message from WLSA:
What a rollercoaster you’ve been on, Alice, we are really proud of your commitment to better your health and thank you for not only choosing us but trusting us throughout your entire journey. This is only the beginning of your lifelong transformation, we look forward to seeing you reach your weight goal and more.

Felicity Cohen
CEO of WLSA

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*Disclaimer: Results may vary for each person