A 22nd woman who underwent weight loss surgery in Turkey has said she can’t stop eating now.
Tisjana Woodward, 27, paid £3,500 for gastric sleeve surgery abroad after struggling to lose weight.
The operation was a success and immediately afterwards she lost more than 8th place.
But Miss Woodward, from Stratford, east London, has since found it impossible to stop binge eating Snacks like chips and cheese.
Miss Woodward, who rents out property, has described her problem as “transfer addiction” – and says people need to be aware that surgery is not a cure for all ailments.
Tisjana Woodward (pictured before surgery), 27, opted for £3,500 gastric tube surgery in Turkey after struggling to lose weight
But Miss Woodward (pictured post-surgery) from Stratford, east London, has since been unable to stop overeating on snacks like chips and cheese
She said of her experience: “Surgery is good, but it doesn’t cure everything.
“Transfer addiction is a massive thing. People know nothing about this and eating habits.
“Before you have a gastric sleeve, you can eat and eat and eat. But if you have one, you won’t be able to eat or you’ll get sick.
“So people turn to other addictions to replace them — like spending habits, smoking, or other eating habits like snack binging.”
Miss Woodward has polycystic ovaries which makes it difficult for her to lose weight.
She flew to Turkey for gastric band surgery in April 2022 because her size affected her mental health.
The surgery removes part of the stomach, so a person can’t eat as much as before and feel full faster.
After the procedure, which removed 85 percent of her stomach, she lost 120 pounds by eating much smaller portions.
Miss Woodward said: “Before, my eating habits and portion sizes were getting really bad.
“I was pretty fed up. i wasn’t happy I just had enough.”
After the operation, doctors gave Miss Woodward a six-week diet plan.
This usually involves consuming only water and liquids like soup for a few days, followed by four weeks of liquid foods like yogurt and pureed foods, and two weeks of soft foods like mashed potatoes.
Those who have gone under the knife can gradually return to a healthy, balanced diet six weeks after the procedure.
However, Miss Woodward ignored this advice and instead ate too much, which made her ill.
She said: “I tried to force myself to eat and I became violently nauseous.
“I haven’t seen any change for six months. I took off the scale, but visually I couldn’t see anything. It took me a long time to see it.’
While she eventually almost lost 9th place, her weight loss has since stopped as well.
That’s when she developed her Bing habit in early 2023 – which Miss Woodward says has affected her happiness.
Miss Woodward (before surgery, left and after surgery, right) has polycystic ovaries which she says make it difficult for her to lose weight and her size affects her mental health
Miss Woodward (pictured post-op) ignored this advice and instead ate what was making her ill
While Miss Woodward (pictured before surgery on the left and after surgery on the right) eventually lost nearly 9 stones, her weight loss has since stopped
Miss Woodward (pictured before surgery, left and after surgery, right) said: “It’s a tremendous achievement to lose so much weight but I’m just not happy with myself at the moment.”
Binge eating disorder involves eating a lot regularly over a short period of time until an unpleasant feeling of fullness arises.
She said: “It’s a massive achievement to lose all that weight but I’m just not happy with myself at the moment.
“A gastric sleeve is not a quick fix. I’m happier than before the operation, but not 100 percent happy.”
To stop binge eating, Miss Woodward now keeps a food journal and has shared her experience on TikTok, where she realized she wasn’t alone.
Miss Woodward said: ‘I think the first thing you have to do is admit it to yourself. I keep a food diary – I try to document what I eat.
“You still have to eat like a normal person, you can’t eat what you want.
“There are things I don’t like doing when I’m walking down certain aisles in supermarkets. I make it my mission to get my dinner, but I don’t go down the snack aisles.”
She added, “Nobody tells you what could happen, nobody tells you about transfer addiction, the surgeon never tells you anything, which I think is crazy.”
“I have no regrets about having the gastric sleeve, there are fights and they are part of the journey, but you have to talk about it.”
A return to binge eating after weight loss surgery is a known risk.
Others who have had the surgery may develop other forms of addiction, such as B. Gambling and shopping, since food is no longer a source of comfort.
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