To speak to GP about Weight Loss Surgery?

[milkytea]

I don't know what to do about my weight. I'm so miserable. I'm 5ft 3 and 18 stone. I was diagnosed with a Binge and purge eating disorder about 6 years ago but I really piled all the weight on during and after my pregnancy. I have PCOS and IBS. My body is covered in stretch marks and most of my clothes don't fit anymore. It's making me really down. Over the past year I've managed to get my eating disorder under control (ignoring a few relapses). I've been eating healthily, going to the gym, and I've cut out all the crap all together. But I've continued to sit at 18st, and my waist line won't stop growing. When I began eating properly and excersizing I was a size 18. I'm now bordering size 22.

Ive been to the doctor multiple times for my weight and fo a while all they said was keep trying. They then gave me a discounted gym membership, and a weight watchers trial, but despite going religiously the pounds won't budge. I just don't understand. My bmi is well over 40 now so technically I'm eligible for the surgery, and it's not something I've taken lightly. Is it reasonable to speak to my GP about this? Or will I just be laughed out of the door.

Any weightloss tips in the mean time would also be really helpful as I'm so insecure...

In the nicest way possible, unless you're going to pay for the surgery privately then I don't think the NHS should foot the bill for this. I don't think they would either. You need to just keep trying. Some women are generally just bigger, and will never be a size 8 or whatever. Just make sure you're burning more calories than you're eating. Stick to around 1200 calories a day, an hours exercise and cut out all sugar and junk.

In the trust I'm in BMI needs to be 50+, you have to prove you have lost a certain amount of weight and there is a long waiting list even for referral. My Dr said that even patients with BMI over 50 are being refused for surgery.
However if you are following all guidance and are putting on weight/inches or not losing I would ask the Dr for some additional tests to ensure there is no underlying factor in addition to PCOS and IBS that could be affecting you.

Have you tried tracking your calories with something like myfitnesspal? You can be eating healthily, but your portions might be too big.

Well your healthy diet is clearly not right and i would probably guess neither is your fitness regime.

See a gp to rule out medical reasons then get some professional help for diet and exercise

Lexi: That's shockingly uninformed. It actually makes financial and health sense to give people with a BMI over 40 surgery. (Extreme) obesity is not simply a question of willpower (biology plays a giant role) and surgery is the most effective cure. Diets fail in the vast majority of cases and make dieters fatter than they were in the first place. Most Drs now are proponents of prompt surgery in these kinds of cases (no or few minor further complications), as it is the best option for the individual and society.

OP, go to your GP and ask to be referred. You have a right to an effective treatment to better your health and quality of life. You have tried to lose weight on your own and predictably failed, so you can now ask for the "next step".

I've been using my fitness pal. My calories never go over 1300. I don't eat any dairy and I avoid carbs as much as possible.

NewYear - in my trust it's over 40 if every option has been exhausted I believe. I will have to double check though. I'll try and get an appointment though just to double check there's nothing else going on