The one dinner that made me lose half my weight

KATHRYN Tourle had battled her weight for years, but one dinner with friends resulted in a brand new life.

KATHRYN Tourle had battled weight issues her entire adult life but after years of losing 20kg and then regaining it, crunch time came at 120kg when the thought of potentially leaving her two beautiful daughters without a mum spurred her to act.

After her sister lost more than half her body weight with the help of weight loss surgery, Kathryn decided it was time to take some serious steps towards long-term weight control.

“Even after my sister had lost 62kg with a procedure called a gastric sleeve, I still thought she was absolutely crazy to take such drastic measures in order to lose weight.

“By chance though I started to go to dinner with a group of women who had all had the surgery. I saw that they all still ate “normal” food but just didn’t eat much. In fact they all shared meals. I started to seriously consider having the surgery myself. So as a 40th Birthday present to myself, I booked in for surgery on October 2015 with a surgeon who specialises in weight loss surgery, Dr Kuzinkovas, and have not looked back since.”

Kathryn’s weight had ballooned to more than 120kg before she decided to have the surgery.

Ms Tourle said a big appeal of the surgery was that the doctor would remove a large part of her stomach, including the part that controls the hormones that control your appetite.

She would no longer feel hungry and was unlikely to overeat. She’s thrilled with the results.

“It has saved my life! I’ve gone from 123.5kg at my heaviest (that I know of) to hovering around 62-63kg! The surgery has given me a new lease on life. I have so much energy, I am way more active and I am a lot more involved with my kids.
“Words cannot describe just how amazing I feel. I certainly do not feel 42 years old. The only diet I have to follow is to use a special portion control plate and bowl that my doctor gave me and stick to my portion sizes.”

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Ms Tourle said she has not only changed the way she eats, but also how she thinks about food.

“I avoided all the foods like chocolate and lollies — that had previously been a big part of my diet — for a long time after surgery, to try and set myself up for success.

“Now I find that I am no longer consumed by food the way I once was. Before my surgery I would just shove food into my mouth without ever really tasting it and now while I cannot eat much at all, I eat slowly and actually enjoy the food I do eat.”

Kathryn was motivated by her daughters, she wanted to keep healthy as they grew up.

She also is now much more active.

“Exercise is also important, but mostly just movement because now I can walk a lot more than I ever have.

“I work in a school, so I am on my feet most of the day and I love it. I walk so fast now my kids struggle to keep up and even my poor dog.”

But she said the best thing about the surgery was the fact she “no longer needs to diet”.

“If I cook a meal in the slow cooker, I freeze it in half cup portions in containers, so I’ve always got something for lunch or dinner and they are the perfect size.

“I never make myself full, I always just feel satisfied. I no longer eat bread, rice or pasta but I don’t miss it. I have never felt like I’ve missed out. There is no doubt it was a big decision, but not once have I regretted my decision, not even for a split second.”

She said not only has the weight loss had a huge impact on her, but her family has also felt the difference.

“Most importantly I have noticed that my weight loss has had a really positive effect on my girls who are 12 and 9. When I was carrying weight I was too lazy to do much at all, but now when we go to the park I will get involved with whatever they are doing which they love.

“I have had such great success with my sleeve that my best advice for anyone considering surgery to help with their weight loss is not to delay. Do your research and talk to others who have been through the journey online and choose a supportive surgeon and go to your follow-up appointments to get the best results. It will change your life.”

Kathryn loves that she no longer has to ‘diet’: she’s just got a new way of eating.

Susie Burrell is a nutritionist. Follow her @SusieBDiet