I was a size 24 before I lost 9 stone after undergoing a £4,000 gastric bypass in Latvia – and now I shop in the children’s clothing section

A woman has revealed how she lost nine stone after spending £4,000 on a gastric bypass in Latvia – and now she can wear 13 to 14 year old clothes due to the staggering weight loss.

Katie Chadwick, 37, from Bognor Regis, Sussex, had gained weight after indulging in takeaways three or four times a week and enjoying a whole packet of biscuits and a tub of Ben and Jerry’s every evening.

The mother-of-two’s weight has fluctuated over the years, but at her largest she was 19 stone and wore a size 24.

As a home caregiver, Katie received a shock in October 2021 when one of her obese patients died due to their weight.

She sought help from her GP, who said she would be eligible for a gastric bypass in Britain, but there was a five-year waiting list. After becoming ‘hyper fixated’ on having the surgery, she booked the procedure for January 2022 in Latvia.

The surgery was a success and Katie saw the weight ‘fall off’, losing a whopping 9.4 pounds in a year.

She made a further £6,000 flying to Lithuania for a tummy tuck and breast reduction, which involved the removal of two pounds of skin.

Katie now weighs 2.5kg and is a size 6 and loves to save money by buying clothes in the teen section of fashion stores.

She said: ‘Everyone noticed how happy I was after the operation. My father-in-law said it was like my demons had been lifted.

“I actually shop in the children’s section now, it’s crazy. I always find a kid’s version of the adult clothes, so it’s a no-brainer and I can get stuff for half the price. Having surgery has completely changed my life and it is the best decision I have ever made.’

Katie said she was “very thin” as a teenager, but started gaining weight when she battled bulimia in her youth.

Her weight continued to rise while she was pregnant with her daughter Faith, 17, and then son Rupert, eight.

“I was very self-conscious about eating in front of people, so I ate in secret,” Katie said. ‘I felt so down about the way I looked all the time. When I worked from home, I was often given a full pack of donuts to eat with tea.

‘We could easily have three or four takeaways a week and a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s in the evening. I’ve tried every diet over the years and nothing has ever worked for me.’

After the death of her overweight patient, Katie was determined to change. Unwilling to wait five years for the stomach operation, she booked herself for private surgery abroad.

She said: ‘I have ADHD and became hyper fixated on getting that surgery as quickly as possible. I found a clinic in Latvia. I booked it and in my mind I was ready to say goodbye and start my new life.’

Katie flew into hospital for surgery in January 2022 and spent five days in the clinic before returning to Britain.

Despite being ‘over the moon’, the rapid weight loss left her with excess skin on her stomach and breasts.

A year later, in January 2023, Katie flew to Lithuania for a £6,000 skin removal operation, including a tummy tuck, breast lift, reduction and implants.

She said: ‘I knew the sagging skin would hold me back as much as the weight. I booked to have the plastic surgery done and I was a little more nervous about this surgery.

‘Once again everything went well, the recovery was tough, but the results were amazing.’

Katie can still eat ‘anything’ she wants, but now eats everything in moderation and with much smaller portions.

With the weight loss, she now fits a size 6 for adults, or comfortably a size 13-14 for a child.

She said: ‘I went shopping with my daughter and saw a jumper I really liked but it cost £25. I looked in the children’s section and there was one for half price.’

Since August 2023, Katie has been a full-time caregiver to husband Guy Chadwick, 36, after he was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder (FND), which affects the way the brain and body send and receive signals between them.

Katie said: “Bless my husband, he has been there through it all and put me through my worst and now my best.

‘Getting a gastric bypass is not a decision I have made lightly; it was my last resort.

‘I would advise anyone wanting to do it to do their research and read reviews about every surgeon in the clinic.

‘It’s a huge lifestyle change and you have to know what you’re getting into. It’s worth it just for the money I saved on clothes!’

According to the NHSAlthough gastric bypass patients will likely lose weight fairly quickly, the procedure itself carries a greater risk of serious surgical complications compared to others, such as the gastric band.

Gastric bypass is classified as a weight loss surgery and carries the risk of blood clots, gallstones, wound infections and even death.

When it comes to undergoing such an operation abroad, the service advises patients to take extra precautions and think twice before weighing the costs.

It adds that weight loss surgery is also available in Britain through the NHS for people ‘who meet certain criteria’.

The advice is: ‘Make sure you weigh any savings against the potential risks. In clinics outside the UK, standards may not be as strict, and aftercare is not always easy.

‘Clinics in other countries may not provide follow-up care, or it may not be the same standard as in Britain.’