A 22nd woman who underwent weight-loss surgery in Turkey has said she can no longer stop eating.
Tishana Woodward, 27, paid £3,500 for gastric sleeve surgery abroad after struggling to lose weight.
The surgery was a success and she lost over 8th in the immediate aftermath.
But Miss Woodward, from Stratford in east London, has since found it impossible to stop binge eating snacks such as chips and cheese.
Miss Woodward, who rents out properties, has described her problem as a ‘transfer addiction’ – and says people should be aware that surgery is not a cure for all ills.
Tishana Woodward (pictured before surgery), 27, decided to have a £3,500 gastric sleeve procedure in Turkey after struggling to lose weight
But Miss Woodward (pictured after surgery), from Stratford, east London, has since found it impossible to stop bingeing on chips and cheese
Describing her experience, she said, “Surgery is good, but it doesn’t cure everything.
Transfer addictions are huge. People don’t know about that and eating habits.
“Before you have a gastric sleeve, you can eat and eat and eat. But if you have one, you can’t eat or you’ll get sick.
“So people turn to other addictions to try and replace it — like spending habits, smoking, or other eating habits like snacking.”
Miss Woodward has polycystic ovaries, which she says makes it difficult for her to lose weight.
She flew to Turkey in April 2022 for gastric band surgery because her size was affecting her mental health.
The surgery involves placing a band around the stomach so that a person feels full by eating only small amounts.
After the procedure, she lost 8st 11lbs (55.8kg) by eating much smaller portions.
Miss Woodward said: ‘My eating habits and portion sizes used to get very bad.
‘I was pretty fed up with myself. I was not happy. I just had enough.’
After surgery, doctors gave Miss Woodward a six-week diet plan.
It usually involves just water and fluids, such as soup, for a few days, followed by four weeks of liquid foods, such as yogurt and pureed foods, and two weeks of soft foods, such as mashed potatoes.
Those who have gone under the knife can gradually resume a healthy and balanced diet six weeks after the procedure.
However, Miss Woodward ignored this advice, instead eating too much, which made her sick.
She said, “I tried to force myself to eat and I became violently ill.
“I saw no change for six months. I lost weight because of the scale, but visually I couldn’t see anything. It took me a long time to see it.’
Although she almost lost the 9th in the end, her weight loss has since stopped as well.
It was then that she developed her binge eating 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 makes it difficult for her to lose weight and her size affected her mental health
Miss Woodward (pictured after surgery) ignored this advice, instead overeating, which made her sick
While Miss Woodward (pictured before surgery, left, and after surgery, 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 huge achievement to lose all that weight, but I’m just not happy with myself at the moment’
Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food in a short period of time until you are uncomfortably full.
She said, “It’s a huge 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 surgery, but not 100 percent happy.’
In an effort to curb binge eating, Ms Woodward now keeps a food diary and has shared her experience on TikTok, where she realized she wasn’t alone.
Miss Woodward said, ‘I think the first thing you should do is admit it to yourself. How I do it is keep a food diary – I try to document what I eat.
‘You still have to eat like a normal human being, you can’t eat what you want.
“There are things I don’t like going down certain grocery aisles. I make it my mission to get my dinner, but don’t go through snack aisles.”
She added: “No one tells you what could happen, no one tells you about transfer addictions, you’re never told by the surgeon, which I think is crazy.
“I don’t regret having the gastric sleeve. There are struggles and they are part of the journey, but they need to be talked about.”