"I was excited to see the weight coming off so quickly"

Having the surgery has turned my life around. I have always been passionate about horse riding, and after loosing weight and keeping it off I have been able to ride again for the first time in 11 years! The feeling is unreal. I also started entering equestrian competitions, which I could never have imagined doing when I was overweight.

Throughout my adult life I have been overweight. I tried everything from diets to drugs to exercise as well as gimmicks that deep down I knew would not work. None of these options showed significant improvement or long term results. Weighing 145 kilos means that loosing only 10-15 kilos has little impact on how you look and feel. It does nothing to motivate you, as results are slow and when you are an over-eater you soon give up when you're not seeing any significant change in your body.

Finally I decided to go through with the surgery because my weight kept creeping up and up and I could not stop eating. I was addicted to food and could not see an end to my weight loss problem. I realised I had to do something more proactive.

While I was considering surgery I met someone who had actually been through the procedure. I never knew this person when she was overweight and simply couldn't believe what she told me. I spent some time doing my research, consulted with my GP and decided to that this was definitely the solution for me.

The procedure was very straightforward. I felt only minor pain for a couple of days. Now I had real and tangible results to focus on. After the surgery I felt very positive. I did take three weeks off work, however within two weeks I was completely back to normal.

After the surgery I was constantly on the scales because I was excited to see the weight coming off so quickly. Within a month I lost 20 kgs. This was far more than I had ever lost before through dieting. Friends began to notice the changes and started complimenting me, which made me feel great and more motivated than ever.

I am certainly no longer as obsessed with food as I was prior to the operation. I rarely feel hungry and I am usually satisfied after a small meal or milkshake.

My advice to anyone considering having the procedure would be do it! It is a real chance to get your health and happiness back on track. I was so limited in the things I could do, now my options are limitless. The surgery has enabled me to rediscover my riding, but for others it could be playing soccer in the park with their children, or even just being able to get up on the roof and clear leaves from the guttering.

I feel more like me now, I'm more confident and outgoing and I just love shopping for clothes. My only regret is that I didn't have the surgery sooner.

Cathy, age 40, NSW