Lisa Smith, 44, from St Helens in Merseyside, says she never imagined that transforming her health would leave her facing a new kind of struggle\u2014one that feels impossible to win.<\/p>\n
After losing more than 16 and a half stone<\/strong> through healthy eating and long-term lifestyle changes, the mum-of-three says she was devastated to be told she may need to regain weight<\/strong> to improve her chances of qualifying for surgery\u2014despite the fact she worked for years to lose it.<\/p>\n Lisa says her health reached crisis point after the birth of her son in 2008. At the time, she weighed around 28 stone<\/strong> and sought medical help after experiencing severe breathlessness.<\/p>\n She initially suspected asthma, but doctors later linked her symptoms to complications from diabetes, eventually diagnosing her with diabetes-related heart failure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Lisa, the warning she received was frightening and direct. She recalls being told her condition was extremely serious, leaving her stunned at a time when she\u2019d just welcomed a new baby.<\/p>\n That moment became her turning point. Determined to be there for her children, she committed to a complete lifestyle overhaul focused on healthier food choices and steady, sustainable weight loss.<\/p>\n Lisa says daily life at her heaviest felt increasingly difficult. She wore a size 36<\/strong> and struggled with basic activities. Over time, she steadily lost the weight and saw dramatic changes:<\/p>\n Today, Lisa weighs a little over 11 stone<\/strong> and continues to manage her diabetes with daily insulin.<\/p>\n While Lisa is proud of what she achieved, she says extreme weight loss brought a difficult aftermath: significant loose skin around her stomach and waist<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Beyond appearance, she describes ongoing discomfort, reduced confidence, and emotional strain. Like many people who lose a large amount of weight, she believed that once she reached a stable target, she\u2019d be able to access skin removal surgery<\/strong>\u2014especially after being told it could be funded.<\/p>\n But Lisa claims she was later informed that funding was no longer available, leaving her feeling crushed after years of discipline and determination.<\/p>\n Lisa says the uncertainty and changing eligibility rules created intense stress. She claims she was encouraged to lose even more weight to improve the likelihood of receiving support, and that the pressure contributed to serious disordered eating struggles, including anorexia and bulimia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Even after reaching a much lower weight, she says she was still told there was no funding available.<\/p>\n Lisa says she was later told that her best chance of getting treatment might be to regain weight<\/strong> and qualify for NHS weight loss surgery<\/strong> instead\u2014something she believes she could be eligible for due to her diabetes.<\/p>\n To her, the logic felt backwards: after doing the hard work naturally, she says she\u2019s being pushed toward a path that would undo her progress.<\/p>\n Lisa also worries about the financial reality. She says she can\u2019t afford private surgery, and ongoing health issues make it difficult for her to work and save for treatment.<\/p>\n Lisa believes the situation highlights a wider issue for people who lose large amounts of weight through diet and lifestyle changes: you can do everything \u201cright\u201d and still be left without support for the physical consequences.<\/p>\n She fears it could discourage others from pursuing healthy weight loss if they believe there\u2019s no help available afterward\u2014especially when excess skin affects comfort, mobility, hygiene, and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n Despite everything, Lisa says she remains proud of her transformation and doesn\u2019t regret fighting for her health and her future.<\/p>\n Lisa\u2019s story raises difficult questions about access to care, long-term health outcomes, and how support systems treat people who achieve major weight loss without surgical intervention.<\/p>\n What do you think?<\/strong> Should skin removal after significant weight loss be treated as essential healthcare in more cases? Share your thoughts in the comments\u2014and if you\u2019ve been through something similar, your experience could help someone else feel less alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After Losing 16 Stone Naturally, Mum Says She Was Told to \u201cPut Weight Back On\u201d to Qualify for NHS Surgery…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A health scare that changed everything<\/h2>\n
From size 36 to size 8\u2014an incredible transformation<\/h2>\n
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The hidden cost of major weight loss: excess skin<\/h2>\n
\u201cLose more\u201d \u2014 and the mental health toll<\/h2>\n
Then came the advice that shocked her<\/h2>\n
Why she\u2019s speaking out<\/h2>\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n