As a child, I was always eating quality home-cooked meals and I actively participated in different sports as well as dancing. When I moved out at 19, I got away from those activities and my healthy eating habits were replaced with fast food. I also began using food as a source of comfort when I was feeling sad, lonely or even bored. I’d eat often and eat plenty, but I never really felt full or even enjoyed the food. It just gave me something to do and eventually I started packing on the pounds very quickly.

As my weight ballooned I knew that I had to ask for help. My family doctor diagnosed me with a binge eating disorder and referred me to Slimband. As a young mother, I was worried about the idea of having surgery, so I made sure that when I met with the Slimband team at their weight loss clinic in Toronto, I brought along my mother and husband to get their guidance. After that meeting, we all agreed that Slimband was the safest, most sensible procedure for me, so I decided to go ahead with the surgery.

Since having the surgery it took me less than 2 years to lose my excess weight; I’m now down to half of my old weight! I’m once again beginning to recognize the feeling of fullness and I’m listening to those signals. I’ve learned to control my portions and there’ll be no more binge eating for this young mom. I’ve since had two other major moments in my life: my weight dropped below 200 pounds (a number that I had not seen on my scale for years) and I was able to surprise everyone by wearing a bikini on our last family vacation!