Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I have always been overweight my whole life. Obviously when I was younger I was a tad bit thinner but always larger than my friends. Starting about my senior year of high school I started to pack on the pounds (my parents divorced), so i started my attempts with weight loss. I tried everything from Curves, to Jenny Craig, etc...all were failed attempts. I started to become an internal person and no wanting to go out with my friends, or able to enjoy the "small" things in life. Just here recently I have really gotten down on myself.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

For me it was never about the number. For me it is the small things in life. My biggest motivation was my two children who are under two years old. I hate not being able to run after them and keep up with them. I want to be able to do fun active activities, instead of just sitting and reading to them. My husband is awesome and would never comment about my weight, but im sure weight loss would improve many areas of our relationship. Some other small things are like, fitting into an airplane seat and not being embarassed to use and extension belt, riding roller coasters with my husband(a favorite past time), wearing my wedding ring which has became too small, the ability to shop at normal stores for clothing...

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I am only one week post op so I will update this column after I have some time to change:)