By: Gloria Samuels

I have battled obesity as long as I can remember.  I vividly recall the pain and embarrassment of being weighed in my elementary school gym, praying that the school aide would not announce my weight for everyone to hear.

I started dieting at the age of ten.  My days were defined as good or bad by what I ate and how my clothes fit.  I have been on every diet you can think of; I took diet pills for years; I cannot remember a year when I didn't gain or lose at least forty or fifty pounds.  My hunger never went away.

 I was an overweight (okay, fat) child, an overweight teen, and an overweight adult.  I spent my life yo-yoing.  For me, dieting was like holding my breath; eventually I had to come up for air.  The irony is that except for my battle with weight, I've been successful at everything I've ever attempted.  I'm very fortunate.  I have a great marriage, two wonderful children, and true friends, and I've enjoyed a successful career as an executive in Fortune 100 companies.  But no matter how hard I tried, I could never take off the weight and keep it off.  I wasn't stupid and I wasn't lazy.  I was tired of doctors telling me that I need to eat less and exercise more ...

(That's me on the left when I was sixteen with my sister and parents)

Finally, I'm in control and winning the battle with my weight.  I am in great shape and great health because on August 16, 2006, I got a lap band.  With the help and support of a great team I learned how to use this amazing tool.  It's been hard work; I've had my ups and downs, and it certainly wasn't the "easy way out."  Would I do it again?  In a heartbeat!  My only regret is that I didn't get my band sooner!  And, there really wasn't anyone to speak with me about it in a safe, comfortable way.

When I decided to get my band, I didn't tell anyone except for my husband and a few close friends.  I was afraid I would fail again.  I was afraid of the stigma associated with being obese and "resorting" to weight loss surgery.  I have been maintaining a healthy, normal weight for nearly two years now.  I am now the fit girl at the gym.  I am the active mom at school, I am the confident presenter in business, and I am a more loving wife, because I no longer carry the burden of my weight on my body and in my heart.  I am a different person today, and I love Banded Living.  I feel confident that I will be able to maintain a normal weight for the rest of my life.

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