pounds by starving myself. Even after trying every popular weight loss plan; I still tipped the scales at about 180 pounds. I didn't know what it was like to go to the school dances or to participate in other school activities.

After I got married, I managed to maintain the same weight for a while. When I became pregnant, my weight went out of control. During my pregnancy, I put on a whopping 85 pounds!

“The first thing that impressed me [about
Dr. Popoola] was he didn’t turn me away. I was
so accustomed to doctors treating me with
such disrespect; it was refreshing to encounter
Dr. Popoola’s compassionate nature.“

The OB/GYN visits were a nightmare. The doctor was so impersonal. I dreaded
seeing the doctor because of his crude remarks. After my son was born, I again
tried every advertised and word-of-mouth non-surgical weight-loss plan, including
diet pills and shots. My weight never dropped below 200 pounds.
In 1979, I got divorced. Between the stress and overeating, my weight ballooned
up to 230 pounds. I was so depressed. I hated the way I looked and how I
felt about myself. I never took my son to the park or the beach. Meeting somebody
new was definitely out of the question. My clothes looked shabby because everything
was too tight.

At 25 years old, I had really let myself go. I heard about a doctor in San Pedro
who performed stomach stapling procedures. It was major surgery, but all I knew
was that I had to have it done. The surgical procedure, a clip placed horizontally
inside the stomach, was supposed to limit my amount of food intake. I had the
operation in mid-March of 1979. The doctor instructed me to follow a broth and
pudding diet. I watched everything I ate very carefully.

My food intake was very restricted. If I ate too much, everything would come
back up. I did pretty well with my weight loss for the first couple of years. When I
slowly started gaining weight, I called the doctor to ask what was going on and
could something be done. He said that there wasn’t anything he could do for me.
He did his part and the rest was up to me. He suggested that I seek psychological
counseling. He failed to realize that my stomach pouch stretched beyond the clip.
It was discovered that over a period of time the stomach expands to allow the stomach
to hold more food. I felt like a complete failure.

When I got married for the second time, I weighed 215 pounds. During my
second pregnancy, my weight reached 300 pounds. Of course, the doctor recommended that I lose weight because I was suffering from toxemia, gestational diabetes, and high blood pressure. Due to the gestational diabetes, my second son
weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces. I was desperate; so I joined Overeaters Anonymous. Again, it was not successful. Then, I entered the Rader Institute’s in-house program for two months and lost only 15 pounds. I was tired of the expense and pathetic results of these "guaranteed" weight-loss programs, only to gain it all back. Finally, I accepted that I would be fat for the rest of my life!

Several years later, in 1992, I ran into an old high school friend. I was
astounded by all the weight she had lost. I finally mustered up enough nerve to ask
her how she lost the weight. She told me she had the Roux-En-Y gastric bypass and
gave me the name of the doctor who performed the procedure. Although, the
word "bypass" made me very nervous, her high recommendations and successful
results convinced me to call Dr. Dapo Popoola.

In May 1992, I made my first appointment with Dr. Dapo Popoola. The first
thing that impressed me was he didn’t turn me away. I was so accustomed to doctors
treating me with such disrespect; it was refreshing to encounter Dr. Popoola’s
compassionate nature.

Dr. Popoola explained how bariatric technology has made significant progress
since my first surgical procedure was performed in 1979. He clearly outlined what
was expected of me. He told me that if I were committed to achieving long-term
weight loss, I would have to change my lifestyle – now! On July 29, 1992, I
weighed 280 pounds. In a year and a half, I lost 160 pounds!

Staying away from sweets is my biggest challenge. I try to substitute sweets
with fruit or sugar free, fat free frozen yogurt. I do not consume anything high in
fat; I stick with low fat and low sugar meal plans. I have learned to read labels
before I purchase anything. Change usually takes a while.

A new habit needs time to form, so you have to make up your mind to do it
no matter how uncomfortable the change may feel or how long it takes. To make
my lifestyle changes work for me, there are three things I’ve learned: (1) Surgery
can only do so much and the rest is up to me. I try to follow the food plan. When
I deviate from the plan, my body tells me and I pay attention; (2) As a SurgiLite
patient counselor, I give and get support from my doctor and colleagues, and my
inspiration from the patients. My biggest support system is my family. My kids love
me no matter what, and I see the pride in their eyes; and (3) Dr. Popoola provides
you with the tool, but it’s up to each individual how you choose to use it. I have
maintained my weight throughout the years by keeping very active and walking
daily. I still watch what I consume. I learned to slow down at meal times and eat
smaller portions.

You couldn’t put a price tag on how great I feel today. It’s a gift for myself that
I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. I never want to go back to the pain and
humiliation I felt before the surgery. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I only wish
I had done it sooner!

As a child, I was overweight; I remember weighing 210 pounds as an eighth
grader. The kids constantly teased me and called me "Big Ben." As an
adult, I continued to gain weight. I tried weight loss programs like Jenny
Craig, Herbalife and others, but nothing was working. I was miserable and in pain
most of the time.
I suffered from shortness of breath, back and leg pain, swollen ankles, sleep apnea
and high blood sugar. The circulation in my legs was so bad that the sores on my legs
would never heal. I couldn’t walk a short distance before stopping to rest.
One of the worst experiences I had was being out of work. No one wanted to hire
me because all they saw a walking time bomb waiting to explode.
It was hard to take care of myself. Simple things like tying my shoes or getting in
and out of a bathtub was impossible. Many nights I had to sleep sitting up because I
couldn’t breathe while lying down. Life was horrible.
One of my long-time friends, Dr. Anthony Jackson, urged me to see a bariatric
surgeon to have the permanent weight loss surgery. Anthony and I have known each
other since high school so I valued his opinion; however, surgery scared me.
My friend wanted me to live. On many occasions, he offered to pay for my surgery.
Now, that’s a true friend! I figured that he must really believe that surgery is the
only way for me to lose weight and keep it off. I was so tired of being uncomfortable,
so I took my friend’s advice and made an appointment to see Dr. Popoola.
Everyone at SurgiLite really made me feel comfortable about the surgical procedure.
After the surgery, my life completely changed. In less than 40 days, I lost 80
pounds. The sores on my legs healed. I no longer wear a 9x jacket and my waistline
went from 66 inches to 38 inches. When I fully recovered, I started exercising for the
first time in my life. Sometimes I go running three times a week.
My confidence was so high that I pursued the love of my life, Asewath. Now, we
are engaged and so happy. It feels great to be able to look good in nice clothes and
take my fiancée out to a nightclub. Because I am able to be more active, I can really
enjoy spending time with my daughter, Rosemary.
Because of my health problems, I could not work. Since I had the surgery, I work
all the time. I have so much energy that I am willing and able to work overtime,
which has made me a valuable asset for my
employer.

Before After	I owe my life to my good friend, Dr. Jackson for referring me to Dr. Popoola. Thanks to Dr. Popoola and the SurgiLite Medical Group, everything is wonderful.
Age: 45 Height: 5’6" Heaviest weight: 506 lbs. Weight loss: 259 lbs.

When I was a teenager, I didn't like going to the malls with my
friends. Why? I was too fat to fit in any of the clothes that a normal size 18 year old would wear. If I wanted new clothes, I had to shop in the stores that catered to plus size women.

It was difficult for my family to understand my depression about the way I looked and felt because my mom, aunts, uncles and cousins were all obese. All my life, large people surrounded me and it was considered an acceptable trait in my family.
It seemed that I was born to be big. So I thought I could eat my way to happiness. Food became my friend. In the privacy of my home, I would watch TV and eat all the food I wanted. No one could judge me or make fun of me because I was at home, hidden from the world.

Before	After
Age: 3 3 Height: 5 8" Heaviest weight: 316 Ibs. Current weight: 130 Ibs. Weight loss: 186 Ibs.

After awhile I got tired of this selfimposed isolation. I was determined to lose the weight. Every diet I heard about, I tried it. From Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast to any over the counter pill or crazy soup diet, nothing worked for me. I was exhausted from the disappointment when each diet failed.

Because of my weight, my health was failing. I had trouble sleeping because I had developed sleep apnea. My weight put an extreme amount of pressure on my back and legs, which caused me a lot of pain. Any normal activity such as bending down to tie my shoes or getting in and out of the shower was a challenge. I was always out of breath and had no energy to do daily chores. I moved like I was three times my age.
I went into a deep depression when I did not get a job I was qualified for because I was too fat. My weight was causing me too much unhappiness and I needed to do something. My life changed for the better in 1999 when I saw a TV commercial about SurgiLite. I met with Dr. Dapo Popoola and he gave me the chance to rid myself of the extra pounds and be the person I wanted to be, which was being playful with my children and dance with my husband.

On September 7, 1999, I went to Los Angeles to have the weight loss surgery. It was a difficult decision but one that I could never regret. Since the surgery, I view life in a positive way. I am no longer ashamed of ordering whatever I want off the menu at any restaurant. I no longer worry about someone watching me eat. I have the will to get up in the morning and get dressed to go out in the public.
If I had stayed obese, my life span would have been greatly shortened because I had given up on myself. I didn't care about anything. Now, I have a better chance to live for a longer time. I want to be there for my family and even have more children. My self esteem has soared. I enjoy shopping for clothes and I love my job working for the airlines. This is the best time of my life and I have Dr. Popoola to thank for my happiness.

The joys of pregnancy at 18 years old and again when I turned 20 made it difficult to lose weight. I tried all kinds of diet plans but I would always fail. I was so depressed because long after my children were born, I was still wearing maternity and plus size clothes. I hated those clothes because it made me look old and tired.

A combination of embarrassing situations and stern medical advice convinced me that I had to make a better effort to lose the weight. I hated when people would tell me I had a pretty face because I knew they were disgusted by my out of control weight. I could not look at myself in the mirror and always hid when anyone wanted to take a photo of me.

Before	After
Age: 36 Height: 5 11" Heaviest weight: 298 Ibs. Current weight: 151 Ibs. Weight loss: 147 Ibs.

My primary physician warned me that I would get diabetes if I continued to pack on the pounds. I already had problems with back pain, swollen ankles and shortness of breath. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and worrying about my health.
The day I saw the SurgiLite commercial, I felt that there was hope for me. My family loved me regardless of my size and I was a successful businesswoman but they realized that I needed to love and respect myself. It meant a lot to me that my family was very supportive of my decision to have the surgery.

On September 10, 2002, Dr. Popoola performed my gastric bypass surgery. It was such a liberating experience. Within a month, I looked and felt better. My eating habits changed dramatically but I was ready for it. I realized my body did not require as much food as I thought I needed.

My rapid weight loss gave me a new lease on life. My social life has really soared. I have more energy to play with my kids. I enjoy going to amusement parks and not be concerned about the size of the seats or the length of the safety belts. I use to wear a size 26, now I wear a size 8. Shopping is one of my favorite past times.
As a loan professional, it may be awhile between visits with my clients. They could not believe their eyes when they saw the new me. Everyone is so proud of my accomplishment. Losing the weight was definitely the beginning of the rest of my life of better health.