Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Our fitness expert Fitz sits down with the stars and digs out their great and not-so-great methods for staying healthy.

Weighing more than 200 pounds at 5'8," "Guiding Light" actress Caitlin Van Zandt was sick of awkward wardrobe experiences, frustrated by her losing battle with diets and frightened about her pre-diabetic diagnosis. Under the guidance of her physician, she chose to undergo LAP-band surgery. Here, the 23-year-old talks about her enormous weight loss, the exciting life changes she's experienced because of it and why she feels this option is far superior to gastric bypass surgery.

Fitz: What drove you to surgery instead of exercise and good eating habits for weight loss?

Caitlin: You know, I'd been overweight since I was 10 years old and believe me, I have tried every method of weight loss around. Even though I knew how to eat right and exercise, I just couldn't control what I was eating. I was aware that I was eating bad things, but I just couldn't stop myself. I was an emotional eater. I also avoided the doctor because, rightfully so, he'd always give me a hard time. Last year, when I went in for my physical, he told me my cholesterol was sky high, and I was prediabetic. He offered up one more diet before he would put me on the drug Lipitor for high cholesterol. I was 22 years old, and I did not want to be on cholesterol medicine. When that last diet didn't work, we decided LAP-band surgery would be my best option. Trust me, I never thought I'd be one of those weight loss surgery people!

Check out Caitlin's transformation in the gallery below. Post continues after gallery.

Source

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose the last 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every Wednesday about every win and setback along the way.

Ouch. No, for real. Ouch.

Everything about this latest surgery has hurt. I don't mean excruciating pain, but consistent pain. As much as I'd assumed the arm lift surgery was going to be easier than the abdominoplasty, I was dead wrong. I figured that the arms would have to be easier than having all that excess fat and skin removed from my mid-section, but it was not. My thinking was that it's a smaller area and would therefore be less invasive. The pain associated with this procedure is far greater than anything I experienced with the tummy tuck. Not only greater pain, but there's more of it.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

Wow! You mean people actually READ my posts? I guess the many comments from my last post mean that they really DO! I find that absolutely thrilling. Whether you agree with my decisions about my body or not, I thank you for taking the time to comment. I am honored. I read every single comment and most of the time, I reply -- so feel free to let me have it. Agree or disagree, your thoughts are just as important as mine. Only difference is these are my posts, so I get to speak first. LOL I like stirring the pot, so here's more on last week's post: plastic surgery after gastric bypass.

I started blogging as a way to share my weight loss journey from soup to nuts. It is also a great way to make me accountable for what I do, publicly. After having gastric bypass in 2006 and fitness becoming my companion in 2007, I thought my experiences were worth sharing. I am not a medical professional but speak solely from my own struggle to battle the demon of obesity. I was excited to see the many different views on my upcoming surgery. Some folks said had they lost massive weight, they would not care about the plastics afterwards. I think that is great. They should not do it.

When it comes to the idea of gastric bypass surgery, I'm like a cork bobbing on water. I'd like to have a firm pro or con opinion, but there are so many things to consider. You just have to read through Karla's posts to hear a very realistic view on life after weight loss surgery. And Dr. Jonny has some serious points to consider as well. So, while a part of me would like to be anti-weight loss surgery, I know that for some people it is a very good choice. I am concerned, however, that the choice for surgery is made too rapidly.

A recent study shows that gastric bypass not only helps obese teens lose weight, it also can halt type 2 diabetes in its tracks. Those are certainly good results and have positive effects on the teens' health. But they're teenagers. And they're undergoing major, life-altering surgery.

I just hope that for everyone -- especially teens -- weight loss surgery is a last resort. All efforts to lose weight naturally should be tried first.

Source

I can understand doing the grocery shopping together, watching movies together and even paying the bills together. But this couple takes "in sickness and in health" to the extreme.

After years of unsuccessfully trying to lose weight. Todd and Lorie Richmond both opted for weight loss surgery. And, though I don't quite understand why, they decided to undergo their procedures on the same day.

It seems to me that it would be easier to help each other recuperate if they did their surgeries one at a time. For that matter, it seems like it would have been easier to consult with personal trainers and nutritionists and give weight loss through nutrition and exercise one more go. But, whatever their reasons, I wish them as much success as our own Karla has realized.

Source

A new device to treat obesity has researchers buzzing about the possible implications. The device, known as the VBLOC, is attached to the vagal nerves in the abdomen. These nerves transmit signals of hunger and an empty stomach to the brain. The VBLOC blocks those signals, hopefully helping the person trying to lose weight feel full longer and eat fewer calories.

The VBLOC is seen as a safer alternative to gastric bypass and other weight loss surgeries. These surgeries, though effective, are extremely invasive and involve certain health risks. The VBLOC is less invasive in that there's no cutting of internal organs.

No one is sure yet if it will work, but the VBLOC is in human trials right now. The research team is looking for participants, so if you'd like to be part of their research study, follow the link for an application.

Source