Before & After Gallery

Hello, everyone! My name is Heather Steinberg, I’m 30-years-old and from Woodbridge, New Jersey. I live with my parents and four younger sisters. I have a boyfriend of over two years as well. Currently, I’m a part-time babysitter and a full-time college student, studying for my Bachelor’s of Human Services and then continuing for my Master’s of Social Work. My goal is to become a New Jersey state licensed social worker and work within the foster care system. In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends, helping out my grandmother, while also being actively involved at my local gym; where I’m working on finishing my weight loss, strengthening my muscles, and toning up my body.

My weight issues stem back all the way to childhood and continued all through my 20’s, until the point of surgery. I was always the giant of my class; very tall and heavier than the rest. I never once let this hinder my helpful, friendly, and social personality, even when I was picked on by others. I did have self-esteem issues, however, I never really let that show. As time went on, I only gained more and more weight. I graduated high school in 2004 at nearly 200 pounds, and within the 10 years that followed, I gradually progressed to a bit over 400 pounds. I believe the weight gain was due to my obsession with food; wanting to eat whatever I wanted and when I wanted without concern, while also emotionally eating to help me cope with many issues in life. Within this period of time, I also developed high-risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, endometriosis, anxiety, and depression. I tried many different kinds of diets, and did well for quite awhile, but it was too easy to falter. It was near the end of 2013 where I finally decided to take back control of my life.

I found Garden State Bariatrics and Wellness Center through google research of bariatric doctors near my area. I picked them at random and called to schedule a consultation. I was setup with Dr. Basil Yurcisin, who was nothing but friendly and supportive in assisting me on this new and upcoming weight loss journey. All of the staff at GSBWC believed in me more than I believed in myself, and that certainly showed through every appointment and/or conversation I had with them; if it weren’t for their continuous support and encouragement, I probably would have given up again, like I’ve done many times in the past. I had the Duodenal Switch in August of 2014. My highest weight was 406 pounds during that summer. As of February 2016, I can proudly say that I have lost half of myself, down over 200 pounds (last recorded weight was 198), BMI from 55 down to 29, and the majority of my medical conditions are completely erased. This entire journey has been filled with joy and excitement; it was the best decision that I’ve ever made for myself and I don’t plan on ever turning back. Thank you to everyone at GSBWC, and all my family and friends that have been there for me along the way!