Dropping pounds, Toni Ruggiero

Ruggiero had a friend who had undergone successful weight-loss surgery, inspiring her to consider the procedure. "I began researching weight-loss surgeries," says Ruggiero, who settled on the gastric sleeve surgery, which can remove up to 75 percent of the stomach, giving it a tubelike appearance.

"I realized it was time to live again instead of sitting home depressed about my weight, about having nothing to wear," says Ruggiero. "I wanted to enjoy my husband and children. It was time to start thinking about me if I wanted to be around for them."

"We ate a lot of fast food," Ruggiero says. "Now, I eat things I never ate before: salads, fruits, vegetables, health bars. Even when we go out, I choose wisely."

She starts the day with a bowl of oatmeal or a serving of yogurt with fruit. Lunch is usually a salad with chicken. If she snacks, she'll have sugar-free Jell-O or raw vegetables. Dinner, which she now has around 6 p.m., is a lean protein with vegetables and the occasional potato or serving of rice.

"I no longer drink any soda," says Ruggiero, who says she drinks only water or unsweetened tea.

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She wants others to understand that the surgery is just part of the process. "It is an aid, not a solution," she says. "You have to change your mindset, change your diet."

44, Wading River

Occupation: Graphic designer

Height: 5-foot-4