years for her dream to come true. During that time it would have been a nightmare to give up. In January 2007 weighing in at almost 300lbs. she had bariatric surgery. As a bariatric patient who has lost 137 pounds, all Charlie’s healthy living and weight loss dreams are coming true. Lightenupexpo.com and bariatricaftercarenetwork.com are a major part of that dream. Lighten Up Expo is designed to educate, enlighten, and enrich the lives of bariatric patients looking to get back on track, maintain their weight loss, and eat to live instead of live to eat.

Many patients, potential patients and parents of children with weight issues, come to think of bariatric surgery as a possible tool to help them begin a journey to over come a life long weight problem. In their search, they can be overwhelmed at the many facades of bariatric surgery and the tall tales that are told by many. Lighten Up Expo and Bariatric After Care Network was created to educate and to give everyone the tools they need to succeed.