For as long as she can remember, Meredith Mobley struggled with her weight. “Name a diet, I’ve tried it,” she laughs. “From cabbage soup to keto—I even tried the GLP-1 medication Mounjaro^® and lost 40 pounds while on it. But when I stopped taking it, the weight came back quickly and losing it again felt impossible.”

At her heaviest, Meredith weighed 237 pounds. She was battling severe acid reflux, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). “I just didn’t feel good,” she recalls.

Everything changed when a close friend—who is also a nurse—decided to have weight loss surgery. After hearing her friend’s reasoning, Meredith started to consider it herself.

Her first appointment with Dr. Benjamin White at the South Carolina Obesity Surgery Center sealed the deal. “My meeting with Dr. White immediately put me at ease,” Meredith says. “He talked me through all the bariatric options and recommended sleeve gastrectomy, which was exactly what I’d been hoping for.”

Meredith’s friend underwent sleeve gastrectomy first, and she followed one month later. Having a buddy to share the experience with made all the difference. “It was great having someone go through it with me and tell me what to expect,” Meredith says. “The support we gave each other through surgery, recovery and the lifestyle changes afterward was invaluable.”

Today, Meredith weighs 140 pounds—nearly 100 pounds lighter than before surgery—and says she has “never felt better” in her body. “Now I can exercise and play with my children without being out of breath,” she says. “I don’t ever remember having this body in my life. Shopping for clothes is so much more fun—now I can buy anything I want!”

Meredith also noticed an unexpected benefit compared to her time on a GLP-1. “My ‘food noise’—the constant thoughts about food—are gone,” she explains. “Even when I do want to eat, I feel full much more quickly than I did on a GLP-1 and don’t want to overeat. It’s made losing weight so much easier.”

She credits her success to both the surgery and the ongoing care she’s received. “I am beyond thankful for Dr. White,” says Meredith. “Not only is he an incredibly skilled and knowledgeable surgeon, but he is also personable and genuinely cares for his patients. He takes the time to listen, explain, and encourage, which made all the difference in my journey. Because of his guidance and support, I feel healthier, stronger, and more confident than ever.”

Meredith continues to stick mostly to a low-carb diet and has adapted the size of her meals. When asked if she has any regrets, she doesn’t hesitate: “My only regret is not having it sooner. I wish I had more years to enjoy the body I now have.”

Learn more about weight loss surgery options at South Carolina Obesity Surgery Center.