How’s this for a storyline? Shortly after feeling threatened by an influential woman who’s scheming to steal her boyfriend, Guiding Light’s trickiest teenager, Ashlee Wolf, decides to undergo weight loss surgery. Foreseeing her mother’s disapproval of this decision, Ashlee hides the news, and mom doesn’t find out about her daughter’s plans until right before the procedure.

Subsequent to the surgery Ashlee becomes addicted to exercise until she receives a self-esteem boost from a flirtatious stranger. Said stranger turns out to be a hit-and-run driver, who may have befriended her to get in the good graces of her mother, the mayor.

That, at least, is how Ashlee’s weight loss played out on the CBS soap opera. In real life, Caitlin Van Zandt, 22—the actress who plays Ashlee—did extensive research before deciding to undergo a gastric banding procedure known as Lap-Band in 2008. And rather than hide her decision from her mother, Caitlin encouraged Barbara Van Zandt (who like her daughter had battled obesity since childhood) to have the procedure herself. Barbara, 59, underwent the procedure 10 days after Caitlin did.

Lap-Band is considered less invasive than stomach stapling. Using a laparoscope, surgeons place a silicone ring around top portion of the stomach. The reduced stomach size is thought to help people feel full faster and decrease their appetite. Of course, there are also side effects, including band slippage, erosion and deflation, stomach obstruction, infection, nausea and vomiting.

At the time of their interview, Caitlin and Barbara were eager to share their progress 6 months post-surgery: Caitlin had lost 72 pounds and Barbara had lost 47 pounds.

HFW: How did you decide that surgery was your best weight loss option?

Caitlin: After trying many diets—Atkins, South Beach, anything you could imagine—and being with a trainer and taking different dance classes, only losing about 10 pounds and then gaining back 15, and going on this yo-yo cycle, I knew that I didn’t want to struggle with this onward.

I didn’t want my weight related health problems like my asthma and high cholesterol to get any worse. I wanted to nip this in the bud while I was young. So, I researched all my options and gastric bypass made me a little nervous, I didn’t like that it was a permanent change. Lap-Band seemed ideal because it’s adjustable and removable if need be.

HFW: What type of discussion did you have with your healthcare provider prior to the surgery?

Caitlin: To be honest, I did the research on my own, and I was lucky to get both of us appointments with my surgeon. I had a consultation with him and that’s when I learned that we would both be ideal candidates for the procedure. Afterwards, while we were still deciding—well, mostly my mom was still deciding—we both talked to our primary care physician and he was all about it.

Barbara: He was very enthusiastic about it. It kind of settled my mind to have the primary care physician think this was an absolutely fabulous thing to do.

HFW: What was recovery like?

Caitlin: I had my procedure on a Friday at 6:30 am, and my procedure lasted 35 minutes. I left the hospital at 1:15 in the afternoon. I spent the weekend at home, resting and hanging out and watching movies. I went back to work in the studio on Tuesday and shot a love scene with my hunky on-screen boyfriend. I was back to normal within 4 days.

HFW: How have your lives changed with your weight loss?

Barbara: For me, it has been small things, like the first time I picked up something off the floor without having to brace myself. And it wasn’t until after I did it that I realized what it was I had done. Or putting on socks without effort. Getting in and out of the car without grunting. The first time I climbed the 52 steps to Caitlin’s apartment without stopping. Those are the things for me that my life has opened up.

I used to have horrible lower back pain and I would be lucky if I could walk two blocks. But I can tell you that one day a couple of weeks ago I walked 38 blocks, and it was all because I don’t have the weight in my belly anymore and my back didn’t hurt.

Caitlin: I’ve certainly learned to value myself more in the way I’ve always deserved to be valued. I used to let other people determine my value because of the way that I looked, and I was stupid enough to believe them. Now it’s quite the opposite; I decide that I’m worthwhile and talented and friendly and beautiful and either I fool people or they believe me because I believe me. So I finally believe in who I am. That’s more on the emotional side of things.

And on the physical side of things, I’m shopping in normal stores. Every store I can walk into now and try on way too many things to wear—even weird things like having to buy belts. I never bought belts before because why would I need a belt?

HFW: How do you keep the weight off?

Caitlin: I’ve moved into an apartment in Manhattan that’s on the fourth floor of a walkup. So I’m up and down the stairs three or four times a day with groceries and laundry and junk. I walk to work. It’s about a mile to the studio at Guiding Light and about a mile back to my apartment.

I walk everywhere. I’ve sworn off cabs because number one, they are way too expensive, and number two, I think that exercise should be part of your everyday life and should also be something to entertain you. I’ve gotten back to belly dancing classes, and I do that about twice a week.

HFW: What about dietary changes?

Caitlin: I try not to bring sweets into the house. If I’m really craving that Ben and Jerry’s then I can go to the deli and get one little serving of it and not have the pint in the house. I try to make good choices when I’m at the grocery store. If I’m craving something sweet I’ll have a key lime pie yogurt or Tastee Delight [frozen yogurt]—something non-fat. My palate has changed so much since my diet has changed. Whereas I used to need a huge slice of chocolate cake to satisfy that sweet tooth, [now] a yogurt will do just fine.

HFW: What was it like to go through this process together?

Barbara: With having Caitlin as my Lap-Band buddy, when new things happened I would call her and she would say, ‘Oh, tomatoes didn’t set well today.’ [I’d say] ‘Well, tomatoes set well with me, but I struggled a little bit with this…’ It’s nice to have somebody who’s going through this at the same time. I know there are many support groups and I would advise that people take advantage of them. It helps to have somebody around to about it with.

Caitlin: I think the most valuable thing about going through this process was my mom, mostly because she knows me so well so she completely understood my need to do something like this because she’s been there herself and she watched me grow up and struggle. So there’s a bunch of history there. I would say that if you are a good candidate to get a Lap-Band system that you should seriously discuss it with your family and make sure you have a good support network. I think that’s the key to success, to have positive reinforcement around you. I try to that for my mom and she for me.