Article By Jasmine Jordan // Women’s Issues // EEW Magazine Online

Millions of women in search of a quicker route to achieving their weight loss goals frequently undergo costly and dangerous surgeries.

In 2004, after welcoming her first daughter, Krista, Grammy-winning gospel singer, Erica Campbell, admits that she was among the millions that give into the promise of the quick fix after being unhappy with her pregnancy weight gain.

“So, I did have surgery. It was lipo,” said Campbell, 49, in an exclusive sit-down on Monday’s Tamron Hall show. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped.

“I was young and really didn’t know the process of what you’re supposed to do, so I didn’t get the lymphatic massages that you’re supposed to get. So, my body was not pretty,” said the songstress who is currently promoting her brand-new single, “Positive.”

“My body was beautiful before I had it. I had just gained weight, because I had just had my oldest daughter who’s now 17. So, I had the surgery. It was really a bad situation. I was in a hotel room bleeding everywhere, and they sent a nurse and some Tylenol. And then, I had another baby, so I gained the weight again, so I was like, what was it all for?” confessed the host of the popular, nationally syndicated radio show, Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell.

“Why did you choose this?” Campbell asked herself, then answered, “It seemed like the easier choice. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

Despite some things going wrong, the woman best known as one-half of the chart-topping gospel duo, Mary Mary, said, “But I recovered fine. There’s still some scars that I don’t care for, but I love me, so it’s fine. I’m cute with or without scars.”

By the time Campbell welcomed her second daughter, Zaya, 12 years ago, despite the surge in popularity of post-pregnancy plastic surgery, she did not feel pressured to snap back to her pre-pregnancy weight.

“People were having mommy makeovers right after the baby. At that time, I didn’t feel the pressure, because I had already gone through this experience,” explained Campbell.

Though she said her previous liposuction did give her a smaller waist size, it also gave her new perspective: “I should’ve just worked out,” Campbell realized.

And these days, that’s exactly what the multi hyphenate artist is doing—working out, eating healthier, and periodically water fasting for results. This more gradual, natural path to weight loss isn’t easy. It has required lifestyle changes, consistency, and discipline. Yet, Campbell is up for the challenge and the results speak for themselves.

Last month, a visibly trimmer Campbell said she was down from 184 pounds to 169, only 19 pounds away from her goal weight of 150.

Watch the full interview below.