If you have been watching “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”, then you have been witnessing the body struggles that Caroline Manzo’s daughter, Lauren, has been dealing with.

Trying out a liquid diet earlier on in the season, Lauren was teased by her brothers – Albie and Chris – about her weight.  But now, Lauren will be having the last laugh.

Lauren had the lap band procedure bringing her down from 185 pounds to 155 pounds in less than nine months.  Of course Lauren is eating healthy and exercising to maintain her weight loss goal of losing 35 more pounds.

“Something wasn’t right with me,” Lauren told US magazine of her mentality prior to going in for the procedure. “I was depressed.”

Depression that was prompted from her mother’s comments about Lauren looking like ”eight pounds of sausage in a 5-pound bag”.

“If my mom weren’t so blunt with me, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am today,” she said. “I know she didn’t mean anything negative by it. I don’t get offended, so I don’t see why other people do. She has always told me I am beautiful — my father and my brothers, too.”

And we could see Lauren wasn’t happy on the show.  However, now Lauren is smiling ear-to-ear:

“Getting the lap band was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Lauren said. “When I first got it, I didn’t want to tell anybody. So many fans related to my struggle, I didn’t want to feel like I was letting them down.”

But it’s important for her fans to know that Lauren has tried everything from Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and LA Weight Loss.

The taunting comments from her family weren’t the only factors motivating Lauren to lose weight – ”especially after the show came out,” as “the camera doesn’t add 10 pounds — it adds 800!”  Plus cyber bullies wrote nasty insults on her Twitter page calling her all sorts of names from fat, ugly and gross.

“I would never do that to somebody,” she said.

Lauren, who’s been involved with boyfriend Vito Scalia for three years, said her beau “likes that I’m happy … but I could gain 80 pounds from where I am now and he would still love me.

“He loves me more than I ever thought anyone could.”

Lauren is aiming to wear a bikini by the end of this summer. She said,

“Hopefully, by the end of the summer, I’ll be in a bikini — I’ve never worn a bikini in my life!”

Aww, I hope she reaches her weight loss goal and is happy – best of luck Lauren!

“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” airs on Bravo Sundays at 10/9c.