Lissa

Get back to the basics, which you already know you need to do. Drink Water, eat your Protein and add in some exercise. You've lost 42 pounds already, and you will lose more! My weight loss has really slowed since the six month mark, as well, but I've been adding in exercise and I'm seeing the results in my clothes sizes and my measurements. It's not as bad as you think it is, but you've identified a few things that you want to change, so change them.
You can do this! You will get to goal!! I have faith in you!

I'd add the following: Don't compare your journey to anyone else's journey. Celebrate where you are today instead of being unhappy that you haven't made it to goal yet. Talk positively and think positive when discussing your journey. You didn't get fat overnight and you won't get skinny overnight either. And, to steal from The Help: You is good. You is smart. You is important. Treat yourself that way!

OMG!!! Just got 20 pounds closer to goal!!! Saw my surgeon today and finally remembered to ask him about a goal weight. His answer is 190, my number is 170. He says I'll be too thin at 170 since I'm 5 feet 8. So, I am officially halfway to goal!!!

I haven't had anyone actually make that crack to me, but my comeback would be "Sure, it's the easy way out. Much easier than dying from the complications of obesity I was experiencing!"

I went into surgery expecting to die, and accepting the gamble because of all my health complications. I woke up and went "What?" because I truly didn't expect to wake up. When they wheeled me into my room, I got up off the recovery bed, walked around the hospital bed, and sat in the chair. I never did get in that hospital bed. My only pain was in my thighs from trying to use my leg muscled instead of my tummy muscles, but that went away quickly. I took pain meds three times after surgery, then refused any more pain meds.
I drove myself home the day after surgery, about a 40 minute drive. I started walking up and down my hallway the next day and I've been high energy ever since. In 10 months I've lost 110 pounds, plus I feel amazing!!!
This is the third best gamble I've ever taken (having my boys were #1 and #2).

I joined you teach. We have a really exclusive group for now!

Wheetsin, I have a name for one other set of body parts: The "girls". I used to joke that the "girls" had to be fed whenever I ate because I was always dropping food on my shirts. I don't do that much anymore. My shirts AND the girls thank me for it.
Most other body parts get called by their real names (arms, legs, butt, etc) unless one or more of them is hurting, then there's often a swear word in front of the name. That's usually when I'm on the Helliptical (thanks for the name BK Mama).

I second the nomination for PDXMan. He's always got great advice for fitness and exercise questions and he's a straight shooter.
LilMissDiva (or Stronger Diva or Fitness Diva, I can't keep up! LOL) is another great choice. I know she's admin, but she's at goal and still going strong on exercise and supporting others, both here and in other forums.
There are tons of posters here who would be great as a spotlight. I'd love to see a member spotlight on many of the old-timers, if only so that new people could see their stories and journeys: Sleeve4Me, MassIndex, Tiffykins, MeginNoLa.... I could probably name 50 people off the top of my head for a variety of reasons.
Someone who had complications yet was successful with their sleeve would be great. I'd also love to see some of the exercise gurus highlighted. It would be great to have someone who had a really high BMI, yet managed to meet their goal.
It would also be great to see a spotlight of the admin team. For me, Alex is just a name. I know he's the founder of the forum, but I don't know his story. Has Alex been sleeved? How much did he lose? How long did it take? The same for a couple of other admin people. I know Susan's story because I haunted the site looking for it. Sorry Susan, you didn't know I stalked you, did you?
Perhaps Member Spotlight could become a forum of it's own once there have been a few done.

Not a little black dress, but I love these pics.
For reference

Get back to the basics, which you already know you need to do. Drink Water, eat your Protein and add in some exercise. You've lost 42 pounds already, and you will lose more! My weight loss has really slowed since the six month mark, as well, but I've been adding in exercise and I'm seeing the results in my clothes sizes and my measurements. It's not as bad as you think it is, but you've identified a few things that you want to change, so change them.
You can do this! You will get to goal!! I have faith in you!

Um, the outside has shrunk, but the inside seems the same at 9 months out and 100 pounds lighter. As a matter of fact, things seem to fit better/deeper these days. TMI?

Um, the outside has shrunk, but the inside seems the same at 9 months out and 100 pounds lighter. As a matter of fact, things seem to fit better/deeper these days. TMI?

I went into surgery expecting to die, and accepting the gamble because of all my health complications. I woke up and went "What?" because I truly didn't expect to wake up. When they wheeled me into my room, I got up off the recovery bed, walked around the hospital bed, and sat in the chair. I never did get in that hospital bed. My only pain was in my thighs from trying to use my leg muscled instead of my tummy muscles, but that went away quickly. I took pain meds three times after surgery, then refused any more pain meds.
I drove myself home the day after surgery, about a 40 minute drive. I started walking up and down my hallway the next day and I've been high energy ever since. In 10 months I've lost 110 pounds, plus I feel amazing!!!
This is the third best gamble I've ever taken (having my boys were #1 and #2).

Not a little black dress, but I love these pics.
For reference

Well, it's not a LBD, but I last wore this dress 10 years ago. It's going in the donation pile after today.

Taking off the fat suit makes us cold. I can live with that!

Pinky, I can eat almost anything at this point. My "meal plan" consists of 70 grams of Protein per day and 64 oz of Water. I eat foods that help me reach that target.
Breakfast is usually a Protein Bar and a mini babybel. lunch can be anything. I go in phases, today I had some chicken wings cooked in the toaster oven, about 5 IIRC. dinner, I haven't thought about yet. I usually do some lunch meat rolled up with cheese or I'll eat some version of a frozen entree like chicken or shrimp. I do a lot of stir fry with chicken or steak fajita meat and a little bit of frozen veggies. And, I'm constantly drinking Water, Decaf tea, etc.
Work on your water. You need it more than Protein early post-op. Getting dehydrated is a much bigger danger than malnourished right now.
To stay on topic, I'm kegeling!

Oh, and I just added a new exercise to my daily routine... kegels.

Pinky, Everyone loses at their own pace. NEVER beat yourself up for where you're at... Celebrate where you have come from!!! It's a journey. Enjoy it and have a great time discovering new things about yourself!!!

I was told that I definitely WOULD become an alcoholic. So far, I'm not. I see a therapist for my food issues as well. It's amazing how much of our lives and our minds are tied up in food. I'm working really hard to become addicted to exercise. I think that would be my best bet!

I am a traveling notary in Florida, currently separated from my DH. I have two grown sons and a stepson that I will continue to claim as mine forever.
I'm 45 and just bought my first ever house alone!! I've been moving for days, so have been offline for a few days.
I've been self employed for 10+ years and I love it!
I see, read, live to garden and do DIY projects, and I am an aspiring writer. Someday...
Lissa

I have a Premier Protein bar most mornings for Breakfast. It's a red letter day for me when I end up with the Yogurt Crunch flavor!

I am a traveling notary in Florida, currently separated from my DH. I have two grown sons and a stepson that I will continue to claim as mine forever.
I'm 45 and just bought my first ever house alone!! I've been moving for days, so have been offline for a few days.
I've been self employed for 10+ years and I love it!
I see, read, live to garden and do DIY projects, and I am an aspiring writer. Someday...
Lissa

I read that book and didn't related the VBG to VSG at all. Hmmm, maybe I need to check my reading comprehension skills! I know nothing about VBG, so I can't comment on that. But, I know a little bit about VSG, and it involves some fairly new techniques added to an old surgical procedure. Removal of all or a portion of the stomach has been done for many years for things like stomach cancer and ulcers. My late mother in law had most of her stomach removed because of stomach cancer.
The difference with VSG is that the techniques to remove part of the stomach have been advanced to the point where the surgery can be done laparascopically most of the time. The stapling technique has also evolved into a fairly simple procedure wherein a tube (bougie/bougle) is passed down the throat into the stomach and the surgeon uses an automatic stapler/cutter to close off the removed section and the remaining section, then removes the excess stomach through a laparscopic incision.
In traditional stomach surgery, the patient is opened up with a midline incision and the stomach is removed. My mother in law had a long scar on her tummy and she said the doctor hand-sewed her stomach closed after removing the cancerous part of her stomach. I do believe that her remaining stomach was more restrictive than my sleeve is.
Most of the WLS procedures that involved stapling or re-routing the stomach before left the excluded part of the stomach intact in the body. That did not keep people from getting ulcers or cancer in that section, nor did it remove the part of the stomach that produced ghrelin, which is the hormone that makes us hungry. So, you have someone with an intact urge to eat, but without the stomach capacity to eat enough to eliminate the hunger. My sister in law had a gastric bypass and says that she fights the actual hunger every day. Those WLS surgeries also often involved re-routing of the intestines and, sometimes, removal of the pyloric valve. That's the valve at the bottom of your stomach that releases your food into the intestines to be digested.
Sleevers keep their pyloric valve, lose the ghrelin, and can eat most foods safely, although in smaller quantities than before. Some never get the hunger back, some do. Overall, though, VSG is safer, with fewer side effects and guaranteed complications than most of the other WLS surgeries available, In my opinion anyway!
I think that's a fairly complete description, but please, anyone, correct me if I've given erroneous information.
Good luck with your decision!!

I am a traveling notary in Florida, currently separated from my DH. I have two grown sons and a stepson that I will continue to claim as mine forever.
I'm 45 and just bought my first ever house alone!! I've been moving for days, so have been offline for a few days.
I've been self employed for 10+ years and I love it!
I see, read, live to garden and do DIY projects, and I am an aspiring writer. Someday...
Lissa