In each edition of BariatricPal News, we’ll have a Member Spotlight feature. We’ll introduce you to a member of BariatricPal. You’ll get to read about our honorees’ weight loss surgery journeys, their personal interests, their struggles and triumphs and their advice for you. Who will be our highlighted members? You, a friend, or someone we choose!

If you want to be highlighted, nominate yourself in this forum. Also let us know here if you have a specific member in mind that you would like to nominate for the spotlight. Tell us why you would like to be nominated, or why your nominee deserves the chance to be in the member spotlight. We also welcome your suggestions on general types of people you’d like to see highlighted, such as women, fathers or people from your region. Let us know!

Occasionally, we’ll choose a BariatricPal member to be highlighted. This may be someone who’s been especially inspirational to others or who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in being a pillar of support in the forums. We hope that you let us know if you see someone like this who deserves the recognition!

You can also use this space to congratulate the members who are highlighted. If you want, ask them questions to follow up on their highlight – after all, this is their chance to share with everyone, and your chance to make a new friend!

Congrats Lissa!

Congrats, Lissa!! You are truly an inspiration. Thank you for always being there!!

It would be nice if a link could be provided to Lissa's page or her member spotlight. You mention it, but I can't find it anywhere!

Please provide a link, I'd love to read the spotlight.

Thanks.

Congrats Lissa!!! You're awesome girly!!!!

Thanks Diva... I was very surprised and delighted by your kind words... as I sit in a hotel lobby on day 9 of a training where they try to suffocate us with chocolate and biscottis!!!! LOL...

I've been so busy it's not funny!! I misss you guys!!!

Thanks, ladies! I get just as much out of VST as I put into it, maybe more.

Fiddlemam, He's our man!

I second that vote - FIDDLEMAN!!

my 2nd vote: Butterthebean!

Weow!!! I made member of the month!! What an honour!

I second DL's nomination.

He's been extremely supportive and given out wonderful advice to me and other members.

He really is an inspiration to so many of us.

Inspiring, encouraging and informative. Probably the best single source of practical and factual information I've seen. Information always combined with words of encouragement and positive comments. If DL writes it, I read it. :-)

I would like to nominate Carolina Girl.. I have gotten so much motivation and laughter from her blog.. She started at a very high weight and has lost over 100 lbs..She is still losing and still blogging...I look forward to seeing her featured in the newsletter.

I will be 63 years old in June and for the first time in over 30 years I have been succesful in my weight loss. When I was 41 I lost my 19 year old son to suicide and my world came crashing down. I gained 80 pounds that year trying to stuff my pain. Then diet after diet I yo-yo'd for years. In 2000 my husband had a serious construction fall that left him crippled and me the sole breadwinner. Two years later he was diagnosed with cancer, open heart surgery, more cancer, and more surgery until he died in July 2010. Since eating was the way I handled pain and stress my weight climbed to 281 pounds on this little 5'4" body. I was very unhealthy with high cholestoral, high blood pressure, dibetes, depression, bad back and bad knees and everything else that slowed me down. A year before my husband died we both decided I needed to get myself healthy if I were going to live. My children and my grandchildren needed me and at 60 years old I was too young to be in this shape. I started my doctor visits 3 months before he died so he never got to be here when I went through the surgery. I was determined to change my life for the better and even living alone I pushed forward. I had my surgery in November 2010 and it was a slow start but as of today 18 months later I have lost 125 pounds and I'm only 20 pounds from goal! I went from a PLUS SIZE 4 (28-30) to a size 10-12. For the 1st time in over 30 years I can buy clothes off the rack in any store. One of the best things I can do now is cross my legs!! No one recognizes me when I go places and my children can't remember seeing me this small. It is a wonderful feeling but most important is I'm no longer dibetic, my blood pressure is way down, my cholestoral is way down and I no longer fight with depression. I love life and embrace it with all the gusto I can! I bought a new bathing suit and look so little in it!! It's a wonderful feeling to be "normal" again. When you are obese people treat you differently.........now I'm just a regular person and loving it!! Carol

hey alex

i want to nominate my fellow lap bander Sharpie for member spot light in an coming post feature please sir..

I think that it is Awsome that Carolina girl is this month's spotlight member, some day I hope to be a nominee or nominate my self & tell my story so I can pay it forward, someday, maybe after I get to goal & maintenance.

merry Christmas bariatric pals