I'm more than nine months out now, and it has flown by! Down 92 pounds since my first appointment (66 since surgery). I've come to realize that this is about as far as the sleeve alone will take me "easily". My winter stall only ended when I upped the duration and intensity of my exercise. Need a few solid hours of power walking or jogging minimum to continue losing. Thankfully the loss has made exercise more fun and easy; I can run without knee pain (wearing correct shoes)! Overall I feel much better, am healthier, more comfortable, more confident.

But at the same time, I'm noticing my body's deflation-- not bad in the most visible places but very noticeable in others. That skin fold above my groin chafes when I exercise and gets infected no matter what I do to keep it clean, dry, secure, treated, etc. Other areas rub and flap, too. Knew I'd probably need plastic surgery but held out hope that losing gradually and being young might work in my favor. In front of the mirror I fold in my tummy skin and pull up the extra skin on my legs and butt and can see and feel the potential for a more normal body, yet I know major body contouring is more dangerous than the sleeve surgery itself and a experienced, high-quality surgeon in the U.S. will cost a year's salary. I look smaller in clothes but still have lumps and rolls in the same places. My hair is still falling out, too, currently at less than half its normal thickness. Yes, have been taking all those extra recommended Vitamins, but it hasn't helped. Oh, well.

Despite these things I am so happy to have gotten the sleeve and come this far! Wouldn't trade the experience!

That's great that you've lost that much weight. And I feel you on the loose skin and deflation issues. I'm sure you will figure it all out.

I'll be 9 months as of the 22nd

We've lost about the same amount of weight post surgery, too!

Yes, I have to work my ass off just to lose a pound a week at this point. I struggled, HARD, from 6 months on trying to find the happy medium of calories and weight loss. Stalls, very slow weight loss (a couple months I lost only 2 pounds the whole month!) have been the bane of my existence.

I am training to do a 5K, so I am currently running over 2.5 miles every other day. I have really had to up my calories and (GULP) carbs to keep losing weight and not stall and bounce around 2 pounds for weeks. Some days I have to eat all day long. It's friggin crazy. Of course, everything I'm eating is all nutritious. I will eat an occasional treat.

I have managed to tighten things up a little by some strength training. My stomach is a different story. My insurance covers Panni, so I will look into that once I hit goal and maintain for a while.

Luckily, most of the hair loss has subsided. It was alarming for a while! I have super thick hair, so really the only people who noticed were me and my hairdresser. When she would foil my hair and then wash and comb, there would be WADS of blond hair coming out in clumps.

You've done amazing! And I, like you, am happy I took the step and had the surgery. I have learned so much about myself, good and bad. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world! Good luck to you as you continue towards your goal!

Thanks for your post! I only hope I'll be like you at 9 months out. Your attitude is great, you're working very hard to figure out how to continue to lose weight, you're pragmatic about the realities of excess skin... and you're keeping your eye on the prize. You're my new role model and I'm rooting for you!

I'm almost 8 months out and I have to agree, it's getting pretty tough. What's crazy is that I feel like I still have really good restriction. I don't eat much and I exercise a lot (my first 5K is this Saturday) but the weight loss is slow and inconsistent. But like you two, I'm keeping at it. I'm too close to stop now.