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I am finally in the 30's with my BMI, 39.8, and excited. So not sure if that is or is not an NSV, but I'll take it. I know I post how slow my weight loss is, and still feeling it could be better, but excited BMI is in the 30's. I think when I first started, May 2014 my BMI was 49. I did my 6 month requirement for the insurance, which finished in Nov 2014, but had a work injury on my knee and fractured my wrist, so took a break from the program, then started up again April 2015 and finally had the surgery 8/3. Thanks to everyone for their responses, and I love reading these posts and everyones experiences.

I had a RNY 28 months ago. I lost a lot of weight very quickly. At 6 or 7 months I leveled off. At the end of the Weight Loss phase, I was totally unable to wear any of my clothes. I gave them all away. My wife is a seamstress and it was not worth the effort to tailor them. On the other hand, I am a great shopper. I generally buy clothes at a 70-80% discount and I love to shop. This gave me the opportunity to buy the latest fashions for a completely new wardrobe. It was fun. I could shop at normal department stores again. On the journey down you will need only one or two sets of clothes. I would buy a pair of pants that I could barely fit into (provided I took a deep breath) then a week later it would fit like a glove. It was a great incentive (a NSV - non scale victory).

@@dre1375 - try on some new "old" clothes and see how they fit! that's the best NSV ever!

I can still distinctly remember having that fear of not fitting in a desk at school going back as far as grade school. This is indeed a monumental NSV! Congrats!

You've been thru major surgery on top of coming to grips with a complete lifestyle change and a shift in hormones. Cut yourself some slack...YES you're going to be emotional!!! The good news is you're going to see some major positive changes very soon and that should make the entire emotional roller coaster much easier to ride. At least for me, once I was seeing some NSV's happen in my life, it made the grieving process much easier. Good Luck. You got this!!!

My "cookie" substitute was Protein balls that taste like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I took peanut butter and chocolate protein powder and mixed it up until real smooth. I rolled it into balls the size of walnuts. One, sometimes two was more than enough to take off the edge of hunger. Just don't forget that peanut butter has calories and you wouldn't want to go crazy with this. My liquid diet included bone broth, which was basically homemade vegetable soup with meat on the bone, and vegetables. Boyfriend ate the veggies and meat. I drank the broth. My preferred brand for shake mix was Syntrax Nectars. My favorite was the grapefruit because when I mixed up with Crystal Lite Lemonade it tasted like Fresca soda. They have a lot of flavors. I waaaaay overbought and took about 18 months to use it up. Right now I have on hand Syntrax Matrix Vanilla, Syntrax Matrix Chocolate Mint (tastes like a Peppermint Patty) and Core Athlete pumpkin Spice......OMG it's actually good! I used the unflavored in soups. My Vitamin is a generic brand from Walgreens, labeled for women over 50. My labs are fine. My goal outfit is just a few pounds from fitting. I bought white skinny jeans and a Vera Wang silk blouse. I have never in my life bought clothes of any quality. Vera was my first. I also ditched the white granny panties and Walmart $6 bras for good quality girly things that match. I felt a difference in my weight at 30 pounds down, and that is when my primary noticed a difference in my face and skin tone. People around me noticed a difference around 50 pounds down. At 65 pounds down I had an appointment with my pain specialist whom I had not seen since pre-op. He did not recognize me and when he and his nurses were doing their pre-procedure "time out", he said "Are your SURE we have the right patient on the table." I cracked up. Total NSV!

It is definitely an awesome movie! We are all going to be awesome starring in our own movie. Yes sometimes it is going to be scary but we will be amazed as our bodies change, as we conquer new NSV's. We've all bought a ticket and we are standing on the platform ready to board. I like this thought. By thinking of it this way for the first time I am starting to feel some excitement. Maybe I did shed some of that stress yesterday after all.

Nice NSV Sam... looking great

That's a definite NSV. Congrats!

What a great NSV! Congratulations on the smaller bathing suits, meaning a smaller you.

I was sleeved April 20 and was able to get back into the pool in mid-May. I initially wore the bathing suit I had left over from the end of last season. My birthday was in June so I ordered two suits for my birthday. One a size lower than last year's, and the second a size lower than that. Today, I finally tried on the second suit and it fit! For someone who started as such a high weight as I did there is a lot of room between bathing suit sizes so I consider this a big deal! Now, I need to watch the sales and order the next two sizes down do I will be prepared.

Nice...give us some NSV's!!!!

Hey, thanks. You've just started your great journey. You'll love all the NSV like (you mentioned) walking up stairs, parking all the way across from the supermarket just so you can walk, housework without tiring quickly or aching, shopping wherever you want, passing a store window and smiling...

It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall? I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea. Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds. For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response: What can you do to "break" a stall? 1) STAY OFF THE SCALE Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale. 2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck. 3) TRACK YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do. If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall). 4) EXERCISE If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle. 5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall). 6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics. 7) JOURNAL One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil. -- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general. -- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place. -- Write about what life was like before surgery. -- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future. -- Write about your fears. -- Write about your NSVs. -- Make a gratitude list. -- Make a bucket list. -- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self. Just write. 8) SEEK HELP Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous. The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them. The last, and most important thing you can DO is: 9) EMBRACE THE STALL Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process. Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines. Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss. If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

Just ended a 3 week stall here. You are right Inner Surfer Girl about the complexities of the human body. So we all hang in there, eat right, drink enough Fluid and exercise and have faith one day that scale will move down again. While we wait we look for NSV's. Not making any weight loss related goals here just trying to believe if I work the program it will happen..in it's own time.

Love the NSV

​Agree you are eating too much. Here's my tip - set a timer for 1 1/12 minutes and ONLY take a bite when that timer goes off. Set another timer (or watch the clock) and at no more than 30 minutes, stop eating. Throw your food away. Make sure your bites are relatively small. I would be surprised if you could get in even 1/2 cup that way. I know I can't. What do your food logs say? How many calories / Protein / fat / carbs are you taking in per day? What did your NUT say? Give us an idea of your daily food and maybe we can make some suggestions in addition to reducing volume. I saw your other post and you have some HUGE NSV's which you definitely need to rejoice in. Have you taken your measurements? That may help you see the changes.

I feel your pain, as I'm having a similar experience! Though I'm only a month out (1 month today, actually), I've only lost 17 pounds and I'm super disappointed, even though I have had several NSVs. Stalls are normal, unfortunately, but it seems to me that even though you aren't losing pounds, you're gaining your health. And that's really, really good!

I'm not sure if this is a NSV but it was surprising. I usually put my hair bands around my wrist so I would have it handy. When I was overweight I would have to take it off shortly after putting it on because it would start squeezing my wrist. Today I realized I could keep it on all day but also when I pulled up my long sleeve shirt my hair band pulled up to my upper arm and I didn't realize it until I was looking for it to put in my hair. I guess my upper arm has gotten quite a bit smaller.

I am in the same boat as you Amber. I am three months out and I am only 30 lbs. Everyone tells me to up my protein, water and exercise. I'm trying very hard. I'm focusing on the nsv. I was only expected to lose 70lbs so I guess I am almost half way there. I am content when I look at it that way. It is difficult accepting that I'm a slow loser sometime.

I'm almost a year out and had a huge NSV yesterday. I could never wear high boots before. Went it to the store and pulled on a pair of knee high boots that zipped. They fit perfectly! I wanted to cry!

I have been with my husband for 20+ years. We have a solid relationship. We would take a bullet for each other. As I lost weight my husband was a bit insecure. As ridiculous as this sounds, he felt that if I got attention from the opposite sex I was going to leave him. I had to reassure him and validate what he was going through. As my weight loss progressed I was involved with my gym, sporting events and just enjoying the new things that I could not do at my high weight. He was feeling left behind. I always try to include him even if he says no..its the fact that I asked. We made some goal rewards... couples goal rewards. As old as we are. We went to victoria secret. I walked out with size small panties (NSV) We started riding our mountain bikes to a coffee shop every sunday. I have been in bariatric cooking classes for over a year now. He eats what I cook and loves it. I'm so proud of him.

@@Jazziminna - That's a BIG NSV!!! Congrats!

My latest NSV was really a Negative NSV! :-P I found a shirt I really wanted BAD! It was the only one in purple they had. And it was 3 sizes too BIG! I was too thin to wear it. :-) Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

Many on BP have said 30 days post-op, they were released to light weighted exercises. I too was okayed at 30 days for weight training. I never really got into a regular weight training program. I've stuck to walking as my primary exercise program. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31216-nsv-2-you-best-step-off-b-hatch/ Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!