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Hi there! I had my surgery on August 15th and so far I have had a complication free, speedy and very lucky recovery. I have lost 47 pounds including a one week pre-op which I am pretty excited for! Well I have an interesting story (I'll make it short, I promise) that I want to share with you. [below talks about lots of junk food - don't read if you are sensitive to that kinda thing, heh] Before getting the gastric sleeve I was an emotional eater. I binged multiple times a week and the only person who knows is my mom and a good friend of mine. Food was my best friend. I used to eat huge quantities, well over 10,000 calories at a time and end my day with a big thing of ice-cream. I still get disgusted thinking about eating everything that I did. And I did this multiple times a week for years. Anyway~ Besides deep fried cheesy foods, sweets was my number one go-to food. You know those, "Oops, we baked too much!" 50% off carts they have at super markets? Yeah, I attacked that. Sometimes getting two dozen donuts, 24 count Cookies, etc that would sit in my stomach after a day and a half (not including all the chips, Pasta, cheese sticks, hot pockets, etc I would eat prior) I was a wreck. [end junk food] Anyway, now that I had the sleeve I have had no cravings other than fresh fruit. I am allowed SF/FF pudding (I got dark chocolate, my favorite) and I took one bite and it was far too rich! It went down smoothly and I had no problems but it was just disgusting. Pre-surgery the richer the better! But no, I just can't tolerate it now. I tried again a week later (the other day) and took one small spoon. Nope, not happening. I just don't want it and I gave it to my mother and said she can eat them. ISN'T IT CRAZY HOW MUCH YOU CAN CHANGE AFTER SURGERY? This super-super-sweet girl doesn't like sweets! I get great satisfaction by adding a strawberry to my crystal lite lemonade or eating two small blackberries but nothing more. I think this is a big fat NSV!!!!!!!! Does anyone have a story similar to mine?

Well as my title says I am 11 weeks post op today and I am down 60.2 lbs!!!! I am so excited and happy with my progress I could just scream it from the roof tops!! This surgery was not something I wanted to do, it was recommended to me by a doctor I was seeing to repair my ventral hernia. So we started looking into it. I was so afraid of the surgery, the recovery, the way I would have to eat, etc. I don't think there was one part that didn't scare me. I am glad that I had to do a 6 month supervised diet because it gave me time to wrap my head around all the changes and to make sure I thought I could do it. Well I did it and I am doing it. Nothing went as I thought and that is a good thing. I have had very few problems and the ones I have had have been minor. Grant it the weight I am at now is a weight a lot people are starting their journey at, but for me with a highest weight of 324, and pre op diet weight of 314.8 I have come a long way. I still have a ways to go, but I truly believe I can do this. I feel so much better already. The NSV's are happening daily. Like just the other night we went to dinner and I did my usual check out the booth before I sit down, picked the side that looked bigger and sat down. I literally squeal out loud almost everytime I sit in a booth and I have like 5 inches between me and the table now. My family just laughs at me. It's little things like this that amaze me everyday. I just wanted to share my joy this morning!! This site has been a god send for me, pre op and post op. I try my best to encourage and give back posting when I can. For anyone out there just starting their journey, when you read it will get better, IT DOES GET BETTER!! Sometimes it is hard to believe that but it does!! Have a great Monday everyone and drink your water!! lol

Yesterday I decided to go shopping. I have bought a few things that fit me but you can count them on one hand. I brought home a bag full, things were on sale and a good price. I hate to try on in store so I bring it home. Usually most of it goes back. I bought all XL. I wore a 24 5 months ago and can not remember when I ever and I mean ever wore an XL. I tried them all on and they all fit wonderfully. I couldn't believe how little I looked. Then I did the unthinkable. I took everything that was in my cupboard and folded it up for the thrift store. Today I took it there. All my big clothes are gone. I have hardly anything in my closet clothes wise but I have enough until I lose another 45 lbs and the XL are all baggy. What an NSV this was for me.

So today i took the kids school shopping. We were in old navy, when they were done I decided to venture over to the ladies section to check sizes out, to see If I would fit anything. I've NEVER been able to buy from the store, only online. I tried on a top in the biggest size I saw, XXL. It was too big! I bought an XL top, and a pencil skirt to go with it. I'm still elated over this experience!!

Patrick, that is wonderful!!! Cody, NSV = Non scale Victory = good things.

Wow awesome my first NSV i think.

what does NSV mean?? I am new to the forum and unsure of some of the terms

Happy NSV and birthday to you!!!!!!

I'm back from my long weekend with DS2. We had a great time with my family. We left early on Friday and arrived in Columbus for an early lunch (white-knuckled trip with pouring rain until we were almost there). I was supposed to be on mushies the whole day and then start solids Saturday (post-fill), so I chose some cottage cheese for lunch. I brought flowers from my garden and between those and Mom's we made about 8 arrangements and took them over to my Middle Sister's to start prep for the party. We worked until dinnertime and I was able to get down a little thin crust pizza and mixed fruit salad back at Mom's. Saturday found Mom and I (and two of her Herb Society friends) on a two hour trip down to a lavender farm for a festival (sorry, I forgot my camera but found these pics of the farm online-no, I don't know that cute little boy). It smelled like heaven as we pulled into the lavender field to park. She'd signed us up for two classes so we went off to the 'Mediterranean Cooking with Herbs' class. As I've said before, I'm not the chef in our family, but I was excited for this class. I have a nice herb garden (most cooks would kill for…my neighbors do come to take snippings occasionally at my urgings) and I'd like to learn to use more of them. I always dry some herbs each year (mainly for show in my kitchen and basement rack), but the only things I really use fresh are the basil to mainly make pesto or my mozzarella/tomato Italian flag salad, the tarragon for a chicken bake dish DH makes, and occasionally some chives, dill, or oregano for an occasional recipe. The teacher is the regional cooking expert for Macy's department stores (I think she works a lot with brides, etc.) and she was very knowledgeable. I'm inspired to try to incorporate the fresh herbs more now while they're in season. We had a meal of bread, salad, chicken, pancetta, and cookies all incorporating the herbs at the end of the demo. I almost had a stuck moment as I was carefully eating the herb salad (I thought I chewed very carefully). I was trapped at an inside table with people all around or I would have gotten up as I could feel the sliming about to start. I was panicking and I'm sure the folks across from me saw my eyes watering…but then it passed in a few minutes. I quickly gave Mom the rest of my salad saying I'd taken too much…whew…that was a close one! The Lavender Festival was wonderful, but small (about 20 vendors and the classes), so then we found ourselves with about 3 hours to kill before our next class. It was almost 90 degrees out so after the 'cut your own lavender' trip to the field and shopping the vendors (I bought; 5 plants, a pair of beaded earrings for DD's birthday in August, and 20 wooden garden markers for DS2's vegetable garden that he can decorate) we looked for a shady spot and bought some lavender ice cream from the Mennonites who had an ice cream and baked goods booth (they had a small John Deere engine attached to the ice cream maker…cool to watch). I asked for only one scoop…OMG that ice cream was wonderful…fresh cream from the cow…a scoopful of heaven! Our last class was making a framed picture from pressed flowers and Mom is going to be doing this at one of their Festival's at the herb garden she volunteers with weekly, so she was very excited. We were done in record time (the heat made us work fast) and we were back in the car for our trip home. Then off to Middle-Sister's for my nephew's HS graduation party (he's in a college program now to become a police officer). It went perfectly; no rain and lots of fun. We collapsed after pitching or bagging up the extra food around midnight. Sunday we stayed until late morning so I could spend some more time with Dad for Father's Day. I gave him a nice box of smoked salmon, which he loved. Unusual gift, I know. DH and I (and the kids) twice visited DH's sister and her family when they lived in Alaska for 2 years. We took my only brother on the second trip. He loved it so much that he and DH arranged a fishing trip there (in a motor home for a week traveling the area) a few years later and they took my Dad. He loved getting the salmon they caught smoked and so the salmon I bought him was labeled as being from one of the rivers in Alaska that they fished…he noticed right away. We got in the car for our 3 ½ hour ride home and DS2 said 'It was a great weekend!' and high-fived me as he said 'It was a nice trip with just you and I!' I forget that the baby of the family, even at 13 yrs. old can still need some quality one on one time. We played Mad Libs most of the way home and stopped at McDonalds for lunch (I ate ½ a grilled chicken club sandwich…went down fine). Had a nice evening of playing Frisbee in the backyard and grilling out for Father's Day back home with the family (Happy belated Father's Day all you Dad's). Tomorrow is the Jimmy Buffet concert with 2 neighbor couples (can't wait) and Thursday morning we leave for PennState with DS1 for our orientation (staying at the old colonial Nittany Lion Inn on campus overnight-run by the PennState hospitality program, so it should be fun). DH took off the rest of the week for all this, but I'll try to post some updates when we have some down time. I'm off to the Drs. (routine) with the boys and then on to DS2's guitar lesson (he AMAZES me with his talent...no idea where it comes from, but it's great for each kid to find something they're good at). Today is my two-month bandiversary and I'm down 19 pounds since surgery (most of that, just post-op though). I'm just hoping to keep losing or at least not gain during this 6 week wait for the next fill. Sorry I went on and on as usual, just catching up. Have a great week all!!! I'll post some pics I just took of my garden later.

my 1st non-scale victory today!! http://www.debbieposton.com/my-1st-nsv-non-scale-victory/ let me know what you think and what NSV you've had?

These are great NSV's!! Way to go everyone! It's exciting to hear some that I hadn't thought about before and can add to the list of things I look forward to with my new body.

You know I want to start out by saying that I am going to get a little whiney and for those of you who cannot sympathize with Goal Limbo then you are going to hate this post. But I come here to voice my NSV, my SV and so I will post my whining too. I will attach a couple of pictures here. These are my 1 year full body pictures. I have my pre-op pics on my profile page if you want to see. I'm not at my home comptuer or I would upload those. I am so very not happy with my body. I'm not talking about the drooping girls in front. I have to expect that after losing 115 lbs. I am talking about my "big" tummy and the fact that from the side I have no waiste. AT ALL! How depressing is that? When I see myself in the mirror and in pictures (which is the real test) I am actually pretty happy with my front view. I have never had to worry about hips like one of my sisters. I am broad acrose the back, but that has gotten more propotionate lately and with my "sucker-inner" as I call my cami-body hugger I don't have a lot of loose looking skin and it help keeps the girls up. (without the sucker-inner it isn't quite as pretty ) From the side I have absolutely no waste. Infact I think my belt in is direct allignment to the girls up top. People at work call me skinny, which doesn't tick me off like it used to when I thought they were kind of making fun of me. I had a girl at work that thought I weighed 130 lbs. Okay that made me wonder if she was making fun of me again, but I don't think she was. I weigh 170 and I told her so, but I am pretty fit and wear a size 11/12. I would LOVE to go down one more size and hit a 9/10 comfortablly. But I digress..... What is wrong with me? What is wrong with my body. I am a short little thing. Only 5'4". I know that makes a big difference in the way I carry my weight. I know that one year ago when I was wearing a size 22/24 I would have swore when I fit into a size 11/12 that I would be estatic with my body. Now all I see is fat when I look at my profile in the mirror. Oh another thing on these pictures is that I still have a !@#$% double chin! WHAT? I thought I got rid of that. I will have to walk around with my nose in the air so that thing isn't as noticable! Oh I know what some of you are thinking....."What is she complaining about? If I could lose that weight I would be so happy I would never complain" Yeah, I hope that is true because it is what I thought a year ago. Maybe this is good. I have been so happy with my weight and my body that I have gone into maintaince mode. I guess maybe I needed to get to point where I am not happy to get my weight loss moving again. I am so frustrated, but on the bright side it makes me want to go to the gym. It is funny when I first hit this weight and this size I thought I looked good. I am starting to see how skinny girls can actually with a straight face say they think they are fat. I always kind of thought that it was a ploy to get attention, but they actually look in the mirror and don't see a nice figure. Oh this sucks. I guess I will ride the rollercoaster, hopefully get a few more pounds off of my body and hope for a waist line. I have to wait another 4 years before my surgery is paid off and I can get a tummy tuck/ lipo and a breast lift. I hope the next four years seem to go as fast as the last one!

I was given a gift card to Dress Barn for my birthday. I went in thinking I'd grab a pair of slacks and a blouse for work. My currant pants were on the loose side so I grabbed the next size down. To my disbelief they were also too big. I grabbed the next size down and Walla they fit perfectly. Are you ready for this? They are a size 12 a freaking size 12!!!!! I cried right there in the dressing room. [ATTACH]44876[/ATTACH]

Although the scale has remained the same for a weeks.... This is a message I sent to all 400+ of my FB 'friends' but thought it would an even better post here. . For those of you who have noticed, I have been more active lately. I never wanted to pick up running because I didn't want to be slow or last and that fear has always held me back. Well I just ran a 5k and my oldest biggest fear was just about to happen. I was almost last, but instead of walking, giving up or beating myself up I just kept going!! And you know what the pit in my stomach went away and I finished with me head held high!! Life is all about challenges. We are only judged on how we react to them. Thanks for my family and friends who have been so supportive of me while I get my health on track. I really do love you all!!! And as everyone knows I do always have to add some sarcasm . As I rounded the 1/2 way mark and thoughts of the old me were rearing their ugly heads I heard my dad with more of his nonsensical 'logic'.... You know what they call the person that graduates last in their class in medical school..... Doctor Thanks for the words of wisdom dad they came in handy when I needed it most!! NEVER EVER give up AND I was much faster than last year when I was sitting on my couch

NSV = Naked Sexy Vikings!!! )

I'm just looking forward to not struggling to get out of the bath!! Nice NSV

Fantastic!!! I hope you didn't have your window coverings open when that happened! May you continue to have equally embarrassing yet inspiring NSV's

Had my 6 month post op appt today. Went FANTASTIC, but still in this stupid stall. Officially 3 weeks today. So so annoying. Really ready to have it break so i can get on with it. Oh well. Have to get bloodwork done, but all vitals and stats look excellent. Happy with my progress and my NSVs and my improved health. Just gonna keep on keepin on until the stall breaks and the scale makes me happy again.

Haven't checked in for quite a while -- hope all my fellow bandsters are doing well! It'll be four months of banded life on January 5 -- time flew by! I've learned much on my journey & I continue to work on being a better, healthier version of me. I'm down 42 pounds & I must admit that I'm enjoying the weight loss but also the NSV's as well. I've had one fill & going back for another this month. My surgeon, nutritionist & I feel it's best to ensure I'm learning to "eat better" & not just look to fills as the be all, end all. I'm glad we are taking this approach because it really has helped me learned to eat better & make good choices. It's not always easy, but I'm still in the game! I had to be kind to myself so I stopped comparing my weight loss to others. While I'm happy for everyone & it's motivating, it was also (at times) difficult because I would immediately think, "Why haven't I lost that much yet?" Or "Why can't I drop this weight more quickly?" We are all on our own journey, and I'm still learning to fully embrace and enjoy mine! Wishing everyone the best in 2015! Below is a before & after (so far) photo of me. Feel free to share yours!

Ahh, you brought tears to my eyes. So sweet and what a great NSV!!

I had a wonderful day of NSV's last night. With my hypermobility, I had really come to dread having a bath. Not only was the extra weight putting more pressure on my joints, but the bath was getting rather snug! Which made it more difficult for me to get out of! Well, last night I set myself in my bath and discovered I know longer had to squeeze into it, infact I could gently sway, there was a space either side of me! Also, the chore that was shaving legs, suddenly was easier! My legs weren't being kept away from me by my tummy! There was no awkward spots being missed. (this is one bit my hypermobility is good for.)I was able to stretch my leg to the point where it oculd touch my shoulder, extreme I know but I can't remember I was last able to do tha! I know that these are small NSVs, but it is a great heart warmer for me. I do look at myself nearly every day, wishing to see drastic changes nad being disappointed. Which I know is silly. The last remenants of my hope that I would lose all the weight with a snap of my fingers, is dwindling day by day and the reality is settling in comfortably! Just as it takes 4/6 weeks for the healing to complete, it is also a healing process of the mental kind. I am regaining control of my eating and my life. It is a day by day process but is still the best thing, apart from haivng my son! I'm even contemplating the possibility of dating! Now note, this is just contemplation, it's not just the weight that is holding me back from a realtionship but is most definitey a factor. Being single does have some fantastic advantages lol!

@@Smye i don't get it either as a "youngun" i was never aware of what/how much i ate i don't think i was conscious that i might have been starting a trend toward eating too much but never fear, my mom was around she started "mentioning" my weight when i was about 14 i wasn't TOO HEAVY, but i needed to loose about 20 lbs it would have been great if i had nipped the weight problem in the bud but it did not happen not from lack of trying as time went by i continued to gain weight here and there i married an "ok" guy when i was 19 years OLD had a wonderful daughter 2 years later his "contribution" to our daughter took him about 5 seconds took me 9 months!!!! 4 years into marriage my now "ex-husband" actually went to my parents "commenting" on his "displeasure" of my weight 8 years after i got married "more" of me got divorced at age 27!!! but i now had gotten rid of about 180 lbs due to divorce!!! got even more depressed food never argued with me 5 year old daughter and i moved in with my parents til i could get my feet on the ground (get a job and save some money) in a couple of years my parents suggested i go to a dating service so self-conscious i was afraid but.... parents REALLY wanted me out of the house but they care for me and trying to help me they paid for me joining a dating service i was afraid but i met my wonderful husband one of the things we had in common we were both over weight we went out to eat allll the time, loved it tom would say sometimes and laugh "i want some popcorn, let's go to the movies" surprise - I continued to gain heaviest weight 235 lbs (I am 5'3) after yo yoing through the years enough was enough i now had health "issues" high blood pressure, diabetes, wore CPAP enough was enough went to dr. proceeded with all the hoops of insurance to have the sleeve hubby was so helpful and supportive pre-op and post-op even took a week off from work to help me out!! turned out it wasn't necessary, but it was great!!! my new life started 12/15/11 (DOS) it took me almost 58 years before i started my journey but i did it!! the rest is sleeve history struggles here and there, still sometimes one year almost to the day after WLS i lost 105 lbs reaching my goal weight of 130 i am maintaining for the past 2.5+ years fluctuate here and there, but life is good i no longer have high blood pressure,diabetes, no more CPAP a HUGE NSV for me happened at about 6 months after WLS i had lost 60 lbs we found out the hard way i was taking too much medicine for my epilepsy (since i weighed less) all is good now - only need 1/2 my dosage - most wonderful thing that happened to me life continues to be great healthy and happy as i've mentioned before "I' am cute as a button!!" I "mentioned" a couple of times to hubby a few months after my goad how it would be great idea if he would loose 100+ lbs i realized very quickly, i was talking like my mother never mentioned it again i would love it if he did loose weight buttttt through thick and "thin" life is good next year my 39 year YOUNG daughter will Celebrate her 20 years of marriage !!! she has given us the 3 cutest grand-kids in the world (present company excluded) but, she had to move out of state 4 years ago, hubbies job her leaving was "ok" but she had the nerve to take our 3 grand-kids with her Ethan (7), Andrew (11), Morgan (14) LOL next year on our 25th wedding anniversary we are cruising to Alaska this is my story, and i'm sticking to it to the few that were brave enough to read this in its entirety you are a better person than I am i think i dozed off a couple of times while i was writing this "short" story i write as much as i talk Oh No!!!! this has been a lot about personal stuff therapeutic for me thanx for listening @@Smye, congrats on loosing 101 lbs you are now in the century club keep up the good work i know you will good luck what was your question again?? kathy

I saw my surgeon for a fill yesterday and was down 10kg (22lb) in two months - that was a scale victory and he was very impressed. 46kg (100lb) in six months - so was I! But the NSV was when he said that he is now trying to have all his band patients work with a nutritionist - but I obviously didn't need to because I was doing so well!

Focus on the postive aspect of that NSV! and hey if the lady calls you back out for more work, you'll know she enjoyed the show!

Well, I still need the big cuff, but my NSV came when I was playing with my daughter the other day- My wedding band flew off my finger! It hit my other daughter in the face . Funny thing is, before my surgery 5 weeks ago, I couldn't wear it because it was too small- now it is too big! Waiting to have it resized