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costco just opened up in my town. I went there and I was so excited bc it has all sorts of amazing things designed for people with WLS--little individual mozzarella cheeses, 4 oz containers of chicken salads (so delicious, 14 grams of Protein, 140 calories) individual hummuses. Boxes of small Greek yogurts! Lots of Protein shakes (although I hate almost all such shakes and am desperate for other sources of protein). It is amazing what makes me excited these days. Also, although I thought my weight loss was slow (and it is compared to many people) today (six weeks post op) my pants literally fell off me. That was pretty exciting.

Elode, you have had so many great moments recently, and you deserve them all! Congratulations on your most recent NSVs! It’s great that you’re getting the rewards you deserve from your hard work after surgery. It’s also neat that other people are noticing – that makes it so much sweeter!

I love this thread so much! I have been reading and decided to join! So I'm only about 3 1/2 weeks out (in my dreaded "three week stall" right now - ugh!) and I had an NSV the other night. We went out to dinner with some friends and I wore a maxi skirt that is elastic at the waist (so it is more comfy than my jeans that fall off of me!) and it kept hitting the tops of my feet. It's never done that before so I was highly confused until I realised that it's because it doesn't have to stretch so much to reach around me anymore! My skirt is actually longer, lol. Didn't see that coming! It was silly, but so fun when I finally made the connection!

I have an NSV I'm excited to share. Yesterday I went to the store to return some things and while there, I saw some jeans I liked. I had some issues with pants since I've lost everywhere except my hips and tummy. I worked up the courage to try on but had no idea what my size is now after losing close to 50 lbs. I selected a range from 16-12 and took them into the dressing room. Size 16, too big, size 14, baggy and I finally ended up in a size 12. To my amazement!! Of course I bought those puppies because they fit perfectly!! These little NSVs are my "rocket fuel" to keep on going on my weight loss program. Still have 35 pounds to lose.

​My NSV for the day - 3 mile walk this morning and NO low back or hip pain! Wow! That is huge. I don't love walking that much and won't do 3 miles walks very often (not great at the exercise part yet), but it was so encouraging to know that I was physically capable of doing it without having to stop and sit down and "release" my back pain, before I could continue. This time last year, I went for a walk on the beach on vacation and had to stop and rest because my back was giving out. Can't wait for my next walk on the beach!

Congratulations @@nprcowboy on your success and I am glad to hear you are not discouraged as it sounds like you are doing great.nI agree with @@cjnorris about one day at a time, something I try and live by. I know that moderate or slow loss can be frustrating although I've seen many others on this site with slower loss than yours, but I also see many folks with amazingly quick losses and it is so hard for me to not compare myself. Forgive me if you already read this, but I posted this last month and have to keep looking at it myself as I am in a bit of a stall... thought I'd share in case any resonate or are helpful. Best of luck! I am tired of focusing on how much I have not lost. I’ve been eating 80-100 g of Protein, drinking at least 70 ounces Water, staying under 1000 calories and am active. I started at very high weight and expected to lose more than 45 lbs my first 3 months, but I am tired of focusing on what I have not lost instead of what I have gained. I am so grateful for my sleeve and my chance to live a healthier life. This is my ode to losing weight more slowly than expected and the benefits: More time to develop healthy eating habits before maintenance Skin has more time to catch up (more time to lotion!) Shifting focus to NSVs like sitting in booths and chairs with arms Less chance of gallstones Opportunity to practice loving kindness towards myself and being grateful for any positive change Chance to manage expectations – if it wasn’t for WLS, I’d be thrilled with my loss, so why not be thrilled now? Practice focusing on my own wins and not comparing self to others Not having to explain to others since loss isn’t dramatic (yet) Chance to trust the process and not focus on the end (self-care, water/protein/low-carb/active) Redefine success as how I feel, not numbers on scale Understanding this is not a diet, this is my lifestyle now, so what is the rush? Have you had a benefit to a stall or slower than expected losing?

For me: I have just past the 3 month mark (surgery was May 18). The first few weeks were tough because of my internal stitch pulling, but at the 3-4 week mark it just popped and everything got much better. No real nausea and I could do liquids pretty easily so that was a blessing. However, I didn't lose much weight in first few weeks. I think it was like 4-5 pounds. Most of this was probably due to swelling and healing so I didn't sweat it too much. I was even able to do a trip to Mexico City for work without any issues (I did take some Protein mixes as back up in case the food wasn't going to work). July was a bit more challenging as I hit my first real stall. Thanks to everyone on this board posting about stalls, I didn't panic and kept to my plan. After about 1 1/2 weeks I suddenly started losing again. Yea! Also, I started telling people that I had the surgery, but only if they ask. I did tell my family after the 6 week mark just because I hate that feeling of being evasive when they know something is going on. I had wanted to wait until I was past the most risky time for complications so they wouldn't worry as much. Everyone seems fine with it, but if they aren't I have decided just to shrug and keep moving. It isn't their life and they don't have to live with it so their opinion isn't really that important. Not thumbing my nose at them, just deciding not to let it bother me. August has seen some good changes and a little bit of a concern. I hit Onedurland on my 3 month surgerversary, which is a total loss of 57 pounds. I have also dropped several sizes which lead to a closet purge and a day of trying stuff on. That totally counts as a NSV in my world. People have really started to notice and are asking me what I am doing. If they ask me directly I am honest. I also try to say that there are other ways to lose weight and just doing a high protein - low carb approach can work just as well. I just knew I wouldn't be able to stick to it. I think I am really helping out the sales of Premier Protein which seem to be flying off the shelves of my Sam's and costco. Maybe I should ask to be a sales rep. The one concern I have is rather recent, and I am not really sure if it is a real concern at the point. Over the last week I have noticed an increase in what might be a little bit of heart burn. I am really hoping that I don't get GERD from this so I am watching it closely. I was taking pepcid for the first 3 months on DR. orders (I also had a hiatial hernia fixed when they did the VSG) so I just went off it recently. The other thing is a small pain just to the left of my belly button. This just started in the last few days so I am going to watch it and talk to to the PA about it next week if it doesn't go away. I should be well past the point of having stitches pull or anything like that. I still struggle with eating out and limiting carbs (insert Mexican restaurant chips here...). I am also still figuring out how to fit in exercise but that has always been a challenge for me. Anyway, I would love to hear how this journey is going for everyone else. I know it isn't the same for everyone and I love to hear the different perspectives. It helps so much to know you aren't in this alone.

Hi May Sleevers I thought by now everyone sleeved in May would probably have settled into a bit more of a routine or at least gotten past some of the initial surgery questions. I imagine some of us have some great NSV's as well as some challenges. Soo.....I thought I would send up a general question to get a discussion started. I would love to hear how everyone else is doing. I am going to post my progress/thoughts below.

I began to ponder my reasons for seeking WLS (RNY in my case). i'm barely 30. I don't have much in the way of comorbidities. Pre-diabetes (Which came from pre-op testing) and back and joint issues. It was bugging me because I wanted make this drastic change for the right reasons. At first, I was all about being healthier and active. Joint problems keep me from walking too far and I hoped weight loss would fix it. Then, as silly as it sounds, I began to look at the NSVs. Smaller and cuter clothes. Window shopping without stopping to catch my breath. Roller coasters. Weighing less than my boyfriend. In short, maybe surgery would make me happier. Health reasons went by the wayside at this stage. Fun and vanity took over. Later, I came to this conclusion: I'm being proactive. I'm doing this BEFORE I come down with other problems in the next decade or two. I'm taking care of this obesity problem before it gets the best of me. And I think this is the reasoning I settled on. So I ask you, not your reasons for WLS but if you or someone you know did it for the "right" reasons. Heck, am I doing this for the "right" reasons.

I love it when you go to the wardrobe and something you have not been able to wear for ages just slips on a treat. Yes NSV s can really help you on if the scales are sticking ! Elide I love your posts

My instructions are to weigh once a week until I meet goal because we will obsess and get depressed with every little fluctuation. Once goal is reached, then I'm to weigh almost daily to keep myself in check. Your post is exactly why my surgeon and Nut says not to weigh that often in the losing phase. We allow our emotions and moods to be controlled by the scale. Concentrate on NSV!

I weigh only once a week ... sometimes even less. I can't keep myself from going into that really dark place if I see the scale go up & down each day. I try to use NSV to help me feel better about the slow times & weighing once a week still keeps me accountable.

@@Daisee68 congratulations! What a huge NSV for you with your great labs! I can really relate, my A1C was 6.0 prior to surgery and at my most recent appt last week, it was 4.7 (I am 4 months post-op). While losing weight was been amazing, it is labs results like this that totally motivate me. Congrats again and I know you will keep watching that number go down.

I try not to but I've noticed I'm weighing myself everyday, I'll try not to tho I feel is not very good for me, I like to see weekly results and NSV

Great NSVs!

Congrats girl, those NSVs are awesome. It really does help you to forget what's going on with the scale.<---Doing the happy dance w/ you!!!

Congrats Elode!!!!! I completely *love* NSV posts ... I think they really show just how hard you have worked & you deserve all the praise!

Congratulations Elode!!!!!!!!! I'm not familiar with NSV's....what does that mean?

Those are fantastic NSV's! Congrats! I can't wait until I'm able to go places without a jacket or big sweater. Nothing like being somewhere in the middle of summer and trying to stay as covered as possible while sweating buckets.

Wow! What an awesome day! Love those NSV's!!

I have a few NSV's to share! First, I started back to school Tuesday and I did NOT wear scrubs to school! (If you read one of my last trending post you will understand that) I actually went clothes shopping and bought some real school clothes including a size 8 in jeans!! Also, for the last two days in class I didn't wear a jacket, I didn't even bring one which is astonishing even to me because I ALWAYS have something to cover up with. Jackets are something of a security blanket to cover arms, stomach, any back fat I may have had (imaginary or not). It's a wonderful feeling to not feel self-concious while in the seated position. I can focus on my instructor instead of worrying if everything's covered and not poking out. Lastly while at Walgreens one of the lady's who works there came up to me and my daughter and said " I hope this doesn't sound rude but aren't you like half the size you use to be?" I just laughted and said yes I am, thank you! Then on the way home I started thinking dang how fat was I that the lady at Walgreens took notice Still pretty sweet NSV's if you ask me! Oh and I'm finally (34 years into life) getting braces! It's amazing how much you want to improve yourself even more when you feel good about yourself!

So I'm sat writing this update whilst having a coffee, with my legs crossed :-) these nsv's really are just as satisfying as the scale victories:-) Speaking of which, 12 weeks today and another 4lbs off! Wasn't expecting that this week as it was my best friend's mums funeral this week so we all had a few drinks, I stuck to low cal/carb and non fizzy but it was still alcohol, and I slackened the reins a bit on food that day too, but got straight back to it the next day and it seems that helped damage limitation :-) Incidentally, the alcohol went down fine, I took it easy and drank Water too. I'm not much of a drinker but it's nice to know if there's an occasion I do want a drink it won't be a big problem. hair loss is in full swing :-( trying not to freak out but it's not easy! I've been here before when I did a vlcd and I didn't go completely bald so I'm hoping this time I don't either! And hoping it passes quick but time will tell. Already thinking about cutting my hair off into a short bob. I wear my hair up all the time as it makes me hot if I leave it down, but as I lose weight that's less of a problem so I think by the end of the summer I'll cut it off. One thing that has happened this week is I've started catching sight of my reflection, and liking what I see :-) I've always been very aware of how big I am (was!!) but I tried to dress well and take care of my appearance, and in some ways I think that led to me have a vision of myself in my head that wasn't quite accurate, so if I saw my reflection I'd be bit shocked/disappointed/disgusted by how large I was! Now I think I've reached the point where my vision in my head matches reality, so yes I'm still big (I'm still bigger than where some people are before surgery!) but body and mind are in sync! What's going to be interesting is how that works as I lose more weight. I just can't imagine myself slim so I imagine as my reflection continues to shrink I'll get back to being surprised by what I see...but in a good way!! Loose skin is starting to show. I was resigned to that from the outset though, and plan to get surgery to fix it when the time is right. My only real concern is my calf's as the skin there is starting to appear a bit loose and that's not an area easy to fix or to his unless I live the rest of my life in trousers! @@chrisredjeep I got Biotin from Amazon, take 10,000mg a day and I do have lots of baby hairs so it's worth a try! Sounds like you are doing really well, well done! I bet your surgeon was pleased. You are doing a lot of steps! I am getting a Garmin vivofit today actually to try and encourage me to up my steps. I've signed up for my personal training to start 1 sept, I'm looking forward to it!

OK So It is just a few days shy of 5 months since I had my surgery. I haven't posted on here in a while. After going back to work, I didn't have too much energy left to post and had got through the stage where I had a lot of questions. Today, I am at 210 pounds. I have actually been here for about 2 weeks, but that was to be expected. I had been doing mainly cardio when I worked out so I was losing weight pretty quickly. I did enough strength training to not lose muscle, but not really enough to build any. My gym has 2 parts. One for the everyday gym goer, who wants to use the treadmill and maybe take a class or 2 and another for the totally insane people that want to be in pain after an hour of working out. I have been using the first part for a little under a year and was doing quite well. I am one of the people that other people come to ask about the equipment. My friend, and spin instructor, has been encouraging me to go back to the other part of the gym (costs an extra $60/month) for a while now. It finally worked in my schedule that I could go do a trial session. I couldn't tell you the last time that I sweat that much. It was a 55 minute circuit class. I was biking, rowing, and using equipment that I have never touched, but been very afraid of for quite some time. I started on the spin bike. This was easy. A nice warm up. (I spin 3x/week). Then we moved on to the more scary stuff. I don't remember everything that we did, but there were stairs, kettle bells, the TRX, and lots of sweat. One station was the rower. The instructor came over to make sure I knew how to use it since i was new. (He actually did this for every station and still does now when there is something new to me.) I told him that I had used a rower before, but not successfully. You see, my stomach has always been in the way. I couldn't do it, because I couldn't reach around my stomach. (I am one of those people that carry most of my weight in my tummy.) So...I tried it. And guess what..I could do it. I could do it well. He wanted me to shoot for a pace of 700 and I was coming in over 800. I was stoked. The rest of the class was a blur, but I made it through without having to stop for more than a few seconds at a time. Then he called me out. He wanted me to stay after class. I bid farewell to my spin friends who had joined me, and waited for Matt (the instructor). He complemented me on my athleticism. I never saw that one coming. I joined that part of the gym a few minutes later. He stressed how important it is for me to get to class 3x/week. I work 50+ hours a week, so that is a challenge. I finished out the night with spin class. Then I went back the next day, and the day after that. With my work schedule and the hours for the gym, I can't make it on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, unless they are my days off for the week. I went 3 times last week. I have gone 3 more times this week already and will go tomorrow as well. I ran a 5k only a few days after joining. I have a 5k with the gym this Sunday, a 10k next Sunday, and then a freakin' half marathon the Sunday after that. Yesterday, I worked out for 2 hours before I took my class. Matt happened to see me. He told me I was a beast (totally meant in a good way). He told me that he could see a huge difference already. He did warn me that classes wouldn't get easier, but I would get better and be able to challenge myself in new ways. He told me he was proud of me. Even better though, is I am proud of myself. Due to some schedule issues, I hadn't seen my spin instructor but twice since I went back for that first class. We were in the same class today, and she couldn't believe the difference already. She said she could see that I was smaller in the tummy and more muscular in the arms. My biggest NSV this week though was being able to get out of the pool without using the steps/ladder. When I first started, I had to use the steps, because I didn't have the strength to hoist myself up with the ladder. Today, I could get out of the pool from the side and not use either. I also did 10 elevated pushups (not on my knees) in a row today. 2 weeks ago, I could barely do 5 on my knees. Last week, I couldn't hold a plank for 30 seconds. Today, I was able to hold it for 2 minutes. I feel better than I ever have and while I am desperately waiting to get under 200 pounds, I am thrilled with my new body and what I can do. I started by walking in the pool for 15 minutes and can now work out for 3 hours straight at a high intensity level. I also went to the doctor 2 weeks ago and got the results from my first full set of blood work. I am good on all of my Vitamins and my sugar and cholesterol are both in normal limits. My blood pressure and pulse were so low, they took them again to make sure they were right. They were all impressed with the weight that I had lost and the muscle that I retained. They even told me that I was probably the healthiest person they had at that point. I will update in 2 weeks when Matt takes my measurements again and lets me know how far I have come. (That is assuming I don't die during the half marathon.) I just want to end with probably the most important sentence in the whole post. ONCE YOU OVERCOME YOUR FEAR, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. I was afraid to put myself out there and try these classes. I was afraid to put away the chips and Pepsi. I was afraid to go to the doctor. I was essentially so afraid to live that I was dying and so afraid to die, that I couldn't live. Its ok to start small, but start. It is so worth it. You are worth it.

@@Nibbler - I am also a scale junkie. I don't know if my sanity could handle NOT weighing in. I think you have to remember that at times the scale will not move at all but your body is changing regardless. I was stopped numerous times yesterday at work about my weight loss and I have been at work today 3 hours and I have been asked twice today. Scale hasn't really moved but about a .5 pound in the last 3 days but all I have heard is "how much more have you lost?" If you can wait in between dr visits then I would go for it. I wouldn't go and buy a scale. The best NSV is trying on clothes you have worn in 5, 10 years and they fit!!! Of course my old clothes are not in fashion now but I remember wearing them and being able to ZIP pants is like sex!