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Went shoe shopping...I normally wear a 9 1/2...today I was able to buy 8 and 8 1/2!!!!!!! Totally forgot the feet would shrink..and wasn't expecting that much:-)

@@joatsaint wwwwwwonderful NSV and the NSV's keep coming i'm sure you and Franensleeve are very proud/happy 171 lbs down!!! that is an amazing accomplishment keep up the good work 4 lbs til GOAL personally i would lose 5 more lbs to be in onderland thats just me kathy congrats

Thanks everyone. Turned out fine. I sat with my oldest son and my brothers so they know and my food portions were a little bit bigger than normal but I had a shake for lunch. One person asked how much I lost and I said it is private and I don't share. I think she was offended. Oh well, too bad. My fat ass is finally smaller than my SIL, who I hate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was my best NSV ever.

First and foremost--- MY WEDDING DRESS FITS!!!!!! I'm engaged. The wedding was planned for 2006 in Hawaii. Then my hubby's mom got sick and was in hospital. So we postponed the wedding ( and decided to start trying for a baby- I wanted to have kids earlier in life). Then she passed away while I was pregnant with her first grandchild. Life went on and the wedding has always been on the back burner. We now have 2 little monsters we love to death. Now- keep in mind- the dress never actually fit me before. I was going to " lose a little more" before the wedding. Instead I ballooned out. But it fits now!!! Yay!!! And I still love it!!! I took a couple pics, but I can't find the cord to attach it to the computer : ( I'm a baker by trade. I was always exhausted by end of day. It's a very physical job. Now I fly through a shift faster and more efficient. I don't even break a sweat while working in the ovens!!! And believe me, those be some damn hot ovens!!! In a 2 day timeline, I had 8 ( yes 8) people comment on my weighloss and how great I look. It's simply awsome : ) I'm training for a half marathon and run a 5k 4-5 days a week. When i take my heartrate, it used to go high and stay high when i work out. Now it doesnt go as high and drops back down to a good resting rate quickly. Once I can get my time alittle better, I'll add more distance. But I'm so proud of what I'm doing. One of the best parts is that my body isn't so sore like it used to be after a workout. I guess it's just recovering better? I biggest nsv to date is my attitude. I'm so much of a happier person now. I think alot of it, is just not being so tired all the time, and sore from carrying an extra 80 lbs around, and I'm not ashamed of what I've become anymore. I'm proud to be me now : )

It's sort of a "Petite" NSV?

I'm 5 weeks out and haven't seen my youngest daughter in 4 weeks....she goes to college. She came home and said OH MY GOSH MOM you LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT...WOW I can really tell! You are looking good...I didn't think you would look that good already! LOL I wanted to say GEE THANKS but instead I did my "STRUT YOUR STUFF WALK" and gave her a BIG HUG AND KISS!!!!! I MISSED my BABY!! LOL That was my FEEL GOOD MOMENT!!! I hope EVERYONE has a GREAT weekend.

Congrats. Great NSV. Sent from my iPhone using VST

I was at a spa the last couple of days that I've been to in years past but not recently. I suspected the robe would fit better and it did. I didn't need the extra large and the regular robe closed just fine. However...what I didn't expect and didn't even think about was that I could put my arms at my side and they would stay on the massage table. LOL! In years past I always had to stick my hands under my butt to keep them in place. Wasn't even really aware of that until I didn't have to do it anymore. It just reminds me how we adapt over the years to our size and how that impacts our lives in a negative way. I am so grateful that normalcy is slowly coming back to my life.

Maybe you should have gone for gastric bypass if you wanted immediate results. The band is a much slower process. That being said, 14 pounds in 17 days is pretty amazing! Don't be so hard on yourself. It took more than a month to put those pounds on and it's going to take more than a month to get them off. Be patient. One good motivator for me was to take measurements. Sometimes, even when the scale didn't move, I had lost an inch or more! Celebrate the NSVs, like getting off meds, exercising more, being able to fit it something you haven't worn in a while, etc. Hang in there-you are doing great!

I am a forensic scientist and I have to testify in trials alot. They called me for court this afternoon. I have two outfits hanging in my office. One has a suit jacket and a little shell that goes under it with black pants and the other is just a big blouse that goes with the same black pants. I havent been able to wear the shell and jacket for about a year and half because its too tight in the arms and across my back and the shell cuts me under the arms. Its a size 18 and I was a 20. WAS is the operative word here.... I tried on the jacket and it fits great! Plenty of room! I guess loosing 27 pounds did make a difference! WOOOHOOO! No more wearing big loose blouses to court! Yay me!!! Ps.. I am also wearing my size 18 jeans today too!!!! woop! (not to court of course)

I'm not really sure if this is the right place to put this, so I'll go on ahead and place it here for the time being. My surgery isn't until the 25th, but (aside from my little valentine's day carb fiasco) I'm finding that I'm not really enamored with food anymore. I'm not really sure how to describe what I'm talking about. I guess it's like......okay, I chart everything that I put into my mouth, and I'm just stunned by how little I can eat and still feel really good. I feel awesome on 1200 calories a day, and as long as I can end the occasional evening with my crystal light popsicle that my sweets craving is nonexistent and everything is right in the world. It's like I've stumbled upon this path, and food isn't a huge part of it. I just want to eat enough to not feel hungry so I can get on with my day and wake up tomorrow one day closer to surgery and to coming out of this on the other side of being sleeved so I can claim my spot on the losers bench. Does that even make sense? I know I can't do this on my own, and that's why I'm getting the sleeve...but it's almost like I don't even have my sleeve yet and it's already working for me. Has anybody else experienced this, or have I truly gone and lost my marbles? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I don't think about food anymore. I'm too busy worrying about my Water intake and making sure I get in 10,000 steps a day and increasing my lung capacity. It feels almost like I got out of an abusive relationship (which I think is a fair way to classify my love affair with food), and I have no desire to see my former significant other anymore. Idk...I'm not sleeved yet, but I'm choosing to call this a NSV. I haven't felt this good about myself and my choices in a long, long time.

Awesome! Those NSVs are so much better than the scale victories. I remember how excited I was the day I realized I had collar bones again haha!

I was banded November 29, 2010 and have lost about 50 pounds in the 13 weeks since being banded. So far some of my NSV are that I can cross my legs at the knee for the first time in awhile. I have knee socks to wear with boots, that I can actually wear up to my knees. I no longer have to fold them halfway down! I have one size of jeans left in my multi sizes closet before I have to buy new clothes. My seat belt fits so much better, and my whole butt fits on the chairs at my school! These are completely silly little things you don't think of not being able to do until you can do them again, and I feel great What are some of the silly things you forgot about until you were able to do them again?

Sorry for the length of this post but this is really important for me. I don't want to say this is a NSV because it's more like a seismic shift in my perception and the reality of my new body. I was on the train last night heading home from work. Across from me was a rather large woman. There was an empty seat next to her..or should I say an empty 2/3rds of a seat. No one was in it for obvious reasons and I remember well no one sitting next to me either when I was much heavier. Well, a young man who looked like he probably played football for his high school team sat next to her and was sitting on the edge of the seat as he could not fit comfortably into it. I thought about it for a moment (would he be able to sit next to me any more comfortably?) and decided to give it a shot so I moved my workbag which was on the seat next to me and made a small motion to him to change seats. I tried to be very subtle about it as I did not want to make the woman feel bad but I truly felt for the young man. Well, he saw me move my bag and switched seats. He slipped into the seat with no issues and while we were close, no one was squeezing into the seat like he was doing next to the other lady. For me, this was a huge change in my thinking. First off, I got that someone could sit next to me comfortably, and second, it was confirmed as the young man didn't hesitate to move so it was pretty clear that he also felt that he could sit next to me comfortably. Now understand, this is not a knock against the other woman, this is about me...and seeing more and more how while I am still overweight, I'm slipping into normalcy in terms of how I see myself, and how others see me as well. I'm really starting to see myself as not the morbidly obese person I was before starting this journey. What a sense of discovery and wonder this is for me. It's so worth it and every time I think how much I want to eat something that has too many or empty calories, I think about what feels better...these types of observations, or a full belly. I think you all know what feels better to me.

My legs do not touch or rub when I walk! Not even the very tops of my thighs! Woohoo! HW 228 CW 125 total loss to date 103! Thank you VSG and Dr. Almanza and all my VST friends!

That is awesome to read!! Congratulations! I'm 5'1 and 217...I'm soo tired of my thighs throwing sparks (feels like!) as I walk from the friction! Looking forward to that NSV myself Please post some pics!

I so needed to read these right now. I had surgery 2/20/12 and doing great band wise. Mentally I am really struggling with "have I done the right thing"!? I know that I am healthier... just wishing I had a healthier mind... and I have always been the positive one...LOL Here are my nsv... Loving the clothes I once hated Being able to run with my kids Being able to lay on the couch with the hubby No more exhaustion from sleep apnea... a nap is now just a nap... 10 min and I am refreshed Painting my toenails easier My 9 year old loves being able to wrap her arms around me and they touch I can handle the heat a lot better Thanks for posting this, helped me remember why I did this and that I am getting healthier (someday my mind will catch up

Congrats to all your NSV's. I remebr when I was actively loosing, I couldn't figure out why I had trbl reaching the gas peddle in the car. Felt like someone had moved it too far back! I, also, enjoyed the 1st time I did not recognize myself in the overhead mirrors when shopping.

Today is Tuesday march 7, and sadly to say today seems to be no better than yesterday. Damn I hate to whine and that is what I feel like I am doing. I keep tryin to tell myself all these other people are doing it and they arent whinning, suck it up and do what you have to do. Last night I had spagetti for supper, how much ? I have no clue, I ate until I thought I should be full and then stopped only to go back an hour later and eat more. Am I going to lose weight this way , I seriously doubt it. My husband is a wonderful man but he got on my nevers last night so bad, he watches everything I eat and then says "slow down" between every bite. I am a big girl and I know what the doctor said so I didnt need him to be reminding me through every bite I took. Did I say anything to him, oh yeah and it wasnt pretty. Ya know I am sick of thinking about my weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is has been an issue my whole life, do normal size women think about their weight all the time? DO they worry about becoming like me? I am sitting here thinking is there every a day that goes by that I dont think about my weight? I honestly dont think so. Wow how sad that is. I mean something as simple as going out to eat with my family can become an ordeal to someone like me, I have been humiliated more than once because I couldn't fit into the booth, or the chairs were so close together that I couldnt get between two people sitting at the table, so I have become the drive-through Queen. WOW that was tough to even type. I guess that will be one of my NSVs, fittin in a booth comfortably. SIGHHHHHHHHHHH Today isnt a good day for me, I am feeling a bit over whelmed. This damn weight thing, the kids, my job, my husband, money, housework, laundry, the dog and lets not even start to mention my Mom and sister. I have noticed that I have started taking more Xanax. I was diagnosed with panic disorder years ago. After being misdiagnosed for years, but to make a very very long story short I am given xanax to take as need when they seem to be gettin out of control. For the last couple of days I have felt like I couldnt breath, so I have taken a nerve pill to help. God I just want one day to go by with me thinking about my weight. I just never see it happening. No matter what I am doing weight is always an issue for me. I am sick of it, so it looks like I would be doing everything in my power to take it off doesnt it. See I ask myself that question all the time, you're scared of a heart attack yeah you do no cardio exercises, you hate being fat yet you over eat, your dad died when you were 12 of a massive stroke (he was 36) and yet you skip days of your own blood pressure medicine. Do I secretly have a death wish? No I dont think I am sucidical (sp) but I just want the madness to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NSV #1 - So I am at the dog park today walking with one of my male dog park friends. As we are walking, one moment we are talking away, the next moment I am on the ground!! I was knocked over from behind by a dog. Needless to say I was in shock and a little embarrassed, but here is the good part. My male friend offers me his had to help me up; the first thing running through my mind is OMG he is not going to be able to pull me up!! WELL pull me up he did, I actually felt "light" if you ladies know what I mean, he didn't have to grunt or bend over!! Thinking of this now it was an amazing moment, I haven't felt like a "light" woman in a very, very long time. NSV #2 - I was in the ladies clothes store purchasing some new clothes as I hardly have any left that fit me right. So at one point I was asking for a jacket on the wall that the saleslady had to take down for me. So she says to me," Well you must be a size 11 but may need a 13 for your broad shoulders". A SIZE 11!!!!!!!! OMG when have I ever been a size 11, well I can't really tell you how I felt: to be recognized as a "normal" size person and not an obese one. It is definitely one of the best weight loss moments of my life!!!!

Congrats on the NSV!

Working out in the new bathing suit - LOVE IT!! Congrats on the NSV. It couldn't have happened at a better time than right after an intense cake craving! Good for you!

I put on my size 18 capris this morning... Waaayyyy too loose! I put on my size 16s, perfect fit! And my dress for my BFF's wedding came yesterday. I optimistically bought a size 16 thinking I'd have time to shrink - now I think I'll have to take it back and get a smaller size!

The following Abbreviations are commonly used on this discussion board: ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible (crossfit) BB = belly button bc = because BCBS = Blue Cross/Blue Shield BED = Binge Eating Disorder bf = best friend BM = bowel movement BMI = Body Mass Index bp = blood pressure BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder or Biliary Pancreatic Diversion bs = blood sugar btw = by the way CBT = cognitive-behavioral therapy CC = common channel c diff = clostridium difficile cos or cuz = because CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure CRNP = certified registered nurse practitioners cw = current weight CXR = Chest X-Ray Dr. = doctor DS = Dumping Syndrome or Duodenal Switch EGD = Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EKG = Electrocardiography ff = fat free GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease GI = gastrointestinal GNC = General Nutrition Corporation store GP = general practitioner or family doctor HBP = high blood pressure hr = heart rate hw = highest weight ICU = Intensive Care Unit Idk = I don’t know IMHO = in my humble (honest) opinion IMO = in my opinion IUI = Intrauterine insemination LAP Band = Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band lol = laughing out loud LSG = Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy med = medicine MFP = my fitness pal msg = message NASH = Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis nf = non fat NG = Nasogastric NP = nurse practitioner NSAIDS = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSV = non-scale victory (“scale” means “weight scale”) NUT = nutritionist OA = Overeaters Anonymous Onederland = a magical place or destination for those trying to lose weight. It might correspond to attaining a weight in the hundreds or losing a hundred pounds. op = operation OSA = Obstructive sleep Apnea Oz = Australia PB = Productive Burps PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCP = Primary Care Physician PM = private message (email) PMS = premenstrual syndrome POSE = Primary Obesity Surgery Endolumenal postop or post–op = post-operation or post-surgery PPI = Proton Pump Inhibitors ppl = people preop or pre-op = pre-operation or pre-surgery PTSD = Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PVC = Premature ventricular contractions RA = Rheumatoid arthritis RH = reactive hypoglycemia RN = registered nurse RNY = Roux-en-Y RTD = ready to drink SADI-S = single anastomosis duodeno–ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy s/f or sf = sugar free SIPS = stomach intestinal pylorus-sparing surgery smh = shaking my head, scratching my head SO = significant other SOB = shortness of breath sw = weight at surgery tmi = too much information TPN = total parenteral nutrition TT = tummy tuck TTC = trying to conceive Ty = Thank you. [but according to the urban dictionary “Ty” is also an abbreviation for “a total stud with a massive carrot”.] u = You UGI = Upper Gastrointestinal VSG = Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vit = Vitamin wks = weeks WLS = Weight Loss Surgery WOD = Workout of the Day w/o = without wt = weight or :-) = = smiley face or :-( = = sad face