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So I was debating where to post this, and it seems like a success, so I decided on the success stories board. :-) I was looking through some old pictures today and came across one taken 3 years ago of me and my husband and it just kind of struck me how sad I look. And this picture was not even taken at my highest weight! So I put it side by side with a picture taken a couple weeks ago of us together, and I was amazed. Not only does my body look completely different, but I look genuinely happy. I think a picture can tell a lot about a person.... And younger! Happier and younger is a pretty good combination for 3 years later!

@@cutiecake all NSV's are great this one is a doozey all the running around, improvements for yourself - and your son too!! 34 lbs down!!! woo hoo!!! good for you!!! keep up the wonderful job for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life kathy congrats

Remarkable story! Congratulations on your weight loss, tummy tuck, nsv's and your commitment to going to school! You have inspired me to do almost the exact same! It's my dream to get a degree in business's management.

Just got this article from a friend in the medical field. Apparently we won't just be thinner, we'll also be smarter Does that count as an NSV for all of us? Brain Benefits From Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery Wed, 08/27/2014 - 10:31am; JCEM Weight loss surgery can curb alterations in brain activity associated with obesity and improve cognitive function involved in planning, strategizing and organizing, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Obesity can tax the brain as well as other organs. Obese individuals face a 35 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to normal weight people. Bariatric surgery is used to help people who are dangerously obese lose weight. Bariatric surgery procedures are designed to restrict the amount of food you can eat before you feel full by reducing the stomach's size or limit the absorption of nutrients by removing part of the small intestine from the path food takes through the digestive tract. Some procedures, such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYBG) surgery, use a combination of these methods. This study was the first to assess brain activity in women before and after bariatric surgery. "When we studied obese women prior to bariatric surgery, we found some areas of their brains metabolized sugars at a higher rate than normal weight women," said one of the study's authors, Cintia Cercato, MD, PhD, of the University of São Paolo in São Paolo, Brazil. "In particular, obesity led to altered activity in a part of the brain linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease – the posterior cingulate gyrus. Since bariatric surgery reversed this activity, we suspect the procedure may contribute to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia." The longitudinal study examined the effect of RYBG surgery on the brain function of 17 obese women. Researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans and neuropsychological tests to assess brain function and activity in the participants prior to surgery and six months after the procedure. The same tests also were run once on a control group of 16 lean women. Before they underwent surgery, the obese women had higher rates of metabolism in certain areas of the brain, including the posterior cingulate gyrus. Following surgery, there was no evidence of this exacerbated brain activity. Their brain metabolism rates were comparable to the activity seen in normal weight women. After surgery, the obese women also performed better on a test measuring executive function – the brain's ability to connect past experience and present action – than they did before the procedures. Executive function is used in planning, organizing and strategizing. Five other neuropsychological tests measuring various aspects of memory and cognitive function showed no change following the surgery. "Our findings suggest the brain is another organ that benefits from weight loss induced by surgery," Cercato said. "The increased brain activity the obese women exhibited before undergoing surgery did not result in improved cognitive performance, which suggests obesity may force the brain to work harder to achieve the same level of cognition."

@@kimmerzj29 jumping - raising both arms I do I do!!!!! Worked 30 years (thats more than some of you have been alive ) State Insurance Fund (syracuse, ny) I had Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield APPROVED NSV - me jumping in the air - 2 1/2 years ago?? No way Wooo Hooo world look at me now life is good good luck with approval kathy

I started walking after the 1st month. I started out with a goal to walk 10,000 steps each day. Took many months, but I finally got to that point. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blog/9018/entry-31216-nsv-2-you-best-step-off-b-hatch/

So proud of everybody on here! Can't wait to post my own NSVs. DANCE PARTY Celebrate YOURSELVES This music video should be the official post-wls anthem. "Bring your Water bottle."

I don't and never have counted calories or carbs or fat. For the first few months I just concentrated on water, protein and vitamins. I keep track of my fluids in my head as the day goes on so I know I'm getting 64oz. I have a 30-40g protein smoothie everyday. And other than that it's pretty much like LindafromFlorida said.... I eat when I'm hungry and I eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains. I am active but I don't exercise. I weigh once a week so I have something to put on my ticker and I never worried about stalls. I'm 17 pounds under my surgeon's goal and 7 under personal goal. I couldn't have asked for a better life. Don't get too hung up on numbers.... Just trust the process and enjoy the NSV's.

@@Ripper you said a mouthful many many more exciting days with plenty of new experiences, creating wonderful NSV's!!! loosing 100 lbs!!!! can't get much better than that!! (welllll, maybe losing 101, 102, 103 lbs etc!! ) that is your next step i can see in your face (and pretty smile ) the strength and determination you have!!! keep up the wonderful job for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life Kathy

My NSV!! for the first time ever, today when I went shopping at Kohl's, I didn't have to set foot in the plus size section!! WOOO HOOO XL things actually fit. Happy dance! One step closer to my goal of medium!

Is everyone ready?? Tomorrow is the Surgery Eve for many of us! OMG OMG! I finished my 2-wk pre-op diet today. So I went out to the store and got all kinds of sugar-free things I am allowed on my 1-day pre-op clear liquids and the several days post-op. I ordered some unjury today, it should be here about the time I start needing it. Hubby and I went out for a date night tonight -- went to the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern. LOVE That place! I thought it would be hard, since I'm not eating, but it wasn't bad at all. I brought in my Mio flavoring to add to my Water, and I drank 3 glasses while I was laughing my butt off at the great performance. I have an NSV already - I had 3 people compliment me on my beautiful new red dress, and it felt like heaven. I'm so used to being ignored, and wow, that felt so good... I have to work in the morning (I had scheduled to be off), but after that little chore is done I'm going to spend the day straightening up the house and making ready for post-surgery. I need to still drop off the script for my post-op pain meds, and I'd like to have time to go get my post-op Vitamins. I'm a little bit freaked, but mostly trying not to think about it. Hope all of you are doing great, packing your bags for the hospital, and getting yourselves siked up for the next chapter in your lives!!!

You are less than 2 months out and not even close to done losing yet. It will take months, even a year or two. That's a long time to freak out each time you step on the scale. So tell your hubby to hide the scale and enjoy his attention instead! Keep a log of NSV's instead...way more fun and rewarding than numbers.

Thanks everyone! Logically I know I need to chill, but I am so freakin' impatient!!! Arrggg!!! I do need to focus on the NSV, like when my husband tells me I'm wasting away I just really really want to make sure that I'm not done losing yet... that is my biggest fear and why I'm chained to the scale. Every time the number doesn't move or it goes up, I freak out a little. I will just keep on keeping on.

I had the surgery 2 days before you and get the stall every week since week 4 but the scale is still moving down of course slower than the first month. I got discouraged at first, but then when the stall started to be the regular lol I just started to appreciate the NSVs, I went to all clothes in the closet, some were totally tight pre-op and now it's loosing. Got a new haircut, try some new makeup and bought accessories. I don't want to but new clothes now, still enjoy the loosing gap between my body and the clothes size 14-16 and even some model in size 12 . I think I might be able to fit into size 12 now but I'm not ready to try the new clothes just yet, I'm still high on this NVS lol. Also please check if you have enough calories intake, the stall always visits when I do over exercises because I cannot really eat more for the portion and I'm too scared of carbs and high callories food. I started to tone up the body with basic yoga & light weight lifting when I cannot go for a walk. Seem like I didn't lose many inches neither at least in the passt 2 weeks but my clothes are more loosing. I guess it just shrinked down into shape. It's amazing how our body works!

Just did the Icebucket challenge - posted the video to facebook and sent my donation off too... now this is a massive NSV because even last year I wouldn't of done this sorta thing in public! Confidence is growing!

So much has happened to me since I had my VSG 3 years ago. I look back at the man I used to be with sadness in my heart. I used to hate myself. I was sick and tired of well .. being sick and tired. I had no energy so I slept all day. When I wasn't sleeping, I was thinking about what tasty treat I could devour to sooth the pain of my existence. I hated my job and hated socializing with people. I simply wanted to stay home in my protected bubble full of various electronic entertainment devices and a fridge full of goodies to dull the pain. At the time I was married for a total of 8 years. During those 8 years I continued in my lazy slothful and selfish ways. It is impossible to truly love someone if you do not love yourself. She has forgiven me, but sadly we have peacefully went our separate ways. There comes a point in relationships when too much damage has been done and no amount of effort can fix it. During those 8 years I had aspirations of becoming a Pharmacist. Year after year I talked about how I was going to go to college but never took action. As the years passed, the weight continued to pile on making my dream fade away. Deep in my heart I knew that if I could conquer my weight that the rest would follow. I was desperate and willing to try anything to get thin and healthy. After tons of research I came across the information regarding the VSG and knew without a doubt that this was the answers to my prayers. I began my fight. The first step was to figure out how to pay for it. After some investigation I found out that my insurance from work covered VSG after a 6 month required waiting period of seeing a Doctor and nutritionist. Of course I ended up gaining weight while waiting which luckily didn't affect my approval. Finally the day had come for my procedure. Everything went smoothly and I woke up in not too much pain. I remember it feeling like I did 1 million crunches and was super sore but not in agony. I did have very bad gas pain after the third day, but after lots of walking the gas was gone. I was now on my way to the promised land of the skinny. I followed all the doctors orders and dietary recommendations. I followed all the do's and the don't s to a tee. I was not going to risk screwing up this last chance at a new life. I picked my high school weight as my goal weight since I didn't really know which number to pick. After about 6 months I lost most of the weight. About 6 months ago I decided to really kick things up a notch and finally get to goal. I already exceeded my goal and weight 180 now. I did get an extended tummy tuck as the icing on the cake after all my hard work with my weight loss. I really wanted to be able to hit the beaches and not be ashamed to take my shirt off. Honestly the tummy tuck was MUCH more painful that the VSG. It was a pretty rough surgery indeed. I really recommend you not only reach your goal BEFORE getting any plastic surgery, but also be stable at your healthy weight for at least a year to make sure you can keep off the weight. Trust me - you do not want to have to endure a second tummy tuck - not fun. While my results look awesome I did lose most touch sensation around alot of my stomach especially near the bellybutton. I was a little dissapointed, but I have no regrets and was more than happy to accept the tradeoff. So now for the latest update. I have been attending college for more than a year now. I will be graduating from community college in August 2016 and will start Pharmacy school the following year. I have exceeded my goal weight and currently weigh 180 lbs and wear a size 32 waist and Medium to Large shirt depending on the style. I have experienced so many NSV's (non-scale victories) that I have lost count. I now have high self esteem and confidence in myself. I know that now that I have defeated Obesity in my life, I am an unstoppable force filled with drive and passion. There are no ladies in my life now, but I know one day I will attract the lady of my dreams. Matters of the heart cant be rushed. If you are debating whether or not VSG is worth it - for me it was a second chance a life. Embrace the VSG blessing and enjoy the incredible journey and absolutely life changing miracle that this surgery is. And now here is some before and after pics for you. - Be inspired - Shayne

So when I started my weight loss journey almost 2 1/2 yrs. ago my bmi was @52.5 now today it is 39.9 :D

I bought a pair of XXL compression capris this morning, I got them home and tried them on. They are loose. Put a smile on my face.

NSV! Well, my dermatologist wouldn't agree! Got my very first sunburn on my white belly after wearing my first bikini to the pool today!

Congrats! Not only on your weightloss success, but also on your acceptance that WE may never reach "that" number on a scale. And just look at all those NSV's!!!!! Kuddo's to you for enjoying your healthy life.