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Met some friends at the beach today, complimented me on my weight loss....Thank You very Much.... Then they started mentioning what other people are saying about my weight loss...all positive mind you....nothing negative...keep up the good work. However, they said that one very nice woman we know, whenever my name comes up, will say....."Oh yea, Bob....he's just a shadow of the man he used to be" She also happens to be a Trainer at the gym I belong to.... At first I smiled, picturing her saying that....then it hit me...WHAT? THIS is what I'm SUPPOSED to be! THIS is NOT a Shadow! What I USED to be was NOT ME!! THAT was someone else! Everyone laughed, said No! What she really means is you're only 1/2 the man you used to be! Wait...that didn't sound right either.... Actually I do get it...just a good day at the beach with friends having a few beers and lots of laughs (at my expense) ....

So I went to Fitness Kick Boxing tonight. This is the first time in over a year that I have stepped foot in the dojo. I got there a little early to see the advanced class in Martial Arts in action. While I was standing there watching some grappling I said "Hi Guys" Sho-Sempai (name for a student teacher) looks up smiles and says "Look who got skinny!" Tommy looks up when he says that and his eyes go wide and Sho-Sempai proceeded to take him by surprise nailed him to the mat. I laughed my ass off at that it was too funny. You have to see the visual, Sho-Sempai is 17 tall and super skinny, lanky kid, Tommy is about 40, tall, heavy set with muscles and some chunk. It was the funniest thing to see. The welcome I got from all the kids there was second to none other. They all came up to me and gave me a hug and said how great I looked. It truly warmed my heart.

Congrats!! That feeling is a great NSV

Wowser...what a great start! I am proud of you. i am 63, and agree that it will enable you to enjoy your grandkids more. I have four small ones, 7, 4, 2, and 3 weeks. It used to be that when I went to my daughter's house, I could only sit and hold them on the sofa. After I lost my first fifty pounds, I was limber and flexible enough to get down on the floor and play with them, and then get up off the floor without assistance. You won't believe how many NSVs (non-surgical victories) you will have that you did not know were coming. Enjoy your grandkidlets and your new life. Congratulations!

Awesome job! Being outside and doing something you enjoy is a NSV so add that to your list also.

ive lost 100 pounds and I was on 100mg daily of Zoloft prior to surgery. I lowered myself to to myself to 50mg daily because I felt do good and because I have recently been told that I look like I'm a whole new person. They specifically state that I look "in love with life" and that I couldnt be more "happily glowing". Honestly its the NSVs that rock your world more than anything and you start finding confidence in the small things. Sent from my LGMP260 using BariatricPal mobile app

Blessed Easter! I know everyone is struggling right now. That is why it's so important to stay with the website and our threads. To give support as well as receive support! Take any losses we have, whether it be in pounds or inches and Celebrate them! Celebrate our NSVs!! A lot of us are having those even tho the scales may be stuck or not moving in the direction that we'd like. Let's finish up this challenge and move on from our disappointments! There are some of us who have done well. Let's celebrate with them! Post your final numbers! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and a very Blessed Easter! HE LIVES!!!

Great NSVs! I love that my feet don't hurt as soon as I'm out of bed in the mornings. Digging being comfortable crossing my legs again (and not needing the assistance of my arm lifting my leg to cross them). And as you said....loving that food doesn't have the same irrational pull it had on me before surgery. Happy too that the way I look on the outside is starting to match how strong and happy I feel on the inside. Sent from my SM-G928V using the BariatricPal App

@@Yrkybarry, if you are following your program every day, then you just need to wait it out. And don't get discouraged – stalls happen, and then they end. While you're in them, look for non-scale victories (NSVs) like clothes getting looser, more energy, better blood sugar or blood pressure numbers, etc. Here are the basics of my program. Your doctor's plan may differ. And if you're still unsure, log your food, Fluid and exercise with MyFitnessPal or another app like that. It's a good idea to do that anyway. Every single day... 60-80+ grams of Protein 64+ ounces of fluids Keep carbs as low as possible, and only from legumes, green veggies and dairy products Get some exercise at least 4 times per week Take meds, Vitamins and supplements as directed Pretty simple, really. Except for all that emotional, psychological, social, and physical junk, right? But if you can manage to separate your weight loss program from all the other stuff, following those 5 rules really works. Good luck!

Well I passed the 3 months mark now losing another pound this week. Not a big loss this week but still a loss. Some times it surprises me that I continue to lose from week to week to week. I have never experience continual weight loss like this. It's great to be putting on clothes that I haven't worn in several years. A big exciting thing too is pretty soon I will be in sizes that I can shop at Walmart for clothes. Yeah I know it's Walmart but hey it's not shopping at the Big & Tall store. For the last 10 plus year that's the ONLY place I have been able to shop and so if I can buy clothes at a normal store that will be a huge change for me. I think I am only about 10 to 20 lbs away from being able to accomplish that NSV Milestone. I have got to say I directly see the difference between the weeks I work really hard at exercising and the weight loss. I wasn't as stringent this last week and it has shown with only a 1 pound weight loss. So I have got to kick myself in the butt again and get back on track. It's often times hard when other things around you aren't going as well but that can't be used as an excuse for changing your life in a way that will make you live longer and healthier with your family. Today I am heading out to do some photography and I know I will be able to walk around without getting wore out easily. Just months ago that would have really taken it's toll on me but now I see it in that I can actually enjoy being outside without sweating up a storm and getting short winded. Well onto another week and continued weight loss. Current Weight - 390 lbs Loss Since Surgery - 52 lbs (13 weeks) Total Weight Loss - 95 lbs (1yr 1mo)

I can't believe I've lost a total of 39 inches in 4 months and I started measuring after I lost 20lbs!

My Surgeon goal was low. He set a goal of 180 lbs. I started at 265lbs. I want to get to 140lbs. But I'm not gonna worry. I'm gonna focus. Getting healthy and learning how to eat with stages of diet in the beginning. Being grateful to gain strength with any weight loss and happy to reach NSV (non scale victories). in other words Enjoying the whole ride. Later I'll add my own goal.

That is a very uplifting NSV, and even more so that you now have an unexpected passion for karaoke to enjoy!

I went for a long walk. Walked from my apartment through the complex to leasing office then went on the road and walked back (stopping at deli to get husband breakfast on way back)!!! And the best thing... No back pain! Feel very good about it. And I even did it in the rain!

This journey is definitely a learning experience and I keep learning and seeing new possibilities. Having what I would say is a less than great day at work, frustration, moodiness (me and others), TOM and just feeling like things are not in the best place. So this morning, I felt the need for a pick me up...went for the chocolate (alcohol would have been preferable but it was 10am), had 2 bites and that was enough to take the edge for a bit. Not wanting to succumb to the food hunger, had a tea and went to the gym to work out some frustration...a healthier way to deal with stress. Anyway at the gym, i tried (have been slightly attempting for a while) to do a sit up. I have never done a sit up (i dont even remember doing this as a kid). And all of a sudden I COULD!!!! It felt easy and simple, like i should have been doing it for years....my body just decided that it could.....score, definitely a fist pump, blog moment )))))) For lots of people the action of doing a sit up is nothing but to me it is huge!! And it another one of my physical goals that I have achieved. FYI I am stalled right now with another 30 or so pounds to go...but when I have these kinds of wins, the weight doesnt seem as important.

This afternoon my fiance went to a christening for his cousin's daughter. We took some pictures and after looking at them later on I thought to myself "Hey, I don't look half bad!" It's amazing I actually let myself have my picture taken in the first place because normally I hide from the camera at all costs. Definitely an NSV for me!

Snowshoeing..The snow angle is for you @KindaFamiliar

I went to my primary doctor for my physical today. The charts are electronic and each has the patient's picture on it when it's opened...I saw mine and thought "Holy crap! Who is that?" The medical assistant taking my blood pressure didn't have to use the large cuff (yay!) and was impressed with my weight loss (although the unenthusiastic "Oh" when I mentioned I did it with the help of the lap band annoyed me ever so slightly). However, the doctor was positively elated with my progress so far and told me to keep up the great work! Then, when it came time to draw blood, the MA had no trouble at all finding a vein, whereas they were always buried in fat and hard to find in the past. I practically skipped out of the office! It's funny how the simplest things can make you so happy

Hi Everyone! I'm happy to report that I started and finished the Couch-to-5k running program, and on Saturday, October 17th, I ran my first 5k race! It was called the Penguin 5k, and raises funds for the Penguins at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Since I'd completed the Couch-to-5k program - a 9 week program that takes you from walking and no running to running 3 miles - I figured I was ready for a race. I took longer than 9 weeks to complete the program because I repeated some weeks when I felt I wasn't ready. That was one of the smartest things I've ever done - it let me complete the program injury-free. The race was fun - a bright, clear day, lots of other runners around. The course went from asphalt (roads) through a field (plowed / cleared but still bumpy and a bit muddy from recent rains) and then up a hill (tree roots, rocks, and more soft dirt - oh my!), through a subdivision (killer hill there) and into a cul-de-sac, where we turned around and ran back. When the race started, I kinda figured I'd be at the back of the pack, so to speak, and I was right! :eek: The "rabbits" took off in a bunch - they were really fast compared to me. There were some people who walked the course, and there was me and a couple of others, running slowly and chugging along. I finished the race in 45:10 - slower than I'd thought I would, but I was happy to finish! I was second-to-last, but the cheers from my fellow racers along the way and the thumbs-up I got from the volunteers along the route helped me to feel great about finishing. :wub: I'm going to continue to run, and while I may not do another race before Winter sets in, I'm already thinking about next spring and what races I'd like to do. I have a goal to reduce my time by 10% for the next 5k. My weight is pretty stable at 191 lbs, and I'm okay with that. My size keeps dropping, though - I am now fitting into size 14's (depending on label) and some size L clothes from Target. I'm so excited I can barely stand it - these are wonderful NSV's! I think my body has to have time to adjust to what I've done to it :huh2: I'm able to control the hunger so far - though I know that's as much a function of my band, "Jillian" as it is of my "willpower". I'm eating more protein and trying to balance the carbohydrates. I'm close to getting off my diabetes meds and I'm hoping November will be not only my 1 year Bandiversary, but also the month I leave the meds behind. I'm also adjusting my "head" - occasionally I am still surprised when I walk past a mirror and see the new, thinner me. I still think of myself as "plus-sized", though I really don't fit that designation any more. I've been a Big Girl for so long that when someone refers to me as "skinny", I often don't know who they are talking about! The head journey is going to be the longest part of this - while my body is adjusting, my head also needs to adjust, and so far, my head is lagging behind... Right now I am nursing a sore right hip - think I overdid it a bit on the race but that's not going to stop me from continuing to run and continuing to run this race to fitness and health. If you are not yet banded, I encourage you to do your research and determine if this is right for you. If you are banded and struggling, talk to your doctor, your nutritionist or a counselor, and get yourself back on track - you CAN succeed at this! If you are loving your banded life as I am, and making progress toward your ultimate goal of health and well-being, then GOOD FOR YOU and keep up the good work! Till next time...:wub:

I'm really happy, 24 days out. We avoided complications, pain and horrors. We're both losing weight. And today I had a good and bad NSV although bad may not qualify as V? Good: I'm fitting into my smaller pants! Land's end elastic waist starfish pants, but went from XL to L. Yay me! Bad: I'm starting to show turkey wattles under my neck. Eeps! I worried about aging when I lost weight because the fat sure plumps out my 47-year face. I have very few wrinkles compared to women my age but again, artifact of fat I'm sure. This is normal, right? You can't lose 21 lbs in 4 weeks without getting some signs of aging, yes? This will lessen over time? Maybe? What's been your experience?

We're coming up on our one year bandiversary in a couple weeks so I'm wondering how everyone is doing. Not just weight loss but also NSV's. How has your life improved. What are you able to do this year that you couldn't or wouldn't do last year? For me, I'm down 38 lbs per my last dr's visit but my nsv's are many. I feel better, my lab numbers are in the normal range, I'm wearing smaller clothes, people who haven't seen me in a while do a double take and a gal told me yesterday that I'm a shadow of my former self. I thought I'd be very close to my goal by now but it took me some time to get to the "green zone". Also, I've never been a fast loser and that still seems to still be the case after the band. I'm now losing about a pound a week. I'd love for it to be more but a pound is a pound and my doctor is thrilled with my progress. The biggest thing I've learned is just how little food I actually need. I've always just wanted to be a thin eater and now that's me. I had to get over the portion size idea in my head. I felt ripped off a little when i got back on real food because I simply couldn't eat 3 or 4 ounces of Protein and some green veggies. I can only eat a couple ounces and I'm not always full/satisfied for 3-4 hours but that's ok because I get to eat again later. Such a simple concept but it was a huge milestone. Anxious to hear how you all are doing.

This was one of my goals too- to let people take pictures of me and not dread the results. It's funny that one of you mentioned untagging Facebook pictures- I did that quite a bit 80 lbs ago. I really, really hated how I looked in almost all pictures of myself from the shoulders down (and even some face pictures). Congrats on this NSV!

Woo hoo!!!! I just hit that NSV, too! Doesn't it feel great??? Keep up the great work!!

Oh we totally "get it"! Awesome NSV!!! Congratulations!

Wow, that was like hitting the trifecta lottery of NSV's! Congrats!