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I painted a 3 foot high wooden Easter Egg as a hanging ornament for my front door. It turned out pretty good, if I say so myself. So, I posted a photo of it on face book with me holding it. Holy cow, I got so many comments but they weren't about the door ornament, they were all about me. I've lost 35 pounds but people were acting like I had lost 80 lbs or something. All the comments were so positive and I had no idea anyone would really even notice. I felt like a rock star with all of the comments. LOL I am loving this sleeve and I am so motivated to stay on this diet and do what I am supposed to do in order to lose the weight. I am so excited.

Hi, I'm 5 months out and I hit two major goals this week. I'm officially"overweight" and I hit the 65% goal my Dr. said he expected to be my total weight loss. 100% here I come!

Yes. A definite NSV. And I would share a picture with her from a year and a half ago. It might help her to know that we're all in this together. Fighting our wars against society's expectations and our own inner battles.

Let me start at the beginning. A lot of you know I am taking a creative writing course. I used to have no trouble coming up with ideas and putting them on paper. After I had my WLS and all the complications I was blocked. I could not write a thing. Tried, mind you but came up empty This course came up and I thought maybe it would kick start my writing again. It has been fun but at times nerve wracking to say the least. Last night like every other class we had to write a story on the fly. I mean no prep, on the spot, no time to think. This time the teacher handed us a slip of paper and gave us a topic and let our minds go where they decided.One of my classmates wrote about her two sisters. The story went something like this. " I was always picked on at school for being bony thin. Elbows, knees and everything else. I was also tall and lanky. I couldn't even get a date. My family, especially my two sisters used to pick on me all the time. I was the different one compared to almost everyone who lived in our little town. I stood out as weird. My sisters were short, blond and saw themselves as voluptuous, where I saw them as fat. As the years went by I stayed exactly where I am now tall and bony and they have continued to expand their voluptuous bodies. They are coming for a visit and my daughter and I are taking bets on how long it will take them to start on me about putting a few pounds on and be more healthy like they are. That is the gist of the story. She went on to say that she loved her sisters but did not understand their view of her. It was a well written story and a spin on abuse. She assured me at our ten minute break that yes she did have two sisters and that they were short blond and stacked. She told me about high school and how she felt she was treated there. Her sisters are fat as she calls it but a healthy fat. I told her that it was interesting that she wrote it that way because usually the prejudice is reversed. Thin people picking on heavy people. Not where I come from she said everyone there looks like my sisters. I stood out as different. I repeated that it was interesting how they all saw her. She said why can't people just be happy with who they are and not pick on others. I said society does not like differences. They want us all to be cut from the same cookie cutters. Well she said if your fat then your fat. If your bony then your bony. I don't get it. I said that the thin is in revolution started when they saw Twiggy in the 60's and she modeled for clothing companies and they liked the way clothes sat on her frame. It spiraled from there and now bone thin, no breasts, no shape is the ones they want us to look at on the catwalks. She then talked about her daughter who is voluptuous as well and how she gets mad at her because she goes to weight watchers because of health reasons she now has to stay this size. I asked her who is voluptuous in her mind and she said Marilyn Monroe, Loni Anderson and a singer that I did not recognize the name. I said I still find it strange that a person who is thin could be picked on in our time when everyone is concentrating on the obese society who by the way out number thin people 2 to 1. NOW!!!!!!!!! This was the shocker. She said I wouldn't expect you to really understand. If you were fat you would get how it feels to be picked on for who you are....I stared at her and my head spun. IF I WERE FAT I would understand. Looking at me she new it would have been an insult to say if you were bone thin because obviously I would have taken offence in her mind. So looking at me she used the IF YOU WERE FAT instead. She continued to talk until the teacher called us all back to our places and it was over. I spent the rest of the class wondering if I should have pulled out a picture to show her I knew abuse. Tell her that one was not the same as the other. Let her know a year and a half ago I weighed 380 lbs. But I could not get it out of my head that she said " if you were fat you would understand abuse" She was telling my I was not fat....It was like I had heard it for the first time. In my wildest dreams I never thought that someone would ever see me this way. I guess you could call that a NSV.

Congratulatiions on your NSV! (Non-scale victory). That is a major accomplishment! I'm off my diabetic medicine as well. It is so nice to periodically check my blood and it's within the range it should be in.Be proud of yourself! That is awesome!

My best NSV. Was when I went shopping in my all time favorite store Catos and the sales lady told me I needed to go to the other side of the store. Now I can't fine anything that fits on the plus side.

Guys! I'm so excited!! I had my first NSV yesterday! I was sitting in a meeting with my boss, and I crossed my legs at the knee!! I didn't even realize I was doing it. Hahaha! And I love how people are starting to notice at work!!

Ok, so BIG NSV yesterday. Since before I had surgery 2 years ago, I dreamed of riding rides with my boys and knew it may never happen. We moved to Florida last year, and finally had a chance to visit Legoland yesterday. Not only was I able to keep up with them and their friends, I was leading the pack! AAAND riding roller coasters and other rides with them, and I didn't have to worry about fitting. There was ONE ride with a teeny car and the girl had to really push down on the bar to lock it, but that's ok! I've got a ways to go, but I've come SO far! I'm back on track with a trainer and we're going to get this job D O N E!!! KEEP WORKIN' IT PEOPLE!!!

I just went shopping in my own closet. I've had friends who have lost weight before me and gave me tons of clothes in smaller sizes. I can finally fit into them! Went from a 26/28 down to a 20. I know that's still big, but I'm thrilled to have new clothes. I'm also thrilled to pass my larger sizes on to a friend who is starting her journey. There is so much power in knowing you'll never be that size again and never need those clothes. Our daughter is getting married in June and when we went to get her dress alterations yesterday, she saw a Mother of the Bride dress she wanted me to try on. I got the size 24, doubting it would fit because those bridal shops always have size smaller than what the actual size is. I was FLOATING in the 24! I went to a 20 thinking, "I'll never get this on." But you know what? It fit! In fact, even that was a little large! I was thinking that being in a 16 for the wedding at the beginning of June would be a pipe dream. I'm actually thinking I could make it! I was so excited I just had to share. I know other people have NSV's similar to this and everyone gets excited for them. It's just such a relief after all that time doubting that I really CAN do this. I really CAN lose weight. I really CAN be healthy. I really CAN fit into a 20!

I am so impressed by everybody on here - October was obviously a good month for Sleevers! I've had a week of NSVs this week - just come back from skiing in Austria. Covered 300 miles in a week and had no problem keeping up with my ultra-fit dad and brother! Then went out for dinner with my new man on Saturday and had no problem squeezing through tiny gaps between tables! Mentally I am struggling a little bit though - I am down from 240lb to 154 and I know that within the next 20 or so pounds I am going to be having to start maintaining rather than still losing - and the thought terrifies me. Losing weight has been my life since October now and I think I will feel lost when I'm not losing anymore. Also, I still feel absolutely huge and I really can't see that in 20lb time I will be any happier with the size I am. Have an appointment with my surgeon and his team at the beginning of April so will mention it to them, but if any of you lovely people have any thoughts, they would be appreciated!

SandeeD marvelous such a great feeling!!!! i loved it when that happened to me no more diabetic meds/insulin - no more high blood pressure - no more CPAP big surprise NSV for both me and my doc - my epilepsy dosage has drastically been reduced!!!! 25 lbs down!!!!! thatas great keep up the good job for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life kathy congrats

So excited for you to reach your first nsv! I'm sure it will be here before you know it!

I went thru a divorce and lost 75 pounds. Still heavy at 180 but felt awesome. Told myself I would never put that weight back on. Fast forward, remarried, happy, and the weight slowly crept back on. My breaking point was not when I could no longer wear my beautiful wedding and engagement rings, but when after over a year of not wearing them, my wonderful husband wanted to get them resized for me for Christmas. That was it. I was 230 pounds. I am now 220 and on preop liquids for surgery on 3/28 and doing something so I can lose it and never put it back on again. My first NSV is to put my rings back on!!!!!

I'm so happy I found this thread. All of your stories are so wonderful. When I began this process back in September 2013, I made a list called "I Will...". I've been adding to it and it includes many of the things you have posted here as NSVs. Those are my goals and the reasons I started the LapBand process. I'm now 9 days post op, still on liquids for five more weeks, no fill yet, and here is what I have as NSVs so far: I walk every day on the treadmill and add a minute per day. I'm up to 21 minutes at 3mph no incline. I'm starting to look forward to it more than dreading it. I'm over a mile already. I have more energy and although this was my first Saturday I could have slept in in weeks, I got out of bed early with a spring in my step. I found MyFitnessPal.com and I watch my intake much better now and look forward to recording my exercise. I drink a lot of water and prefer plain water to flavored water. My breath smells better. I honestly thought it would go the other way from such a strict diet and higher protein, but hey. I'll take it. I'm eager to get outside and socialize. I'm not SO TIRED all the time. My back and knees are not hurting from daily existence. I'm off NSAIDs for several months and Tylenol is controlling my arthritis pain pretty well for now. My husband, the WLS skeptic, pointed out last night that the chunk of weight loss I've had since February can't be from the March 13 band since I have no fill. I pointed out that it's a process, of which this is a first step, in discipline and lifetime habit changing, and that the band will always and forever only be a tool in the toolbox. The lifetime work still has to come from me. (A week ago, the night before my surgery, he referred to LapBand as the easy fix.) The NSV here is that I don't give a flying fig what he thinks, but it's nice to prove a skeptic wrong, and see his expression when I come up from the basement sweaty each day from my workout. Keep posting, everyone. You inspire me daily.

Isn't it a great feeling , it sure is a good day for us I love the change in our minds , body and our nsv's fro where to now and where we are going and the things we can do , that we could not even do before whether it be small or big , yes I say big lol , I a loving being able to just have energy and not say no when some one says let's go here or there , fro being tired all the time or not being able to just breath, yes I know most of us were out of breath , just trying to move sometimes now we do all that we can do and just try to do a bit more than before , so we will keep on going, and won't worry when o last breath might be, cause we chose to better our selves, by being healthy and making choices on eating and drinking healthy.

my NSV i want to share today.. me being able to wear (heels) again..wowsie a great feeling

So before surgery my BMI was 54.1 now 23 months(1yr 11 months) later my BMI is 41.3 Down 12.8

Nice to see you again. Great NSV!

What is NSV?

Oh my god, that is hilarious HealthyNewMe! I was already feeling a little weepy from reading some other wonderful posts and now I'm laughing crying! Oh, that's my bottom! And Pink Dahlia, what a great NSV, you skinny thing you. KC Gal, our scale is positioned with a huge mirror off to the left. I stand on the scale and check out my pooh bear profile and now I notice if I really suck it in I can see those numbers down there, too. Total victory over the scale in an NSV kind of way. Shazam, hope school is going well -- and enjoy that jacket. So nice to be in "normal" sizes, isn't it? Yippee!

Athletic... this is one of my favourite NSVs si far. Love this @@CowgirlJane good for you

I love every single one of these NSVs @@proudgrammy