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You deserve every single NSV you get. Sometimes when things come easy we don't appreciate it as much as we would if we had to work for it... And you are working hard to get to where you want to be. I am so happy that you are not getting on your own back when you have a bad time. Frankly we all do at one time or another and you are learning as you go along... I loved this happy event......Forward go girl!!!

Atta girl!!!!!! What great NSV's - being an active participant in your life and your daughter's, not feeling pain when moving and climbing that hill! Great job. Keep up the great work.

And this is truly what a NSV is all about. Great news!!

Ok. I will be the very first person to admit I have struggled with my weight loss and motivation post op. I have lost weight and I am happy I got the sleeve, no doubt about that. But I have had issues with controlling my head hunger and staying the course, not eating slider foods. ( which I can and have) I do try to stick with plan for the most part, but some days it is simply easier than others. I am trying a new zen approach in my thinking and I hope it works for me. Rather than being down on myself continually I have decided to be happy I am where I am. I could still weigh 316 lbs. I still could be unable to do many things I now can do. I could be in constant pain from the stress the weight was putting on my joints. But I am not these things. What I am is 77lbs down from my highest weight. I am able to do so much more than I had been doing. My joints do not cause me constant pain. And I do eat so much better than I had been. Maybe I won't reach my goal weight in a year as I had hoped, or maybe I will. I will continue to live my life and try to be thankful for the good and learn to process the negative in a healthier way. That all being said I did something this weekend that has me very happy. I was able to take my 5yr old to several community parks and play for hours. I was able to interact with her too, not just find the closest place to sit down. I climbed up on a jungle gym set at one park and went down a slide!! Granted my rear got a little wedged at the bottom where the slide narrowed, but I still did it! And the bigger accomplishment was going up "the Mound". There is an Adena Indian burial mound located in my hometown. If I'm not mistaken the tallest point on the mound is 65'. What I do know is there are 116 steps to the top look out point. I decided we were going to try it, and I made it!!! I haven't been to the top since I was in my teens, and my daughter has never been. It was awesome. I was so proud of myself for being able to do this. It was something I had told myself before I would do again someday, and I did it! I wish the day had been a little nicer because the view is awesome on a sunny day. But to me it looked darn good as I sat there marveling at my accomplishment. Oh it won't be the last time we go up. It is great exercise for sure. Yeah, I had to take breaks to stop and catch my breath but I didn't stop. And the most fabulous part came after as we continued to hit different community parks to play. I didn't stop! That climb was just one of the things I did, not the only thing. I was able to keep going. Sure I was a little stiff afterward but heck , that stiff achey feel was a norm every day I was so grossly overweight. I lived with it daily. Now it is just a by product of a little extra exertion and it felt great! Needless to say I am more motivated to try other things. As the weather breaks my daughter and I are going to find a lot of other things we can get outside and do. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!

Gowalking...you always start the most awesome discussions! One of my hopes for WLS is that my lapband would allow me to view and eat food like a naturally- thin person. By that I mean someone who is genetically thin, not someone who dieted their way to a normal weight. I live in Paris, where the majority of people here are like this--born thin and stay thin throughout their lives, as HealthyNewMe correctly observes. And I'm so very grateful that this wish for my lapband has happened for me. With my appetite dimmed, and my stomach capacity so much smaller than without the band, I do look at my food, and eat my food, like a "normal" person. And you know what? A "normal" person has days, occasions, celebrations when they have a special cocktail, or a slice of wedding cake, or something that they don't have on an ordinary day. But instead of this derailing them, they very naturally just start back (at the next meal, or the next day) with their "normal" (for me, that means "banded") way of eating. This is what you are describing, Gowalking, and this, to me, is a huge NSV! Before my lapband, I was one slice of cake away from falling off the wagon. Seriously. I lost 50 pounds over a two year period, from 2003 to 2005. And at Christmas 2005, I sat down at the table, looked at the holiday meal, and said to myself "just one piece of that dessert" (a yule log, for those interested). And then it was off to the races...gaining everything back and more....and the cycle began again. That one dessert put me back on the road to regain. With my lapband, I do not have this "on program/off program" mentality, so if I have a square of chocolate, or a slice of cake, or a glass of wine, it doesn't make my mind switch into the "I've blown it now so might as well EAT ALL THE FOOD until my next weigh-in, when I'll get back on program." I know I'll never be a "normal" person in terms of having a natural, born-with-it mindset around eating, but with my lapband, I know that it gives me tremendous help in eating like a normal person. Great thread and I'm loving everybody's contributions here.

SO, I've been feeling a little down lately with my plateau at 40 lbs out. I've been slightly depressed with some life events and what not, and my scale just doesn't move. I am in Vegas now with a friend for a girls weekend. I have no shorts that fit so she grabs me a pair. Now, I started my journey wearing a tight 18. Today I put on a 10!!!!!! I've been wearing a 12 for awhile now so this was huge! It has shown me that the changes I've made recently are in fact making changes. I couldn't believe I put on a pair of size 10 jean shorts. Definitely feeling good about myself!

Oh please post a picture of you in your new sweater. It would be wonderful to see how far you have come...congratulations on a wonderful NSV!

That is sooo awesome. I know you must be so thrilled. I also had a great day. With a NSV too. I had bought a pair of tan capris pants back in 2009 that were just a bit tight, that was going to be my motivation to get into them. But never got into them... But today I soooo got into them, and they were not tight. It's a huge deal to show my ankles since I have tree trunks for legs. But this is changing. I cannot wait until the day that I can get into a pair of shorts. Also, I ate shredded chicken tonight for the first time since surgery day, and it was Delish!!!

I have lost 36 lbs in 8 weeks. There are weeks that go by that I don't seem to lose a pound. I have lost 5 lbs in the past 3 weeks. But I don't worry about it to much now that I have some objectivity. I went to Walmart to try on clothes for the heck of it. I was able to fit into size 3X (22/24) JMS stretchy capris. I haven't fit into 22/24 clothes since before my first child was born almost 15 years ago. So even though the amount on my scale hasn't gone down much in the past month, my non-scale victories (NSVs) continue to increase. I can cross my legs, my bras that I bought back in September are way to big on me, and I can fit into clothing ranging from 22/24 stretchy to 26/28 comfortable. So even if the scale isn't budging use a tape measure to see how many inches have been shaved off once a month. Or celebrate the small yet consequential NSVs that come along. Focus on the positive changes and it makes it all more worth while.

What a great NSV!! Congrats

Thank you and I do have to also remember the NSV!

The bedroom improvements are the BEST NSV, promise!!!

Such a great NSV! Congrats!

Many years ago, my mother gave me her mink coat when she moved to Florida. I got too heavy to wear it and gave it to my sister-in-law hoping that someone else could use it. That was more than ten years ago. Turns out she never wore it and I recently reached goal and asked her to give it back. I wasn't sure if it would fit...it's hard for me to really see what everyone else sees and only by trying something on, can I really gauge my size these days. I must tell you....I never thought I'd be able to wear this coat again. I'm overwhelmed....

Our brains play games with us. And it always will. We see ourselves one way and yet we are another. When an anorexic patient sees themselves, what do they see..fat...It is a matter of perception. It will take time for you to see the new you and as you start seeing NSV you will start to see yourself differently. But trust me you will still have issues with how you see yourself. Being heavy for a long time makes us see ourselves as large for quite a while. It is part of the retraining of our brains. Learning how to eat better, exercise, take care of ourselves more and resolve what got us to the point where we needed this help. I am 16 months out and still see myself as a very large woman. my daughter tells me all the time that I am not and that I see things with a fat head. I am working hard to overcome this issue.... Keep talking it out with your family and ask what they think. I know I have to because I always feel heavy! they are a great stabilizer for me.

I got a NSV myself and my 17 year old son went into walgreens and just as we got up to the register he calls out mom can you buy me so gym joking around i told him to get a job as he proceed to hand the girl behind at the register the gym she stops and saids wait did you just call her mom my son replys ummm yes why the look on her face was priceless she states i thought she was your girlfriend i just laughed and told her thanks feeling really good at the end of the month ill be 33 and im feeling better than when i was 23 lol

happy camper peaking at older posts and saw your post wondering how you were doing??? little hijack update on my part............ per doc i couldn't drive for 6 months post surgery but, understandable driving all over doing this, that everything - being so happy since losing 45 more lbs (total 105) meds were slightly reduced again meds are necessary - no more reduction is possible - but the lower dosage is/was a wonderful unexpected NSV great weight loss for you happy keep up the good work kathy

Today I wore one of my favorite pair of jeans to work (which are a size 20) and when I came home I took my dog for a walk. It's pretty mild here right now and all the snow is melting so there were a lot of puddles and the bottom of my pants got wet. When I came home, I was looking for a dry pair of jeans and tried on a pair of my girlfriend's size 16 jeans, and they fit..... and looked good. I might not give them back to her!

Way to go!!! I am so excited about the NSVs in my future. My surgery is on 3/19. Keep up the good work!

Crossing the legs is a good one! I find myself doing it all the time now that I can! Those NSV's are great!

I'm getting toward the end of my journey, and it's funny how things are so different from the inside looking out. I've realized through this journey that while each NSV and every mini goal met is significant and praise worthy, the most significant loss I had was the first 30-40 for me. It was when I hit the middle of those numbers that I realized that I WAS doing this! I AM going to succeed!! I CAN keep losing this weight!! It was the true marker for me and the green light to realize that my body was changing, I was shrinking and it was the first and probably the biggest boost to my confidence that I've had this entire journey. That being said, the first 30-40 lbs of my loss was probably the most insignificant to those around me and who saw me on a daily basis. It was enough for them to see that I'd lost 'some' weight, but let's face it when you're as big as we all are/were a 30-40 lb loss LOOKS like maybe 10-15 to the untrained eye. I don't even think my first 30 I went down a pant size yet! Hardly anyone noticed those first blocks of weight when they were shed, but I knew. I noticed, and I was proud!! Now, as I'm battling my last 40-30 pounds it seems really insignificant, I've already battled away over 100 lbs of loss, what is 30 or 40 more? It's nothing! BUT! To those that are outside looking in, I think this is the MOST significant 30-40 pounds. In my last 10 pounds of loss I've had more compliments, comments, people noticing how small I've gotten. They marvel and wonder aloud 'How much more are you going to lose?!'. It's funny how that flip is switched. For me to say 'Oh, just 30' now the looks are of shock and awe! When I lost my first 30, those who asked how much I had lost and I told 'Oh, just 30' very excited and bubbly, they'd respond with maybe a glance and an over the shoulder 'Oh, that's good...'. It's funny how people perceive those who are going through a change. Ultimately, I'm proud of every last pound, every last inch. This transformation has been amazing! I'm not the fastest loser, but I'm not giving up!! I'm going to do it! I'm going to reach my goal, and I know each and everyone of us can and will!!

Complications do happen but usually they are not as extreme as Ana and I have gone through. there is always a possibility of complications. But they are not common at all. When I went to my last appointment before my surgery my surgeon wanted me to know that I could die from this surgery because every surgery is a risk. Having your teeth removed is a risk. Since i was not living before I did not see the need to worry about it. Even when I almost did die. I felt the step was the right one for me because if I did live it would give me a chance to really live and that was what I wanted most of all. It is good to weigh the pros and cons regarding this surgery. Be sure you are willing to take the risks... You may and probably will be one that sails right through it. But me, I have no regrets about it at all. As far as the surgery and complications went. the changes in my life were the scariest for me....They still hurt quite a bit and I still cry about my so called friends....But I am moving forward and actually loving all the NSV I experience...... I think even though for me it was good, bad and ugly. I would do it again! I mean that too.....I am a live now I was not before the surgery...Too much pain. Could not walk far. Lower back issues. High blood pressure. and so on!

Congratulations!!!!! Enjoy all of these NSV's. There are all important. I think we often get hung up on that number on the scale and we don't look at the other things!

Yaaaaa!!! Congrats!! I cant wait for my NSVs!!!! I get my surgery 3/25!!