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I have been trying to get about 700 calories daily. (At six weeks out, my initial goal of 800 was too ambitious.) I use MFP to track and it’s interesting to see how I have this cycle of more hungry followed by less hungry. I think “normally thin” people perhaps eat like this. We keep hearing them say, somedays I eat a lot and then the next day, I eat a little less to accommodate for the treat from the day before. I’m not sure I understood that before, because when I tracked my calories, I was always trying to stay under some ridiculous minimum that left me hungry all the time so I ate every one of the calories I allowed myself. But now, letting my hunger dictate my caloric needs seems to be producing this nice up and down curve (A sinusoidal curve, us geeky statisticians would call it). But it’s sweet nonetheless. Another NSV! Listening to my body and feeding it appropriately. Are you guys seeing the same thing?

Sweet, two great NSV's in one day, you are rocking it! Sent from my iPad using VST

Two NSV's today...... Had to cut 9 inches off my belt and got called a "skinny ass"! Even though I'm down 60 pounds since surgery and still 67 pounds from my goal, it felt good to hear that! I laughed at my friend that said it and then immediately went to my room to shed a small "happy tear".

I LOVE reading NSV's !!!!! they are since inspiring and motivational....keep 'em coming! Great job, all of you!

great job / NSV are the best ever

What does NSV mean?

congrats! Keep track of your NSVs, when you see them all at once it is pretty amazing. You made me laugh when you said that! Good work!

I had a first NSV today, but it's kinda wierd!! I was fixing a store bought chocolate cake that some icing had come off . It is for my future daughter in law's birthday today. After I put the cake away, I noticed that the box side had a huge slab of icing on it. I needed the box for the cake, so I took the knife and scrapped off that icing. and .......threw it down the garbage disposal, followed by hot water! I have never in my life thrown away icing, especially chocolate....it feels so good to be in better control!

IT has been 8 years since I was able to shop in the non plus size of any store and today I went shopping for the first time since my sleeve surgery and almost 50 pounds later I can easily put on size 12 jeans in American Eagle! I am soooo grateful for this sleeve and for this forum, the support that is out here is amazing!!! Happy Friday!!

That's a huge NSV! Congrats!!

Tried on a leather coat that was given to me 2 months ago and it did not come close to me being able to button it up....Well...Today I slipped it on and buttoned it up...It is still snug but I still buttoned it up....Can't wait to wear it...It is a large.....unbelievable! A red coat that I worn 3 different times in my life I have been able to wear for the last month.....Each time I wore it was a decade a part....Today it has become to big for me...The other 2 times it became to small for me...Guess I will have to send it to the thrift store....Oh dear! I am very happy with this situation!

Hi August Bandsters... Since it is October I thought we could check-in and see how everyone is doing....weight loss, inches loss, all the NSV's, fills, etc...... I will get us started... First of all, I feel like a new person... that's the best thing since being banded. I have lost 38 pounds since my pre-op diet, 27.5 inches are GONE, my NSV's are so numerous I will just mention a few: taking walks with my daughter, swimming again, clothes to big, walking up the stairs without feeling like I am going to die, bending over without feeling like I am going to puke, getting out of a chair without making ugly, groaning noises.... My first fill was last Monday....it was a breeze...he put in .5cc and I have restriction....yeah!!! So how is everyone else doing???

I was banded 8/25 too and am down 23 lbs, unfortunately I didn't measure before surgery so I don't know inches. I have my first fill tomorrow, and I've just started noticing I can eat alot more than I did last week, so it will be good to have a fill. I feel alot better since the surgery, not as sore and stiff, more energy, asthma is better, and walking more. Down 1 pants and 1 shirt size. One of the big NSV's is my belly isn't putting pressure on my lower ribs, so they aren't sore like they were before. The hard part is the mental, lots of issues that I've buried with eatting -- and they aren't much fun to deal with and resolve. But all in all I am happy with my progress, and while it's not easy. . . the band sure makes the weight loss doable.

Firstly....... You looked beautiful on your wedding day. Congrats on doing something you wanted to do after losing weight...... great NSV.

The pictures tell it all!!!! Current weight 162.5!!

I really, really, really don't want to buy a scale. I don't want one in my home... I have never been someone who obsessed over their weight, I don't want to become one. I can completely and honestly say that my weight (the number) doesn't bother me. Whatever it is, it's just a number. I really just want to get weight for the purpose of having the "starting" number, something to document my dang medical file with. :\ I understand how the number makes people feel better, they like to see the loss - but I'd rather see it in the mirror. The actual number is meaningless to me, I want to be buying smaller clothes and seeing my figure come back and FEELING lighter - that's my goal. I have enough with all the copays and stuff going on financially, I shouldn't have to put an unwanted scale in my home, at my expense, simply because no medical professional I've worked with has a scale that goes high enough for me. And the thing that really stings for me is that I'm heavy, yes, but not so heavy that I'm immobile or can't fit in most chairs and stuff. What about the people who are bigger than me?? Especially men, who are taller and just as hefty... I just don't think it's fair! I'll call the waaaaaaahmbulance and stop complaining about this... what I do know, my first NSV goal is to be "skinny" enough to get on that 350lbs max scale!

<p>This is incomplete, but after reading Vinesqueen's complete list of NSV's, she has inspired me to start keeping track of my own. Thanks Vines!</p> <p> </p> <p>9/14/05: surgery @ 9am, home @ 3pm</p> <p> </p> <p>10/3/05: rings fit a little looser</p> <p> </p> <p>10/5/05: I had a pair of pants that I unintentionally bought a size too small. I was able to wear them, but zip them up only halfway. Today, I put them on (not wiggled into them), and not only was I able to zip them up, but I was able to button them as well.</p> <p> </p> <p>10/20/05: 1st fill & official weigh-in. New BMI is 39.3. I am no longer in the Morbidly Obese category.</p> <p> </p> <p>10/26/05: I have lost 10% of my starting weight</p> <p> </p> <p>10/28/05: My rings are really loose now. While I was typing at work, they wiggled their way right down my fingers, so I had to take them off to continue typing.</p> <p> </p> <p>11/5/05: I ran into one of my grandmother's sisters at Wal-Mart. She said "Looks like you're slimming down aren't you?" That's the first time someone in my non-immediate family has commented about my weight loss. That totally made my day!</p> <p> </p> <p>11/9/05: I tried on a pair of size 18 jeans and they fit! (previous size 22W)</p> <p> </p> <p>11/10/05: I was able to comfortably tuck a shirt into my pants.</p> <p> </p> <p>11/11/05: I visited my Granny for the first time since a week after surgery. She fussed at me about wearing my now too-big clothes.</p> <p> </p> <p>11/12/05: I played football with my cousins without getting tired after 5 minutes.</p> <p> </p> <p>11/14/05: One of my co-workers commented on how big my clothes look on me now. (OK, two comments about my big clothes within a few days of each other? Time to go shopping I guess.)</p> <p> </p> <p>11/20/05: I tried on a pair of size 16 slacks and they fit, but not the way I like for pants to fit. I didn't buy them.</p> <p> </p> <p>11/21/05: As my daughter was taking my pic for the End of 2005 Weight Loss Challenge, she said "Mom you're shrinking!"</p> <p> </p> <p>12/3/05: I went to visit my cousin, and I was sitting with my legs crossed for a long time before I realized that I can now cross my legs!</p> <p> </p> <p>12/17/05: Update from 11/20/05: I went back and tried on those same size 16 slacks, and they fit better. I bought them this time.</p> <p> </p> <p>12/28/05: Went home for Christmas & everyone, I mean EVERYone was oohing and aahing over how good I look. Even my Granny, who usually points out the negative, said that she can't get over how good I look.</p>

Goals. Goals not met. Goals can be a real beyotch if you don't have some refinement and structure around them. At least that's the way it is for me. I certainly have an ultimate goal of where I want to be.....but I've set intermittent goals that feel freaking great when achieved. Not all of them are weight goals. Many are NSV's that I get a kick out of reaching. ....A piece of clothing that I want to fit in comfortably. ......An activity that I want to do without difficulty. ......Fitness goals. It is imperative that I have goals beyond the scale. My daily weigh-ins would drive me nuts if they were my only source of validation. One of the ones that I achieved yesterday.....hit me like a hammer and made me grin stupidly......was on the treadmill. Had my first morning off work after a 60 hr pressure cooker workweek. I hit the gym and busted off two hours on the treadmill. Even when I'd find that "right" music and turn up the speed and elevation.....I couldn't seem to get my heart rate up above the high 140's. Crazy. A month ago I couldn't keep it under 160. Soon....soon the knees will be ready to run and it's going to be ON !!!!!!

That's awesome. What is more awesome than your socks fitting is that you are ROLLER SKATING!! That would be a NSV for me in the first place! Have fun =)

My NSV is being able to enjoy SEX without any extra movement from by butt and belly. LOL!!!

@@Elode that sounds like fun!!! good for you on planning ahead with all your food and drink rafting & zip lining sound great i would love to check it out i am a little scared to try that's why this would be a great NSV for me your kids are in their late teens, right?? do you have family in Colorado ? have a wonderful time i probably wasn't home when you tried to call and invite me on the trip oh well, next time kathy

Oh wow, that is a NSV I really want to have. Congrats, it is the little things sometimes that makes this forum so awesome to keep coming back to.

The scale has never been my friend and weight loss surgery hasn’t helped our relationship. When I diet, I tend to weigh every day, perhaps multiple times during the day (a mid-afternoon weighing will have to take into account being fully clothed and if I ate recently or if I just drank a lot of liquid). When I am not dieting, the scale sits there, neglected and collecting dust. Since we arrived back home on Friday (five short days ago), I have probably weighed 12-13 times. Yes, that’s averaging over two times per day. This is not a healthy behavior. Here’s what happened yesterday…I weighed in the morning and the scale said I “only” lost a half of a pound since the morning before. I think a normal person would log that and move on. Not, me and probably not many obese or formally obese people. I thought about that measly little number and wondered what was wrong with me the entire day. Why didn’t I lose more? I calculated my total weight loss. I calculated my loss since surgery. I calculated my loss since Friday. Over and over and over again all day long. Then I had a mid-afternoon weigh-in, subtracted for clothing and it was about the same and still feeling disgruntled. Why do I do this to myself? It makes no sense. I get hung up on the numbers that the stupid scale says – I relinquish all power to that stupid scale. When you look at it in reality, there is no possible way I am not losing weight. I am only taking in about 500 calories per day. My body right now (without exercising) burns at least 2000 calories daily. There are about 3500 calories in a pound. That calorie deficit adds up quickly, especially once you add in a walk here or there or start incorporating exercise. So why do I care so much about what that evil, bathroom-dwelling scale says? How can it have so much power over me? We need to Celebrate our non-scale victories (NSV’s). These are those little wins you get that are not necessarily related to the scale. Just in the past couple of days, I have had some. I tightened my FitBit Flex up by one notch (this means my wrist is smaller today than it was a few weeks ago when I got it). I tried on my winter coat last night and it fit. A few weeks ago, it was uncomfortable to zip up with just a t-shirt on, so I only used the Velcro fasteners to give me more room. Last night, not only could I zip it, I could have probably worn a sweatshirt and it would have still been comfortable. So, what am I going to do about it? I’m going to have my husband hide the scale. It will come out once per week on Thursday’s for a weekly weigh-in, then back in hiding it goes. As for my brain…I’m not sure the hubs can hide that. Do you do this to? How often do you weigh?

iggy congrats - great story, NSV BUT theres no such word as "ONLY" with our weight loss (only 45 lbs down) - you know that 100 whips with a wet noodle, take that

Any NSV is a big victory! Great for you!!