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Happyyyyyy Monday!!!! Yesterday I ran 2.5miles with my pup and that was a HUGE NSV for me! I have been working up to it, but kinda of a weird weekend. It was such a busy weekend so I grazed a bit instead of sitting down and eating a full meal. so that annoyed me that I did that when its not my typical eating habits. Other than that, so far so good!

Kind of feel like a broken record from what everyone says but....STALLS HAPPEN! Also, its okay to have imperfect days, were human, give yourself grace. I freaked out when I had mine so I totally get it! but your doing amazing!! Just from your profile pics I can see the changes in your face, you have lost 88lbs! to put that in perspective, that is my 7yr old and 2yr weight combined! you lost two little people lol Now your wearing a 1x?! damn killing it!! Keep doing what your doing it will come off, and focus on those NSV's they make all the difference!

The little things are sometimes the best NSV. Just going into regular shops will never get old to me. Congratulations on your weight loss and the NSV.

Wins -- Well, I let myself have a few more carbs yesterday, bringing my net carbs up closer to 30 when they have been running in the teens or single digits the past eight weeks (one other time in the 30s on a day I had chili) and seems to be so far so good. I started spacing out my three meals to having more like 4-5 meals per day every three hours and find that works SO much better for me. It also helped me get past my 3.5 week stall that lasted about a week. I went out walking a couple of times this past week and also started using my exercise bike. Noticed that walking around is not leaving me as sore and my stamina is increasing. I also had a couple of NSV - I had to scoot up my car seat a bit, was able to wear a pair of jeans that were WAY too tight before my surgery, and I tried on a shirt yesterday that used to be tight in the arms and across the shoulders and found it fit comfortably! I'm starting to get comments on the weight loss being visible, so that's nice. Portion sizes remain very small - I don't dare eat more than 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of combined foods per meal. I did add in a few bites of things that aren't just protein based, and that has been a nice switch.

Hurray! We’re off to London this week 🤩 The past couple of weeks have been a little stressful but I managed to get last weeks 2.5lb gain off plus almost a lb more so I’m happy. I just want this to be a ‘normal’ week - no hospital appointments, worries or stressing over weight. I know my weight will go up but so what? We’re having a mini-break in a posh hotel, just the 2 of us. It can give us some badly needed time together where we’re just us, no work stresses (hubby) or health concerns etc. I think sometimes we lose sight of ourselves as an actual person and not a collection of ailments and anxieties over different things. Clothes are out and ready to be packed. I’ve tried to go outside my comfort zone a little and not just take the fat woman’s uniform of leggings and tops! I’m not taking dresses or skirts, purely because I haven’t managed to perfect getting on and off my scooter in a semi-ladylike way without flashing my wares to unsuspecting passers-by 😜 I have tried for a more dressier wardrobe so we will see. Nails to paint this afternoon and then hairdressers tomorrow. It’s nice to have that bit of a pamper (which we all deserve) I did manage toenails yesterday without making a complete hash of it so I will take that as a NSV as I was actually able to reach them, for once! Have a thoroughly wonderful week everyone. Onwards & Downwards!!

A 3 month stall??? Holy smokes, you are definitely stronger than me. The worst I ever had was 2 months and I was climbing the walls. I was trying soooo hard to pay attention to the NSVs but 2 months of nothing moving on the scale nearly drove me to insanity. I have no idea how you handled 3 months, but I give you all the respect, props, and credit in the world for getting through it. CONGRATULATIONS on hitting the 100 pound mark. That's absolutely AWESOME!!!!! I'm really happy for you. It feels amazing, doesn't it? Not only are you solidly in ONEderland, but you're so close to your goal!! I know you'll get there. Just be ready, because the lower your bmi, the sloooower the weight comes off. It took me a full 2 years to lose my weight, so don't get discouraged if it takes a while. But you can definitely get there. You got this!!!

an NSV in the same vein: vacation packing is soooooo much more satisfying. our smaller clothes take up way less room so we can either: (a) bring more clothes, yay! no need to pick and choose, just bring it all!! OR (b) bring smaller luggage, yay again! i have been on many vacations now (several of them for 2 weeks or longer) where i only needed a carry on for my stuff. Win!

Pretty much everyday I just KNEW I wouldn't make it here lol I had to block out all the noise and just focus on my mind, my body, my health, and my goals. I had to make sure the number on the scale wasn't my main priority. When I did that, I eventually got here. But all the NSVs along the way were the real rewards.

I would definitely switch up the tomato soup. That can cause havoc on your stomach. 29 pounds in 2 weeks is awesome. That's about where I was. If you look at my signature, you can see I was someone that responded EXTREMELY well to the surgery. But even with that, I had to learn to manage my expectations. Stalls happen. They're real, they suck, they will continue. It's important not to obsess over the number on the scale and pay attention to NSVs (Non Scale Victories). How are your clothes and rings fitting? How is your mobility? Are you able to get off any meds? Can you fit in booths and chairs with arms better? How do you look? When stalls happen, stay off the scale for a while and pay attention to NSVs. In the beginning, you lose the most weight because of water weight, inflammation, and your body's general "OMG wtf just happened??!?!" response to the surgery. The rate of the loss WILL slow down. It's inevitable. That doesn't mean it won't be a success. It just means that you have to change your expectations and relearn the process for what it is, not what you saw on tv or read online that it would be. The higher your bmi and starting weight, the faster you initially lose weight. As your bmi and weight get lower, the weight loss slows down. That doesn't mean it'll stop, it just gets slower. Be very mindful of what you eat, how much, how often. Pay attention to actual hunger vs head hunger. Avoid slider foods. This is the stage where you work on your mindset and relationship with food. No cheating. No alcohol. No junk food. Stick to your diet religiously. Listen to your body.

Girl...if you don't smile... You look absolutely FANTASTIC!!! I definitely can see the difference. And don't worry about the scale. She's a shady bish that likes to cause drama. Pay more attention to your NSVs (Non Scale Victories). How are your clothes fitting? How are your rings fitting? How are you fitting in chairs with arms and booths? Are you able to move and walk and be active easier and more often? The thing that helps me is to look at the side by side pics a lot. Sometimes I still look in the mirror and see 421 pounds. But then I put on my size 30 outfit or my size 10 ring and it shocks me back to reality, Or I look at the side by side pics and then I can REALLY see the difference. You're doing AMAZING, especially since you're only 1 month out. Give yourself some grace and enjoy your progress. It's going really, really well.

Congrats!!! The first 2-3 weeks seriously suck. After that, it gets easier and you really start to learn your new body. Just prioritize walking, getting in your fluids, and getting in your protein. Don't rush things, stick to your meal plan, and trust the process. Weight loss stalls are NORMAL and to be expected. Watch for NSVs (Non Scale Victories) when the scale isn't moving. You got this!!

I agree with @BlondePatriotInCDA. Definitely check out the NSV thread. That's what got me through when I was needing motivation or when I needed to get through stalls and feeling frustrated.

Weight loss calmed down this week - 1.5lbs. No complaints though after the losses of the week before 🙂 Feeling tired today. Visited family yesterday, 6 hours all together sat in a van and my knees are so unhappy with me. It was our first time to our son’s new home which is a longer drive than his previous place. Will try and be better prepared next time. At least we spent time with the grandkids, which is always wonderful. A NSV yesterday…I bought some (non-stretchy) 3/4 cropped jeans a couple of years ago for £5, telling my daughter-in-law that I would fit in to them eventually. I broke them out yesterday, took the tags off and they fit perfectly!! 🥳🥳 The only downside was that it was far too hot for denim but the point was made 🙃 However DIL recognised them yesterday and was really pleased for me. Hubby has been a bit weird lately. Don’t get me wrong, still as massively supportive as ever but the ‘you will probably leave me when you lose weight’ comments have popped out more than a couple of times. Why do blokes always use this?? I did remind him that I didn’t leave him when I lost weight previously so why would I now? Do they think we’re only with them because we’re too fat to bother looking elsewhere? Jeez, I haven’t got the energy for anyone new, never mind all the stuff you generally do at the beginning of a relationship like shaving my legs or wearing matching underwear 🙄 Anyway, physio for knees tomorrow and Bariatric support group at the hospital on Wednesday. Have remembered to dig out my food diary to complete this week, ready for the dietitians appointment next week. Have a slimmer week everyone, we deserve it 🥰 Onwards and downwards!

been going to the pilates studio almost everyday now (a few times ive gone twice a day, thats how addicted i am to it). got tired of washing the same 4 pairs of yoga pants every few days, so decided to buy some new ones! got these babies in 5 colours (black, pink, blue, red and these brown ones)...for $10 each! bonus NSV: finding my size in abundance in the clearance section! win! ...now i gotta buy some new tops..

That sounds so wonderful!!! Have a fantastic time, you deserve it. And you're right, we all deserve to have time with the one we love and not worry about anything else. I call it "the bubble". For this amount of time, nothing but hubby and I are allowed in our bubble. All the stress and BS will still be there later, but right now, in this time and in this bubble, it's just me and my love. Nobody and nothing is allowed to bother us in our bubble. YAY on your NSV!!!! The first time I was able to paint my toe nails without straining or getting out of breath, I literally almost cried. I couldn't believe it!!! So being able to do that is definitely a victory worth celebrating. As for leggings, I still wear them all the time (when I'm not in scrubs for work lol) I love them. They're super comfy, and the smaller sizes have the cutest colors, styles, and designs. And like @summerseeker said, they hold my wobbly loose skin just enough lol Something @catwoman7 said really struck me. She said "not because I'm fat, because I'm not any more" and I stopped right there because HOLY CRAP, I'm not fat anymore!!! Sometimes I forget that. I don't know why that resonated with me so much, but it really hit me that I'M NOT FAT ANYMORE. I know you're going to hit your goals. We all have our ups and downs, and this journey is not easy and not for the faint of heart. But if you do it, and you really make the changes and do the work, it's BEAUTIFUL on the other side. And I know you'll get there. But for right now, put everything else out of your mind, get pampered, get in your bubble with your hunny, and have an awesome time in London ❤️

I'm glad weighing once a week is helping. Sometimes it's difficult... I want to get on the scale way more often and sometimes do. All my adult life I have considered a loss of 2 pounds a week to be right on track. The first few weeks of this got me spoiled with bigger losses. At this point I'd be very happy with a consistent 1 - 2 pounds a week. It seems like the slower it comes off, the easier it is for my body to adjust. An NSV, well, not really a victory, but a surprise... I had to go to support group at the hospital last night. I was running late and threw some jeans and a T-shirt on after my shower. I hadn't had those jeans on in a few weeks, and oh my gosh, they were huge! Not just the waist, which is elastic, but the legs were so funny. I didn't have time to change them, and they are my favorite jeans. In fact, I have a pair that is 4 sizes smaller in my closet waiting for me! lol.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys! This mad me laugh out loud! I may be wishing this at people a lot 😂 My hubby’s company is self insured so they just changed administrators (the surgery should be covered). I think it’s just a bunch of red tape between the MD office and ins co. at this point (we asked for this, they didn’t send that back and forth nonsense). I just hate it when I don’t really have a lot of control over it and like things taken care of quickly so this is sending me into outer space and shooting my anxiety through the roof. @NickelChip great on the NSV! I’ve been loving grabbing things in my closet that were too small before, that I can wear now. We can just stick our tongues out at the scale when it decides to be rude! 😜

@Greekmom4 that bean recipe sounds good. Is salsa considered a purée though? I guess you can purée it a little more. I’m gonna order some now and try to use my little hand blender with it and see what happens. You have to tell me how exactly you went about making purée chicken salad. Was it totally mush? I am allowed canned chicken and tuna and a little low fat Mayo but that seems like a big jump from liquid to me. @Hiddenroses i haven't experienced that but have heard of lots of weird physical aches and pains, especially back pain that occurs as we lose because our posture changes so quickly. And lots of people do end up needing a cushion when they sit after a while. I’m gonna guess it is the loss. Your first NSV!! Needing extra butt cushion 🎉 @Onemealplan are you allowed the egg substitute? I had never tried them until my pre op diet and they are surprisingly good. The first ingredient is egg whites but they add some stuff to make them taste a whole lot more like regular eggs which is great for me because I really don’t care for egg whites. They are also super soft and moist which is good for us right now. @Hiddenroses I am editing this post to add that now that I am paying attention I am feeling a bit of tingling in my butt cheek. I am lying in an adjustable bed watching tv and I’m actually not in a very comfortable position at all but I swear I just noticed some tingling in the right side and shifted my weight. 🤣 I guess if it happened before I just didn’t pay much attention. I’m lucky that I haven’t had to do any desk chair sitting this week. That just got me to thinking about when will be the best time to get a new mattress. One thing I do remember with the sleeve was that the mattress seemed uncomfortable after I lost a significant ***** of weight. I think it’s because I was not sleeping in my same dented in spot with the posture changes. I flipped the mattress a few times and then ended up switching mattresses with my husband who is tiny because he can sleep on anything and that worked last time but I don’t remember if they have been replaced since then. I’m thinking not so I’m going to have to for sure this time at some point.

@RRenaeL23, I can hardly believe what a badass you are! (And I mean that in a "wow you're awesome" way.) Walking 2 miles already? That is really great and I am so happy for you. Keep up the great work! I also need to start working on my muscles - for me it's core, arms, and legs (well, now that I think about it, that's pretty much everything, right?). @Greekmom4, I have never heard of the foamies, but I certainly don't want it! Hope that doesn't come back for you. Today I had a NSV because I'm wearing a fitted sweatshirt that I love but haven't work for a long time because it was tight across my middle. Not anymore: now it's just right. My middle is still far too thick, but at least the sweatshirt doesn't showcase it, LOL. I am starting to see little indications of weight loss; just flashes, but they're there. I don't know what my body dysmorphia will do going forward. When I've lost weight before, I've just felt like everyone else looked bigger to me, I didn't look smaller. But I currently don't recognize myself in pictures because in the mirror, my mind tells me I'm not as big as I really am. (I learned at Jenny Craig that's why we should take pictures, because your mind can't bend them.) On paper, I've now lost 36 pounds from my highest pre-surgery, but I certainly don't see that much weight loss (I'm only 5 feet tall, so that's a lot on my frame). I guess that's a function of how much I have yet to lose, but also they say I'll be the last one to see it. I'm now to the regular diet phase, although there is a lot I haven't tried yet. Ground beef and turkey seem to be fine, but I tried some pork chop which was a big mistake. I think I may get much more of my protein from plant sources (beans, etc.) going forward, which is fine with me. Today we got a whole bunch of groceries to make a list of recipes I'm going to try (hubby is the cook at our house). My sister's vegetarian and sent them to me, so they're all veggie. I'm slowly learning to branch out. Since I am eating 1/2 cup at a time, I've been just having protein, but I started craving veggies and fruit. I saw something that talked about having "a few bites" of things, so I'm incorporating that. I can have up to 3/4 cup now, so I have a bit of room to add some veggies and a little fruit. TMI ALERT: I am eating more beans than I ever have, so maybe that's it, but is anyone else producing a surprising amount of gas? I thought giving up carbonation (which was a massive sacrifice for this former Diet Coke addict) would mean a lessening, but DANG.

Dang it! Back up to 200 today. I could see the digital scale contemplating telling me 199.8, but it decided nope. I've had days with tons of exercise. Days with no exercise. Days with over 1000 calories. Days with barely 500 calories because what I ate made me sick. None of it does anything to move the weight. I get on the scale daily because I like to see the graph as a visual. But I'd like it better if the number went down. On the bright side, my blood work all looks pretty good. A bit low in Vitamin A, zinc, and prealbumin, but so far no one has said I should change anything. @LisaCaryl I love the NSV with the jeans! What a nice surprise, even if you did get stuck wearing them to your group. I have one more week of school runs and after school activities before my kids are out for the summer. At that point, I am going to make a weekly meal plan and try out some new recipes from the bariatric cookbooks that are gathering dust because I've been too busy. I've also found a workout video to try with my pilates bar resistance band set, so that's going to happen this week, at least once.

@RonHall908 You look amazing!!! NickelChip, I had a similar experience about 5 years ago. I got down to 202 pounds and couldn't get under 200. Then, I started to gain weight and, over the next few years, reached my highest weight. I am hoping to push under 200 without a big stall, but if it does happen, I'm going to fight hard to not let it mess with my mind! I find it interesting that so many of us are stalling at the same time. It makes me think this is a normal pattern after surgery. So far, I've been steadily losing weight —even if it's a pound a week. I'm guessing I'm going to be stalling sometime soon, too. This is when we have to look at the NSV's (Non-scale victories)... Ron's pictures for example!! Hang in there everyone!

Heya! Definitely close enough haha! I am really happy to hear you are excited, and it seems like this is a big step for you in your journey, I wish you nothing but success with it all ❤️ Ohhh see I was gonna buy some new slippers, but I am thinking crocs will probably be a smarter thing to do! Definitely a lip balm too! Whats the heating pad for if you don't mind me asking? That is such a lovely NSV to look forward to ❤️ We've definitely got this!

Very happy this week! The London gain of 3.5lbs has gone plus another 6lbs has joined it this week so I’ve hit my 2stones loss target 😊 Hubby has documented this by taking pics and I can definitely see a difference - my backside isn’t as much as a shelf now 😉 I will post pics when I gain more confidence but they are definitely worth doing for your own records, even if you hate and despise your photos being taken. I’m sat here with my feet on a circulation booster, with my feet and calves twitching away. I’ve got it for both me and hubby in the hope that it will help both of us with our circulation and start helping me strengthen my muscles around my knees. We had a chat yesterday and agreed to rejoin our local gym. I know I won’t be able to do cardio like the treadmill etc but I certainly do need to spend some time on the resistance machines and hopefully the free weights. I want to try and get some muscle tone going and avoid masses of sagging skin if I can. I desperately miss going to the gym so I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m due at physio next week for knee exercises so we’ve said we will begin 1st Sept (helps with keeping monthly finances straight too) Lots of NSVs this week…can now take my wedding/engagement/eternity rings off when in the bath. That certainly hasn’t happened for a long, long time. I’m finding more clothes to wear when ‘shopping in my wardrobe’. I’ve actually had to buy a BELT for my jeans 😮😮😮 I bought 3 pairs in the sales some time ago. 1pair fit fine, 1 I could just about fasten but not breathe, 1 I couldn’t fasten for love nor money. Fast forward to Saturday and it’s now 1 too big, 1 fasten easily and 1 fasten but can’t really breathe!!! Hopefully a belt will let me get some more wear out of them before they go off to the charity shop pile. It’s our wedding anniversary in September and I’ve set myself a target of wearing a dress that I wore for our wedding anniversary dinner 2 years ago. It’s a lovely dress and I felt fantastic when wearing it so hopefully it will fit again. I would like to lose another 10lbs or so before trying it on so fingers crossed 🤞🤞 Hubby knows what I’m aiming for and is all for it. Need to remember to record my food diary next week, ready for the dietitian appointment the week after. I record everything now but not the moods pre- and post- eating which they need. I’ve already recorded a dietitian diary just before I began my weight loss journey so hopefully she will be able to see the differences. Have a fantastic week everyone 🤩 Onwards and Downwards!