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I'm lookin like a fool with my pants on the ground! Hey, I was so excited about new found restriction after my second fill that I forgot to post about my first big NSV. Well, I knew my jeans were getting loose, but on Sunday I realized they were getting WAY too loose as I kept having to hike them up in public (which I'm sure looks ridiculous). I gave 'em a test to see if I could pull them on and off without unbuttoning them and sure enough I could so I figured it was time to start wearing the next size smaller jeans in my closet. And, let me tell you I feel so 'skinny' in these jeans. I have been wearing them every day since Sunday and plan on wearing them again today. :thumbup: The funny thing is that at some point, I had considered these now smaller jeans my 'fat jeans'. I remember I had gained weight and vowed not to gain anymore (yeah right!) so I only allowed myself to buy Target jeans. I mean why would I want to spend money on jeans I would only be wearing briefly? Ugh! So, now I get to wear them again. And, I have three pairs of these Target jeans (two medium wash, one dark dark wash) so how can I justify needing a different pair in this size??? I guess I better just speed through this size because I know I have at least one cute pair in the next size down. LOL Not that these are ugly, but they just aren't cute (going out) jeans. Sometimes I think I am the weirdest fat woman because it never bothered me to buy new fat clothes. So many people say they HAVE to throw out their fat clothes so they CAN'T gain weight again. But, for me, I love buying clothes so every time I have lost OR gained, I've bought more and more and more clothes. I am really trying hard not to purchase too many new things this time as I lose through the sizes again, though. I've got so many clothes (only 1-2 years old) in every size. I did splurge and buy two new tops from Lane Bryant online, though. They had some really pretty (dressy) tops from the Icon collection (normally $98) on clearance for $12. I ordered them on the small side so hopefully one of them will fit for my friend's wedding on 4/2. Normally I would not wear pants to a wedding, but I feel like such a cow in a dress right now. And, this is a second wedding and my friend is young and very casual. So, I'm thinking black dress pants (which I just happen to have in a smaller size right now) and one of these dressy tops might make for a pretty outfit without dropping a lot of $$$. OK, I am getting off on a tanget now, but gotta mention one other great NSV I had on Monday. My inlaws were on their way over so I was doing my normal run-around-and-try-to-straighten-the-house-as-quickly-as-possible routine. I've got a 4 and a 6 year old so this usually involves a lot of huffing and puffing and straining to pick all their stuff up off the floor. But, you know what I noticed???? Picking stuff up off the floor is getting a lot easier. I don't feel like my head is gonna pop off anymore when I'm doing this. And, I swept all my floors in just 15 minutes and usually that takes me a lot longer. Woohoo!!! This is the everyday stuff that really matters when it comes to feeling good.

I've had some of the same issues but I pay more attention to my clothes and what people are saying than the scale. I was sleeved the 16th and stalled 2 weeks out. I don't even think about it much now... I weigh myself and I'm happy when there's a loss and when there's not I just celebrate in other ways - i.e. I'm wearing a smaller size now, people have noticed my weight loss, I've already gotten off of some of my meds, and yesterday I found my collarbones. Whatever NSVs you've had and are having - celebrate them. It's not just about the numbers on the scale... it's about everything overall. If all that fails - go to the pet store and pick up a 25lb bag of dog food and just think that you were carrying that around all day every day before your sleeve - you haven't failed at anything... you've already lost a great deal of weight in one month and there's more to go. Just keep trying and know that most of us hit stalls and it's frustrating and it sucks but we'll all get there sooner or later if we don't lose sight of why we're here . Sending you big hugs :wub: .

My doc also says there may be periods of time where your weight loss stalls while your body adjusts, and be patient. My WL stalled for about six months, staying right at the same weight, then dropped considerably. Now it's stalled again, but I've noticed the NSV's are increasing. I stopped worrying about what the scale said and went on living. So what if I only lose 5 lbs a month? I'm still losing and my skin has a chance to snap back without my looking like a kid in Mommy's skin. LOL!

I'm glad I'm not the only one having these NSVs cause they are truely the best! :Banane23: ummm....... What is this banana?

i know that i haven't written in a while... i've had a lot going on with just LIFE in general... nothing bad, just busy with kids and family... :eek: soooo.... according to my Wii Fit, i am down 34 lbs. YIPPPPEEEE! I've had another fill of 1 1/2 cc. 2 weeks ago and have really good restriction. i tend to be realllllllyyyy tight in the mornings and early afternoon... by the time i'm ready for dinner, i can tolerate my food better. i have experienced 'sliming' for the first time... mmmm, not pretty. who knew that could feel so weird. :sad: i mean, i need to burp, but it won't come up... and i can hear gurgling... and then if i just give up and let it out, no FOOOOODDDD, just slime. :mad2: i used to have a problem with my esophogus being too tight... they dialated it and that was corrected... i THOUGHT being 'stuck' might feel like that did... a choking sensation, but the air still moves... NOPE, it's more than that... i still get the choking sensation, the air is moving, but i am salavating... i mean, like a dog. so i have to let it go. I assume this is what sliming is. So, now that i've been disgusting... i will share a NSV, well 2 NSV's. NSV #1- :thumbup: i have a pair of jeans that i could get into about a year ago, they were tight but i could wear them (with a muffin top of course!) i gained so much weight, i couldn't button them... well, i grabbed them out of the closet last week and BAM! they fit. i mean, they buttoned, zipped and NO MUFFIN TOP!!! Whoop Whoop!!! NSV #2-:w00t: i have a gorgeous evening outfit, sequined top with palazzo pants that i couldn't wear last June on my cruise. I was pissed. So, i put it on Sat and guess what? YES! IT fits!!! we are going on a cruise in March, so i am SET! Maybe it will even be baggy by then! (one can hope!) I am really doing well on this journey. i am not dropping weight rapidly, but hey: i got the lap-band®®®®, i didn't have gastric. I figure i put it on here over 38 years... i need to take it off slowly. i wish i had done this years ago. :crying: BUT, i am doing it now! i already feel soooo much better... my clothes are looking better on me & soon it will be time to go shopping for a new bra. This one is a little baggy in the cup (which is disappointing, but hey... i can always have plastic if i need it, later.) Maybe. Anyway, i hope that you are all doing well... I have lost from 306 day of surgery (DEC. 30, 2009) down to 283 (Feb. 20, 2010) That's 24 lbs. since the surgery!!! 7 weeks & 24 lbs. YYYYYIIIIPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE! that my friends, is 3.428571 lbs a week. Average. YAYAYAY!!!:tt1: BANDLANDIA is AWESOME!!!

Why oh why do you feel like a failure? You've lost 50 lbs. And you have to remember that without WLS, you likely would have gained quite a bit of weight so add that to your total. Also...get off the scale. It's just a number and you can lose even if the scale doesn't show it. Look for the NSVs instead of the weight loss. Are you wearing smaller sized clothing? Do you have more energy? Can you fit somewhere you couldn't before? These changes are as if not more important that the numbers. Don't concern yourself with what you thought you would lose...only concern yourself with what you have lost. 50 lbs. is nothing to sneeze at. Try to pick up something that weighs 50 lbs. I bet you can't. Remember...this is a lifelong journey so don't get bogged down in the time it takes to 'get there'. Good luck my friend!

NSV means something you consider to be a victory that's not coming from the numbers on a scale. Things like compliments, getting into smaller clothes, easier mobility, getting off meds, etc. They're related to your weightloss in a broad sense. SV would be something directly related to what your scale says, more like reaching a goal weight or weightloss milestone, or finally crossing out of the 200s and into the 100s.

Since you are handing out definitions.... I know what a NSV is I just dont know what is stand for....if that makes sense

Nykee, Great to see you! Congratulations on your weight loss and your incredible NSV of not needing a wheelchair anymore. It sounds like just a few modifications to your diet will allow you to lose the weight that you desire. Good luck in your journey and keep us posted on how you're doing. Tricia

That story is an NSV (non scale victory) if ever there was!!! Thanks for sharing it!

I don't have an LB card to cut up! Thank goodness!! However, I know what you mean. I'm just in between the women's plus and women's regular clothes, so shopping right now means that I MUST try it on... and it has to be tight if I'm going to wear it for more than a week or two. I bought workout clothes last week that are already getting baggy. I'm happy dancing for you today! That's a GREAT NSV!!!

Okay, I'm going to tell a great NSV that relates to this thread and one that I thought I would never share in a forum such as this. Here goes, many of you have been discussing the Dog style position, which by the way is my favorite. The ultimate though is Dog Style with me standing and at the side of the bed with DW on the bed. To pull this off you need to be in relativley good shape so if you can go for a while before the legs give out you are doing well. Finally it is quite a work out especially if you consider vines stat of 1 inch for evey 35 pounds. Eventually after significant weight loss it will also become a nice walk (3 steps forward 3 steps back) The other day because of the height of the bed at the hotel we were ate I was able to do it all on my tip toes. Try that for a significant period of time. Not a bad NSV at all

I got my last fill (a total of 2.75 ccs in a 4 cc band on February 27th). This morning actually just now, I had a crustless quiche (which is 1/4 of a pie plate about a cup total) it has eggs (duh) deli ham, swiss cheese and onions and yesterday I probably could've eaten more. Today right now at this moment if you put another slice in front of me I'd probably push it in your face and make you eat it (in a loving way though, because I love you whoever you are). So, yesterday when I was thinking "boy I don't feel restriction" to this morning of "holy crap I'm full" is a big differnce. So, the lesson is to you noobs and veterans out there, don't get discouraged, sometimes there is a delayed reaction for me it's approximately 8-9 days after a fill. I'm going to keep track of this next month as well. Actually to think about it last night I had some homemade general tso's tofu, broccoli and brown rice, ate the whole thing, and the rest of the night had a pain in my shoulder and left side maybe that was a signal to stop eating, and trust me I didn't eat for the rest of the night, just a glass of water to clear out my pouch (IDK why I do this but I've been doing it lately lol). I was a bad girl and didn't go to the gym yesterday, it was only for weights so I will do my weights tonight after c25k (grrr). Oh and some NSV this weekend: Didn't eat my whole meal the times we went out to dinner Fit into pants I didn't fit into in September Realized that my bra straps that go around me don't hitch up and chafe my side parts, they actually lay nice and flat now I don't buy junk food when I grocery shop and I grab a water out of the cooler at the supermarket and drink it while I shop (don't worry I pay for it!) I can wrap a regular towel around my body when I get out of the shower (even though there's some side boobage showing Also, whereas I thought I had some good luck yesterday turned out to be bad luck. I was looking at a vending machine near my office that has "healthy options" aka a 100 grand bar (really is that healthy???) and I see on the machine that there's a credit for $1.00 so I'm like "hey, pay it forward, right?" so I pick a granola bar (Nature Valley) OMG I looked at the nutritional info and almost died! I could've had a candy bar instead! I usually have a Kashi TLC granola bar thing right before I get out of work to hold me over between then and the gym (for some reason I'm starving late in the afternoon) I'll have this for a snack but never again! WTH do they put in that stuff? Anyway lovelies, have a wonderful day and if anyone is paying attention only 17 days until I leave for Key West!

Probably the very best NSV is that he didn’t die, and the second best NSV is that I didn’t divorce him. He can walk more than 20 steps without needing to stop and rest or find something to support his back. There's the entire motorcycle thing... he can buy clothes again. He tied his shoes! He has better self care! Me. His job performance is much better. His sleep apnea is better, he’s off most of his meds for diabetes and high blood pressure. The last time he picked me up at the airport he had to get in the truck from the passenger side. He was able to actually do this! ... I don't believe he is keeping a list of his NSVs, which is a shame. I know that when I talk about divorcing him because of his weight, most people don’t understand. It wasn’t like he weighed 200 pounds and then gained 200 pounds. He started at over 400 pounds and gained close to 200 pounds so he ended up at 600 pounds. Six hundred pounds. That is more than a Jersey cow weighs at 15 months. (http://www.usjersey.com/ ) You couldn’t even imagine the impact the extra weight had on my life. Before it happens, you think no bit deal, but until it happens…

Awesome. I was just asked to have my network picture updated because it isn't "current" (it was taken just before surgery). #NSV

Awesome! That must have felt amazing! Congratulations and here's to hoping that all of your future NSVs are just as rockin'!

Today my husband and I were talking. I was telling him about something that happened at work and all of a sudden he stops me in mid sentence and says "Damn........you've lost a lot of weight." I was just so flabbergasted that I couldn't even finish my sentence and lost my train of thought. The reason it meant so much to me is that since I have had surgery my husband has never said ANYTHING to me. Although he supported me he was kind of against me having the band done.........said it was unhealthy and even when other people were saying they could see me loosing weight nothing from him. I am now 8 1/2 mos out and have lost about 65 lbs and he notices. That comment probably meant the most to me than from anyone. I sometimes felt that they felt they were obligated to say those things but he never did..........until now!! I know this is probably a wierd post but it's a little nsv that means alot to me and I just wanted to share with you all!!

I know you feel frustrated right now, it's completely normal. Just remember this is just temporary!!! Until you can find that "sweet" spot which for some comes quicker than for others. Until then just focus on making the healthiest choices possible, be sure you're getting 60-80g of Protein per day, 80 oz of Water, some sort of movement and eventually the scale has no choice but to start moving. Until then focus on your Non-scale victories (NSV's) no matter how small you think they may be they all matter. Right now you're probably losing some inches so try to gauge your loss by more than just the # on the scale. How are your clothes fitting, have you noticed an increase in energy etc. Don't give up, you just started and trust me the rewards that are waiting for you up ahead and far greater than you can imagine right now!!!! Can you give us an example of what you're eating and how much on a daily basis so maybe we can help further?

For the first time in my life I ran outside in the real world, with the intention of running, and with a running buddy! It was amazing, we really ran, this wasn't just some slow walking, we kept up a steady jog pace up and down grades AND talked! I felt great and the only part of me to conk out were my lungs and throat which felt like they were sucking ice shards, otherwise I felt good. And ... we did 2.75 miles!!!! The most I've done alone on a tread was 1.5!!!! My running buddy is a former personal trainer and is in excellent shape and she said that I did really well. yay

One year. 110 pounds. As I sit here munching my egg beaters Breakfast, the first thought that pops in my head is thank goodness I love eggs and they agreed with me after my surgery! When I started this journey, I intended to blog about it. That never really materialized. I guess I expected to need to write down everything that happened. But it turned out just to be life. And normal life. That was totally unexpected. Anyway, I know this is going to be a long post and if you indulge me by reading it, thanks. If not, I'm ok with that too. I started at 275 pounds. I couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes without my back hurting. I was on medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. I was honestly afraid that I would not live to see my grandkids. (I was 55 years old at the time of my surgery). Today, I am off of all medications. Today, I weigh 165 pounds. I want to lose another 5 to 10 pounds but my doctors are happy where I am. Everyone I know tells me that I'm thin enough. We'll see.At the beginning, I was wearing size 24/26. Today, I wear size 12. I haven't been a size 12 since I was in junior high. I know how blessed I am. I had zero complications of any kind. This honestly seems like a miracle to me. The biggest blessing has been my family. Not only did they completely support me, but my husband went high Protein, low carb and started working out with me. (He has lost 60 pounds!) My biggest NSV was in November in Las Vegas. My husband and I were walking through a shopping center on the strip. I spotted these gorgeous party dresses in a store and decided to walk in. A sales girl told me that i should try one of them on. The largest size was a large and I thought "no way this will fit me". But, I decided to try. I went into the dressing room and slipped into the dress. I was stunned that it seemed too loose. So the girl brought me a Medium. It fit beautifully. So, I bought it. (It is the sequinny dress I wore at the Christmas party in the attached photo). After my hubby and I walked out of the store, I broke down in tears. Never in my wildest dreams would I have been able to wear a size Medium designer dress. Just a couple more things. The weirdest thing for me has been that I don't recognize myself in photos. The attached photo of me looking at my phone in the snow was taken last week by a friend of mine. I didn't realize it was me when I looked at her photos! My biggest challenge -- finding jeans that fit. I've settled into skinny jeans because they are the only ones that don't sag on my butt and thighs. How are things different? Well, I can't eat much and I know better than to overeat. I get drunk easily. I love going to the gym. I ride a mountain bike. I don't worry about dying. I can walk for hours. I could run if I didn't hate running so much. For anyone who is considering this journey....it is not easy but it is completely worth it. Be patient with yourself. The only way to be successful at this is to have your mind in the right place and commit fully.

I used to take zinc, vitamin c and echinacea before my band, but zinc just hurt my stomach so much back then I don't want to chance it now. The otc decongestants almost all raise my blood pressure. One positive NSV already is that with my weight loss so far in this journey, I've gone down from two blood pressure meds to one. Yay! I'll try the Robitussin mucus thinner stuff if needed, but it feels like it's breaking up today. It was just so weird to feel that "slow down" signal for the first time when all I was having was liquids. It was actually good to "know" my band was really in there!

Feels amazing, right @@Dknal2? Could you post a before pic, too? I saw a flash of my clavicles today - I wasn't sure if I even had them! Forgive my ignorance, but what the neck does NSV stand for?

It's been a long time, I had an NSV today, so I figured I'd try and thing of any that I'd had since the last time I updated. The one from today, is that on the 8th of April, my sister gave me an anklet as a bridesmaids gift, but it didn't fit right. It had extra chain, so I was able to mess with it and get it to work so I could wear it, but it wasn't the way it was intended to be buckled. This morning when I went to put it on, I was able to get the clasp together without a problem at all. :confused: I suppose it's an NSV that I finally got a new hairstyle. My hair has been the same for like 10 years or something like that, and I finally did something with it for my sisters wedding. It's all layered and highlighted now. It looks much better, lol. I guess I can't really think of anything else. I'll try and come up with more..

guys sorry for askin (seems i'm too blonde) but what does it mean NSV?