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Congratulations! Awesome nsv! make it a great day

Congrats Vicki... keep up the good work. It is very frustrating when the scale doesn't move but sometimes we don't realize the NSV's. I was just thinking last night... "OMG, my knee doesn't hurt anymore... AT ALL" I don't even know when it quit bothering me! Way to go!!!

Love NSVs!!!!

It is funny, I thought I was the only who could not see me as the world did until I saw a picture of myself. I go to Seattle is less than 3 weeks, to see my daughter and her family. I am acutally sort of excited to have a picture taken again. I also scored a nice NSV this week too - I can officially wear ALL the clothes in my closet. So, to Celebrate, I am cleaning out my closet this weekend of all the stuff that it too big so I can make room for the new. Have to look good when I go to see the daughter.

My hubby tells me today... I don't know if I should mention this...BUT your clothes are starting to look really baggy... DUH...OF COURSE I want to hear that you notice!!!! :-) I am down 39 lbs....he totally made my day/week... :-) :-)

Oh sweetie...my heart breaks for you. How brave of you to post this. My children might have been embarrassed but I'm not sure. What I do know is that they were worried. I'm the only parent they have left since their father passed away and I've since found out that they were very worried that I would die from my obesity. They no longer worry about this and the best best best NSV I probably got was when my youngest asked me to be guardian for my new grandson. That would nave never happened 150 lbs. ago.

I teach high school and thankfully this happened before students were in the hallway. I left my room and started to walk down to the workroom. A coworker was walking several steps in front of me when my skirt fell down. Thankfully he did not turn around when I gasped and ran into the closest classroom. I also had a slip on so I was covered. I'd love to see our security coverage of that one though! Love that this is the first year in the 13 I've been there that I've worn a skirt or dress and LOVED it!

Oh what an eye opening NSV just now. I'm here in my office today and the place is like a freezer. Cold as all get out. I have a long sleeve blouse on but I'm just frozen to the bone. My very slender colleague comes into my office to chat and I tell him how cold I am and he offers me his fleece jacket that the company gave out a couple of years ago. I got one of these fleeces also but quickly gave it to my son because even the extra large didn't fit. So when Claude offers me his fleece, I take him up on it hoping it isn't too small because I still think I'm fat damn it! Well...I'm sitting here typing and warm as can be....and zipped up to the neck. Not only does the thing fit but it's got extra room as well. This is what normal must feel like. To be offered an item of clothing and not realizing the person offering isn't wondering if it will fit....they know it will fit. I need to remember this NSV to help me to see what everyone else does....

Hey Sasi, great NSV's!!! Congrats I bet you're feeling amazing! As far as the pictures, you will have to resize them on your program or whatever you're using to edit your photos on your computer. I just use simple ole MS Paint, it does everything I need it to. I usually Stretch/Skew to 25% and that seems to work perfectly. I hope to see some updated photos soon!!!

GREAT NSV's! I have not changed sizes yet but hope it will be very soon! Keep up the good work!

Whoohoo!! Twelve months ago, when I started my new job at a new mine, I had the horrible experience of having to go up yet another size in men's work pants and had to tell the guys in the store what size to order - which they didn't even have in stock! There was a whole embarrassing kerfuffle that went on for months as they had to order my size (127cm). When the pants finally arrived months later, they just fit and in the weeks before my surgery, they were really uncomfortably tight. Three months ago, they were falling off me and I went back to the 122cm pants I was wearing at my previous job. These have been getting looser and looser and this morning when I got up off the bus seat, I almost left them behind, so I thought "Right! Time to change!" It was a wonderful feeling to walk into the stores and announce in a loud voice "I NEED SMALLER PANTS PLEASE!!" What was even better was, after I tried them on, I didn't just go down one size to the 117cms, I fit into the 112cms and THEY'RE NOT EVEN TIGHT!! :biggrin::wink_smile: WOOOHOOOOO!!! PS: I would have put this in the NSV thread but I couldn't find that. I went back 4 pages on the index too - where did it go????

So I was debating where to post this, and it seems like a success, so I decided on the success stories board. :-) I was looking through some old pictures today and came across one taken 3 years ago of me and my husband and it just kind of struck me how sad I look. And this picture was not even taken at my highest weight! So I put it side by side with a picture taken a couple weeks ago of us together, and I was amazed. Not only does my body look completely different, but I look genuinely happy. I think a picture can tell a lot about a person.... And younger! Happier and younger is a pretty good combination for 3 years later!

That is such a great NSV! Congrats. I am sure you were smiling all day.

I was washing my hands at work today and, when I got ready to dry them, there were no paper towels. So I started to shake my hands off a little and... My wedding rings flew off!!!! I've lost 33 pounds since starting the pre op diet, but I've lost 63 since I got married in August!! I had to put my rings in my pocket for the rest of the day and I guess I'll be either putting them in the jewelry box tonight!

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I bought my first dress in I don't know how long. It was a heck of a NSV for me. Well, a co-worker caught the moment for posterity and I've attached it here. Liz in a dress. Who would have thought it. Thank you lapband!! I'm so happy I could friggin' cry.....

Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. Amazing itsn't it. You loose 65 pounds and you whole life changes. Why did you get banded n the first place? I mean, what was the real deep down reason? What kept you fat all those years? What does fat mean to you? What does being fat represent? What are some of the most amazing NSVs you've had, what brain things clicked or snapped, what relevations hav you had since loosing your weight? If having lost 65 pound, can you see how your life would change further with more weight loss? Are you ready for those changes or are you at some level afraid of them? You have not booked excuses. You just have to learn how to manage these parties. And how to manage your life before the parties so you don't undo all your hard work. I think the number one thing you are going to need to do is manage your time. You have all these other things booked, so with the extra income, you really need to think about getting a personal trainer. Think of this as a professional development expense. Even if your eating and drinking get out of hand, at least the trainer will be able to mitigate some of it. You must figure out how to schedule time to excersize. Must Must Must. Besides you deserve it. Make sure you are getting in your Water. Stave off dehydration and flush out the toxins from the martinis. Eat a good dinner before your parties. And you know what I mean by good. Get some protien, get some fat, get some complex carbs. Low-glycimic baby.

I don't know if it counts as an NSV since its technically weight related, but when they put me on the scale before surgery on Monday morning we learned that I officially weigh less than my husband for the first time in our entire 10 year relationship! He wasn't quite as ecstatic as I was, of course, but that's how its supposed to be, dammit!!

NSV 's .? I have several ! Size 8 jeans. Seeing my strength improve in Pilates class. A customer who I had' nt seen in a few months, and a former co worker, both telling me I "looked great !! " Slipping into small spaces with ease. Carrying heavy items up and down our stairs. Having to shop for a few new lite jackets or cardigans, as some of mine are getting baggy. Somebody calling me "tiny !!" (What the ? ) And as someone said previously, "just living life !!!"

Congratulations I too believe in celebrating small goals. I had my weight loss surgery in 2007 and have "yet" to make it to goal. I would of given up long ago if I did not Celebrate NSV's or short time goals. You would be surprised how many WLS patients think they are failures because they do not reach their weight loss goal. I on the other hand am extremely grateful every day for having my active life back.

CONGRATS! I love all your NSV's! Love our SLEEVES!

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevesters, It’s that time again…another couple of weeks, another newsletter! We keep you updated on the latest happenings on SleevePlicationTalk.com, and there’s a lot happening! Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s newsletter. Encouragement to welcome new SleevePlicationTalk.com members in the ”Tell Your Story” Forum. Tick and Track your way to success! ASMBS policy statement: what does the national organization say about Sleeve Plication? First Member Spotlight: Coming soon! Newsletter Challenge: summary of the previous one, and a new challenge to try. Visit SleevePlicationTalk.com often to stay on track with your weight loss journey and stay motivated to follow your diet and exercise program to get the success you deserve with the sleeve plication. Stay involved in the discussion forums, and always let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or questions. Take care of yourselves and each other. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Contest Reminder: Will You be the One to Win a Free iPod Touch? Don’t forget about the contest to Celebrate the launch of our new apps. The contest to win a free iPod Touch is still on, and you can get the details in the first SleevePlicationtalk.com newsletter. There’s still time to enter; just complete your member profile and post to the forums to become eligible. The more you post and more involved you are on LapBandTalk.com, the better your chances of winning. Your chances improve when you post to the forums, join a group, upload photos or refer a friend. Wondering How You Can Help Out Other Sleevers Even More? SleevePlicationTalk.com has more than 100,000 members who regularly come here for information, support and advice during all stages of your weight loss journey. Some of you visit often to read the forums, but you don’t post very often. Some of you post regularly. Both kinds of members are fantastic because SleevePlicationTalk.com is dedicated toward helping everyone who needs it. We’re a welcoming, supportive community. We know that many of you Sleevers go above and beyond the call of duty, and want to know how you can use SleevePlicationTalk.com to become even more supportive of your fellow sleevers. A few of you have asked about it, and we know a lot more of you are wondering the same thing. A great first step is to reach out to new members. Greet them when they post on the “Tell Your Story” Forums, and answer any newbie questions to help them learn the ropes. And thanks! Tickers and Trackers Help You Be More Successful! What do you need to keep yourself on track, show the world who you are and remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished? Tickers and trackers, of course! Tickers let you mark your BMI, body fat, weight and countdown to surgery. They show your starting value, where you currently are and your goal value. Trackers are for recording your current body measurements. You get to customize them by choosing what they look like. We encourage you to make your tickers and trackers public, so that they are displayed when you post in the forums. That helps you stay and inspires your fellow bandsters. If you’re a little shy, you can make your ticker private so that only you see it. ASMBS: National Society’s Opinion on Plication You may already know that the sleeve plication, or laparoscopic greater curvature plication, is a pretty new procedure. That’s why you may have a little more trouble finding a surgeon in the U.S. or getting your insurance to cover it. That doesn’t make it a bad procedure, though. The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, or ASMBS, states that more scientific data is needed before it can make recommendations about the procedure. The FDA is very cautious about approving any health claims. Before any drug or medical device goes on the market, the FDA conducts clinical trials to make sure that its claims are true. In the case of sleeve plication, the technique is so new that not much scientific evidence is available. So far, it looks like sleeve plication is comparable to the vertical sleeve, and your stomach tissue is not removed. In the article, ASMBS admits that it can’t make official patient recommendations because the technique is too new, but that gastric plication is worth investigating! What do you think? If you’re considering gastric plication, do you wish there were official national recommendations? Coming Soon: Member Spotlights! We introduced them in the previous newsletter, and they’re coming soon…Keep your eyes peeled for member spotlights! Each SleevePlicationTalk.com newsletter that comes out from now on will feature a different member. You’ll get to read all about our honorees. We’ll be Contacting You Soon! Don’t forget to post in the member spotlight forum to nominate yourself or another Sleeve Plication member! Don’t be shy about it. Your story can make the difference in someone’s life. Within the coming weeks, many of you will be contacted through the SleevePlicationTalk.com PM system about becoming a spotlighted member. Sleeve Plication Challenge! Highlights from the Last Challenge and a New Challenge to Try! Each Plication Newsletter, we’ll give you a challenge. You can always find the latest news about the current challenge and check out the old ones in the Challenge Forum. The Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself to try something new or unusual. We encourage you to let everyone know how you did on the Challenge by posting in the Challenge Forum. Roundup of the Previous Bandster Challenge: Try a New Food! In the last newsletter, we suggested trying a new food or recipe that was healthy and a good fit for your meal plan. In the last newsletter, we suggested trying a new food or recipe that was healthy and a good fit for your meal plan. You can check out member contributions in the Challenge Forum. How did you do? Let everyone know about your new food or recipe in the forum! Don’t forget that you can always go back to try the old member challenges and post your experience. Going public is a great way to motivate yourself, and other members can learn from your experiences! The New Challenge: Share Your NSV! Okay, first of all, what does NSV mean? It’s short for a Non scale Victory, and it’s just what it sounds like. It’s a victory related to your lap-band journey but not related to the number on the scale. We all have disappointing weigh-ins at some point, but it’s not all about the weight. The journey is about getting healthy, loving life and having new, positive experiences. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the number on the scale that we forget to celebrate the other victories that are just as important. This Newsletter’s challenge is to recognize a new NSV and write about it in the Challenge Forum. An NSV can be anything that makes you realize what positive steps you’ve taken for yourself. Some possible NSV’s that you recognize might be: Going to a baseball game and fitting into the seat. Buying your new summer swimsuit in a regular store. Keeping your cool while you eat a meal with your hypercritical mother-in-law. Don’t be shy about sharing your NSV on the Challenge Forum. You can help other Sleeve Plication members learn to recognize their own NSVs and take pride in them! So that’s about it for this week’s newsletter, but there’s never a dull moment at SleevePlicationTalk.com! Come by and post often, and be sure to share your opinions, advice and feedback. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.sleevepli...&tab=newsletter

I thought the same thing when I originally quoted your post. Let's keep it going {down.down, down} and share our next few week accomplishments or as they say here, NSV's.

You're the first person I've come across anywhere to notice this NSV. Nifty. Or is it an SV? Who cares? We take nifty wherever we find it. Keep going.

Day 28: "Impatient" Today is a good day, but as I've mentioned in my previous blog entries -- time seems to be standing still and I'm having to learn the art of patience and distraction. My weight loss has not happened as quickly as I'd hoped, but I'm still loosing 4-5 pounds per week. Nothing to sneeze at. So long as the numbers are going down, I'm stoked. Can't wait until the next drop in clothing size. My tops are loser for sure in the waist and arms, but I can't go down yet due to my bra size. If anyone has any good exercises for making the "girls" smaller, please let me know! So I now know what dehydration is all about, and it sucks. It's bittersweet because I had to learn it during two of my early NSV moments. First, on Friday I walked 2.5 miles in an hour. The furthest I've gone in years! And I felt great during the first 2 miles, very little pain in the usual places, good heartbeat. Then I bonked at the end, and even worse a few hours after I got home. I had a low-grade headache, some nausea, and muscle spasms. Not to mention I was as weak as a bird. I knew it was dehydration, but I was perplexed because I'd been drinking plenty of fluids and had water with me on the walk. So I upped the intake even more, to nearly 100oz of fluids! When I wasn't urinating very much, I got worried. Went to bed, hoped I felt better then next day. And I did. Saturday was a little better, I drank more, and seemed to be getting better. My husband and I went for an 8.5 mile bike ride over 1.5 hours and I FELT GREAT! I can't remember the last time I felt that good on the bike. Considering my history is heavily cycling related, it was a little overwhelming emotionally. My husband commented about how great I looked, my balance was better, and our pace was much faster than it had been in the past few years. What a difference taking a small, 30+ pound monkey off your back will do for your endurance! Then I bonked, again. A few hours later, I was weak, headache-y, twitchy, yadda, yadda, yadda. I had a full 22oz bottle before riding (along with breakfast food and shake) and finished the same 22oz second bottle while riding, and drank like crazy after. WHAT WAS GOING ON!? I take a potassium pill from my doctor that is the size of a horse pill. Don't worry, I dissolve it in water and drink it down. But my sodium and magnesium levels were low. I looked at my food journal and somehow the foods I was taking in were much lower in sodium and magnesium than previous days. Not sure how what happened. So I took some magnesium citrate as well (powder form in water), and drank and rested yesterday. Just a 45 minute, slower pace walk. Today I'm feeling much better, and I talked to my NUT. She wasn't too concerned, said to continue with the potassium, magnesium, and work in more sodium where I can without taking too much. It's amazing how fragile my body still feels. It takes so little to change the chemistry and throw everything off! It makes me a little sad, that I will forever have to watch every single thing that goes into my body. I'm OK with it so long as the scale is going in the right direction, but when it's not moving very fast -- it's not as easy. I knew there would be up's and down's, as I talked about in my first blog entry. This was both. A great victory for my physical endurance, but a slippery slope in my health. Let's see how the next week plays out!

I used to be so ashamed of myself. I was always looking inward and judging myself more than anyone could ever judge me. I felt so much shame. Now, I feel pride. Pride is a new feeling for me and I am uncomfortable. I have also found that some people are uncomfortable with me feeling prideful. Huh? I know! I have some friends who get squeemish when I tell them about something exciting that happened to me...it's almost like they would rather not hear it. So, I've stopped telling the people that react that way to me things. I thought it was me- was I getting a high and mighty attitude about myself? Was I braging? No- I was just trying to process this new feeling, that's all. I loved your post, especially the above part. I could have written it myself. Certain "friends"come into mind when I read it. I have actually stopped and thought...do they think I am braging because that is how I feel they feel. I just get so excited, especially when I reach a mini goal or NSV and I want to share it with my friends, but alot of them really dont seem to want to hear it. Thanks for your post...From me its all DITTO!!! Especially the new feeling of pride, hopefully one day we can embrace it.