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I can't wait for the NSV's. I want to be comfortable enough to go to the gym pool and swim again, or even join a masters swim club! I want to go sky diving! I want to be able to clean house, play with my daughter and teach all day without being exhausted all the time or having to take breaks constantly. I'd like to buy clothes that are cute and make me feel like me and not someone else. To be able to look in the mirror and smile because I can see me and not the lbs of shame. thank you for this post! It is so uplifting and fun to see everyones aspirations.

Athena. I was "only" 242 at my high weight, which felt like hundreds of pounds more than that. I did manage to lose about 20 pounds on my own by going to Curves and exercising regularly. But my eating/portion control was a huge problem. I knew if I could just quit eating so dadgum much, I'd be okay. I found out about lap bands and found this site and knew it was for me. My hubby agreed that is the band worked properly for me, I'd surely lose. So far, so good. I weighed 182 this morning and have been really struggling to lose more weight. My band is not very tight, so I'm trying to really make it work without another fill. It's hard. I can eat 1800 calories a day if I'm not careful with what I choose. And, truthfully, I was eating 1800 calories a day at surgery weight and maintaining. These past weeks I have cut back to 1200-1550 calories a day and I'm hoping it will show up on the scale. It's work. No doubt about it. But it's work I am now able to do. My little band helps me so much. At my fill level, I have to eat slowly and carefully, chew really well, other than that I could get away with murder on my food choices and even with the amounts. The biggest difference for me is that I can no longer shovel and shovel massive quantities before my head catches up with me. I have what's called an NSV thread. It's a thread I started so I can track my Non-Scale Victories. You can zip through that and get a glimpse of my journey. Others here have NSV threads, too. Life IS better after losing weight! Please make sure you know what you are getting into before you do this. I have had good success with my band, and plan on having even more! I have no regrets. Here's the link to my NSV thread. Hope it helps. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10252

Yep... I agree with everyone else.... but, what a fab NSV... just take it and enjoy it!! =]

Great NSV! And you're "I don't think so" answer probably really has her wondering what's going on. LOL

NSV = Non-scale Victory: When your body changes, even though your weight stays the same. Your clothing fits looser, you've lost inches, you sleep better, get off of any meds you required before you started the process. Sugery lasts only about 45 minutes, feeling almost normal starts to happen around day 3 or 4. Bloating and your incisions are healed around week 3. Day 1 will be the worst, be prepared by having one point of contact for people who want to check on you. You won't feel much like talking or being bothered by anybody or anything, so be prepared before you go for your procedure. Good luck!

That is a HUGE nsv ....that's what this is all about - your health!!

Surgery is scheduled for this Thursday. I am on day 12 of my pre-op diet plus I had been eating better (mostly) for past 6 months. Today, I was out running errands to get a few last things for post-op days here at the house and my pants kept slipping. I went to tighten my belt another notch and realized that there were no more notches available. Excited (and nervous) to have the surgery, but excited at what I know the outcome will be.

I do get on the scale - every morning – I can’t help myself. But you are correct - those NSV's are the best. They are what really tell the story! Needing smaller sized clothing, fitting comfortably in a charge or airplane seat…. You can’t beat that!

I hate to sabotage @@betterme38 's "self sabotage" thread. But to answer your question, I was pretty strict. But not perfect. Probably did 95% of what I intended to do every day. Here's a post I made on my first surgiversary, which I posted on another message board: * * * A year ago yesterday I was sleeved at age 68. I knew I had the energy for one last shot at getting healthy. Like so many of us, controlling my weight was the one thing in my life I’d been unable to manage. Failing at that was a tremendous embarrassment and disappointment to me, not to mention the cause of mounting medical comorbidities that had almost sidelined me from life. A year ago I’d already been on this forum for 9 months. I could not WAIT to get my WLS show on the road. I’d already lost almost 20 pounds on a 2-month 1,400 calorie diet of my own and, later, my surgeon’s 14-day pre-op diet. I’d been practicing for months the behaviors I’d learned here—eating slower, chewing more, no more soda, a lot less coffee, no NSAIDs (ouch!), walking more (yea, Fitbit!), and my favorite tool of all—planning meals and tracking my food and drink onwww.myfitnesspal.com. Fast-forward to yesterday morning, my first surgiversary. I weighed in at 143 pounds. I feel great, physically and mentally. I look so much younger (I’ll be 70 years old in December). And I truly feel like I’ve been reborn. The New, Temporary Avatar I’m on the down-low about having had WLS. Basically, only hubby and two friends know about this. But so many online VSG friends want to know what I look like, so enjoy my new avatar while it’s up. It’s coming down soon. Tough titty. BTW, I’ll put up a full-body shot of me later. Again, tough titty. But this morning I didn’t have on “the right outfit” to show off my skinny ass. And hubby’s not here right now to take a good photo of me. How I Lost the Weight I was lucky—had no complications, had a great surgeon and team, healed well and recovered fast, and have had more non-scale victories (NSVs) than you could shake a stick at. I’m full of gratitude and amazement at all of WLS’s benefits for me. Below is a list of things I did (mostly pretty well) that led to my success. As always, your mileage may vary. This was my experience. Yours will be yours. • Ate the minimum amount of protein—at least 60 grams to start with (hit that target on Day Five post-op) • Ate Protein first at every meal • Drank 8 glasses of Water daily (or at the very least 8 glasses of liquids daily) Protip #1: Dehydration slows weight loss and makes you feel like crap. Protip #2: Our kidneys work overtime when we’re losing weight rapidly and need lots of water to function well. Protip #3: You can actually die from dehydration. • As healing happened and restriction eased, added healthy (colored) veggies, then non-starchy fruits, then whole grains • Took my vitamins/minerals and Rxs daily and on schedule • Ate 3 meals a day • Chewed my food well and ate more slowly • Didn’t drink 15 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal • When I got hungry (not bored), I added one or two Snacks of healthy food • Didn’t graze between meals (note that “a snack” and “grazing” are different things) • Avoided / minimized highly processed, high-carb foods and slider foods like potatoes, white rice, white breads, crackers, Cookies, chips, ice cream Protip: These foods slow weight loss and, for some people, trigger binge eating. • Moved more than I used to move and gradually kept moving even more • Followed the Number One Exercise Rule for Old People: Don’t injure yourself! • Got some sunshine daily, which kept me full of happy thoughts and Vitamin D • Tried to sleep 8 hours a night • Minimized stress—for me, this meant I stopped sweating the small stuff and learned that most stuff really is small stuff • Am seeing a shrink, even though I’m not crazy, to understand better why I couldn’t or didn’t care for my health better prior to WLS and to learn how to do better in the future (as the saying goes, they operate on your stomach, not your head). Unsolicited Advice: I’ve been at or below goal for 4 months now. Here are some things I learned while losing weight and during maintenance (at which I’m still a newbie). Some of these things have surprised me. And as always, your mileage may vary. • Don’t feel pressured into telling the world you’re having WLS. Do what is best for you. Just know that “telling a few people” may not be the best way to keep your WLS private. There are a lot of mouthy people out there. • Don’t overeat, but don’t starve yourself either. As your healing continues, eat more healthy food and raise your calories gradually. Otherwise, you may wind up reaching your weight goal but only able to maintain it eating 1,000 calories/day. Ugh! At 143 pounds, my daily maintenance calorie budget is 1,700 calories/day. I am over the moon about that. I think it’s because I didn’t starve myself while I was losing weight. I ate 800 calories during Months 1-4, 1,000 calories during Months 5-6, and 1,200 calories during Months 7-8. As my calories went up, so did my protein grams. I still aim for 100 grams of protein daily. • Post-op, don’t just eat to lose weight—also eat to become healthier. Learn more about nutrition—macronutrients, trace elements, vitamin and mineral supplements. Read articles and good research. As smart as I thought I was, turns out I didn’t know nearly as much as I needed to know to care well for myself. • If you’re craving sugar, you’re probably already eating sugar. The only way I know to kill those cravings is to cold-turkey the sugar. • Don’t let anyone pressure you into having WLS. This is a life-changing deal. A year down the road you’ll probably be able to eat pretty much anything you want, although not in massive quantities at one time. And you’ll need to always be vigilant about your nutrition, meal-planning, eating behaviors, etc. • WLS won’t prevent binge-eating or emotional eating. It will discourage it, but it won’t prevent it. There are plenty of WLS patients who’ve learned to eat and drink around their tools. I personally know folks who’ve wasted their sleeve, bypass or band with (sigh) sweet tea, Mountain Dew, beer, Wheat Thins, ice cream, chips and dips. What those drinks and foods all have in common, other than being high-calorie and lacking in nutrition, is that the sleeve cannot challenge them. They move rapidly through the sleeve and into the small intestine. You can eat that crap all day long and never start to feel full. Remember, it’s a shame to waste a sleeve. Very, very best wishes to everyone out there considering a VSG or other form of WLS. You can change your life with WLS if you use your tool well. But you must understand it’s only one tool in a bigger healthcare arsenal that you must acquire and use daily. Thang ya. Thang ya verra mudge.

Reflections on month 2 of 6 pre op diet ~ Are we there yet? Contrary to my belief, I did not die waiting for my monthly weight in as I slowly get closer to my surgery date. Ok, so this is a good thing and there have been others. I am proud that I still have not had a carbonated drink since December which is actually a huge NSV for me. I have been faithful to drink a minim of 32oz of water a day. Some days I get 64 oz and plan to continue to increase until I reach 64oz per day, every day. This month I have marked a few things off of my pre surgery check list as well. For starters, my second month PCP visit and weigh in. The scale showed a gain of 0.4, but I think that could just be the clothing. I had my sleep study which shows that I do have sleep apnea. I will be getting my machine soon, and when I do I will get my pulmonary clearance as well. I am really looking forward to a good night’s sleep. I have also started attending the local WLS support group. It is a live version of this website and I find the people there are just as candid and helpful as those on this website. I plan to continue with the support group meetings just because I like them. I do occasionally have to give myself a personal time out from this site and obsessing about WLS in general. Everything in moderation, right? Overall, I have a good feeling about what I have accomplished this past month. I hope that the next is just a fruitful. Best wishes to all ~ mykdzmom

Oh, Vera, that all sounds so rough. Here's wishing you a quick and COMPLETE recovery, and and end to surgeries!! Good luck with the waterskiing. That'll be a great NSV, and we want to see pictures.

My favorite NSVs do not belong to me. Coyotegirl (Terri) walking a few steps for the first time in years Being able to put my arms around my husband for the first time in our relationship because he's lost so much weight. My fingers actually touch! (he was 600 pounds when he was first banded 3 years ago.) My favorite NSVs that belongs to me: I didn't die from resperatory failure. My second one might sound weird, but it has to be being finally diagnosed with Cushing's. I would have never been diagnosed with it, and it too would have killed me.

Congratulations! Thanks for posting your NSV's. They are so inspiring! Cindy

Really no secret, just your basic, healthy meal plan..... For the first 6 weeks I followed my surgeon's meal plan and transitioned slowly through the food stages (very good restriction did not allow for "skipping ahead"). As hard as it was, I met Protein and Water goals 90% of the time. Once I was on regular food I focused on protein and non starchy veggies. Steak, burger, ham, ribs, pork, chicken, BBQ, tuna, refried Beans, eggs, milk, Protein Bars, PB2, Greek yogurt, avocados, cheese, cottage cheese, mixed nuts, beef and turkey Jerky, broccoli, spinach, kale, green and yellow beans, mushrooms, red peppers, edamame, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Chinese mixed veggies, you name it.... Now at just over 7 months out I have a 24-32oz protein smoothie with 30-40g protein everyday and eat 4-5 meals and Snacks. I get a MINIMUM of 64oz water daily and I take whole food based Vitamins. I have had sweets, deserts, chips, fries, alcohol, bread, Pasta and rice, but in moderation and probably not even once/week. As I got close to and passed goal, I started adding more fruit and whole grains. Besides protein bars (Natures Valley Protein, GNC Lean Bars, Fiber One Protein) I added whole grain bars like Kind, Kashi pumpkin Flax, and Pure Ancient Grains. I snack on mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, edamame, Peanut Butter and apples, frozen pineapple, melons, and plain Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder. I add berries and other fruit as well as Metamucil and benefiber to my protein smoothie. But really, the simple answer is I eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein (always first priority) veggies, fruit and whole grains. I eat when I'm hungry and only until satisfied, not full. Besides protein and water, I never tracked anything. I have no idea how many calories or carbs or fat I eat. As for exercise, I've got no magic formula there, either. I haven't been to a gym in years. Immediately postop I walked a lot but that was pretty much to help with digestion and to decrease the bloated feeling I had. I rode my recumbent bike 20-30 minutes/day for awhile but I haven't been on it in a couple weeks. I actually just have a very active lifestyle. I work 60+ hours/ week. I am a vet tech, so I'm standing, squatting, bending, lifting and walking all day. On the weekends I ride my horse, sometimes 15-20 miles/day (which is an excellent Pilates and thigh master workout if you are riding "correctly"). And along with the horses comes chores...shoveling shit, fixing fences, hauling water, feeding and stacking hay. Last weekend I got 42 bales of hay. Each bale weighs 80 pounds and I had to lift and move each one 3 times (big stack to truck; truck to shed; stack in shed). So essentially I lifted 10,000 pounds in 2 days....and at least part of that over my head (Basically lifted weights and did stair master for a couple hours). I got another 21 bales yesterday and the day before went whitewater rafting and rowed a boatload of friends 8 miles (more Pilates and push-ups). Anyways, everyone's journey is going to be different. What works for me might not work for you. Just figure out what you are most comfortable with (establishing a workout routine and tracking everything is not a bad thing, it's just not what I did). And if you are still reading this, let me say my biggest advice is don't compare your weight loss to others. Concentrate on being healthy, don't torture yourself with guilt, keep a good attitude, and look for NSV's for validation, not the numbers on the scale.

That's what they refer to as a "non-scale victory" , or "NSV". Good job! It can be frustrating that the scale isn't moving when you really feel like it should be, but you're clothes are looser! Your body is going through so many changes. I find that after I start something new, like advancing my diet (I'm five weeks post-op) my body seems to hold onto EVERYTHING I put in it. I gained 4 lbs in 2 days when I went to soft/moist food last week! About 5 days in, I was back to my lowest and moving down but I almost had a freak-out moment when I saw the scale going up when I was barely eating anything! Hang in there. As frustrating as it is, see it as a marathon not a sprint.

I guess this comes under the heading of a NSV! I took a bath this morning for the first time in years. Not only did I get into the tub, more importantly, I got OUT of the tub by turning over onto my hands and knees to get up! I was amazed that I could maneuver my body around like that! Also, my pants are way toooo big! Sent from my iPhone using VST

I totally agree, Juli! This is life, sometimes it's more intense than others, but to keep obesity in "remission" (as I've heard it called) we will have to stay on top of it. Some days I just wanna quit, but I've taken a day off here & there and when I'm ready to start again the next day, no crisis has occurred; I haven't suddenly regained 45 lbs! The band totally makes the difference. What feels like a "binge" now is NOTHING like how I ate ordinarily before...not to mention what the old "binges" were! It's a little reminder when I'm feeling a little out of control. There is just no way to eat like I used to anymore, thank god. :clap2: I should probably take a day off a little more often than I do...I've been going after this goal with everything I've got for a year, and sometimes you just have to cool your jets for a day. I'm the worst that way about exercise...I do take 1 or 2 days a week to rest, but I'm terrified to do it, to be honest. It's so crazy, but I'm afraid if I take a day off I'll never go back, even though I actually enjoy exercising (for the first time in my life, maybe). I did have a nice NSV today, though. Despite the fact that I've only lost 2 lbs since the beginning of December, I found that my jeans were getting a little baggy, so I tried on a smaller size....a 10, and it fit! It's a little snug, but of course I got them anyway. :biggrin1: I started out in 16/18s. I haven't worn a 10 since Bill Clinton was elected.

I had a nsv at the movie theatre today. I was able to cross my legs comfortably in my seat!

While I appreciate your input, it was not a reward. I no longer have "rewards" or "cheats" as per my eating disorder therapist and my own resolve. I have LIFE. I plan to go to the same restaurants I've always gone to, just to eat less and count every calorie. So, I am incorporating the foods I like into my life in a healthy way. Some days will be better than others but I REFUSE to beat myself up for living it or to say I'll never have another margarita. I have lived the "never have anything high calorie again" lifestyle, got down to a size 4, and it's not sustainable long term. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed at the negative feedback, when I specifically posted a NSV. Margarita 400 calories. I was at 1050 for the day and exercised 200.

Okay, I have begun my journal. It's been a heck of a year with my band, but I'll start with my weight as far back as I can reasonably remember and go from there. I love looking at the numbers. So this isn't about NSVs for me. It's stats. It's seeing where I've been, and remembering how far I've come. My One Year Bandiversary is approaching, and I have measurements, weights, dates, milestones for my Journal. They are currently on posts all over this board, or on little pieces of paper in the pencil drawer in the kitchen, or on big sheets of paper tucked away all over the office in my home. I will gather, sort, organize and post my little numbers game here. I can't wait to see it all done!

Hey Wheetsin, I heard you're coming to Boise! We do get to meet you right? I'll bet we can load you up with some great NSV's to take home with ya! And ya know what? Even though they screwed it up with thier stupidity, the DID notice the change in you! So, grats!! Your hard work is paying off!

Wonderful NSV! But then you got the scale victory as well. Congrats on "onederland."

Right now I'm having great results on the scale - and know that it comes and goes. Just try to remember these good days on the non-loss or gain days. Started at 475 on May 24. Weighed in at 387 today. 88 pounds in 18 weeks! As good as that feels, I had an ever better feeling experience this week. I flew out to San Diego this week and didn't have to use a seat belt extender (so used to it I own my own). Granted it was a first-class seat and maybe the belts are a bit bigger, but none the less it clicked! Was pretty damn excited! This last fill took me to 9.3 in a 14 cc band, but it's the first fill I really can feel. I'm still eating too fast and have gotten myself into trouble including a very embarrassing projectile vomit situation at a trade show in San Diego, but I may actually be close to GREEN. I would tell any newbies to learn NOW the importance of eating slowly, taking small bites, and learning to make good food choices. Learn it now so that when you get near the green zone and you HAVE to do those things you don't do what I did at the trade show. Pretty sure I'm not allowed back to the San Diego Convention Center anytime soon!

The full pouch thing is hard. The reason why is that if you are eating hard Proteins (fish, chicken, beef, etc) you will never again feel that 'Thanksgiving' full again. If you feel that 'full' feeling that we used to feel when we gorged ourselves into oblivion, you have probably eaten around the band with softer foods that made it past the band. This was one of my first NSVs: going to bed without feeling like an awful person because I had eaten everything that didn't move. I can't relate to you in words the relief I have felt not going to bed stuffed and miserable at night. It's what I love about the band the most. With the hard proteins, they fill the pouch ABOVE the band quicker and don't allow much of anything else to go through. This is when you get your sign to stop or you have things coming back up. Signs are subtle but serious. If I ever get that one big hiccup or start sneezing or feel myself sort of burp inside, that's my clue it's time to stop. It's not a sign that I can get by with two or three more bites, it's generally a serious warning that if I go any further I'm going to be sorry. Could this hunger possibly have more to do with 'head hunger' than real tummy hunger? I think you'll find that if you replace the grilled cheese on Rye with a tuna salad kit or a chicken breast or piece of Schwans Baked Scrod that it will stick with you longer. Just so you know, though. I fully understand your hunger monster. It seems when the evening comes and I'm alone here that mine starts stalking too. They say we have to replace it with something. Exercise perhaps? Reading a good book? More sleep? A movie?

TJMom, I think you're doing great!! I keep saying I couldn't walk before surgery because I couldn't go from my front door to my car without being out of breath, but you're blowing me out of the water!!! Every day you are getting a little stronger and one day you'll be posting that you "couldn't walk before surgery" and that you're now using that wheelchair to grow flowers in the back 40! Great NSV! I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress. I wonder how you could track the lessening need for the wheelchair on a ticker?