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Great NSV, b-52! I'll bet you can wow those naysayers!

Ran into one of the PA's from my Surgeons office yesterday....she just wanted to tell me how good it is to see someone who has successfully completed the journey....she asked me what I thought was the #1 thing I can contribute to my success....I told her, and she replied she had "one of those days" at the office, and she knows at least 50 women who would want to kill me right now.... We talked some more....I don't want to share everything she said because it is the same things we hear all the time, and I don't want anyone to get offened.... Bottom line...it's all about CHANGE! You can tell people from day one the Band will "Change your Life" and they still don't get it.... Some people look forward to change, others fight it.....the majority of people who have struggles with the band are the actually struggling with change..... We don't know what to change to....our whole lives we have been trained to do things the wrong way....and now we are faced with changing all that, some expecting it to happen in a few months.... It can be very frustrating to everybody..... If they told - showed me what and how much I will be eating in a normal day, after being banded...I would have said IMPOSSIBLE! Forget it...I'm not doing this.... But now, I don't think twice about it....and I don't miss it.... And the PA sees patients who want un-fills because they can't eat pork chops! I told her I would be happy to come back and speak with these 50 women who would like to kill me at one of their support groups.....I've done it before. Last time a couple of people saw me and said "Oh great, another fitness guru who has never been fat a day in his life is going to talk tonight....probably about gym memberships......then I put up one of my "Before" pics....

As I sit here on the recumbent elliptical, I notice the very exciting NSV of not having the arms of the machine hit my arms as I type!!! They always used to not be able to clear my body. Haha.

Yeehaw!!! Congrats!!! That is super exciting. Wait a minute...I thought NSV meant Non scale Victory...this is totally a scale victory! Haha!!!

I woke up this morning and weighed myself and... Drum roll please.... I am in 'one'derland!! I am so happy! I haven't been less then 200lbs in 10 years!! I was jumping up and down I was just so excited... I took a picture of my scale and text it to all my supporters!

My NSV today was during my 6-month checkup: they used a NORMAL adult sized blood pressure cuff on me!! Not the large one. Yippee!!!!! Aaaannnnnddddd..... I had my head down looking at my phone when doc walked in so he said hello in a normal voice, I said hello back & then looked up at him. He then said a surprised "Hey!" & "Your face is much thinner than the last time I saw you. What a difference!" We talked a bit & then when we were wrapping up I said, to my stunningly handsome doctor, "It's nice to be average looking again." He replied, "You're better than average looking." <insert sheepish grin here>. Ah, too bad he's married with a gaggle of kids. But that fact doesn't have to stop me from feeling great about myself! Yay me!

They have arrived. I almost fooled myself into thinking they wouldn't happen to me. I woke up on my 2mo "anniversary" and there they were. Bingo wings.... :-(

Posted April 24, 2013 - 9:43 AM I was sleeved 9/7/12 along with my husband. I had lost 64 lbs at around 5 months but have since been in a 2 month long stall. I tried everything to bust through it. Yesterday the scale FINALLY started to move again. Yay! It was after increasing my calories (I kept reading about that over and over but it was the last thing I tried, because I was afraid of re-gain...) I started at 293 lbs., BMI of 44. However, during that stall I went down one full size and 2 belt notches. Since being sleeved we've been on 2 cruises and didn't gain anything on either of them, where prior to this surgery we gained 10-20 lbs every time we'd go on one, and we'd do heavy, unhealthy dieting prior to the cruise and then again afterward. The restriction has been fantastic because it allowed us to nibble at a variety of foods but never overindulge. I've gone from a size 3X/24 to an XL/18. I have tons more energy. I am able to do my beloved yard work and gardening again. My biggest NSV was on this last cruise when we did a 6-hour excursion that included lots of hiking, climbing, and zip-lining. I would have never even considered trying this prior to surgery. I have had both knees replaced but with the weight loss and increase in muscle tone since the surgery, I was able to do all of this and I was so proud of myself. My husband has lost nearly 90 lbs. He carried all of his weight in his stomach. He is a hunky stud now!! I'll attempt to get some pictures on here soon. I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

Coops, my friend, congrats!! You have been altogether too hard on yourself for not reaching a particular scale weight. This is a huge NSV and I hope you're enjoying it! It's not all about the scale and you know that. Three years, no regain and getting fitter every day is nothing to shrug off. So happy for you! ~Cheri

Now down 72-76 pounds. Depends on the day Lol. The last 30 will definitely be the hardest. Feeling great and I love to cross my legs. NSV...wore a skirt and it looked great and felt great. Now when I get in my car I just jump in and don't worry about not looking like its a struggle. LOVE IT!

"Chuffed to beans" OMG, I'm sitting here with the biggest smile on my face. I love you and your Brit-Speak. I'm going to have to try and remember that one. I'm soooooooo happy for you Coops. This journey has been a long one and when you are almost 3 years post-op it's hard to find a big NSV, and ta da, you DID IT! Love this and am so excited for you. The worst is over, bring on the BEST!

You started out lower than me Marla. I've noticed I have to fight for each oz and it's getting harder and harder. I worry I will stop losing, but I'm not giving up. I was on vacation for 4 days, didn't track and I know I didn't get in half my protein or water, but I can tell that even though I drank alcohol, (which wasn't a good idea) I ate less food, smaller portions, and made healthier choices than I did last year there. That's my NSV and now i'm back to tracking and exercising, upping my protein and water.

Starting weight 268, surgery weight 250 started size tight 24. Current weight 182. 5'4". NSV...size 14 not women's store. First real purchase! (Not from second hand store or hand me down) Total weight gone today...85 pounds. I did not lose it, I let it go and I don't want it back ever again. 32 pounds away from my first goal of 150!

I got my hair cut at gene Juarez today at the mall. First time spending that much on a haircut. I got the popular cut like Aaron Eerkhart (sp?) as president on "Olympus has fallen." It is for my WLS Center photoshoot tomorrow. Anyways, I am getting checked out left and right walking down the mall, even with my wife at my side. I don't know whether to enjoy this or not, but secretly liking it. Boosts my ego a little. Lol. Not used to it, but hey, not too bad. Don't know if it is all haircut or partly from all the strength training over last 2 months. Either way, it is all good...

NSV: Kayak! For me, it was fitting back into the Giant Dipper. Woo-hoo! I've always wanted to go on that airboat tour of the slough. Lynda

mokee those "little, nothing special things" are verrrrry special - restaurant booths were big problems being heavier great to find your new lighter self and your new small body i sat in a booth - and i just stared down at my tummy - i had all this space between me and the table/booth it was amazing mokee, keep those NSV's coming - i/you/we live for them keep up your great job great weight loss!!!! looking forward to seeing less and less of you

Wow, congratulations on a wonderful NSV! That's got to feel (and look) so wonderful! You are a great inspiration

Some friends and my husband went to Cheesecake Factory last night. Don't get excited, I scoured the nutritionals and finally found a appetizer salad for 390 cal. It was not easy to find something if you go there but it was very good. Now to my NSV. My husband and I were sitting in the booth part of a table that had two chairs and no one was sitting next to me on my side. Later I needed to go to the rest room. I carefully got up and before weight loss I had to turn sideways and be very careful that my big butt did not land on the other people's table. Last night I walked out straight on. No sideways, no getting in people's food. It was great.

Hello fellow sleevers, I am now just over 6 weeks post TT and uplift and I can't tell you how happy I am that I have turned the corner. I ain't gonna lie, it has been a tough 6 weeks, not physically but mentally and emotionally but that is for another post... Anyhoo, today is the first day that I have been able to wear my post op jeans (my original size goal; UK 14) - before now the swelling was sooo bad, even with compression garments and control pants on that they wouldn't do up and were tight on the legs... booo! I wore them today and they were big... yes big! So, as we were shopping I picked up a new pair, one size smaller as an incentive and a 'work in progress' pair. I couldn't wait to try them on and when I did... drum roll please... they only bloody fit! Yes, I could do them up, all the way and I could sit in them. Ok, so they were a little tight but not too tight that I felt like I was about to turn blue and pass out...lol. As a foot note, I am the same weight now as I was pre TT even though the surgeon removed nearly 3 1/2 lb of skin (that is one mighty apron, apparently the 'normal' or average amount of skin removed weighs around a pound!) So, perhaps when all the swelling has gone away they will be my new 'comfy' jeans! I have not been able to fit in a size UK 12 (US 8-10?) for over twenty years... I can't put in to words how happy, proud and well, chuffed to Beans I am! Did I say I was happy? lol Oh, when I saw my PS he cleared me for light exercise and light ab work... so today i did 100 squats - easy peasy - 20 push ups of the table x 2 and 20 pelvic curls with 20 upper curls... so, that is another NSV!! I think that I might be getting my mo jo back...lol!

I went to buy new bras and some new work tops today. When I got home my fiancé was being a good sport and looking at my findings. He looked at me and said "your cloths are getting so tiny!" Made my week!!!!

Congratulations, those are great NSV! I noticed yesterday I can run up and down the steps to the basement with no problems, and it made me realize the same thing. It's wonderful to be able to move so much easier, and it is life changing and liberating!

Hello After a break from the forum I'm back. Here's a brief update: I'm a "slow loser" losing 57lbs. It's slow, but I'll take it! Also, I think the slower speed of my weight loss has helped me keep my hair from thinning. That, and my no estrogen birth control, haha. I also think my slow weight loss has helped my skin be a tad less saggy than it would have been otherwise. Not to say my arms don't flop around, but it's more of a pudding ripple instead of a jello jiggle I still have issues with random bouts of esophageal spasms so some days I can't keep food or water down but those days diminish in number each week. Since I was on morphine every six minutes for a month my previous pain medicine just wasn't strong enough so they've recently upped the dose of that and my anti-anxiety/antidepressant. For now it keeps me sluggish but hopefully in a couple more weeks I'll be used to. But because of my pain levels being so high I haven't been able to work out like I want and need to. I manage to get 30-60 minutes on my bike everyday but most of the time any type of toning exercise I try leaves me walking like a zombie for the next few days. I'm hoping that changes with my med adjustments. I had a big NSV today! I managed to fit into a size large dress! I was in a 2x pre-op. I also fit into my high school graduation dress! Now I was still very overweight in high school but, progress is progress! Of course the two places I lost weight first were the two places I didn't mind having weight, T and A! I've lost so much of what flat behind I had before surgery I now get to carry around this super sexy butt cushion. Oh well, it adds 2 inches to my height when I'm driving so I don't always have to readjust all the mirrors after my fiancé drives the car My engagement ring is starting to fall off, all my shoes are too wide, and my mom (who had the DS a month after my sleeve) keeps getting some awesome hand me downs she should be able to fit into in a few months. A big drawback from my extended use of TPN is the relaxing of my sleeve. I can easily hold the same amount of food a patient with an old sleeve can. I just measure more frequently and avoid the scale on the most part. I have occasional pains where my drain used to be, I get random sores inside my nostrils from the MRSA, and my scars have turned kinda purple. Right now their placement makes me laugh. To me, my stomach looks like the face of a happy or sleeping cartoon whale 2 more notes: 1. For those of you that kept up with me and stayed with me during this entire fiasco, I cannot thank you enough. I had my family for support but nobody that could relate to being a leak patient or even just being sleeved. This forum helped me more than words could ever say. If there is ANYTHING that any of you ever need PLEASE ask me! You were all an irreplaceable part in a serious chapter of my life. 2. Some of you may think I'm too short or judgmental on some of my posts to others and I won't say you're wrong. I spent YEARS researching for this surgery and did everything by the book and still almost lost my life. To see people complain about getting sick after eating Taco Bell, whine about the supplements, start solids too early, or act surprised when that major surgery hurts, I get furious. And I know part of all of you feel that way. "That's what you get for not researching" or "that's what happens when you don't follow surgeon's rules." I'm trying to get better at holding my tongue but I implore you, I know this surgery saves lives and a lot of you would do it again in a heartbeat, just remember so much publicity is now surrounding the sleeve and so many people are opting for it to lose only 30-40lbs. Share your positive stories! But keep it real, too. This is a major surgery and isn't a temporary fix. This is a lifelong dedication. So many on here hear it works and jump on the bandwagon and go through terrible stress and regret afterwards. It's their fault for not researching, but their negative feedback can and will deter others (like most of us) that NEED this type of surgical intervention to allow us to live the lives we deserve. Thanks again SOSOSOSOSOOOOOOO much for everything you all did for me. You'll never know what a place you all have in my heart

So I lit the candles, took a long shower, put the school girl skirt on and went to put the corset on.. OMG it was wayyyyyyy too big. I came out of the bathroom pouting and my boyfriend laughed at me. I couldn't believe that I no longer fit into this!! Not even my boobs!!!

I am 7 1/2 months out and down 121 pounds. I have been at a stall for a few weeks, but am really losing inches even thought the scale isn't moving right now. I don't mind it one bit! I started in a size 26/28 pants size. This weekend I went shopping and bought... get this a size 13 in the juniors section... OMG I could not beleive it, a size 13... that is half of what I was wearing before.. The last time I bought juniors size clothing was in elememntary school! Another amazing NSV was the for the first time in my life I was able to shop at Vistoria Secrets... 112$ later and it was super worth it... I have never felt so normal in my life.. The only down side of all this weight loss is that my cup size has gone up :/ So weird, most women lose weight in their boobs.. but not me... I have gone way down in band size but up in cup.. maybe I was wearing the wrong size to begin with HAHAHA. Sorry guys, this was a rant probably better for women But none the less I am super happy with my results and have no intention of stopping anytime soon