Search the Community

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

Hi omfgmelly. Here's my nsv that i hope u will experience...in mornings my bs was always at least ur number u posted...now 6 wks. post-op its more like 80-95! today at dinnertime i had a 64! i had just came back from a nice springtime 6 blk. walk. Prior to lb, i wouldve been weak n sweating puddles being that low but i felt ok. good luck youll do well.

I've had huge NSVs the past 3 months (no longer pre-diabetic, 104/64 BP, great labs, fitting into my husbands jeans!), but today is all about celebrating numbers. Some FAQs before the numbers... I track everything weekly on Thursday (my surgery day) including weight and all measurements. I also weigh on Monday to get an overall feel for how I'm doing that week to see if I need to have a few strict days. For me, I tend to obsess and think more about food if I'm tracking, so I don't track what I'm eating. I estimate my Protein amounts and drink at least 60 ounces of Fluid (at least 40 ou water) I do follow a plan of eating that has worked for me though. I eat from a selection of meals for all 3 meals of the day. If I have a higher % carb meal (like oatmeal), I balance it with higher % protein meal for the other 2. I eat 1 or 2 Snacks per day. If I'm losing slower I add a Protein shake (weird to add when weight loss slows, but it's worked for me) and another cup of Water or a smooth move tea at night (sometimes I'm just full of s&%#... literally . I choose from the following meals: cottage cheese, Colby-jack cheese snack and 4 multigrain crackers, Premier Protein shake, advantagEDGE shake, oatmeal (3/4 McD's or Chickfla usually), chicken Soup, chili, shrimp, Greek yogurt. My favorite meal out is at Tijuana Flats. I order one chicken taco and I eat the stuff inside the shell. I have a piece of cheese pizza once a month. I eat out with family and friends regularly. My favorite things to order are soup or a salad with chicken on it. I usually eat some of the chicken and a little bit of the other ingredients and share the rest with my husband. I think because I look at this as my new way of life, I don't feel deprived. I always felt like a failure on diets before, but haven't had that feeling since I started. Here are the numbers: Height: 5'11" HW: 273 Pre surgery diet W: 265 (1/3/13) SW: 255 (1/17/13) S BMI: 38 (Drumroll please!) CW: 215 C BMI: 30 (1 pound more to get out of obese category!) Loss since PreDiet: 50 pounds! Gone forever, never to return! Woohoo! Measurements (pre-surgery diet/now) Neck: 15.75 / 14 Waist: 43 / 36.5 Hips: 51.5 / 44.25 Arms: 18 / 14.25 Breast: 49 / 44 Ribs: 40.5 / 37.5 Thigh: 30.75 / 25 Calf: 19 / 16 Clothing size before: 20-22, 2x Clothing size now: 16W, XL Exercise: I started couch to 5k (I use Run 5K by Louis Kwok on iPhone) about 4 weeks ago. I run 3 times a week, but usually walk for about 15 min after, for a total of 45 min. Because I have felt so good, I've skipped a few days, so I'm on week 6 day 2. I sign up for 5Ks to keep me on a steady program of exercise. I'm thinking about starting crossfit when it gets too hot to run outside (I live in Florida and it's 85 even at 6am in the summer). My right knee is pretty bad (2 surgeries plus arthritis and chondromalacia), but Orthovisc injections in February really helped as well as taking Krill Oil /hylauric acid (Costco) every day.

I've been wearing size 20 in pants for the longest time and today when I finally went to buy new pants, I fit into a size 16! I can't believe it! I'm ecstatic!

Non-scale Victory (NSV): Went from a bra size 44D to a 40D, and a 3X to a 2X in scrubs! YAY!!

Congratulations!!! This is a huge NSV!!

So, i thought this is a NSV that i should share with everyone. Before surgery my insulin level was very high, it was 33.4 (normal insulin levels range from 4.8 and 27.8) today, (almost six months post op)... my insulin level came out to be 7.8!!!! I was so happy i cried... no meds needed and no more worrying about my health. I am as healthy as any normal person now. Oh and my doctor wants to keep checking my insulin cause he is afraid that it might go below normal level (go figures) lmao. Anyways, good luck everyone and thank you for reading my post.

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.

Awesome list of NSV! keep up the great work!

Today has been 3 wks since I was banded and I am feeling wonderful! I am back in the gym every day, was able to get in the pool last night for H2O Fitness Class. And I am training for my first 5K. Total loss so far is 27.2 Lbs Total loss since Banded is 13.9 Lbs ! YAY!!!!! 100.8 Lbs to go.. I love this pic and how true it is. I think sometimes its hard not to say well ABC has lost _______ already or why am I working so hard and the weight is not justt falling off. BUT if we really evaluate who we were yesterday as long as we are more healthy today, we are moving in the right direction. Can I run on the Elliptical 30 seconds longer today than yesterday before I have to slow back down to a walk. Are my pants fitting better or are they loose. Here is one of the first thing I noticed and it sounds silly.. I HAVE SAUSAGE FINGERS there you go I said it. Like had to hold my hands under cold water and really work to get my rings off prior to surgery. About a wk ago I noticed not only were my rings spinning I could easily get them on and off with little to no effort. HELLO Christy!!! that was a HUGE NSV for me.... that same wk the scale did not budge but I knew other parts of me were changing and for the good.

I've plateaued for over a month, and instead if feeling down about it, I wanted to share a little about how my life has changed in the past 3 months: * Went from a 4x to a 2x in tops * Went from a 26/28 to a 22 in bottoms * I can fit in chairs with arms * I can fit in a stadium seat * I can fit in a movie theater seat * I can fit in a restaurant booth * I went roller skating * I can run after my 4 year old at the park * I don't sweat profusely anymore * I can use a backseat seatbelt, and fit in the backseat of a car * Training for a 5k. What?!! * I can still breathe when I bend over to tie my shoes * I put a recent picture of myself on Facebook, lol I know there are more, but this is a huge difference for me. I used to stay indoors all the time, I would get winded from short walks and my body would hurt so bad with any physical activity. I stayed away from a lot of social activities because of my size. I'm not afraid to try something new now. I know it's super cliche, but I feel like I have my life back.

I just had my "first 50lbs lost" celebration Saturday. The celebration consisted of weighing myself about 20 times to verify my scale was working and then doing a happy dance. *gasp* I celebrated something without food! It's true, it IS possible! A SV and a NSV all at once! Well, I started feeling really lightheaded over the past few days and it was concerning me because it was to the point that I thought I might fall over or pass out if this kept progressing. I called my MD and made an appointment for this afternoon. My bp was only 100/60! Six months ago it was 168/94. My doctor told me to stop taking my HTN med! HOORAY!! I'M MEDICATION-FREE!!! I was talking to the nurse who was surprised that I've lost 50lbs pre-op. She was asking me what kind of diet they had me on and how I was feeling about it. I told her I felt hungry all the time, but it wasn't unbearable. She told me she didn't want to discourage me, but that I had a rough few weeks ahead of me... but also that she was really excited for me and can't wait to see the results. I'm really just so proud of myself that all my hard work has paid off to better health already. But it also gets me wondering if I should be having surgery, why see how far I can get on my own... unlike a lot of people, I haven't had the yo-yo thing my whole life. What if in preparing myself for surgery, I was able to learn enough to make better choices and live a healthier life without surgery? And then I wondered if the reason I don't want people knowing I had surgery might have a LITTLE to do with my own shame over my weight and my lack of control. Yes, I'll be happy to lose weight - but wouldn't I be just a little prouder if I knew I did it without surgery? Maybe. But I'll be proud of myself for losing the weight in any event, so why should it matter how I get there? I don't wanna feel like "I've come to far to back out now" but I really didn't start having doubts until today, when I realized that I could effect change in my body, all by myself... The doubt isn't so great that I'm going to postpone surgery, but it's definitely got me thinking... Did anyone have or had similar thoughts/questions? Surgery is 9 days short away...

Hi girls, I was banded on 3-30-07 and am very happy with my choice. At the time, I lived in Katy and was banded by Dr Spivak (loved, loved loved him and his staff). He has since moved back to Israel heading up their obesity hospital. I now live in Eagle Lake (60 miles west of Houston) Like everyone said before me, if we follow the Doctors direction and keep going forward.... It really works. Before I was banded I was reading posts on this site and obesityhelp.com. I found this site suited me more for the lapband. I chose this surgery because it didn't change my physiology. In doing my research I was concerned when I saw people that had a band and didn't lose any weight. I noticed they talked a lot about Dairy Queen, margaritas, etc. I thought "I don't want to have an operation and not get anywhere". But then I saw another group that journaled their food (I still use one. Originally I used spark people.com. I now use my fitness pal APP). These people also exercised and when they "fell off the wagon" (which did happen to me), they got back up, brushed themselves off and put one foot in front of the other. They also shared honestly what they were going through and many people helped. I made the decision to follow this group. And it has been one of the best decisions I've made in my life. In reading your posts I got excited thinking about how your lives will change and the journey is fun...having NSV's like the first time I saw my collar bones again, or didn't need an extension on an airplane and didn't get dirty looks from the person that would be next to me on the airplane. Plus shopping in regular clothing depts... Cheaper and better selections... I stayed out of negative talk. I've noticed lately this site is alot more positive... Which is great..... I'm wishing you guys a great journey and if anyone needs help... I'm here. I'm actually in Katy and houston 3 times a week Josie

That is a truly awesome nsv! :-) I love your stories about you and your wife by the way, it's inspiring!

Debbie and I have spent the last few weeks helping my brother-in-law and dear friend who is in his 80's deal with a blood build up in his brain caused by a fall. I have held him up, picked him up, and generally guided him through his days before he went into surgery. Now we are at the hospital every day helping him and my sister-in-law cope with the ordeal. Debbie is out today doing her sister's job, cleaning houses, so her sister can stay with her husband in the hospital and still have an income. My friend, his wife, daughters and other relatives cannot thank us enough for our love and care for him. We deem it our great privilege. Over a year ago neither Debbie nor I would have had the strength do any of this. Knowing the limitations of our energy we would not have had the desire to help. But now, after losing over 100 pounds each, we have energy that's aching to be used. We've gone from reluctance to move at all to joyful anticipation of activity. We've both gone back to our 20's and we have forgotten that we are in our 60's in the way we act, dress and think. This is one of the most rewarding NSV's we have ever had. Power to be helpful is a great treasure.