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6 months ago today I was shuffling around the halls of Northeast Medical Center as best I could after lifesaving/life changing surgery. Now one of my biggest goals will be achieved next Saturday when I complete Charlotte's Race Fest 10k...on my 34th birthday!! What's your favorite or most astounding non-scale victory??

I don't really frequent the forum much anymore because of my slow loser status. Surgery was Oct 15th, 2012. Top weight: 238lbs, SW: 209lbs, today's weight: 180lbs. I have gone from size 20-22 pants to a size 11-12 and from XXL shirts to M-L. So I DO see a BIG difference. But I see so many others posting they have lost so much more than I have in even a shorter time frame. I have been stalled for 2 months now too, which is discouraging sometimes, even though I am still seeing inches fall off....thank goodness I did take measurements or I really WOULD be upset I certainly haven't given up, but I so want to be in the 170's. I hit 179.5 last week, and went back up to 180 this week. I just can't seem to get out of the 80's...UGH! I would LOVE to be 135-140 as my ultimate goal...but I have really set my goal at 150lbs as I remember WAY by when I looked and felt great at that weight. Also, my main reason for this surgery was to be healthier and I am off of all of my meds...a HUGE NSV for me! Perfect sugar levels, no high blood pressure anymore and cholesterol looks awesome. Then I look at my percentage of weight loss and look at the stats and see that, really, I am right on track. Still want the 170's

I :wub: this! What a great way to reference our success. Congrats on a wonderful NSV. It only gets better from here!

... except when it's not! Okay, this is a pre-sleeve NSV for me. We went to the movie theater tonight. I actually managed to walk right past the concessions stand without stopping for either a popcorn (large, extra butter, please!) or a beverage! This is difficult for me. Recently I've been compromising - small popcorn, and a large unsweetened iced tea (now that our theater actually has decent iced tea!). But I LURVE buttered popcorn. It's something that I really want to eat - it's part of the movie experience, and it is something I have a weakness for. Tonight, I wasn't hungry as we had just had dinner, nor was I thirsty. I also knew I couldn't come back out later and get it if I changed my mind, since we were going to the late show and the concessions area closes about 15 minutes after the last movie starts. I just said no. Didn't even really think about it. Me: 100 points, Food: a big fat ZERO. I win! Anyone else had a victory in the battle of resistance this week?

So I noticed today that my inny that used to look like an inatube, bottomless pit, black hole is smaller and shallow! This is a victory for me! I hated the way it would look under my clothes like this huge hole in my stomach. Now you can't even see it! This is a fat girl victory for me. Highest weight:240 Pre op: 215 SD: 207 Current: 187 Loss of 27#!

CowgirlJane luv your before and after pictures you look great loosing 152 lbs - OMG - i know you must feel great "all over" congrats on all your hard work i was able to post my before and after pictures thanx to your help (i couldn't figure it out either!!) in my "vanity" i decided to repost my thread that i did a few days ago called "Proud Grammy is Proud" big NSV - me posting these pictures as DH posted pic - he looked at me and said "I don't remember you looking like that." Either do i!!!! strange!!! the times they are a changing i feel like the happiest person in the world I'm enjoying life to the fullest what a great "thing" i did for myself, having WLS DOS 12/15/11 235 lbs 5'3 present 130 lbs GOAL 59 years young still 5'3

My brothers and I don't get together very often but we were all there for our Mum's 70th birthday. My older brother has always been a very big man but all I have heard for a couple of years is how much weight he has lost. My younger brother has always been tall and whippet thin. well, this time (and forever more) I was the skinnier sibling! Yay for my band.

For those that have completed c25k, what is next for you? Time to set some new goals. Maybe you want to enter a local 5 k race or keep working towards faster and more challenging 5 k times. By more challenging I mean to run hills or trails instead of flat. Now that you know how to run the possibilities are limitless. Here are a bakers dozen running tips I learned along the way in my short running experience to optimize results ( others: feel free to add your own): 1. Focus on relaxation while running. ChiRunning is THE best methodology for this. It will take some getting used to, but there is no going back once you have mastered it. 2. Speed comes from challenging yourself. Try and throw in HIIT runs every so often to increase speed. Always set new goals. Every time you run is a chance to improve some quality of your running. 3 power comes from strong core and strong back. The legs and arms will take care of themselves. Always do a system check every minute to make sure your posture is good, your core is strong, no tension anywhere, your shoulders are relaxed, your feet are landing solid, etc. I am learning so much from cross fit postures and applying it to running. The basic squat is actually a good posture because of strong core and strong back. You do need to be a little straighter, but the general idea applies. 4. Your stride should always be a little ahead of the speed of the treadmill. Run with a good posture, solid core and relaxation. If the speed is too fast, you compromise posture and strength. This tires you out faster. I mostly run on treadmill, but I am sure the same principle applies to outside running. Some other running vets may want to chime in. 5. Buy the best running shoes you can afford. 6. Buy running socks to prevent blisters and/ or heated spots. I have not had any foot issues with my running shoes and socks. 7. Warm up properly. Maybe some sprints or even hill climbs to get your muscles ready. You can start faster with a good warmup. My warm up is usually at least 6 minutes long. 8. Use a roller after running. I just started this ( as in today) and wish I started earlier to avoid tight gluts, hamstrings, calves, etc. 9. Cool down properly. For me, cooling down means jogging for a few minutes and the walking fora few minutes after I have run a hard 5 k or 10 k. 10. Consume heavy protein within 20 min of running. It will help you recover and refuel faster. Not all proteins are equal, so do some research or ask questions. 11. Sometimes pre workout and amino acids ( like catalyst ) will help you perform better without fatiguing. Still experimenting with these to see what works best. 12. Give yourself the proper recovery time. It depends on how hard and how far you run. For me, a day of running is followed by a day of cross fit, repeat. I usually take Sunday off not only for body recovery, but also mental recovery. Need a slow day before it starts again for the week. 13. Pay attention to your diet. Performing optimally physically requires you to treat your body with respect and give it the lean and healthy nourishment it deserves. Results come from 80% good diet and 20% exercise. If you eat crap, your body will reward you with crappy results. It is that simple. Also, drink lots and lots of water. Best of all, enjoy running. Get high off the endorphins ( natural morphine). It is a very good addiction to have. Love it so much you are encouraging other runners. Report back often on your little successes. A single little running NSV may be just what someone else needs to hear to be motivated. Hope this helps!

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

Had my 3 month check up. I'm down 66 lbs since surgery and 76 lbs total. She is going to wait on my gall bladder surgery. I have no pain or issues with it. So unless my nausea returns, we will leave it alone. I still have to have an endoscopy in May to rule out ulcers. I'm happy and while in doctors office I sat with my leg crossed over my upper leg. An NSV!!! heading to Disney in 15 days. Yesssss!

Haha this was on my post sleeve bucket list!!! fit into my old stuff. i was just in non stretchy 12's 10 days ago! nsv!

I went to my PCP today for a checkup and she took me off one of my blood pressure meds. Have been on two meds for the longest time, and at a higher dose as well. Now down to 20 mgs. lisinopril only. Hoping to be off all meds at some point.

I remember once when Oprah had lost a lot of weight...she heard that people were saying things like "Well, she's rich, it's easy to lose weight when someone cooks all of your food and does everything for you." She was talking about it on her show and basically said...she was the one who had to make healthful dietary choices every day and refuse her beloved Ruffles potato chips. Her wealth didn't do that for her. And she is the one who had to get her butt on the track and walk every day. She couldn't pay someone to do that for her. I think it is so similar when people say that VSG is "the easy way out." We are the ones who have make sure that every morsel we put in our mouths is good fuel for our bodies and resist head hunger. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who make special holiday meals for our families and then don't partake in most of it. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who go to the gym even when the weather isn't good or we feel like going to bed early instead. The surgery doesn't do that for us. We're the ones who keep drinking (and drinking and drinking) Water when part of us would rather hang out with our old friend Diet Coke or Frozen Margarita. The surgery doesn't do that for us. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, the surgery is a tool, but I still feel that we own and deserve every hard-earned victory we see on the scale and every NSV. If others don't understand that, it's okay. I know that I haven't taken the easy way out, but I also know that what I'm doing is an investment in something very important--me. And that's something that money definitely can't buy.

I think that's the best post I have ever read in here! Congratulations to you. What a huge NSV!

Great NSV! Thank u so much for sharing. It is amazing how much the sleeve changes our lives and the lives of those closest to us. What a blessing!

I was at a birthday party this weekend for my nephew. It was at one of those inflatable house places. I've been there tons of times with the kids. This time I'm 5 months out and 73 lbs gone. There's a huge slide my 5 year olds love to do. They were climbing up the inflatable stairs to get to the top and I decided to surprise them by following. They turned around and the look of pure joy and ear to ear grins on their faces was priceless. One of them said "oh wow my moms coming up with us!!" I'm not an emotional person at all, but it really hit me that this tool has given my kids a mother that can really interact with them more than before. So glad I did this. 30 lbs to get to my personal goal, but already such a huge difference in the quality of my life! Thanks for letting me get that out. Not a lot of people outside this group would understand!

I finally weigh less than my hubby! woohoo (I totally don't care that he is more than a foot taller than me! lol) I also fit into the sweater I wore on our first date again and the same winter jacket too! It just feels great to be sliding into these clothes from 3 or four years ago and seeing them fit! I am also 13 pounds away from 100 lost and I will be able to go zip-lining! I would love to hear everyone else's NSV's too!

Congrats on both the NSV and the scale victory!Karen

LOL...I just did a blog this week about my NSV. I agree, we have to keep our eyes open for the little things we don't think about. Those things aren't as obvious as the scale but in the long run I think they are more important! And you reminded me of 2 others that I didn't put in my blog. I can lean down to tie my shoes without being out of breath. And my libido is also at a whole new level....my "poor" hubby got attacked the other day (middle of the day with the kids home We got done and he was like "ummm...ok....this works for me LOL

Hey guys I just had to post a little entry about all of my little (or not so little) NSV of the week! (Sorry in advance for all the colors..lol Made me think of being in middle school again. hahaha) So the first thing I noticed this last week was that my rings are getting loose. I have this one ring my sister got for me, and I just love it. It used to fit on my ring finger but I have had to move it to my pointer finger because it was about to fall off the other day... (It used to be tight) Second... I went down a full pant Size!!! Ya know how jeans can vary in size? Well I was in a size 22 when I started and about a week ago I was able to fit into my big 20's... But today I got into my small 20's Oh ya.. And they fit and look good So excited! That is one step closer to being back in the teen digest Third... I can tie my shoes so much easier! I used to have to sit down try to reach for my feet across my huge tummy. Now its no problem Forth... I have noticed that my libido has just launched to a whole new level..lol It seems like every other thought is about sex... ha ha ha... AND!!! to top it off... I have lost 19 inches over my whole body !!!! Yay for me I hope all of you out there are having as much success as I am. I hope your finding the little things that encourage you and push you through each day. Keep your eyes out for the little details that make you smile. Cloths that fit different, The fact that moving is easier, You feel different, You sleep better, your off some meds... etc... What are your none scale victories of the week? Please share!!!!

Congrats! Seeing my knuckles for the first time in 15 years was a big deal for me as well. Other NSVs - seeing my collarbones and being able to wrap my fingers around my wrist for the first time!

I'm so sorry your going through this. The site can make everything seem like rainbows and butterflies at times. I am 2 weeks post today and already been stalled for more than a week. I am a little sad and trying not to be discouraged. My moms friend was in a stall similar to yours. She gave up on being anal about everything and just went about her life and a month later she had a nsv when she went to buy an outfit for some event. Turns out she was losing it all in inches during that time. She was scared to weigh herself but a week later when she got in the scale she was 8lbs down. Her stall was like 6 weeks after surgery. I guess it happened when she stopped stressing it. Take down your measurements and am so sure your going through the same thing. and 42lbs is great CONGRATS. During that time she was only down 22lbs down. I hope it gets better. Your doc might have some good tips for you. Good Luck and please don't avoid us! This is why we are all here for the good, the bad, answers, questions, concerns, etc. GOOD LUCK AGAIN please keep me posted.

I'm sure the weight loss will slow down a little once I start weighing a little less. I think people who have a really large amount of weight to lose drop big numbers in the beginning. I bet if you looked at someone starting out 100 lbs or more less than me at their starting weight the percentage would be the same. For example I have lost approximately 18% if my total body weight over 4 months. That is the equivalent of a person who starts out at 250 losing around 44 pounds over 4 months. I am not trying to say that I haven't done well with my sleeve so far. I'm just saying that someone who loses a much smaller number is working their sleeve just as well. I think we get so caught up in the numbers. Do you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, though. I am still going to make sure to post when I am down 100 lbs.,150 lbs., 200 lbs., every time I lose a size or have a NSV, etc,! LOL

Thank you!!! My other NSV was walking past lane Bryant and knowing the clothes in there are too big. I had a pair of 14w from there and it gave me massive soggy bottom. 14 pants and xl tops. I almost squealed in the dressing room.

My most recent pre surgery NSV was having my husband remove a link from my watch so it doesn't just slosh around my wrist and realizing that it won't take too much more loss for another link to come off! I was almost giddy about it, and it made my husband laugh (in a nice way). Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST