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This is a great NSV!!!You probably deserve a new pair or 2. Best wishes,Karen

Thank you! For loving the list and for the kind words of encouragement. Do you share any of these NSV goals.. or have you achieved any? Any weird ones you have of your own??

We need to hand out a NSV of the year award. This takes it.

Hi Meredith...welcome back! What a great NSV!!! In the midst of my complaining the other day, I totally forgot to mention an NSV I had. Well...I guess its partially a scale victory..but I call it an NSV because the scale really hasn't moved much. However, how my clothes fit has. I went to Goodwill looking for some slacks because my 18/18Ws are really loose. I bought two pairs of slacks that are a 16!!!! I can't wait to wear them to work. They are washed and hanging...just ready to be shown off! LOL. And...I did NOT step on the scale today. That's something else I'm working on. Have a great day everyone!

That is truly amazing!!! What a wonderful NSV! I can't wait to enjoy those same experiences. Congrats!

Oh my goodness, Stace! You look great! What a wonderful NSV as to see your own pictures and realize how far yu've come! Congrats to you, keep up the great work. Karen

I went on our annual vacation last week..... I was able to do roller coasters with NO problems! I fit in them all! My son who is 8 was so happy I went on rides with him! He said it was the best vacation. I cried. I did walk alot though which to me was a NSV as I was able to keep up and at times was able to keep going when everyone needed a break! Michelle xo

Hi Gals, I'm back as promised. Had some company the past week so just threw an eye in here and a quick post. Nicole1: I like the idea of behavior changes as a goal, with or without losing weight because in the end, if we continue to change our old habits, we'll eventually lose the weight! I've been slacking off with journaling, tracking, Water, and exercising. Not even my FitBit got me motivated! No excuses but I can name many but that would be an old behavior now wouldn't it? :-) I got back to working out, bought all new Vitamins {I stopped with them too} got the Fitbit on, and getting my mojo up and running. Did Leslie Sansone's 5 mile burning fat DVD yesterday. One would think walking is a piece of cake but I have to say, she can kick your butt and feel a great workout afterwards. Kymie: thanks for the website re: calculating our weight loss. I'm at 21.28% so far. I never like numbers before when it came to weight but I do now!!! Erica: Glad to hear you had a great vacay and you didn't let your lapband get in the way. Although you enjoyed what you ate, it was a treat, and not a treatment as my mother would say, and you worked out on the beach and burned it off. 2lb gain is not bad and now you even lost it. I lived a block from the beach before moving and every weekend, I would walk barefoot in the sand before the world got up. It was a great workout as well as being blessed to be at the Jersey Shore. I also agree with the other's here re: betrayal at work. Shame on them but glad to hear you rose above it! They'll all be enying you as you continue on your journey to become the Lapband model! :-) JDI: Talk about work outs, the Firm really is an awesome workout! I haven't seen the newest version of the DVD's but have the old 'cassettes' and they surely pack a punch when it comes to the hips, thighs and butt! You go girl! Chrissy: What a dilemma you have, what with your skirts getting too big! Don't you just love it? Of course, it's an added expense but well worth it in the end. During the summer months I've always worn the mid thigh broomstick skirts since I would never wear shorts and couldn't find cropped pants that would fit properly. I've noticed now, the waistbands are stretched out somewhat and actually hiding my 'thinness'. I mentioned here earlier in the week that I bought hiking shorts and just love them and feel no one is looking at me saying or thinking 'who does she think she is wearing clothes like that'? Too late in the season to find cropped pants but that's ok. I'm sure I have some in storage for next summer. {size 10}. Chrissy, hope the humidity has broken where you are and in Kentucky and all across the country. We had a few storms and our humidity finally broke. It's 70 deg here this morning at the Jersey Shore and it's gorgeous. Slept with the windows open last night which I love to do so I can hear the birds chirping early in the a.m. Ladybandito: Glad to hear the irritation is gone. I think we can all relate to that at one time or another. Your doctor sounds like he/she is very conservative with their philosophy on WLS. My Dr is and I'm ok with that. Are you losing in inches? I don't get crazy about the numbers on the scale. Since doing the surgery, if I've gone up 2lbs at anyone time, I'm am over joyed. Prior to surgery, I could go up a good 5lbs at any given time, and continue! I mainly go by my clothes and how the fit as well as the scale. Speaking of which, I am at a plateau for the past month and now stepping up my game and bought a Yoga DVD to get me inspired. I use to do yoga back in the day. It seems to be the rage around here so I thought it would be good to do on my non cardio days. I had another NSV yesterday which will stay with me for a loooonnnnggg time. My 16 yr old step daughter is visiting from SC. We've had our differences over the years like lots of step moms/daughters. She use to always say things to me or about me re: my big butt!. She came home at Easter time and was surprised my 'big butt' wasn't so big. Yesterday, I happened to be in the bedroom with a tank top and undies getting ready to change and she came in. She said, :omg, your butt"!!! I I looked in the mirror and thought it grew over night when she said, "it looks awesome"!!! LOL Ok, flabby but much smaller and awesome! I'll take it!!! LOL

AWESOME! GREAT NSV! I had 2 tubs of clothing from skinnier days tucked away in the attic...to my dismay, the lids to the tubs came loose evidently from getting too hot and too cold up in the attic and mice found their way to them. Result...very holely clothing Did a complete attic clean and set some traps, but that won't bring my clothes back

I am slowly but surely telling people about my surgery and I cannot expess enough the same answer to the same question. How long do you have to eat like this? Answer- Forvever, I didn't go through all this pain and pay all this $$$$ to gain weight all over again. And stop inviting out to dinner, let's go walking or bowling or watch a movie instead. I know that friends will come and go during this journey and I am ok with that. I believe that the true friends stick with you no matter what. NSV - Working out of on the eliptical for 30 minutes straight. That is a big one for me. Those last 10 minutes were killer. These two months have not been as bad as I imagined. I feel really great, positive attitude with life in general and energetic. I definitely know that the guys are paying a little more attention now that I have slimmed down a bit. My friends always said they were looking before but I never noticed. Now I see a smile here or there. A pause with direct eye contact by a stranger. But I still believe in the ones that were around BS (before surgery) those are the true ones. Even though it doesn't hurt to find new friends . I am looking forward to August, I just found a new house and I am starting the process for purchase. This is really exciting. If all goes well I will be sipping lemonade in the shade on my new screened in porch.

Hello, world. I thought I'd take the time to formally list out my non scale victory goal list. Having been around the weight loss block and back again oh say.. 10 times over (enough already!).. I recognize the importance of setting scale and non scale victories for myself. As a young lay-daaay (oh, haaaai!) who has been overweight all my life but with a trendy, fashion-loving sense of style, I have a long one. Sure, I have my weight and health goals. Of course. I've had them for years. But now's the time to list out every detail - big and small - that I have wanted to get to my entire life but due to my weight, have yet to achieve... and keep. Mr. List - I vow to come back to you throughout my weight loss journey for motivation, reminders, celebrations and reality checks.. for those plateaus and frustrating times to keep me going. I'm starting with 18 because I'm a superstitious freak and that's my lucky number. Ready, set... Fitting into designer skinny jeans. Not James Jeans from Salon Z at Saks (though I do love you, boo), but honest to goodness designer denim: Sevens, J Brand, Joe's. Tankini... or, dare I say it.. bikini? Sitting in a chair without something in my lap - a sweater, HUGE BAG, or hiding behind a table to hide the rolls of my stomach. Who am I fooling? The end of thigh chafing. TMI, but Chicago summers? Come ON. More easily tying or strapping on m'shoes sans tummy to make things difficult. The end of plus sized clothing options. Confidence to show my arms. Rock a Rent the Runway dress (standard sizing) for the next wedding I attend! Courage and energy for spinning classes at Fly Wheel or Soul Cycle Easily do ten perfect push ups - the bain of my existence in all my current workout vids! Zipping into my favorite top from my studying abroad (thinnest days) Fitting into any clothing item smaller than an XL or single digits Shop in the same stores/sections as my girlfriends and be able to buy more than just accessories! Take photos without hiding behind people. Actually needing a belt. (Not just for a fashion statement) Able to be carried... On top. Nuff said. Cross my legs... easily, with a sky high pair of platforms, natch. More to come! Anybody else? What are your NSV goals, hopes or achievements? Mine may seem random or superficial, but so many times in my life I've wanted to be able to more easily do these things but my weight has prevented me from enjoying them.

Thanks Amy. That makes more sense....Non-Scale Victory! NSV.

NSV is a good one. You'll see it a lot around here.

NSV? Never heard of that. I do love how u explained that- that is exactly what I think all the time. I saw all those things slipping away from me slowly (can't cross my legs without holding my leg with my hand and that hurts! All of those things. I'm sorry to keep repeating myself (if u have ever read any other posts of mine) but I am so counting down the days and I just pray insurance goes through. Xxx

Yes, there's a lot of work to do, but it's SO worth it when you start having those NSV's !!!

@ Justine13: Well they go up to a 3X so I'm hoping I can realistically be in a 1X-2X by November. That would be at least a 50 lbs total weight loss for me. I have a lot to lose. I have my "skinny" clothes on hand in the house and I don't foresee buying anything new except bras, underwear and pants as the weight comes off. I have a whole stable of black pants and leggings on hand, but none have belt loops or zippers.They truly are my "big girl" pants with the elastic waist. I just can't wait to feel comfortable in my own skin. Just comfortable being able to cross my legs like a lady, wear a mini-skirt on "date night," sit comfortably at a booth in a restaurant, not have to request a seat belt extender on the plane, and sit Indian style on the floor w/o effort. Little rewards like that, I want to experience. I think the lingo on the forum is NSV (non scale victory). I think I got it right?....LOL. I just look forward to what I will be able to accomplish with this new tool (The Sleeve) to help me with my weight loss and health. Sigh...Lots of work to do!

What a great dialogue this thread stimulated! A myriad of things come to mind when I think about my ongoing weight loss journey. Tonight I am going to the Hollywood Bowl for a summer concert under the stars, to see Smokey Robinson. I am looking forward to the music of course, and hanging out with my girlfriends - but I am also looking forward to being able to walk that hill without feeling like I am going to pass out. Last year, I went to the same concert with some friends, and I used to huff and puff up the little hill that takes you into the venue site - I would always ask to stop at the restrooms at the mid-way point, even if I didn't have to use the restroom - I just needed to catch my breath! I would then get a few paper towels and moisten them to be able to cool myself off by the time we would get to our box seats. You know how it is or used to be, when you would stop walking - the heat in your body would just build up...and sweating was soon to follow. I can easily walk for miles now and I am nearly 75 pounds lighter than last summer...this is a milestone in my journey - oh how I used to wish I didn't have to go through the shame of being so overweight and out of shape! Well this is my little victory walk tonight! That's a NSV (non scale victory)! I was also thinking about the mechanics of the post-op hormonal changes that take place, one the decrease of the hormone ghrelin, but also what I think may be a change in our natural reward centers revolving around the eating process and the release of dopamine and serotonin - our natural feel good chemicals, many of which are released during the eating process. The process of eating pre-op without limitation offerred us more than the reward of just getting full, the "feel good" hormones were soon to follow, and that reward kept us coming back over and over. Feeling bad, lonely, frustrated....bring on the food. Feeling joyful, elated, excited...bring on the food. What I have noticed without the food binge opportunity, is that my reward isn't the same, whether it is because we are comsuming so much less, or whether the balance of hormones has changed, it is different. I think this is why so many say that eating is more of a chore than a pleasure. Also, once you experience a negative side effect of eating something you cannot tolerate, it sends the body a powerful aversion to that behavior which is held in our memory bank. This stuff is all probably instinctive, to prevent humans from consuming things that were toxic. But, hey...it works! The other side of this is that "feel good" hormones are coming from different strategies for me now. Feeling like I have a "can do" attitude makes me soar. Feeling good in my clothes is a secret little joy. Having control over my eating makes me proud of myself. I still enjoy cooking and I still enjoy food - I mean we need it to survive...but I don't turn to it first to make me HAPPY anymore. I get out more, I can do more physically, and I just keep feeling better and better about this decision I made ! Good luck DeterminedGirl !!

Outstanding!!!! You are on a roll... Err, umm I mean walk:)keep it up. You're turning this NSV into an NSV V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

Great NSV, I too have bought things, wore once and found next time too big!!Great for the ego, no the pocket book!

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?

Sounds like everyone is doing well as usual! Erica, that's a bummer that somebody blabbed at work... I haven't told anyone except a relative at my workplace either, but I have a feeling some may know because no one ever asks me about my current eating habits and they always used to on every diet (many!) that I've been on. That's one of the reasons I didn't tell people, because I can't stand it when people ask for updates (how much have you lost? How much do plan to lose? Etc). It could be that they are just not that interested anymore, but either way, I've decided that I won't make it an issue anymore. Glad you're taking the "super-model" approach! Kymie, thanks for the info link ... And Amica, for the recipe. Crissylu and JustDoIt, you guys are my role models and so inspirational! Nicole, congrats to you on some revved up positive attitude, you'll do great, and Meredith, great NSV. Last time I posted I was having irritation when I swallowed food. I guess I was overreacting, because it went away after a couple of days eating soft foods and has been OK since. I went for my fill on Wednesday and even though I've only lost 4 pounds in the 2 months since my last fill, the doc gave me a .2 cc fill and said I was doing quite well, slow and steady. He asked how long did I feel "something" after the last fill and I told him for about a month and he said I was probably getting very close to where I needed to be, and that very small amounts make a big difference at this stage. Anyway, I totally forgot to ask how much I have in my band at this point!! I think it's like 3.5 or something. My goal to the end of the month is to crank up the water, get in more exercise, eat only "healthy" choices as well as small portions, and to rev up this weight loss! Cheers to all of you, love reading your posts.

Isnt it great!! I flew for work yesterday for the first time since actually feeling small...was surprised at how the seatbelt went on. Even flying home in that horrible middle seat (cause we were late to flights) was not uncomfortable, no squeezing my arms in trying to remain in the space, my arms all fit within the seat. I love to travel so these are the funnest NSV's!!1

Very Nice NSV!!! Congrats on your sleeve and congrats on no longer being winded. LOL....

Love it!! It's so amazing how these little things can go unnoticed until all of a sudden you're like holy crap? That's something I've never done?! I have to climb a long flight of stairs to get to my office at work and 8 months ago I would be sweating ad soooooo out of breath by the time I got up there. Now it's a breeze and I'm not out of breath. I'm loving all my little nsv's. I love hearing everyone's.