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Great NSV!

Wow! You lost 68 lbs and have a huge NSV! Going down 2 sizes is big! When was the last time you went down 2 sizes in such a rapid period of time. I love this NSV and I hope you savour it! It's awesome! So proud of you. Thanks for sharing.

Yayy!! That's no small NSV, that's a great big awesome one!!! Congrats

Hello all! So I am down 67# today..sleeved 4/3 and have been in need of some new scrubs for awhile! So I went and bought some on sale last night..went down 2 scrub sizes and my coworkers said that I have been hiding under the bigger ones ( well honestly..I was being cheap because the bigger ones are like wearing pjs.. But they aren't flattering) so I thought I would break down and get new ones..so today..I am rocking some curves! LOL!! Slowly but surely will win this race against the bulge! I promised myself I wouldn't post a picture until I wa 6 months out..and I will definitely post a before and after..but to me..this was too good!

We had a Redbox movie to return, so I stopped by the CVS on my way to the library. The Redbox kiosk was out of order so I went to the library and picked up my books that were reserved. When I got back in the car I remembered the movie. The nearest Redbox was at McDonald's. I walked in and had the weirdest feeling. I realized I hadn't been inside a McDonald's since before my surgery in late April. It smelled greasy and kind of made me a little queasy. This from a girl who lived on bacon egg and cheese biscuits, sweet tea, cheeseburger Happy Meals, and more Diet Coke than you can imagine. Amazing, strange and wonderful!

Riding whatever I want to at Great America and also not having to turn sideways to go through turn styles!

I know each surgeon's post-op instructions vary (quite wildly, in fact!). I myself was not eating solids until 4 weeks out and started out very gingerly at that.........eating mostly mushies! A 1 lb increase is very normal when you're weighing yourself daily. As you mentioned, extra salt can cause increased Water retention. For women, hormonal changes cause all kinds of water fluctuation. A lack of bowel movements can also increase our weight. And as SMP1126 mentioned, "starvation mode" can throw us into a stall and cause fluctuations as well. The "Week 3 Stall" is a VERY well known topic here on VerticalSleeveTalk. If you were to type that into the search bar (top right hand corner of the page), you would be AMAZED at the number of posts and amount of discussion about it! Don't get discouraged, and stay your course. Keep drinking your fluids, go slow and easy with your foods. Try to get moving if you can (not sure swimming is a good idea yet, especially if you had a drain.....it takes time for those incisions to really heal up, and chlorine in the wounds won't help!). I do quite a bit of walking and I started swimming around week 6-7 post-op. Keep up the great work, and if you can manage it, put the scale away for a few days. The stall will drive you crazy (up 1/2 pound, down 1/2 pound, up 1 pound....ARGH!). Instead, try taking your measurements and monitor them. And take note of how your clothes are fitting. These are very motivating NSVs (non scale victories) that are not tied to the evil scale.

Kudo's Nicole with your NSV list! I can definitely relate to most of those on your list. We have to remember, it's just not the numbers on the scale but how we feel, look and all the extras that come along with the lapband. I finally went for another unfill this morning. He took out .3cc's and told me he could see it was needed. I asked him if it's possible to be in the green zone with such a small amount of fill {as Nicki} mentioned and he agreed, it does happen. We'll see how things go in the next few weeks. I'm just so glad to finally say, "Uncle", as I was fighting it for some time just thinking it was the way I ate, chewed, bit, etc. It was periodic but this week it seemed everything I put into my mouth, I got stuck and PB'd 3-4 times. Not good. Hope this does it so I can eat normally, as well as getting enough protein in me. I'm losing my hair and I'm not liking that. This too shall pass. Onward and upward. Thanks for your words of encouragement, support and love. Sweet blessings today to all!

Good day to you all! I wanted to share some good news. I woke up Sunday and weighed myself and realized I hit just a tad over my half way goal! I've lost 62 lbs! I started my pre-op diet in Feb 28th of this year. The Dr had put me on a 4 week shake diet. @ weeks of all shakes except a sensible dinner then 2 weeks full liquid. I lost 25 lbs in doing just that alone. I had my surgery March 28th and have lost 37 since. It's been an up and down journey that's for sure. Good days and bad days. Days with good restriction and days where I wanted to eat EVERYTHING in sight. Meeting with my dietitian really helped. When I saw her a few weeks ago she told me she has seen hundreds of patients and that I'm the most successful in such a short period of time that's she can remember seeing. That made my day and really helped get me back to being motivated! I saw her again earlier this week and she said she couldn't believe how different I looked in just a month since she last saw me. I was so nervous to start this journey and kept looking for excuses to not go through with it, but like many have said, in this wonderful forum, that the only regret was not getting it done sooner. I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. It has happened so fast and I cant' believe the little things I'm noticing. Several nsv's. A few of them may be silly. For instance. One I've noticed is when I was at my heaviest using a regular sized public bathroom was so difficult. I was so uncomfortable and could barely open the door to get out sometimes. I always had to use the handicapped stall. Now I'm noticing I can fit in regular stalls with ease now! :-) I was able to paint my toenails the other night with them propped in the same chair seat that I was sitting in without being out of breath and stretching to reach because my big belly was in the way. These are a few of many I notice. They may sound silly but when you couldn't do them for so long it's amazing feeling to do what "regular" people can do that they take for granted. I'm far from goal and I'm a bit nervous because this is the weight I usually have given up with in the past. I felt I could never get any smaller than this, but I'm determined this time. I do most of the work, but this little band has really been a great tool for me. I never understood what people meant in the beginning that it was only a tool if used properly. I totally get that now. I went from barely being able to get off the couch to actually wanting to get up early to go start my 3 mile walk. Sorry for the long ramble, I just wanted to share my story and also give myself some accountability so I won't give up and hopefully maybe to encourage others who may be struggling right now. I've had a lot of encouragement from my surgical team, dietitian, friends, and family and I'm so grateful God's been holding my hand and giving me strength through it all when I really thought I had none of my own left. Well, I hope you all are having a blessed Thursday! The first picture is about an hour before surgery. I look extra gross because of the wet shower hair on no makeup and the fact I was talking when my husband snapped the picture. I almost didn't post it because seeing it makes me cringe, sick to my stomach and want to cry my eyes out, but I ended up posting it because I want to remind myself I never want to go there again. The second one was taken this past Sunday after church. It's crazy how sometimes my mind doesn't see a difference in the mirror at all, I have to take old pics out sometimes to keep my mind in check. Anyone else go through that?

Nicole! That is an AWESOME list of NSVs! I also no longer need acid reflux meds or my CPAP machine! I "tried on" a skirt I wore six months ago, this morning...and was able to pull the waist of it about 8 inches from left side. WOW! I tried to get a picture with my laptop cam but I couldn't do it. I'll get hubby to snap one when he's awake. LOL. I also didn't gain anything during TTOTM this time! Yay!! Meredith & Lady B: Keep us posted on what's going on. I'm going to ask my doc if some meds will cause the band to tighten as well. I noticed that during my TOTM this time, on the days I took generic Midol, I seemed to have more of a problem getting food down. He told me it would be tighter anyway because of the fluid retention in the body, but on the days I didn't take the med, I didn't have any issues. weird. Meredith...have fun at the reunion. Work it Girl! I agree with what has been said about still seeing the "old me" in the mirror. I think part of it is because I don't have clothes that fit properly. I mean, they are wearable, but not all of them really, truly fit. Part of it is that I still have work to do toning lots of areas of my body. So, I've started trying to only look in the "big" mirror when I'm fully clothed. I also try to focus on areas where, to me, the loss is really noticeable...like my waist, neck and chest. That really does help me start to visualize a skinnier me. However, its still hard to wrap my mind around the possibility of being in a single digit size. I mean...I haven't been since I was like, 15. LOL! God bless of each you today. Look to Him for your strength in every moment. Love & Hugs,

I was so busy complaining I for got to list my NSVs: 1. I can now wrap a regular bath towel around myself, tuck in the top & it stays up without showing any skin on the sides the ends actually overlap!! 2. I can carry a load of laundry up 3 flights of stairs without stopping to catch my breath 3. I can shop in any store I want to!! 4. I can eat bad food without hating myself, beating myself up and going on a binge! 5. I got below 225 for the 1st time in 10 years & have stayed below for 3 mths!! 6. I don't feel like taking a nap at 3pm anymore 7. I don't feel like coming home from work and watching TV until bedtime (4-5hrs)!! 8. I am no longer taking acid reflux meds! 9. I no longer need my APAP!! 10. I actually like myself again, am proud of myself and believe in myself!!!!! Whoopy!!

How would everyone feel about doing monthly challenges, for our little group? Each month we have a challenge that we can track either with your signature or a ticker and the prize is weight loss, inches lost, NSVs, and better health. I think this would be a great way to challenge the group and keep everyone accountable. Let me know what you think and we will start in August! Also throw some challenge ideas out there!

My collar bones were one of my first NSV's at about 20 pounds. I've definitely lost from the top down, as "they" say women do. When sitting at my desk at work, I often lean forward with my elbow on the desk, cross my arm across my chest and rest my hand on my chest/shoulder. The first time I felt that bone poking out it scared me. It takes a while to get used to!

My husband and I were play fighting today, which we often do, and out of no where he pulls a move never used on me before... He grabs my collar bone! I didn't know I had them... He told me they've been poking out a few weeks now. Went to the bathroom mirror to check... I'll be damned.. there they were. NSV number 1227... Lol...(or so it feels lol)

Almost six weeks post op and I can finally wear my wedding rings again! Woo hoo! I had to pry them off my finger (no easy task) almost two years ago and I have not been able to wear them since. Thank goodness I am a born procrastinator and never got around to having them resized, because they fit me again! Yay! I always felt like my finger was naked and also felt a little weird about not wearing them. Thankfully my husband never questioned it.

Congratulations. They are great NSVs, especially being a motivation for someone else. Keep up the great work!

Blan, that must feel so good. How rewarding such minor things like this make a 'huge' difference in our lives. I can't wait to have NSV's.. -Patty

What does NSV stand for?

So true, Chrissy, I second all that you said. Just think about it ladies, when our weight has fluctuated with the lapband, I know I can speak for myself, I can put or 4-5lbs in a nanosecond if I go off the diet {before WLS} and then get discouraged and then continue the eating frenzy. From what I'm seeing here, if we gain, it's only seems to be a pound or two and that's nothing. Nicole, even though you went "down under" for a bit, you were teetering on a 2lb gain in the past month! That's awesome in my book! We also have to remember, being banded is just a part of our world, we all have a life surrounded around this new journey. If we had financial, marital, kids, career, etc etc. problems before, the lapband doesn't change that. We have to change it or work with it. I have my down times too from time to time. I've been bad and haven't really exercised although I'm still losing weight. Our "gym" room is not a/c'd. I really need to get up there early in the a.m. when it's cooler but I haven't. Shame on me. I will and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Like Chrissy said, "we are an awesome group of women" who are bonded together due to our band and hope we continue. Whether we go on everyday and post or through an eye in, we all know we're there for one another. Love you guys! Now for my NSV. Going out with HS friends for dinner tomorrow night and tried on a pr of size 18 LaneBryant cropped pants I bought 1.5mth ago. Tags still on. Tried them on and they literally fell off me! Took them back today w/receipt. No more summer clothes there however, I found my favorite Seven Jeans they carry there on the sales rack. For my 30lb loss I treated myself to a pr which was a size 18 and paid an arm & a leg for them knowing full well I wouldn't be wearing them forever but I just had to have them. Well, they're too big even to be tailored so I gave them to a friend who could use them. I found a pr, size 16 and they cost $19.00!!! When I saw that, I ran back to the rack and got the last size 14 for that price! What the heck, at those prices it was a steal! I have to say, I've been wearing my prairie skirts, {my uniform lately, with tank tops} and haven't worn slacks in 2 mths. When I put those jeans on, I was shocked to see how thin I was. I say that because I am pear shaped so of course that's always the last to go! Like Oatknam,and other's I'm sure, I still see the 235lb matronly woman in the mirror some times. Not today! I looked like an 18 yr old with great curves! Not only will I be having dinner with HS friends tomorrow night, { they've seen me at my 30lb loss} but we have a mini reunion on Saturday night with a good 100 HS people I graduated with 39 yrs ago. They saw me last year at my heaviest. Even one of the guys I knew from the neighborhood was surprised how heavy I had gotten. That's ok, he was kind to me. So, this year, I can't wait to see them!

I thought I would share a few NSV's I've had recently as I find these very motivating. I was banded May 10th but I count since I started the program in February. Since then I've lost 70lbs and continue to lose about 2 lbs a week. Anyway on the NSV's: 1. I was able to buy a new belt today at a normal store, I didn't have to go the Big and Tall store. I wanted to keep the old belt and I had been punching holes in it to keep using it, but I work in a professional office and the shabby look doesn't fly. Anyway I went to the store to actually pick up some socks and figured I'd try on a belt just to see and low and behold it fit!!!! 2. I am a guy and shave every morning for work. Shaving has actually become a lot easier believe it or not. I never expected this change, but I have noticed that my face shaves cleaner and I have a lot less razor bumps now. 3. This one is pretty exciting. I was the biggest person in my office of about 100 people for a long time. There was one other guy who was also large, but about 50lbs lighter than where I started in February. Well since I've lost weight and now I have passed him up he wants to join me in my fitness routine. I am happy to have a workout buddy, and I am really glad that I (the fatest (former) person at work) has inspired one of my coworkers to get into better shape!!! Thanks for all the support fellow bandsters and I look forward to posting more NSV's on here!

NSV = Non Scale Victory

Hello everyone! Congrats on meeting your goals and NSV!! I have actually been reading your posts over the last few weeks but have not posted. I haven't felt good about myself over the past month which affects my eating, exercise and motivation. I have only been working out 2-3 times a week, not logging my food, eating bad food and just kinda moping around feeling sorry for myself. My weigh has yo-yo 2lbs up & down over the past month. The strange thing is it has not really bothered me. I know what I need to do but I have just felt like I need a break from all of this. So I took my break & now I need to get myself motivated again. So my goal is 4lbs by 7/26!! There is my goal!! And motivation. Ttyl!

Good job you are so close to Onderland! I lost 0 this week, and 1 last week. So I think I'm on my first stall Not too bad for 15 weeks out I guess. I ate a lot of junk last week, I was in Atlantic City for the Holiday. So I'm not sure if it's a real stall or just not losing because of the junk. I'm not worried though, I can tell I'm shrinking and today wore a blouse to work that I haven't been able to fit in years. It's a size 14/16 but it's a long tunic and it actually fits over my large hips now. Yay NSV! That's cool about your co-worker. Only a few people know I went to MX to get sleeved. Still keeping the big secret from my Mom. At first I thought the surgery you were talking about was plication, but I'm not sure now. Hopefully you can convince him to get the real sleeve. I talked one of my friends out of the crapband, and now she's getting sleeved. I feel like a spokesmodel now LOL! I'm still doing Zumba classes and my elliptical, but now my Mom has an XBOX Kinect and I so want one now. I played Zumba on it and it's great. Maybe I will get it when I hit the 50 lb mark which is 2 lbs away.

Hi All Sorry haven't had time to post been so busy getting everything ready for the Memorial ride. Somehow I hurt my foot don't know what I did I am going to see the podiatrist today I need to be able to walk this week!! Good news is I am down some weight which is great since I haven't been eating right at all (forgetting to eat) eating late at night when I finally stop! I have been walking alot so I know that has helped! I hope MD is ok? Daisy -Happy Birthday Girl and congrats on your NSV!!! Sleepyone - Happy Birthday as well Lose It - one day at a time I did the same started going up and then talked to the doctor and had a second fill doing well now.

Ohhhh! I can't wait for that to happen to me!!!! I wear a size 11W and I want to buy CUTE shoes again Can't find anything in a size 11W except boring, orthopedic-looking shoes! And if they do carry a cute shoe in size 11W it's always out-of-stock! Congrats on your NSV, even if it is aggravating for you