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Congratulations in ur non scale victory (NSV) !! I know it's hard but the numbers are obviously changing if ur fitting smaller clothes.maybe try measuring your arms thighs and hips and waist line watch those numbers for a while cuz they are going down and I think you should celebrate that !!

Congratulations in ur non scale victory (NSV) !! I know it's hard but the numbers are obviously changing if ur fitting smaller clothes.maybe try measuring your arms thighs and hips and waist line watch those numbers for a while cuz they are going down and I think you should celebrate that !!

Okay... I can hardly believe that it's been 6 months already!!! Seems like only yesterday I couldn't fit into a booth at Texas Roadhouse, but it's actually been over 17 months... Feels like I was just complaining about how my dumb insurance company requires 6 month medically supervised diet... but that's been 12 months ago.. and then I met my Sleevina... The past 6 months have been the most mentally engaging 26 and a half weeks of my life!!! It's been a challenge to get up each day and not be consumed by the RULES, but respecting them and not looking at them as BAD... but as parameters and boundaries that keep my Sleevina working optimally.... So, this journey is definitely not for the faint at heart or those who are seeking to somehow become whole after losing weight.. Wholeness comes from knowing yourself, outside of physical parameters and having the strength to work hard and change the things that aren't "meshing" with the real you.. Anyway.. here are my stats since I started this journey... HW: 384 CW: 314 Clothing sizes: Highest: 30/32-4X in everything Current 20/22 - 1X (I still struggle to purchase them!!) Pre-surgery Shoe Size: 11WW Current: 10W Bra Size Pre- 48 DD Current- 42D Exercise Level: Pre- Nonexistent due to back injury and poor left side dorsiflexion Post- aqua aerobics, stationery bike, (ELLIPTICAL.. go figure), lots of walking Greatest SUCCESS to date: I'm mentoring 2 young ladies that I met recently..One was sleeved 3 weeks ago, the other had RNY 5 weeks ago.. I get an opportunity to share my ups and downs, give encouragement and advice, PLUS receive it!! Through it all, I don't have any regrets... Yesterday while biking away in the gym, this guy walks up to me and tells me I have enviable legs and calves... I laughed and said thanks... I wanted to say, please move so I can finish my workout.. This is an NSV because I love men and he was kind of cute.. but I wanted to finish strong and he was being a distraction!!! That's a huge step for me... I'm determined to put on blinders to all distractions, negativity, unhealthy weights (people, mindsets, attitudes, etc) and baggage that seeks to impede my journey towards my goals...They're not worth the time, energy and effort!! BUT I AM WORTH IT!!! If you are at goals and in maintenance, congrats.. If you are still on the journey to goal, congrats and don't lose sight of it... remember everyday you get closer, if you make the right decisions...if you are a NEWBIE, welcome!!! Trust me it gets better!! And if you are comtemplating getting sleeved, don't hesitate.. but prepare to have your life totally altered in ways you can't imagine...Remember, you have to know that you are worth whatever dollar amount it costs, however long the pre-op diet it, and whatever fiery hoop you have to jump through... Get all the facts, but don't sell yourself and your loved ones short.. Yes, my life has changed, yes... I had to leave some people behind.. but, I found myself again!!! And I have to say... she's pretty darn cool!!! I like me a lot!! I haven't dropped a huge amount of weight (in pounds), but I have left a HUGE amount of disgust, low-confidence, defeat and many other things synonomous with CRAP along the way... A few Tina-isms: Your journey is yours!!! You can't expect it to be exactly like someone else's... Don't compare yourself to anyone else.. Compare yourself to YOU!!.. Look at old pics, keep track of your measurements, do a side by side comparison... trust me, you'll see the difference Enjoy your journey!!! If you do it grudgingly, the smallest excuse is all you'll need not to work out, not to drink Water, not to refrain from high calorie, but delicious stuff that slows/stalls your progress Find an activity that you LOVE to do.. I LOVE aqua aerobics... I don't see it as excercise (although Jenna the Beast works the HECK out of me!!)... it's fun, burns lots of calories and helps tone the whole body Affirm yourself!! Positive self affirmations work wonders when you are struggling to finish that last mile or last 5 minutes of a workout.. Yes, hearing it from others is good.. but say something good about yourself. Extend the same love, support, grace, mercy and consideration to yourself, as you lavish on others.. You're human too right?? Don't make excuses, MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!

I love this! This was one of my favorite NSV's as well. CONGRATS!

Hi Gals, Glad to see most of you on here. Where's that Kymie girl and Horsegirl? I know, it's summer and everyone is just so busy. I'm hoping to meet the July 4th goal of 50lbs or close to it as I have 4 lbs to go. Chrissylu: congrats on Onederland and not bouncing back up. I feared that too when I hit 199, however, I kept going lower on the scale. Great feeling. I agree with you re: the mirror. I learned along time ago gaining and losing weight, that I was never going to lose the saddlebags or the derriere although they diminished in size. Prior to that I thought when you lost weight, the troubled areas would be GONE! Ok, I was young and dumb then! haha Keep up whatever you're doing because it's working for you! Nicole1: Sorry to hear you were so sick but glad to hear you're back and feeling better. We missed you. You are my hero when it comes to your post re: stress and walking, literally, away from the hershey kisses. I'm an old "saltie dog" who would have a very hard time while under stress not to keep my hands out of the biggest costco bag of cheese doodles!!! And even maybe looking for something else to "satisfy" the demons! Looking back, since surgery, haven't been under too much stress to test it out, thank goodness. Also glad to see someone here has only a few cc's in the band. I thought I was the only one. I'm literally on my 2nd fill since surgery the end of Jan. {the initial 2nd fill was taken out days later} and have approx. 3cc's in my 10 cc band. I'm pretty restricted I must say so I'm not complaining. Not sure that I like or feel the gurgle sound myself but it's getting better. :-) Erica: I won't repeat what the other's have said, but just be patient. Wishing you good choices and hoping for you to see some positive changes soon. JDI/Nicki: LOL I'll stay with my bags of mulch, they're easier to keep track of then so many sticks of butter. My brain is slowing down at this age!!! Besides, I can carry a bag of mulch, not sure I could carry all those sticks of butter, I might eat them!!! Mulch tastes awful!!! LOL NJ2NC: Hopefully the other's here gave you good advice. I never logged food while being on WW year's ago, as I thought I knew what I was doing. Wrong! I try my best to log most foods but there are days I don't. I think between the Fitbit and MFP, and of course the band, it's helped me take control of my {new} life for the most part. Love your husband's remark re: your confidence. That's the best NSV a loved one can give you. :-) Speaking of MFP, the other night I needed my once a week beef fix. I grilled Trader Joe's Kobe burgers' for my husband & I. The next morning I tracked them on MFP and found out that one burger was 660 cal 35 carbs and 25 g of protein!!!! Yes, I know I could've looked on the box and read the nutrition, yes, I know burgers can be fattening but really???? We've been eating them every so often since TJ's opened up in our area last summer. And it was the first time since my fill weeks ago that I had no problems getting it down and it tasted so good! Bubba burgers are less but not by alot. But I'm not going to stop having my med rare burgers once a week or twice a month when I crave one. I'm still eating alot less then ever before and making better choices due to the band and my head. Well, it's after noon, on the Jersey Shore, the heat index being 96 right now I'm going to try and do some mulching if I can stand it. Stay cool everyone!

I jogged a mile w.out walking in 12.5 minutes last week on my treadmill...I have been doing two mile jogs down the dirt road since...its been yrs since I could do that!!..its much easier now to breathe and easier on the joints..just got to work off my belly and hip jiggle now.

What ROUND isn't a shape? I too had the chipmunk cheeks and hated them, I would actually slap myself while looking in the mirror, I hated them that much. This and seeing daylight between my legs when my knees touched were two of the greatest NSV's ever!

This was one of my favorite NSV's!!! I always felt like I looked like a chipmunk... and i actually avoided smiling because it would make my eyes look tiny and my cheeks blow up lol! It is awesome to not worry about that now!!!! Congrats

Bought my first skirt that is above my knees in over 8 years. went shopping and got sa jean skirt that is just at/above my knees. all the other skirts i have owned in the last 8 years have been calf or ankle length. I was just so excited to wear my skirt today. This is my first clothes purchase since surgery just to happy to keep it all in.

I went to my first Zumba class tonight and I was SO excited. Ive seen all the ads on TV for it and have heard how much a lot of people LOVE it. Well, I felt like a complete fool. 1st of all, going by myself kinda sucked. 2nd, I didnt realize quite how UN-coordinated I am, lol. I had absolutely NO idea what was going on 90% of the time. It totally kicked my ass though, which is good. I was going to do some extra cardio after the class, but had to go home because I was sooo whipped. For Zumba lovers, will this get better for me? How long did it take you to get all the steps down? Also, a kind of NSV, I was able to beat the helliptical yesterday by doing 10 minutes, lol. Before my best time was 6 mins

Woohoo! Good for you. I love reading the nsv's because I have all the same issues. I can't wait to have a lap again!

Awesome NSVs. I love reading them, so keep 'me coming... Sent from my iPad using VST

That's what they refer to as a "non-scale victory" , or "NSV". Good job! It can be frustrating that the scale isn't moving when you really feel like it should be, but you're clothes are looser! Your body is going through so many changes. I find that after I start something new, like advancing my diet (I'm five weeks post-op) my body seems to hold onto EVERYTHING I put in it. I gained 4 lbs in 2 days when I went to soft/moist food last week! About 5 days in, I was back to my lowest and moving down but I almost had a freak-out moment when I saw the scale going up when I was barely eating anything! Hang in there. As frustrating as it is, see it as a marathon not a sprint.

I was getting frustrated because I been in a plateau for 3 weeks. But I am losing inches. I have an expensive suit (that I only worn twice) that I have not been about to wear for about 2 years. I tried it on hoping that it would fit. It was way to big. I couldn't believe it. I am doing better than I thought. Also, a few years ago, I brought some sexy underwear as an incentive and to wear to celebrate losing weight. They fit perfectly. I am still frustrated but feeling better in my sexy undies. Lol

Congrats, expect more NSV's on the way! I hadn't noticed the napkin not falling off and I remembered when I read your comment how often I would have to pick it up off the floor and now I don't. Just actually HAVING a lap is a big change

So, for you lovely skinny people who have lost a significant amount of weight, have you experienced times when you were totally off balance and being blown away by the wind? Or off balance just plain walking? I find myself eperiencing this at times also and it does scare me, I start thinking, WTH? LOL This is a really weird NSV!! LOL

Hey, Bandsters! Now that Memorial Day has passed and we’re well into June, it’s summer time! Why not use the warm weather and casual dress code for motivation to stick to your diet? Of course, the newsletter’s a great way to remind you to be good, too! We keep you updated on what’s going on at LapBandTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Alex Brecher, founder of LapBandTalk.com! Kosher bandsters…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for bandsters who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your lap-band. They may have great solutions to problems that you’re having, and they can be super sympathetic to your situation. You can make close friends on these boards because you already have so much in common, and because you can spend a lot more “one-on-one” time with them. Come on over to the food or recipe. It’s pretty simple. Come up with a new recipe or try a new food that fits on your diet. Tell us about it! Recognize your non-scale victory (NSV): An NSV is something that is an accomplishment during your lap-band journey, but it isn’t based on the number on the scale. It might be something like fitting into a dress you like or being able to keep up with your grandchildren without getting tired. It’s never too late to try the old challenges and write about them. Share what you come up with to brag a little and help out others. The New Challenge: Be an Exercise Buddy! This challenge is great for your health and the health of a lucky new or old friend. Why? Over the next two weeks, your challenge is to do a workout with a new person. Some ideas for the challenge are to: Ask your neighbor to take a walk with you Ask someone at your gym to be your partner while you both lift weights Go for a bike ride with your kids or spouse Take a new exercise class Be creative! The goal is to do something fun and healthy, and maybe make a new friend or two along the way. Don’t forget to post your challenge results in the Challenge Forum. The forum’s also great place to go if you need ideas or have advice for other Bandsters. Good luck! And Finally: We Need Your Help! We’d like to ask you to support us when you can. Hopefully you value LapBandTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post LapBandTalk.com fliers in their offices. The fliers are all ready to be printed in black and white or color. We’re always growing, and you can help. Thank you. That does it for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and for your continued participation on the boards. Take care! Sincerely, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=newsletter

My NSV goals: To feel comfortable in my own body. To like the way I look in clothing. To be able to run around the soccer field with my son (who is very talented). To be able to buy normal/single digit clothing. To be able to wear sundresses To be able to wear tall socks without them looking like the threads are holding on for dear life. To be able to wear boots To be able to slide into a pair of LA Idol jeans and look amazing! To hear, "You look great, what have you been doing" To avoid all the complications that come with being overweight. To not look like a chunky in my drivers license photo

Yes I know...I'm a little late on posting...I was out of town on my 5 month surgiversary so I am posting now...I will admit, this has been one heck of a ride..Expecially the first month or two...That was the hardest. But it has all been well worth it..I have a ton of NSV's. I feel SOOO much better and my confidence has sky rocketed. I had the worst self esteem ever prior to surgery and I wouldn't say it is great now but it is a heck of a lot better. I am getting frustrated with the hair loss and can't wait for it to stop. My nutritionist says it is the worst between months 3-6. So I am hoping it will slow down soon as I have lost over half. I am currently down 81 pounds..I have went from a size 20 in jeans and a 3x shirt to a size 12 in jeans and a size xl shirt...Hoping to lose 19 more pounds...

NJ2NC...great NSV w/the dress! That's awesome! JDI...I met your birthday goal already. Mine was to hit Onederland by July 4th. YAY! So, I'm setting a new goal of reaching 70-75 lbs lost by 7/4. I'm at 64 now so...either another 6 or another 11 in 2 weeks. I think the 6 is more attainable but...away we go!

Thanks so much to all who replied. I thank you for the compliments and loved seeing NSVs added from others as well. Your responses are so encouraging. To those who are still pre-surgery; it won't be long before you are writing your own NSVs. I was on this board for 6 months or so before having surgery and it was a great resource so I know where you are coming from. RosieSweetie - I loved your NSV about not having to worry about losing luggage since you can shop anywhere now. My husband and I love to cruise and we go on at least two a year. Of course the shops on board probably carry XL at the most. I've never been able to shop in them. We are going on our next cruise in August and, if things continue to go as they have, I should be able to pick up some cute top or something. In fact, now that I think about it I am going to make it a point to do so (even if I think the price is ridiculous which they usually are As we continue this journey together, please continue to share NSVs. I love reading them too! Susie

Little over three months out, and I too am so dang happy that I get on people's nerves! NSV - I am no longer hiding from the camera! 50-ish down, 50-ish to go!!

I LOVE reading NSV's !!!!! they are since inspiring and motivational....keep 'em coming! Great job, all of you!

Wow, I love hearing stories like this. I am only 2 weeks out and I had my first real nsv on Sunday. We went to my parents and my son had my car so I had to ride in my husband's truck for the first time since last fall. It was very hard to get up and into because of surgery, but when I did my husband handed me a tummy pillow and then I panicked because I realized it didn't have the seat belt extender. However, I was actually able to use the pillow and put the seat belt on and for the first time I was able to connect it myself and there was room between me and the seat belt. Normally my husband would have to get in the truck and then click the seat belt in for me. Also when he shut the door I braced because normally the door would hit my hip and leg and it didn't. I lost weight previous to the surgery as I followed the low carb high Protein plan for pre-approval, but I had not been in the truck since before i started and I didn't even realize how I would brace for getting hit by the door, or how I would panic over not having the seat belt extender we always had to use. It was a great feeling.