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I agree with 100%Sleeved....huge NSV!!! Yay, for you!

How exciting! Congrats on the NSV! Can't wait to experience something like that.

so my parents are coming up this weekend so hubby and I decided to go through EVERYTHING in the house and get a truckload of stuff to take to the goodwill (no joke either hehe we had 3 bed house now 2 bd apartment no room!) so tonight i decided to go through my closet... I found a pair of jeans that i wore pre-surgery that were size 34 I held them up to my body and HOLLY cow im like half the size of them now lol its soooo crazy. I have only bought two pairs of pants and a few shirts since after surgery and 70 lbs ago but as my last NSV when my nurse laughed and said it was time to retire my fat clothes i had to. The problem now with money so tight and STILL trying to get a job i cant afford to buy anything since we are barely paying the bills right now. Its kinda sad to see my closet empty but happy at the same time.. what a rush of mix emotions eh? anyhow i keep treking i just had a job interview hopefully it works out alright but i am absolutely terrified that I will get it for the fact i have to dress professionally and im about 1/2 size to big to fit into the dress pants that walmart has not to mention the fact were dead broke. Its a scary situation cuz i need the job to buy clothes.. but need the clothes to work at the job hahaha shrug good laugh i hope hehe I'll have to take a pic of me holding up my "fat" jeans!!

Hi, Mindy. I'm only frustrated with myself for giving into the frequent weighing. :smile: Oh, sure, I'd love to be losing as quickly as some. As helpful as this board is, the down side can be reading about others gushing about how the weight is falling off when it isn't happening to me. And I know I'm not losing because I don't have restriction yet, because I had a low BMI to begin with, and because I'm perimenopausal and having periods that last two weeks and come every two weeks. :eek: I have small NSVs every day and when I'm not weighing myself, I appreciate them more. I posted this thread to "come clean" about my dirty little habit. I was thinking last night as I was going to sleep that weighing once a week would probably be fine for me. However, I'm such a slow loser that even once a week might show very little progress. Since I go in Friday for my next fill, I'm at least going to weight till then. If I can feel any change in restriction, I might weigh weekly but if it doesn't feel any different, I might as well wait until my next appointment. Thanks for your counsel! You know I value your input and you've set a great example! :clap:

You are doing everything right...dont get down..for me when I exercise I gain weight at first too, my body seems to reatin Water the first few days. Remember the NSV's they will get you through until that scale decides to budge Hang in there !

I suspect it is a stall. Sleeve patients can be in the weight loss phase for up to a couple years and encounter many stalls along the way. That is why someone on this site came up with the slogan "Embrace the Stall". Many find that when they are in a stall, they find other successes, like dropping a size in clothing or other NSVs.

Groovy is right! Keep posting those NSV's Kimber-lilly! It's so good to see them all in one thread. You can re-read and remember and feel so great!!!! Woohoooo!

I was updating my blog tonight and went back to my pre-op journal to see how it relates to my experience and how I am doing. One of the best things in there was this Plan for Success that I wrote out. Here it is, verbatim, with my comments from today following each item. I thought it would be interesting for us all to share ideas on what things we can do to help ourselves to succeed! Add anything you want to this string! Plan for Success: In reading one of my "band" books tonight, I came across an article that said that having a game plan can really improve my chances for success. I've been thinking of a few things I can do, but hadn't really formalized a plan. So, here goes: THINGS I WILL DO TO HELP MYSELF SUCCEED: - Tell family and friends about the surgery so that I will have a support network (and won't feel weird when eating with them) - (DONE!) - Commit to staying exactly on my pre-op Clear liquids diet - (DONE!) - Commit to the post-op plan of 2 weeks full liquids, then 2 weeks of soft foods - (DONE!) - Think of ways to Celebrate my birthday with friends where eating won't be an issue (maybe a girl's day at Ohm?) - (DONE! Had a great time at Ohm Spa, by the way!) - Hire a personal trainer as of 11/08/08 (I didn't do this on schedule, but I did hire the trainer and recommitted to exercising in a serious way . . see bruise photo from previous post!) - Keep good, correct foods in the house. (DONE!) - Avoid alcohol to the extent possible. (I could be better about this to be perfectly honest. . is just such a big part of my social life that it's hard to really avoid, plus I love a nice glass of wine) - Commit to taking SMALL bites and chewing until food is dissolved (DONE! I'm not perfect, but I do a pretty good job at this) - Commit to small sips (Honestly, this hasn't been all that necessary) - Commit to avoiding calorie-filled beverages (DONE! Well, except for wine!) - Journal/blog regularly and chronicle your success -- AND admit it if you mess up (DONE! And is an on-going part of my plan!) - Look for NSVs if/when your weight plateaus (I'm doing this!) - Try out the support group at NYU (I haven't done this, but I feel like LBT and the people who I know through my blog do what I would have hoped a support group to do) - Be proactive about your care -- don't wait so long for a fill that you gain weight. (DONE!) - Measure yourself periodically and write down your measurements (DONE!) - Know that this is not going to be easy, but that this will be worth while. And, know that this WILL be easier than staying on a diet on your own for a whole year, then maintaining your weight long-term. (So true -- and I do fully know that.) - Try to notice NSVs (like less foot and back pain) as they occur (DONE!) - Make mini-goals for yourself, e.g. 10 lb goals, and feel free to reward yourself with facials, massages, nice mani/pedis, etc. (Oh believe me. . DONE!) - Go through your closet and "size" it so that you won't miss wearing cute things that you like on the way to goal (DONE!) - Don't read too much about negative/failure stories on the lap band chat rooms. (DONE! I do read some of those stories, but I don't get sucked in, which accomplishes my fundamental objective.) - When you start going to restaurants again, do trial runs with your friends who know about the surgery (plus, will be fun). (DONE!) - Don't get disproportionately upset if any of your good friends don't understand, say the wrong thing, etc. They love you, and no one is perfect. (Honestly, my friends have been pretty freaking amazing. I'm very lucky in that way.) - Focus on your other hobbies and interests (Get new letterpress projects, enjoy the Van Gogh course at MOMA) - (DONE! Unfortunately, the Van Gogh course was totally sold out, so I never did get to take it, but I've been spending more time on my hobbies, which is always very enjoyable). I hope that was helpful

Congratulations on such a wonderful NSV. Keep up the great work :thumbup: I always seem to lose inches even when the scale isn't moving.

What is nsv ...??????

I hit the century club this week (Over 100 lbs down about 8 months out from surgery), but more important than that, I just got back from vacation in Hawaii. A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it nearly as much as I did this year. This year, the humidity didn't bother me nearly as much as it would have in the past, because I felt comfortable in shorts and dresses and swimsuits, much more than I did 100 lbs ago! I'm still technically obese, but I feel SO much better in my own skin. Also, during a hike, rather than stopping and sweating and wheezing, I was able to hike up steps without gasping for breath or wanting to sit on the ground. I know people debating the surgery worry about exactly how much weight they'll lose and whether they'll be able to wear a two piece swimsuit, but even if I don't get into a bikini I have no regrets for the life my successful surgery has let me live to the fullest. The numbers on the scale pale in comparison to that! Best of luck to those of you struggling through tough days pre or post surgery - better days are ahead!

So I am with my family at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I always now get 1 shredded chicken soft taco with grilled onions, peppers, and tomatoes..sans the cheese and lettuce. Only eat 1/4 of the tortilla and all of the meat and vegetables..way less than I used too and way more healthier..anyway..I digress... One of the gentlemen we see there often came over and said "Hola Skinny..I need to go do what you did..and rubs his belly". I turned around looking to see who he was talking to and he said " Yes ..I am talking to you!!" OMGoodness...skinny used in the same sentence as me? Shut up...don't get me wrong..I am nowhere near my goal..I have a lot more to go..but wow..it's working. I love my sleeve!

woohoo! That is a great NSV if it is really a scale victory, too! Awesome!

NSV means non-scale victories. It's important to Celebrate things even when the scale doesn't move, whether its drops in inches, moving down pant sizes, having to move the car seat up closer to the steering wheel, etc. There are several places to get tickers, but most seem to use www.tickerfactory.com. Just go to their website and follow their instructions. Welcome!!

Carla, WOW what a great NSV, I dream of the day!!!

way to go!!!! what a great NSV.

I've been doing Zumba a few times a week for a while... and I'm by no means skinny. Gyms and exercise classes are not just for skinny folks. If you find a gym that has that attitude.. change gyms!! Zumba is lots of fun. And depending on the instructor and the type of Zumba class you take, the intensity can vary greatly. There's regular Zumba, Zumba Gold (designed for lower impact), Aqua Zumba (Zumba done in the pool), etc. I'm like Hynita, I modify the steps to what I can comfortably do.. and as I get stronger, I try to do more. When the instructor Jumps, I usually jog or march in place. When they do a side step with twisting the knees.. I just side step and don't twist. The important part is to move the body and have fun!! One of the instructors where I go has even bought hip scarves with the little coins on them for one of the songs which is from "Sumdog Millionaire" "Jai-Ho (You are my Destiny " The scarf meets in the middle on the other gals, but not me. Oh well, I'll use that as a NSV when it does meet!! This isn't the class I attend, but it's the same choreography that my instructor uses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r43YzeBfWug LOVE this routine. I encourage you to go and give it a try.. it's so much fun. Like the Zumba site says.. Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! (I still workout too though.. lol).

Awesome! That's the kind of thing I'm really looking forward to after surgery. I'm more excited about the NSVs than the SVs! :-)

Ok..this is a small one...so many of you probably remember I bought new scrubs..so I have worn them all week..anyway..on to my story..one of my new coworkers in the front clerical area states.."hey have you met my new skinny friend, Amy???" um..skinny has never been used in the same sentence when talking about me..LOL..anyway..it was small..thought I would share!

I was banded about 6 weeks ago. Since then I've lost 24 pounds (35 total), gone back to the gym, and totally changed my diet. My husband and I are leaving on a week long cruise this Friday and I had NO summer clothes to wear that didn't look like stuff I'd owned for 10 years (because well... most of my stuff... it's old!) so I went shopping yesterday. My pant size has been pretty much the same forever because even if my hips are smaller, my thighs are still huge. Anyway. I usually buy 24s for pants, but yesterday I comfortably fit into 20s! That's almost an 18, and NORMAL stores carry 18s! My shirt size went down too, from a 22-24 to an 18-20 and I even got one 14-16 that looked cute on me. WOO HOO!

Hi, Anwyn, we were banded around the same time, and you are doing great! I am having some of the same mental issues as you are having, and I'm searching myself for the answers...the things that come to mind to offer as support is to really look yourself over. Look at before and after pictures, try on before and "now" clothes. When you look at the pictures, don't just look at your "special" spots, the ones you can't take your eyes off, the ones that you think of as negative. Look at the unnoticed areas...your neck, the back of your neck, your ankles, your wrists. Review all the NSV's you have noticed and received. Write them down. Fifty pounds is a big, big accomplishment, and it is a big change in your body. Give your mind and image of yourself a chance to catch up. I do not do well if I let myself get too hungry; I do the same thing you do...too big of bites and don't chew very well, then I get that lump feeling, and it hurts. I am working on slowing down, and preventing that really, really hungry feeling by eating something like yogurt first...you can't take a big bite of that or fail to chew it, you know? Most of all, you're doing great! I've got yer back and hang in there! Cindy

So, our school secretary came up to me today and kindly offered to retake my yearbook picture because I look nothing like I did in September! [emoji4]

I could probably post in this in success stories but I like post-op better At one year out I'm down 116lbs. This time last year I was sitting in the recovery room with my mom with a lady from some other floor puking up her guts in the next bed over. Let me say the beginning of my journey was NOT pleasant. From being written the wrong prescription for my medicine (somehow they wrote my script with the wrong name) to the nurse telling me I can't use Gas-X strips because they contain sugar (post-op instructions for someone who had gastic bypass) the first day was pretty much hell. We got to the hospital at 5:00AM and didn't get home until midnight. It SUCKED! My surgeon had to call in a prescription at a 24 hour pharmacy at 11AM at night. But, I will say that has been the only horrible part of my journey. Otherwise, it has been flawless and so smooth-sailing. I didn't get stuck until about 6 months in -- thank you dry turkey meat! I've found that I have gotten stuck a bit more often than I did in the beginning, but that's probably due to the fact that I like to experiment with food, and I have yet to master eating slowly. Maybe one day. My first goal weight was 120lbs but I've since upped it to 125lbs; last I weighed I was 130.6lbs, so not exactly at goal, but so close I can feel it! I never imagined losing 100lbs in a year, let alone 50lbs honestly. Pre-op I was lazy as no other. I went to work, came home, sat on my laptop, and ate. Nowadays my schedule is pretty much the same, except I workout for a good hour and a half+ now. I am well aware of what I put into my mouth, I hold myself accountable, and rarely do make excuses to not exercise. This is my journey, and not everyone will take the path I took, that's the beauty of it all. I chose no fills and to workout/track my food. Some may go this route, some won't. It's all about what works for you. Hopefully this is helpful to people who are pre-op and post-op. I find that I am coming here less and less so hopefully some of you soon-to-be band-vets stick around to keep everyone in check These forums have been so helpful to me since day one and the wealth of knowledge here is great. 15 things I've learned along the way: 1. The scale isn't everything. Yes we all want to see the scale move but there is so much more to weight loss than the scale. Inches lost are important as are the beloved NSVs (non-scale victories.) Focus on how different you feel as well, both mentally and physically. When you do hop on the scale, limit it to once or twice a week, not every day. (Unless you're in maintenance mode, then every day may be most helpful.) 2. Exercise is a must do. Start off slow and intensify as you lose. Once I got out of surgery and was cleared to walk, I walked. I probably went around the hospital floor 50 times, in the same boring circle. I'm sure the nurses thought I was nuts. From that day on I've exercised my butt off, literally. I started with walking to doing indoor exercises including the Beachbody programs (Slim-in-6, Insanity, P90, P90M, and P90X.) I will also be doing RushFIT at some point in time. 3. It's okay to cheat; in fact, it's part of "dieting." I allow myself cheat Snacks every now and then to keep myself sane. It's been proven that ignoring a small craving usually only leads to a larger much more unhealthy binge. I have been a long-time Reese's lover so I'll treat myself to one when I want. I even eat ice cream everyday almost. Note: I've only started this as I get closer to my goal, I didn't do this all along. 4. Weight loss isn't always steady. Though I lost 1-2lbs pretty steadily for months, I hit many plateaus. There was 2 weeks where I lost nothing. There were weeks when I lost 5lbs+ in a week. In fact there were times when I gained, not much, but a gain on the scale nearly sent me up the wall, and it still does. 5. Water is tasteless but so useful. I really haven't drunk anything but water since surgery, with the exception of a few sips of things here and there. Water keeps me full when I'm not eating and it keeps you hydrated! I use Crystal Light to spice things up a bit. 6. Protein is a lovely thing. Protein protein protein, mmm, protein. I've learned that protein is a must have if you're losing weight. This doesn't mean you have to go all out on your protein levels a day, but aim for 60g minimum. I personally eat my weight in protein, but this is my preference and has to do a lot with my exercise and weightlifting. I've always been a chicken eater/lover so I stick to eating just that most of the time: chicken, turkey, and sometimes fish. 7. Food tracking keeps you well, on track. Tracking what you eat helps keep you mentally sound, or at least it did for me. Track everything you eat each day and each meal. This way you're able to see your intake levels for calories, carbs, protein, etc. and adjust accordingly. 8. Carbs are NOT the enemy. When I first started to lose I stayed away from carbs. This was simply due to the fact that my trouble foods seemed to be carb filled: Pasta, rice, corn, and bread. I was eating about 30-40g of carbs a day post-op. I will say that it worked flawlessly and I lost plenty because of my carb-cut, but I do want to say that carbs are not the enemy here. Nowadays I eat carbs like they're nothing. Why? I workout; carbs are the fuel I need. However I will admit to making low-carb recipes all the time and of course still carb count. It is, and always has/will be about calories in vs calories out. In the end carb reduction = calorie reduction. 9. Everyone loses differently; don't compare yourself. I remember looking at forums and seeing how some people lost slowly and how some seemed to drop very quickly. The point is that we will all lose at different rates. Don't compare your weight loss to another's as in the end we're all just looking to lose; who cares about the pace. 10. "Junk food" can be made healthy. Yep, that's right, healthy junk food. I still eat pumpkin pie, Cookies, ice cream, and plenty of other things deemed to be "junk." There is a lovely thing known as healthy foods and ingredients, and with them you can make junk food quite healthy. Pumpkin pie? Got it. Ice cream? I'll take a few scoops. I still like to think no food is taboo. 11. Being banded is about portion control not for ridding your diet of certain foods. I am one who truly believes that having the band doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to any food. Though I cut out some food when I first started, for my own good, I have added in pretty much everything again, including rice and breads. This time however they're portioned properly. I can't and don't eat bowls of rice/pasta anymore. 12. Set mini-goals. Of course the main goal is to lose weight and reach our goal weight, but set mini-goals along the way to keep you positive. I often set goals that went along with holidays. (ie. a had a goal weight for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, etc.) 13. Hold yourself accountable, but don't beat yourself up. Know when you cheat or go-off track and take it from there. Don't beat yourself to death mentally. One bad day won't kill your weight loss efforts. 14. Keep your eyes on the main goal, though it may seem like it's taking forever to get there, you'll get there, sometimes faster than you ever imagined. 15. Be happy for every pound you lose no matter how small it is. If you're 165.2 one week and one 165.0 the next, be happy, be proud, and realize that even though it's a small loss, it is still a loss. As long as the scale is going down, don't complain.

Besides the poses everyone else has already mentioned, I also took some of my hands. Specifically showing how far down my finger I could put on some rings that no longer fit. One of those rings that I couldn't get past the knuckle on the before pic, fits perfectly now, even so early out. But without the aid of that pic I would have sworn that I've lost no weight in my hands. It's a great motivator and NSV in one.

Okay, I have begun my journal. It's been a heck of a year with my band, but I'll start with my weight as far back as I can reasonably remember and go from there. I love looking at the numbers. So this isn't about NSVs for me. It's stats. It's seeing where I've been, and remembering how far I've come. My One Year Bandiversary is approaching, and I have measurements, weights, dates, milestones for my Journal. They are currently on posts all over this board, or on little pieces of paper in the pencil drawer in the kitchen, or on big sheets of paper tucked away all over the office in my home. I will gather, sort, organize and post my little numbers game here. I can't wait to see it all done!