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Ok, I'm fairly new & I have been reading lots of posts with "NSV" through context clues I have figured out it's a good thing, yes? But what does it stand for?? Here are my guesses: New Sleeve Victory ... New Size Victory...? That's all I got...

We share many of the same NSVs. My most cherished NSV is that I have learned to forgive myself when I fall off the wagon and that all is not lost, but rather to jump back onto that wagon and hang on for dear life! I used to beat myself up and give up. No longer will I do that! The only thing that I have not learned and probably will never learn is to love my workouts! hate, hate exercise, but it is a mandatory thing in my life, so I just get it done! All in all not a bad year. I like the new and improving me! congrats yl2010...wishing you continued success!

On Thanksgiving our family drew names for which adult was going to buy a gift for which adult. We had to make a list of 3 things we would like. At that time I was fitting into my 18Ws only with my spanx, and was praying to be able to wear a 16W by Valentines, so I did put a pair of 16W jeans and size L tops on my list. Today I opened my gift, and there they were, 16W jeans and 2 size L tank tops. I waited until we got back to the house to try them on, just so I could see how much more I am going to have to lose to wear them. OMG... I put them on, zipped them up, and have a little bit of room. And that was without the spanx. I am so excited. I have not been a 16W in 18 years, since my youngest daughter was born. I can't wait to get to TN in the morning, we are driving up now, and my sil can see that they do fit me. She is thinking about having the band and she hasn't seen me since August. I started this venture with surgery in June wearing a 22/24, now i am a comfortable 16. And to top it all off, I am 6 lbs from my New Years Goal, so we will see what happens. YAHOO!!! 199 here I come.

Note: Some of you may have received a duplicate of our previous newsletter and we apologize for the inconvenience, please find the current newsletter below. Hey, Sleevers! 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 VerticalSleeveTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Gastric Sleeve Support Groups: Are you taking full advantage of special forum groups on VerticalSleeveTalk.com? To Tell or Not to Tell – Do you tell others about your vertical sleeve surgery? Member Spotlight – None other than Alex Brecher, founder of VerticalSleeveTalk.com! Sleever Challenge – This is a great one to kick off the summer. We encourage you to stay involved with VerticalSleeveTalk.com. Ask your questions, answer your peers and keep your profile current. All of your participation keeps you on track and helps everyone else! Always let us know when you have suggestions, comments and questions. Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder VerticalSleeveTalk.com Sleever Support Groups: What are They, and How Do They Help You? VerticalSleeveTalk.com can be a huge part of your life. Many of us check the boards every day or more, and depend on the site for support, information and encouragement. Joining one or more VerticalSleeveTalk.com support groups is a great way to get even more out of VerticalSleeveTalk.com. These support groups are like private clubs, but all you have to do to join is to participate! Just look at the different types groups we have. Monthly groups based on when you got the sleeve Groups based on your hometown, age and weight goals. The sleeve buddies and mentors forum in case you need a little extra help or want to help someone in their weight loss journey. And more…for African-American sleevers, diabetes patients, Christian sleevers…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for sleevers who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your gastric sleeve. 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 VerticalSleeveTalk.com support group page and see which groups you want to join! Hot Topic: Coming out of the WLS Closet To tell or not to tell? That’s a pretty sensitive question for a lot of weight loss surgery patients. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about the sleeve, especially when you’re dealing with people who look down on you. Always remember that you don’t have to let others make you feel bad. As long as you’re healthy and happy, you should feel proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who truly loves you will also be proud. It’s a personal decision about telling people about the surgery. You might tell your closest friends and family first, and let others in on the secret when they start to ask you how you lost so much weight. You don’t ever have to tell if you’re shy or just don’t want to. Or, if you prefer, you can tell everyone as soon as you set the date for your surgery. Maybe that’ll make you feel more accountable and inspire you to success. What are your thoughts? Do you tell people that you’ve gotten the sleeve? How do you choose when to tell, how much to say and whom to tell? Do you have any tips for other gastric sleeve patients? Tell us about it! First Member Spotlight – It’s Alex! We promised, and now we’ve delivered! It’s time for the first true Member Spotlight, and who better to be honored than…Alex! He’s the founder of VerticalSleeveTalk.com and the other communities belonging to WLSBoards.com. He manages and promotes the boards to make sure that they’re here for everyone. He is truly passionate about helping others reach the same weight loss success that he did. Here’s his story. He’s the handsome, friendly face you see hanging out on the forums, but he took the same journey as many of you to achieve those looks. Alex struggled with obesity and diets for years without finding permanent weight loss success. He finally realized that he needed to lose the weight if he wanted to be around for his children for years to come. Alex got the lap-band, lost more than 100 pounds and never looked back. Thrilled with his new energy and health, Alex had the motivation and confidence to stop smoking. Today he is an active, lean family man who loves to run, bike and spend time with his children. In 2003, Alex founded LapBandTalk.com, which quickly became the largest weight loss surgery community in the world. He started VerticalSleeveTalk.com in February of 2009, and the other WLSBoards, RNYTalk.com and SleevePlicationTalk.com, followed in 2011. Alex works hard to make sure that all members to have positive experiences and benefit from being part of the communities. Do you have someone you’d like to see featured in the Member Spotlight? Would you like to be our spotlighted member? Come tell us in the Member Spotlight forum! It’s a regular feature of the newsletters to let you learn a little more about someone in our community with an inspirational story or who helps out our members. Thanks for your nominations so far! Sleever Challenge! Challenge Yourself and Achieve Something New! We give you a challenge in each Sleever Newsletter. It’s not a challenge for you to compete against anyone else. It’s just a way to set a new goal for yourself to try something new or push yourself a little harder. Nobody’s keeping score, so try it! You can always find the old challenges in the Challenge Forum. So far, the two challenges have been: Try a new 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 weight loss 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. Congratulations to LBM! Her NSV is that she can cross her legs! What a great feeling – and thanks for sharing. 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 Sleevers. Good luck! And Finally: Please Support Us! Just as a reminder, we’d like to ask you to support us when you can. Hopefully you value VerticalSleeveTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post VerticalSleeveTalk.com fliers in their offices. 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.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=newsletter

Taking some Time... It’s a crisp, sunny Wednesday here, 68° and I am going to take a little personal time while at work and spend a few minutes with all of you. I’ve kept up with all the posts on this thread even though I haven’t written in a week. I hope everyone who hasn’t been writing is doing well. A Month Out I can’t believe that tomorrow (for many of you) and the day after tomorrow (for me) will mark one month since we were banded. This is the biggest change in my life in many years, no doubt about it. So much has changed that I can’t believe it’s only been a month, after years and years of basically hitting my head against the same wall. I truly feel that I have been given a new lease on life. Here are some of my NSVs: I eat much, much less than I did before the operation. I stay full for hours, rather than having a bottomless pit in my stomach. I no longer binge at nights, something I did every night for years. Consequently, I no longer spend my morning hours trying to function and put up a front while recovering from the physical and emotional devastation of the previous night’s binge. I have binged once during the day (more on this later) this month, rather than bingeing at least once every day for years. I no longer obsess about food all the time. My body feels like a whole lot of air has been let out of it. Any kind of movement– walking, bicycling, standing up, sitting down, scratching my back, tying my shoes, and performing various sanitary and hygienic functions – is accomplished much easier than just a month ago. I’m also no longer out of breath all the time and don’t sweat all the time. I no longer obsess about food all the time – in fact, most of the time, I’m oblivious to it. I Don’t Eat Clay I have to add here that I work in the reception center of our guest rooms, where we serve homemade cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, milkshakes, omlettes and grilled cheese sandwiches. I love my job, but it has been a nightmare trying, and consistently failing, to stay clear of all that’s available here. But for the last month, I have succeeded in doing so. The analogy that has come to my mind is that of a potter, who works day in and day out with clay, but never thinks of putting any of it in his mouth. That’s what food is nearly always for me now – just clay, just something that’s part of the work or home environment, nothing worth spending any time thinking about. Paying for the Party My one binge was last Friday; we had a big party at work and I was meticulously abstemious – I really didn’t resent, either. But, when I went home for lunch, I lost it – just kept eating, nothing that I couldn’t swallow but a lot of soft stuff. My wife, who rarely has commented to me about my bingeing, told me the next morning that she was worried that this was just going to be another phase, another failed solution. That really was hard to hear – especially because, of course, it’s my own deepest fear. It doesn’t surprise me that all my “reasons” for not indulging in this behavior again didn’t work – that’s the nature of the beast. But I know that every day of eating with my band will reinforce new behaviors and a new physical reality which will make my binges less and less frequent until I just don’t do it anymore. I know that one thing I could’ve done at the party was to just have a little bit of ice-cream so I wouldn’t feel “deprived”, but there are some foods which have such powerful associations for me, like ice cream, that I just don’t see myself stopping with such a small amount; I’d rather have none. I can’t defend this thinking, but that’ s the way it is for me right now. What’s on the Menu… Anyway, since then, everything’s been great. My meals this month have panned out something like this: I have a glass of buttermilk in the morning, a cup or two of soup in the evening (no cream or milk based soup, no noodles, just veggies) and for lunch (the main meal here) a salad sized plate of steamed vegetables, in between 2-3 oz of chicken, fish or beef and tablespoon sized dollops of salad, and hummus. I don’t drink for an hour before or after meals, and suck on sugar free candies to help get me by. That's all for now - hope to write again soon - lots of love and encouragement and good luck to you all,

Hi Friends, Sorry I've not been around much lately. I've been swammped with Girl Scout Cookie Sales & other Kid Stuff. The Cookies have not YET been delivered, so there's been no temptation from them (but they get here on 2/20 - I AM NOT STORING THEM AT MY HOUSE). I also have my kids trained to hide 'naughty' food and not keep it in the pantry. My goal is to not eat a single GS Cookie until I'm at my 1/2 way goal. Well, I'm down 28 lbs so far (72lbs left to go). I was really getting hungry again and went in for my 4th fill. I'm at 5cc's in the APS 10cc band. Ate some chicken from the top of a salad & I'm full! I hope this lasts a bit longer. But, as my fellow Potter Fan (Bandpal) says: "but we are putting in the work, going for our fills, learning how to eat all over again through trial and error and maybe even seeing some NSV's or a little movement on the scale." And that's what counts. This is going to be a long process and we just need to hang in there & find what works for us. Bandpal - I'm glad you're finding ways to make it work in your personal environment. 37 lbs down is TERRIFIC! You're finally out of that MORBIDLY OBESE catagory. Doesn't it feel great to be on the road to health? I love your quote from Joshua. I think I may just put that quote on the fridge as a reminder! And just think - You are a terrific Seeker, so therefore that Golden Snitch will not elude you for long, my friend! Just keep an eye out for a Bludger, ok? Ovahkummer - Hang in there. Keep that scale hidden for the time being. Just continue to eat well & throw in some walking when you can. I had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery. If you're hungry, get it filled - that's what it's there for! Towens - Wow 7.5cc's! I bet you're getting some terrific restriction. How much have you lost so far? How much are you able to eat at a sitting? Skinny Jill - Sorry about the Superbowl. Well, 18 out of 19 ain't bad! You are doing sooo well on your weight loss! I't terrific your down 35 lbs! I'm so glad you're doing well! Longhorn - OMGosh - You've got only 34 left till goal? Wow - that's inspiring. Well, I'm off to walk on that dreaded treadmill (can't wait for it to get warm enough here in Ohio to walk outside for a change). Love to you all & keep me posted on how you're doing!

Check out the thread in the general discussion called "whats improved for you" or anything that says NSV. You will be amazed!!

@@jeepqueen i allllllways wished i had done a blog, journal it is wonderful to record your ups and downs problems (vomiting etc) good emotions and bad things you are learning and allllll the NSV's you are joyfully experiencing at my one year surgiversary i thought i would give it a journal a try things new still happen started, never kept it up i'm almost 5 years PO you are 8 weeks PO - it's definitely not too late to start also i wish i had taken my measurements on a more regular basis best of luck bud kathy

Uh... I know exactly what you mean. Congrats to you! This is an awesome NSV!

This is beautiful! I think people do treat us differently when we're obese. However, in fairness, I treated myself differently too. The changes and transformation from losing excess weight are almost amazing... sooo many nsv that make us stronger and better. Congratulations Dee! ♥

I hear you on the 'how much weight have you lost now?' People ask me that all the time, and continually look at me if we are eating together, asking me 'are you getting full yet?' I only lost 17lb initially, and have not dropped anything for 7 weeks. I keep gaining and losing the same 2lb! People keep telling me I look smaller though, and when I measure myself I really am losing inches. I wonder how that happens?! You weigh the same, yet your body shape is changing? I guess I also have similar NSV's - clothes fitting better, my calves are not 'bursting' if I bend down, and a little more confidence in my step. I get my 2nd fill tomorrow, and I am so looking forward to real restriction to kick start my weight loss.

I had surgery on 1/31/2012. I have had a dream recovery. I've lost 45lbs so far (from my highest weight). I've a few NSVs along the way already... not the least of which was having all of my work clothes, which were fairly expensive, taken in because they were falling off. But, my NSV for today is a bigger deal to me because I've NEVER in my life been able to do it before. Not only can I cross my legs comfortably, BUT I can do it while sitting at my desk working. I can't believe my thighs are finally small enough to cross my legs under my desk and not get wedged in!!! I LOVE the sleeved life!

Hahaha! I suppose you can count it as an NSV! I don't know if I would! I had a hysterectomy a few years ago and do NOT miss having a period at all, but I can understand how if you haven't been regular for years how it could be exciting

Hey Guys, How about a check in? How is everyone doing this summer? How is the WL and or NSV? Are people noticing your loss? Compliments? All's well here. I've had another fill last month for a total of 5 cc's in my VG10 band. I can feel the restriction and that is a good thing. I'm down 44 since surgery in January. My exercise is intermittent...but I do keep re-motivating myself..and tomorrow it is back walking my 3 miles. How are you guys motivating yourselves for exercise? What types of exercise do you do? Lets hear all about it. Shawn

Amen to that Nana, to me thiat is a victory. Be happy and proud for what you have accomplished in other ways not by what the scale reads Iam sure you have many NSV's to me that is what is most importan...Congratulations to you

I agree with Harley, People with problems are on here more trying to figure out what to do next and people who are doing great are out living they're new life. I am not a fast loser but it's been 12 months since I was banded and I've lost 80 pounds. The 80 pounds itself isn't a whole lot but the nsv's have been great. I was wearing 26's and 3x shirts. I'm 5'8". Now I go into Old Navy and buy 16's or XL pants and they're a little baggy. I wear large shirts, I can paint my own toenails, I don't worry about food or when I'm going to eat because I am very seldom hungry. I can run on the treadmill, I can get in the floor and play with my 2 year old granddaughter and I have a grandson due in 2 months. Life is great once again. I still have another 40 pounds to go but I'll get there and knock on wood, not the first problem with my band. You'll do great and the band is the best tool in the shed by far.

Silly no, awesome yes! Congrats on the nsv.

Wow, that has to be one of the top NSVs of all time -- congrats!!!

So I went to my OB/Gyn yesterday for my annual (actually i hadn't been in 2 years) and he hadn't seen me since I weighed 350lbs. . . he wandered in, chart in hand, face in chart and said, "so Mrs. . . . how have you been?" I answered "just fine" . . . he looks up from the chart and literally yelled "LOOK AT YOU!" OH MY GOSH WOULD YOU LOOK AT YOU!!!!!!! YOU LOOK GREAT! then he calmed down and asked how I did it, I told him and he said "well good for you! I can't get over how good you look" . . . I must have been blushing cause he just smiled and said amazing. . . did the exam and actually talked to me. . . talked to me about my family, my work, how i was feeling etc. . . wow it was really a NSV. . . kinda embarrassing but nice. . . Then I went to the WLS nut and this was my last visit and I have hit the target weight! I was soo happy . . . NP and I both did the happy dance. . (she is so cool) I don't go now til 2012. . . wow can you believe it's been a year!

It's been at least a decade since I have been able to wear a Victoria's Secret bra. This week I bought one in store and three online. I went from a 40G to a 36DDD. JUST BARELY fitting in the VS sizes but none the less I'm excited (they would be way to big if they hadn't shrunk a little along the way). Now lets hope they don't shrink too much more in the last leg of this journey

Thank you @@proudgrammy I love seeing other people's NSV! They are always an inspiration and a push for me!

Kim, I know what you whar must be feeling, since I had the surgery in Julu 05, i have lost practically nothing, still a size 14 and I hate it. I feel that I have even failed in something that was fail proof Especially when I see people who have lost mega weight you are not a failure, and there is still time to get back on the wagon I had a fill 2 weeks ago and can hardly eat anything at all so I figure a slow weight loss is better than no weight loss plus I have not been able to excercise due to a bad heel spur SO CHIN UP, KEEP Sorry to hear about your brother:cry Louise My sweetest in the whole world brother died in September. At that time, I was really losing weight quickly and of course, it continued for a while afterward because I just was so sad I could not eat (who would have ever thought that could happen!) So, then it got cold and I got depressed and just pretty much sat around like a lump of fat until now--Prior to september, I could fit easily into a regular 14 pant. Now, I can't keep them snapped and I could just cry. I haven't seen my doc since October and when I was there, I got the impression (could be a wrong impression) that I was about half way filled and that I (me personally) needed to do more to make this band work for me--I don't know if I can do it!!! I am so bummed that my big fat butt is popping the snaps on these formerly cool looking pants--and I recently had the NSV with my necklace--but I don't want my neck to be thin, I want my butt and hips and belly to GO! Should I just call and make an appt to discuss? I hate going there--it's NOT them--they are wonderful and supportive--I am just feeling like a failure and a freak. Talk me out of this tree, please. I am eating all the wrong things. Today started drinking my usual 64 ounces of Water, so that's a help to getting on the right track again. Help! I fell off the wagon.

So you know the subway benches and how the end seats are usually more spacious and you can't fit in the middle seats if you are heavier well just who fits comfortably in the middle seats... this girl

Great NSV P'nut!!!! My boobs have gone down SOME, but not enough. They are still terribly big. I have to share a "compliment" my husband gave me yesterday. It didn't come across as a compliment at the time... I had on a different shirt that I hadn't worn in a long time. It was fitting rather TIGHT on my bust line. My husband came home from work & said - "Wow!! You are looking.........EXTRA-ORDINARILY huge today!!" I had no idea he was talking about my girls. I thought he was talking about ME & my body. Now, to tell a woman who has just lost 54 lbs that she looks extraordinaly HUGE was not what I was lookin' for. I must have givin' him "the evil look" & he immediately had to backtrack & stammered. He was in EXTRAORDINARLY HUGE trouble that day. :angry But, I got over it & realized he was TRYING to compliment me. So, in other words, food is still dripping on my girls. I am envious P'nut!!!

I eagerly await the day when the food that I drop on a regular basis goes all the way down my shirt instead of resting on my boobs (no, seriously! I am!) Congratulations on this awesome NSV!