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NSVs are the best! (well other than the scale moving downward )

Oh, I am so looking forward to trying this!! So what was there to do that made you not good at it? I'm curious, so that when I go I'll know what to look out for And Congratulations on your NSV, AND being lighter than your super skinny guy friend!!!!!!!

Congratulations on a great NSV and being able to shop for a normal size.

Today I did two things that I am going to feel in the morning. Last winter my daughters and I picked up ice skating, which was a HUGE NSV for me and one of the dreams I'd hoped to realize after losing weight. After taking the entire summer and fall off, we started up again today. Well, 45 minutes of that and I was seriously hurting. The love is still there, though, and I didn't fall once! Then this evening I headed to the gym for a nice, quite ride on a bike (after having been with the kids all day, this was my reward). When I got there I met a friend who talked me into checking out the open volleyball which was just starting. Now, I used to play volleyball, pretty seriously, but stopped before my older daughter was born. The last time I played I probably weighed 310 or so, and lord knows I wasn't any good at that weight. So I haven't played, AT ALL, in about 8 or 9 years, and for 10 years before that I wasn't playing with any kind of energy or skill. In spite of feeling completely rusty, I let my friend talk me into it. Ho. Ly. Cow!! It was so much fun, and rather than feeling like I did the last time I played, I felt like I did when I played IN HIGH SCHOOL (when I weighed about what I weigh now). It was SO MUCH FUN and I can't wait to do it again!! I'm on a high right now from this experience, that was both familiar and beloved and also completely new and exciting. But I am going to feel this big time tomorrow. It's a good kind of hurt, of course, and I am stoked!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

No No No, Dont make us wait for updated pics! Post some NOW and 27 lbs from now! Size 16 is such a great NSV!

This morning I'm not actually as sore as I thought I'd be. Another great NSV! Of course, sitting at my desk all day won't help matters any I'm sure. Kathy, there's no question the right clothes make a big difference. Go get yourself a ski bib! I found a pair of pants one last year ON THE RACK that fit me well--they were a 16 and only one of many that were there. Depending on the ski area, you may even be able to get on-site babysitting. You just reminded me that I actually have a pair of x-country skis in the attic; they were a present from my husband back in our unmarried-and-adventurous days. If we get enough snow this winter I'm going to dig them out and cross some country!!

Cheeky!!!!!!!!! It's the thought of you dear boy in that strip of Lycra that has addled my poor brain! Anyway, at 59 1/2 I'm allowed to talk about the weather. I'm practicing to be a miserable old git. But hang on, a NSV for me this week-bought a beautiful, black leather biker jacket in a UK size 14. Yay!!!!!!!! Looks fab with black jeans and slightly high black boots. I haven't had the boots on for about 9 years as they couldn't get up my calves. I'm so pleased! I'm having fun with my clothes now instead of hiding the rolls of suety, lardy rolls of flab under track suits. What my husband doesn't know cos I've hidden them, is that there is a new pair of black, very long boots waiting to be worn once the legs get a wee bit thinner. Must go and get some new, sleek black leggings to wait with them. I wish I had had surgery years ago. I am in the process of growing old VERY disgracefully. By the way, have managed to swim half a mile every morning this week. Ain't life grand. Yes, I've got some real crap going on in the background of my life but my slowly diminishing silhouette doesn't half cheer me up. Happy Easter bariatric pals x

Congratulations on your NSV! Nice to have moments like that

I'm in the slow loser boat too! I'm 6 weeks out and have lost 24 lbs (14 of that was the FIRST WEEK!) So that makes the other 10 I lost about 1.6 lbs per week. I haven't been on here as much because there are so many opinions but everyone on this post said it right = we are all individuals! I am looking forward and not backwards. I WILL lose this weight whether it takes a few months or a few years. I could have never got as far as I have without my sleeve and that pleases me to think about it. I'm still in a size 16 and can still fit in most of my pre-surgery clothes, but I can't let that get me down! I just keep telling myself a "slow loss" is better than "no loss", and a "stall" is not a "stop"! NSV's for me: -people have noticed my weight loss, especially in my face -I can sleep on my side comfortably -I can wipe myself easily after going to the restroom (TMI but its true!!) -I can control my portions -I don't get sad when I walk in my closet - I know my size is going to go DOWN! Blessings to everyone on their journey's - especially the slow losers! Keep the faith!

kmoore you are doing awesome girl, i so feel you on NSV. my dr at my 6 month check up told me the average lost is 60lbs in 6 months i was 6lbs shy, but when i showed her my before and after she was blown away. its not always about the numbers on the scale its the NSV and how you look and feel. i also researched my body type which is pear shape and all my fat is in my lower body unlike the apple who is in the middle. so i think its called substatious fat, if i am spelling it right and it is the toughest to lose. dar have you called your nut. what are you eating are you getting in water are you taking supplements. i noticed when i stopped taking my calcium the scale stopped and i found out my d was low. once i started both of them back the scale started moving. but its stuck again. but the dr said it will come off in waves. call your nut

You are being too hard on yourself. There is no avg loss. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction you are doing well. Do not juice. Juicing only gives you the sugars from the veg and fruit since the Fiber is in the pulp that gets discarded. An easy veg to start with is chopped spinach. Easy on the tummy, a good source of Iron and Protein. Good to eat whether frozen or fresh. Try adding just a quarter cup with lunch or dinner. If you eat eggs, you can mix it into your eggs as well. Then branch out one veg at a time. Step away from the scale for a bit. Do not let it rule your life and make you crazy. Look for other Non-Scale Victories(NSV) take your measurements, look at how much farther you can walk, run, etc....

Congratulations!!! I am also starting to really notice NSV's now that I'm 4 months up. I can't wait for our next ones to keep on coming :0)

Lynda- you just made me laugh out loud on the cancer "scare". Oh to have thigh gap! The dream! I remember collar bones as one of my first nsv however my hip bones just confused me. I couldn't figure what they were, I thought something was wrong with me.

i was just banded dec 13th and its been very easy . i was in and out of the hospital in about 5 hrs ! i wish i had a roll of lifesavers with me for right after surgery, as the water and nonstop ice chips couldnt get rid of the horrible cottonmouth i had all day. im down 13 lbs, and 1 pant size ! wait until you have your 1st nsv (non scale victory ), you'll be so glad you did this ! good luck to you !

Just had an interesting interaction at work. An admin stopped into my office asking for a pen to borrow to sign off on a lunch order for a meeting. I like to kid around so I said, 'sure...but it will cost you a cookie.' As a fat woman, I would have never said that. It would have been embarrassing because I would have expected her to think that the last thing I needed was a cookie. But as a normal sized person, there is no embarrassment when it comes to 'bad' food. I don't think twice if I have ice cream in my shopping cart...or some other item that once upon a time would make me look around and wonder who was checking out what I was eating. And by the way....she brought me two Cookies. I told her that I was only joking and all she did was wink at me. I know people say all the time that they have not changed...only their bodies have changed. I know that everything has changed for me. Yes...I'm still basically the same woman I always was, but a better, more outgoing, comfortable in my skin woman now. Not that I don't have my issues still...nothing is perfect. But even little interactions are different..and big ones as well. I look people in the eye now. I used to look down. I have a sense of confidence I didn't have before. I'm understanding that it was the confidence and satisfaction in my life that attracted my boyfriend to me...and not just that I was a small body. Especially as he's seen all the loose skin, hanging boobs, etc. and he tells me how much he loves to see my naked body..how it turns him on. He's seeing something else in his mind's eye...and not my physical 'flaws'. I just think we don't always see or realize all the changes. We notice the big things...the typical NSVs but not necessarily the daily interactions that shift as we change...or should I say 'evolve'. Anyway...just wanted to get my thoughts out on a post. Back to work now...

Congrats- that is a huge NSV. Being free again to participate in life is so amazing. Happy for you!!

Yesterday was my one year Surgiversary!! Woohoo!!!! Hard to believe that I have made it this far, but alas, here I am... *AND* I have not only survived but I am loving life. There is so much to reflect on, but overall, I truly believe this was the best decision I have ever made and I am now a happier, healthier version of me. That’s not to say that the past year hasn’t been without its share of ups and downs … plenty of those! However, all in all, if I had to go back to the point of no return I can honestly say I would be willing to do it all over again. Here’s how things are looking… HW: 305lbs SW: 265lbs CW: 173lbs Total weight lost: 132lbs Clothes: From a size 5X or 26/28 to a size L or 10/12 Health: Diabetes - Controlled without medication (Fasting glucose avg.105 with no meds from 155 on high dose of meds), Blood Pressure - Controlled without medication, Cholesterol - Controlled without medication, Previous Spine Injury - Controlled with OTC meds as needed. Fitness: From being able to walk less than 15 minutes on a treadmill in physical therapy to having completed 10+ 5K races with my most recent at a sub-13 minute mile pace. Registered to walk my first marathon in September 2016. Goals: I don’t have a target weight, as this was never about a number for me. My surgeon would like to see me at 150lbs. We’ll see. Non-weight goals have been my focus all along and this is the direction I continue to move. What have I learned? LOTS!!! I could seriously write a book, but then again, couldn’t we all?!?! Here are the things that really stick out to me. As a graduate speaker at my program, these are the things I try to stress to new patients as they begin the process. Listen to your team! They really do know what they are doing. My NUT has been super supportive and told me that it was better to ask questions than to worry myself over nothing. I eventually stopped calling her regularly, but just having those niggling little questions answered was a huge weight off my shoulders. When they say drink X-amount of Water, drink it. When they say eat X-amount of Protein, eat it. There really is a reason behind your program and following it will help you a 100 times over. Listen to your body. It will talk to you … and I don’t mean all the gurgles and sounds from your new sleeve! When I found myself getting sluggish and tired I needed to look at my protein and water intake. Was I getting enough? Usually the answer was a resounding NO. When my sleeve revolted and I had uncomfortable cramping, had I eaten something new or different? YUP … usually, but as I continued to re-introduce more foods I found the discomfort would lessen and go away much faster. Certain foods may never like you again. Find something new to try. Your palate will change some & you might like something that you never did before. You know your body better than anyone else. If something seems wrong, don’t ignore it, ask. But try not to let it control you either. Stalls happen, get used to it. I started out weighing myself every day and it quickly took a psychological toll on me. I needed to stop for the sake of my own sanity. I actually had my husband hide the scale on me and only allow me to have it once a week. Now it sits in the bedroom, but I still only weigh on Monday mornings (surgery was a Monday so I stuck with that day). Stalls have plagued me throughout the past year beginning with the dreaded 3 week post-op stall. I don’t like them & I get frustrated, but I am now used to them. Current stall has lasted me 2 ½ weeks so far. The scale will move eventually and I will move on with life until the next one. Choose NSVs as goals and reward yourself when you reach them. Non-Scale Victories are my best friend! I started walking shortly after surgery & built up my distance from one block to the point of doing 3+ miles at a 25 minute mile pace in just 3 months, as an incentive I registered for a popular local race. When I finished my first 5K I bought myself a treat (Coloring Books! Not food-based). When I finished my first 10K I went shopping for a new bedroom comforter set. When I reached my first sub-13 minute pace I bought new running sneakers. My NSVs have kept me motivated and kept the focus OFF the scale … which often doesn’t move as quickly as I’d like. You will change … maybe not your morals and values and the things at the core of your being, but your outlook and your confidence and the way you see yourself. It will be difficult at times. Make sure you have a good support system to help you through, and if you don’t consider seeing a therapist. So many times my husband and my best friend have listened to me rant and rave like a crazed lunatic. They let me cry it out & yell it out, and in the end, talk it out. Sometimes it has been stupid piddly sh!t that set me off, but right then it was all I could focus on and I needed to vent in order to move past it. People say things that they don’t mean to be negative, but being in an overly sensitive state I found things that normally didn’t bother me were my total undoing. I have (mostly) come to terms with the new “ME” … I don’t hide behind my weight anymore. I am not invisible. But I have had to learn how to handle this new found confidence and channel it in a positive way. My friends don’t treat me any differently than before, but some acquaintances and co-workers have been snide and negative. Let it go … they don’t define you, YOU do! This is *YOUR* journey, and yours alone. You will have people support you and encourage you, and there may be those who try to tear you down. Your weight loss will be different than the next person, and different still than the person after that. Do not compare yourself to others or try to keep up with anyone else. I did not go through with my WLS for anyone other than myself, and that is the only comparison I should make. What’s the quote? “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Take the first step, and the next, and the next. Keep moving forward. Remember now and then to look back and see where you’ve been, and look ahead to where you are going, but don’t forget to stop and see where you are right now. Live your life, don’t just exist while trying to get to your goals. I still have a long way to go, and goals that I want to achieve. I want to LIVE my life and not be limited by my size...I want to take a trip and not need a seat belt extender for the plane ride. I want to go to the caverns this summer and not be told I am too big to go in the crawl spaces. I want to try zip lining and be able to fit in the harness. I want to go on a cruise and I want to wear a bathing suit without being embarrassed. I want to be in a size 8/10 at least ONCE in my life. I want to be in photos with my children and grandchildren and not always be hiding behind the camera. The good news is that I am on my way! And even better, I am determined to not only reach my goals, but to enjoy myself as I do. This summer I will do my first 10-mile race, and in September I will walk a marathon. We have a family trip planned and it will be my first plane ride since WLS. I can’t wait to just sit down & buckle up! I bought a bathing suit for the first time in years that doesn’t cover more than it shows. And I have started smiling and taking “selfies” with my granddaughter on a regular basis. My husband and I have grown even closer than before, and together we are building our “life after children”. By the way ... in the photos I attached, the before pictures are literally from the day before my surgery and then two weeks after surgery. The after photos are from two days ago … almost exactly one year from my WLS.

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

Im not sure if it will help my hair loss but I bought some Biotin today...cant hurt to try it for a bit. oh and I had a NSV...well not quite sure what to call it but I have not weighed myself in 2 days and I am proud of myself. I was addicted to weighing myself. I didnt let it affect me or anything but I wanted/needed to know what that dumb number was. Oh and a girl that I see every day at the gym tapped me on the arm yesterday and told me I was doing really good. We have never spoken before and this is the person I look at to find my footing when I am tripping over my step and trying to keep up so I was shocked and excited when she said that. Its the little things in life that mean so much :-) I hope everyone is doing great. how is abi doing? kat how is that mouth of yours?? Im off to the dentist today...there is so much work to be done in my mouth that I wish I could just start all over again. and if I had the money I surely would!!!

Congratulations, Tracy! That is so great to hear. And not bragging at all. Hell fire, girl, you EARNED it! I can totally relate. One of my personal goals with all this has been a desire to be able to buy clothes in the regular stores, not places like Casual Male XL, the male version of Lane Bryant. The other day I was walking through costco, and saw a sale on lightweight jackets. As usual, Costco's sizes run from Small to 2XL. I've been a 3XL or more for as long as I can remember, and have had to pass things up in so many stores because I was just too big. Just for the heck of it, I picked up a 2XL jacket and tried it on. Not only did it fit, but it fit RIGHT. I was able to easily zip it up without anything being "forced." I about did a backflip (there's a visual for you...) right there in the store. I wore the jacket to visit a friend today, and I got a "Nice jacket!" compliment. I don't need to tell you how good that felt. It's been years since anyone complimented me on my clothes. Keep celebrating those NSVs! They're sometimes more rewarding that a pound or two off the scale. Well, maybe... Dave

Loving the fact that you can actually fit sweats under you 16's that's a NSV! I'm in a bad mood, very hormaonal (TOM) haven't lost anything w my lowcarb 5 day pouch(granted i cheated but still way less carbs than usual) Well i'm back to my higher carbs, that obviosly works for me!

Oops meant to title this scale Victory not NSV!

@@Elode - dang if that didn't happen to me today. My son was here, our laundry was mixed up because he doesn't take stuff out of the dryer and when I put on my underwear they felt better, checked the tag to see what brand I wanted to pick up to replace the rapidly uncomfortable lose stuff, and realized "dang it's my stud college student, state champion swimmer's underwear." I'm feeling pretty NSV right now.

So last night I took my teenage daughter (14) to the movies. We were in the process of getting ready and she starts freaking out! She says " MOM!!! What the heck?!" I being in shock was like "What , what happened?!" She says "You're wearing my freaking underwear!!" I immediately flipped the tag over and sure enough they were hers! She bought the same ones as me only two sizes smaller. I, being thoroughly amused started doing the booty shaking victory dance. She however was not near as amused as I was. That's ok though because I got a new NSV AND I inherited a new pair of undies!! For some reason she insisted that I keep them! So when I say "funniest" what I really mean is funniest for me. Ha!! Winning!!!

Ok so, this is the end of day 5 of the pouch test. I weighed this morning - (desperate and therefore almost naked!) - my offical weigh day.... and I am.... *drum roll* down a POUND!!! All that for a pound...oh and my monthly visitor turned up... hmph! OK, positive slant... a pound is a pound is a pound... that is better than nothing or a gain ... new slow losers mantra!!! I really want to get 186lb -now currently at 190 - as this would be my half way goal... grrrrr C'mon body, work with me here!!! Another positive NSV... I had a bath tonight... ok so that isn't unusual... well, for me it is cos I don't normally have a bath, I tend to shower... less time to see my self naked...lol Anyway, the last time I had a bath was way before my sleeve... I couldn't believe how much room was in there!!! I have definately shrunk in width... and my tummy was almost all under the Water too....yey!!!