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Nothing to be sorry about. A NSV Is a Non Scale Victory.

Can you have SF popsicles? That helped me out with the "chewing" need...congratulations on your great progress, and the NSV (non-scale victory) of cutting your diabetic meds in half! WHooot! That's great! Hang in there, and get through it one hour at a time. You'll be SOOOOOOOOO glad you did, and you won't hardly remember the tough first month!

Great NSV!

Great NSV. Keep up the good work!

The most exciting NSV to date.....all of a sudden I had a collarbone!!!!

YAY!!! Yes. That's a NSV! These are among the first: fitting into seats at the movie, not needing an extender on a plane, sliding into booths without having to move the table, buckling your seatbelt in the car and having room between you and the steering wheel! Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your life! :cool: Congrats!

so, a huge NSV for me this weekend, I went shopping at the mall for the first time since surgery for new clothes. (I've been to places like Savers and goodwill buying things here and there, but this was my first mall outing). I went into stores I've never stepped foot in... and I BOUGHT there too! WOOHOOO! I went to H&M, Aeropostale, Forever 21,just to name a few. So, since this is a whole new shopping world for me, where are some stores that you like to go in now that you're on the losers bench? My old go-to store was Dressbarn for Women, and I'm so happy to have a new variety of stores to shop at. Please share your new favorites- whether in store on online- I'm in the shopping mood!

Looks like you are having a great NSV!

My 9 your old son came into my room to say goodnight and when he hugged me he started rubbing on my should and says, " Your skin is really hard" I was puzzled cause he was not touching my skin since I had a nightgown on... He pushes on my shoulder and says see it's not squishy.....lol I said oh you can feel my bones... "Yeah see how hard it is" ... Lol... So no my skin is not hard.... But I don't have as much fat under neath my skin...lol tomorrow im 2 weeks post op and im down 19lbs(11 pre op)

wow, great work Pati! I'm looking forward to racking up some NSVs of my own!

This is such a great story, Megan; thanks for telling us. What a wonderful NSV -- a V over fear and rejection, among other things. Congratulations! Ride 'em, cowgirl!

My weightloss has slowed...but hasn't stopped! However, I do have a couple of NSV's that I would like to share, 1. My capri pants are no longer capri's. NO...I didn't shrink...but I think that I lost in my hips and butt and they are hanging lower. I love it. Now I might not have to hem my pants. 2. My favorite necklace is longer...that freaked me out a bit. 3. I'm sweating less. I know that's gross but I sweat like a pig and I hate it. I went walking yesterday and I didn't sweat so disgustingly that I had to come home and take a shower. Psyched! 4. My rings fit better. Now if I could fit into all of my cutie patootie rings that I have stashed my jewelry box.

Kiki-I had the same NSV just a week or so ago! I havent bought new towels for a while so I am down to 2 beach towels that I use, while everyone else uses regular bath towels. Anyway, I found that I am now able to use a regular towel too! I am throwing my old beach towels out for good! YAY, US!!

Hey Everyone! Just thought I'd share some of my recent NSV's: I went shopping in Lane Bryant yesterday and picked up a pair of pants they had on sale dirt cheap thinking "yay, they've got one left in my size" then I realized I dont wear a 24 anymore!!! I completely forgot for that split second that I am down to an 18/20! I was hit on twice in the same week. And so what if one of the guys worked at taco bell....atleast he has a job, LOL!!! Seriously though, it always nice to know someone out there other than your hubby thinks your cute, right??? I started going to the gym two weeks ago. It used to take me thirty minutes to walk a mile. I am down to a 15 minute mile-and can jog about 1/3 of the way! I know most healthy people can do it in half that time, but I am thrilled at my progress so far and know it will only continue to improve. I used to feel like I was gonna die just walking up my flight of stairs to my apartment. Yesterday, I walked all over the mall, walmart, and the outdoor outlet stores with no problems!!! I :mad2: MY BAND!

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 !

GREAT NSVs. I finally am able to wear a 16 so I am down 2 sizes WOO HOO! Also, I have found I have knee caps! I seem to be at a bit of a standstill as far as weightloss goes, but I am definately loosing inches.

I put on my work pants the other day and looked in the mirror and said to myself "i look like crap! why?" and i realized it was because my pants were too big! I could pull out the hip part like 5" and my pants were super baggy and hanging in the croch. So i pulled out a smaller pair of work pants that i havn't been able to wear for a while and they didn't just fit, they were even a little big! I put them on and looked in the mirror and I felt that I acutally looked cute!! My other NSV is that i've been trying on some old dresses cus I'm going to vegas in a few weeks, and I found 5 that fit now and look hot! woo hoo!

OMG! I am waiting for that NSV. I'm so tired of having to get my hubby to look down there to see if I shaved good or when I get a hair bump lol

I'm spending Labor Day weekend with DH at a lovely old restored hotel. The mirror in the room is a skinny mirror! It's slightly distorted and makes me look 5'9 and 140 lbs instead of 5'4 and 192 LOL. Gives me a glimpse of what the future holds...wish I could take it home with me, but it's screwed to the wall...heehee

3 years ago I brought a pair of GAP Long & Lean jeans in size 20 without trying them on because I hated trying on stuff and going to the fitting room, I was so disappointed when I got home and I couldn’t get them ½ up. This was a turning point for me; this is when I started thinking of WLS. Today 10 weeks post op I am wearing them to work. I am so happy for this NSV! DOS 12/1/12 287 CW 2/10/12 249 Down 38lbs

Post-op life has been incredible so far. Even when I was in the hospital right after surgery, I was so positive. I was so thankful to the nurses, doctors and hospital staff - and I told them so endlessly - that many of them told me that I was the sweetest patient they'd had in a long time. Why? Because I was so thankful to be alive, to be doing okay (in pain, but no complications), to have them helping me, to know that IT WAS DONE... I just couldn't help but want to thank each of them so much for being there to help me through the hardest part (first few days post op). It was wonderful. Through all the pain and discomfort, I was guided by the idea that this is exactly what I wanted. I was exactly where I wanted to be. It was only gonna get BETTER from there. And it has. SO MUCH!!!! So, last Thursday was my 12 weeks post op. My stats: High weight: 459 Surgery date: 417 Today: 370. In 11 more lbs, I'll be at 100lbs down. And my high weight is from November 2012, so in LESS THAN A YEAR (cuz I know 11lbs will be coming off soon) I will have lost 100lbs. This surgery is my miracle. And I am an agnostic cynic who doesn't really believe in miracles. At my highest weight, it was impossible for me to have any sense of fashion or feeling cute in clothes. All my pants had to be ordered online and were usually somewhat ill-fitting. Almost all my clothes were bought from catalogs because plus size store tops were just too snug, even in the highest size. About 6 yrs ago was the last time I was able to buy pants at a store. Tops were okay, but jeans/pants were too small. Well, now just about everything I have is way too big. So, I started pulling clothes out of "the archives" a few weeks ago. I had held on to some of my nicer work clothes from Lane Bryant from about 5-6 yrs ago when I could still fit in them. Now, even those are all getting too big. The smallest size I remember being in my adult life is 26/28 and 12 weeks post op IT'S TOO BIG. I still find it so hard to believe! Well, I went clothes shopping this weekend. I waltzed into the Lane Bryant outlet and grabbed a pair of 28 jeans thinking "I'm sure all my old clothes are stretched out/worn in. So we'll see just how much more I have to lose before these brand new ones will fit", guessing that I'd get them pulled up but would have trouble buttoning them. Wrong. More like "Um, Miss, can you get me a 26?" A 26!!!!! And yes, I realize this is still big. I have a long way to go still, but just the idea of buying something in a store - something smaller than I would have bought even 5 years ago - it blows my mind!!! I got a bunch of cute tops in size 22/24 - and by the end of summer THOSE will be too big because they are already just a tiny bit big in the shoulder area. Anyway, aside from the clothes shopping (which I always LOVED back when I could actually shop in stores, so it kinda made me giddy to be able to do it again!) - I also have some NSVs. I've started parking on the 3rd floor in the parking garage at work. I was on the 2nd and would take the stairs every day. There are 5 floors, so I want to work my way up. Not sure how long it will take, but I just want to be able to do it! I can cross my legs at the knee. My thighs are still so huge (UGH), but small enough that I can cross my legs, and I was NEVER really able to do that comfortably in my LIFE. I moved my seat up in my car about 2 inches. Never thought that would be something I'd have to do because I'm almost 6 ft tall, but without my gut (well, with LESS of a gut) I felt a mile away from the steering wheel! I no longer fear any chair. Sometimes arms with chairs were just too tight and I couldn't sit in them. Now, I don't have that problem. Next challenge - sitting in a booth at a restaurant! this last one may sound snarky - but I have an overweight friend who's been acting a lil jealous of me lately because my weight loss is getting noticeable. I'm REALLLY close (if not already there, really), to being smaller than her. I've ALWAYS been the biggest friend. Always. I know that may sound petty - but I am just so sick of being the fattest person in my family, at work, in the store, of my friends - I have always been the fattest person... and now - I'm not! however that comes across, there is something about that fact that makes me proud of what I've accomplished! And last but not least - I met a guy. He's a really good one, too - so far. I haven't shared all my secrets with him or anything, it's still really new. But I do thoroughly enjoy him and want to see where this could go. It's got some potential! I haven't had the confidence to date in YEARS, and I go on this one blind date and am lucky enough to meet a really great guy. Another miracle? I dunno. Maybe I've been overdue for some miracles in my life! lol Anyway, that's about all I got to share at this point. Hope everyone else is doing well out there, too! <3 <3

So, I'm getting ready for work this morning & kinda got frantic. I tried on one pair of pants - too big. Tried on another pair of pants - too big. Went to the smallest ones I have and thought "whew! this works". Typical morning - rush, rush, rush. Drop the youngest off at daycare & drive into work with my hubby (we work at the same company, same building, same floor - LOL). Thursday are free coffee days in my department, so my hubby always comes by to chat. Yeah right - we all know he wants free coffee. Part of his "charade" is to stop by my desk. He walks in my office & sees me standing up. He's like "What are you wearing? Those clothes are falling off of you." I was crushed. I was like "it's all that would fit". He says back "Those do not fit. You need to show off how you are looking, not hiding behind those clothes. At lunch, we are going shopping and buying you some clothes that fit." Luckily, there is a decent thrift store near work, so we went at lunch. The pants I had on were 12's. I went over to the 9/10 section, held up pants and went "no way" ... but, decided to try them on anyway. Every single pair I tried on fit!!!!! Some were too short or I didn't like them when I got them on. But, THEY ALL FIT! Some were even a bit loose. I can't remember the last time I fit into 10's. Maybe for a week or two in my twenties, but that's it. WHAT A DAY!

Cute couple Congrats on a great NSV!

I've learned some other abbreviations along the way. CW = current weight, SW = surgery weight, HW = highest weight, NSV = non-scale victories (like smaller clothes size). Hope this helps.

This week I had my 6 week postop appointment. I am down about 43 lbs total, including my 2 week preop diet. After hitting 40 lbs down at 4 weeks, I went up & down the same pound for about a week. After 3 or 4 days, I stopped weighing myself every day & just waited about 5 days or so before weighing again. When I did, I was down 2 pounds & another one came off before my follow up appointment. I think my body was adjusting to having more solid food. At week 5, I was finally able to start cooking again & enjoying the kinds of food I love. I'm still focusing on softer foods, but being able to cook good food & start sharing dinner with my husband again has really boosted my outlook. In addition, I can tell my clothes are getting too big & I'm starting to pull out clothes I haven't worn in years. I found a really cute knit pencil skirt online at Target & I bought both a 3X and a 2X (Target stuff runs small on me). The 3X fits great now & the 2X will fit before too long. It's perfect for somebody with a bountiful booty & the hubs loves it. A new cookbook I am exploring right now is called Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. It's a paleo cookbook, and Melissa also has a great blog called The Clothes Make The Girl. The paleo style of eating seems to fit in really well with our postop guidelines, so I decided to check it out. So far, I have really enjoyed everything I have tried from the book. She includes a sections on staples of a paleo pantry & ways to cook ahead the simple parts of a meal (meat, veggies, etc) that you then can use over a whole week with many variations. I found Well Fed on Amazon, along with several other paleo cookbooks I'm thinking of trying now. Over the last couple of weeks, I have had several social things to go to, plus a couple of times where I have had to be away from home for a whole day or overnight without much access to decent food. I've had to plan ahead for eating properly, and I've also had to get over my nervousness about social or party eating. I've been surprised at the things I've been tempted by & the things I have NOT been tempted by. One party was hosted by a friend who is a very good baker, and his parties always include some yummy cakes. I expected to be pretty tempted to have a bite of cake, but I wasn't. It was so weird, but I was happy with cheese & some olives & hardly looked twice at the cakes. However, last night we were at another friend's house they put out some Triscuits. OMG, I absolutely HAD to have a damn Triscuit. I was actually distracted from the conversation because I kept glancing at the Triscuits. Seriously, I'm obsessing over a Triscuit?? WTH??? I ended up eating 4 over the whole evening & they were yummy. I also had a little wine, but I didn't even finish one glass. I have noticed that I am starting to feel hunger again. A couple of times, I have been very hungry & my first 2 or 3 bites have been either too big and/or taken in too fast. Each time, I have thrown up right away. I need to do better about keeping it slow & small no matter how hungry I am. I am also struggling to take in 64 oz of water a day. I carry my bottle around, but forget to drink from it. The most I usually drink is 36 to 48 oz, and I know I need to do better than that. The other thing I'm noticing is that I'm "hungry" to get out and do more stuff now. My knees are feeling much better, and I am so much more enthusiastic about going shopping or to the grocery store or to a party without worrying about pain from standing or feeling like I am stuck in a chair while everyone else is mingling. Call it hunger for life, but that's the other hunger that's coming back & I am so grateful to feel it. Life is for living, and although I was never a person who withdrew from life, I certainly felt restricted in what I was physically able to do. My next NSV outing will be to go to our big farmer's market on a Saturday morning. Maybe next week? We'll see!