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I was at a thrift store and my husband today and he found a pair of size 18 pants and he said he couldnt believe I used to wear those. I actually wore a 20 and told him so. He asked me to hold up the 18's and he took a picture. I was astounded when I saw the pic so I wanted to share it.. Its hard to believe that I was even bigger than this. So happy I got the sleeve! btw.. today is my 5 month surgiversary and I am down 59 pounds!

Oh I forgot to mention my NSV... my hubby decided he wanted to weigh our dog, a golden lab who is 4yrs old. He weighed in at 74lb... this is what I have lost! I have lost my dog! When I see it, actually see it in another form/shape it blows me away! When my hubby, who struggled to lift him, put him down, I asked him if he could imagine having that weight all over his body and go about his day to day business... he said 'No, that would be bloody awful!' Imagine his face when I told him that our dog represents my weight loss... yep, he too was god smacked! So fellow goalers... what represents your weight loss to date? My ulitmate goal of being 139lbs would mean that I would of lost my 11yr old son ...lol ... that really would make me smile! =]

So for me this is a minor success story but i had to share that i had a great nsv! all my shirts are too big ! its been almost 1 month and 25 lbs its amazing! just when you think your not gonna lose weight or your sleeve isnt working it is. your body needs time to catch up when it drops lbs therefore its inches take time. im on top of the world and cannot wait for summer and shorts and tank tops and comfortable! lol we as sleevers have so many moments when we think that we are not losing and our sleeve isnt working but i dont think thats the case at all It just takes time and we all have to remember its a tool to make the change we need. its not the whole solution. but it sure makes this weightloss journey a little less hard! well for me any way. Have n awesome day and week !

The week after Christmas I went into Aerie and bought an adorable pair of boy cut underwear with blue buttons and anchors. It was the first pair of panties that didn't come in a value pack that I have bought since I got pregnant with my first child 23 1/2 years ago. Wahoo!!! I call them my "pretty girl panties."

Now that is one amazing NSV!! Congratulations to you! (((HUGS))) Sarah Flagstaffian

Hey peeps!! That is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Things like - Rosacea clearing up?! Who would have thought?! But, wearing your fat suits literally drags down ALL of your systems in the process of living each day. No more swelling ankles? Finally! One of my biggest NSV's will be to one day wear SHORTS or a skirt that shows my legs! I've never, ever done that. About the carpal tunnel- obesity is (obviously) not the cause, but it exacerbates the condition by applying extra pressure to the carpal/neural pathway (the tunnel). I am hoping by having this one surgery, I can prevent about 10 other surgeries in the future! But dang it, Kaiser told me to lose 9 lbs in the next 3 weeks...or to reschedule my appt w/ the psychologist Time to cut the carbs and increase the walking!! Thank you lovely ladies for your wonderful stories. This community is the BEST!! (((HUGS))) Sarah Flagstaffian

I love this story. I think the NSV stories are emotionally more important than reading the scale.

I had another NSV today . I live in the country on 5 acres so my neighbours are not close enough that I bump into them very often. Today I stopped to get the post out of my postbox which is at the end of our rd. My next door but one neighbour pulled up behind me and we both got out of our cars.I said hi and asked how she was. She said fine and asked if I was the new person that had just moved into the street. Now I know I haven't seen her for a while other than waving as we drive past each other but she seriously didn't recognise me. When she realised who I was she was gobsmacked and told me how amazing I looked and asked how much weight I had lost. This is the second time this has happened in a couple of months. the same thing happened when I saw one of my other neighbours at the post office. It's amazing how fantastic something like this can make you feel.

Coops, congrats on your boxing NSV! I think that's awesome! And congrats, Thin, on getting back to the gym. Escape, you are soooo close, that's really exciting! I did OK today. I'm trying to figure out the balance of getting back into the gym. I am still sore from my run on Sunday, so I think I overdid it. I've done pretty well with the food, but I find that my carbs are still a bit high. I feel good that i am re-focusing however. Day by day, getting better and healthier.

WOW... that is a brillaint NSV and something I would love to be able to do. Don't think I am strong enough yet, but who knows what is in the future...

So last night and the night before.... Both mornings I have awoken with my pjs bottoms below my butt because..... THEY'RE TOO BIG!!!

Ok so today my shoulders are KILLING me so I decided to take a hot bath in my jacuzzi bathtub. I hadn't taken a bath ( I'm a shower person) since before my surgery in june. When I finish a bath I always drain the water and get out after the tub is empty. I've always had to move my hinny to release the trapped water behind me. Most of you all know what I'm talking about. Well, tonight after the water drained, I did my shimmy and low and behold... NO WATER!! my butt has shrank so much that no longer trap water behind me! Woo hoo!!!

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I'm feeling fine and back on the program. Lots of bruises from the heart cath but doing fine. I started walking again daily on Monday and can feel it in my calves! Had not really exercised since early Nov. There are still a few little goodies here and my hubby is eating them so I will be glad when they are gone! They do call my name. I've also started tracking my food & exercise intake again, I've got to get some more weigh off. Like you Bobrocky, my knees and back are better but I need to do more. Glad you are still loosing, 2 lbs a month is better than gaining. I agree with you, seems like you would have gone down more size wise with all that weight you have lost. Wrinkly fingers is funny. Never thought about them loosing weight. Ms lady, get that 5 lbs off. Maybe it's Water weight! LOL I know you can do it. Healthywoman I am so jealous of your 179. Congratulations on that and an actual loss over the holidays. Kristen, sounds like you are doing great. 3 1/2 lbs is wonderful. Everyone give us updates on how you survived the holidays. Hopefully we are now all back on our programs and exercise and doing well. Any NSV out there? I need your encouragement to stay on my program so everyone speak up! You are my accountability group. Does anyone track their carbs and Protein? I had not been lately and when I did today I was shocked to see my Crystal Light has 12 carbs in each serving. I've been having 3 of them a day and maybe that's why I am not loosing. I think my Dr said we need about 80 grams of protein a day. What limits do you all do? I nearly died of embarrassment Sun after church. We went out to a deli, the only thing open, for lunch. I ordered a grilled turkey reuben thinking it would be grilled and I would eat half. It was sorta toasted, not grilled. After 2 bites I had to excuse myself to the rest room. Nothing would go down or come up so I went back out and a few minutes later had to go in there again. This time it came up and I slimed for the first time. Yuck! We were with one couple that knew I had surgery. The other one did not but they are pretty good friends so I told them why I kept leaving. No more toast for me. It just won't go down. We can do this! Have a great week. Blessings, GG

Today has been a good day re food... low carbs, high Protein and just under 900 cals... the xmas weight has come off now... just got to see the lower end of my 'bounce weight' .... then to get below 164lb! With the really low carb, I was hoping to see a little more movement...perhaps I am being impatient... yea, ok, I know I am being impatient! One thing that I have noticed is that I am getting headaches... now, this is probably hormone related with a little bit of low carb thing included... gotta push through this! I've been give HRT Patches to try again too... and put my first one on tonight, so this will be an interesting couple of week... let's hope that they won't affect my weight or moods too much... lol Glad to see you all adding your days, experiences to this thread... it really does help me to see others out there in the same boat. I still love reading success stories and when efforts are rewarded with either weight loss or NSV! Keep up the good work my sleeve friends...

LOL! funny NSV! I hope your 5K training goes well and that you do great during your 5k!!!

A loss is still a loss. If you only gain back 6 or 8 lbs., then you know what you have in a loss. Celebrate them, and celebrate the NSV's. I like those more then seeing weight loss on a scale. As long as you feel your winning that Battle ! Your doing just fine. So Congrats !

Just yapping about the changes I've noticed since being sleeved. Some NSVs, some new revelations. My relationship with food is more enhanced. Since my portions have decreased so much, I really have to savor and enjoy the food that I’m eating. I used to scarf my food down like I was afraid someone was gonna take it away from me. Now I actually TASTE and appreciate the food I’m eating. I used to taste it before too, but dining is now an experience for me where as before it was a task. Does that make sense to you? For example, I’ve been making Spinach Lasagna for my family for years, and they all rant and rave about how good it is. Before I didn’t really eat it, but this past New Years, I had a spoonful, and actually tasted all the herbs and different flavors of the cheeses. That was a great EXPERIENCE for me and my tastebuds. I LOVE going to the gym. A year ago you couldn’t even pay me to step foot in a gym! I guess with the weight loss and the boost of confidence, I’m no longer worried about looking like a fat person trying to lose weight. I get to Planet Fitness, plug my headphones in and I become one with that treadmill, or bike, or ellipticall machine. I have never been this amped and motivated to get in shape. I think getting in shape is the key to this – I’m not focusing on losing weight because that is happening any way. I’m focusing on toning my body and getting my endurance up and seeing that progress makes going to the gym a very enjoyable experience. I don’t know how to shop for clothing anymore! It’s like I’m a stylist trying to give someone a makeover! I’m not complaining because it’s fun! I’m trying on clothes that I would never have considered in my pre-sleeved life. I got so accustomed to going right into Lane Bryant and the other big girl stores and settling for all the oversized blouses and tent like dresses they offer us. I’m not necessarily ready to shop in a skinny girl store for all my clothing yet, but it’s nice to be able to walk into a “regular” store and have the option to wear some of their clothing and not just the jewelry. I loved to shop before, but now that my options for stores to shop in have doubled, I’m in heaven!!! On another note, my ass and boobs have left the building. I wasn’t a Dolly Parton Kardashian candidate before, but now my profile looks like that of a door. You gotta see how I’m going after that glute machine in that gym. SMH. Been looking for “booty pop panties” on EBay and Amazon. New adventures in grocery shopping too! I was never a label reader up until about 2 years ago. Even then I was really only focusing on finding foods that had aspartame in them because I’m trying to stay away from it as much as I can. I would also glance at fiber content, as I like to know that my fam is eating foods rich in fiber. Now I find myself comparing everything to see what has the most protein in it. I am losing my hair. It’s coming out at the root. It’s my fault though because I’ve been neglecting my vitamin regimen as usual. I know, I know. Gotta get my vitamins in, it's essential to my well being. I can see my pubes. My stomach hung so low before that it covered my lady parts. I have gotten comfortable with telling people that I’ve changed my eating habits when they say “What are you doing to lose the weight?”. I tell them that my portions have gotten way smaller, and I’m more aware of what I’m putting in my mouth. I tell them that I’m also going to the gym, trying to get to a healthier place. Who says I have to mention the part about being sleeved? I sat in the movie theatre with my sons to watch the Chipmunks movie the other day. The seat was comfortable. Its usually to snug and I end up having to scooch my self forward to get out of the seat without bruising my hips. Now, no problem. Will definitely be going to the movies a lot more from now on. I have to brush my teeth several times a day. I guess since we have to chew our food so much that we’re more susceptible to plaque. I just know that I hate that feeling – the cheesy film that you feel when you run your tongue across your teeth. Instead of twice a day, I’m up to 4 to 5 times for toothbrushing. Flossing is becoming more frequent too. I have to get my wedding rings sized. They look like hula hoops when I put them on my finger now. Everytime I see someone who is obese I want to run and tell them about the sleeve. I’m realizing that since I’ve gotten more accustomed to my sleeve, the less I get on to VST and the less I have to vlog about on Youtube. I now understand why so many people are all in for months at a time, and then they just disappear and return a year later to announce their “surgiversary.” Once life with your sleeve becomes normal, there isn’t much to report.

Today, a lady at work said "here comes skinny minny." OMGoodness, I haven't been called that in......never!!! Yay!! I told them I still weighed 178 though (i know, I'm my own worst enemy) and still had another 28 pounds to lose. The woman said if I lost another 28 pounds, i'd blow away.

<p style="margin-left: 40px"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">LOL!! Thats a fun interesting NSV!!! Good things come in small packages?</span></strong></p>

I went for a physical today with my pcp because I am training for a 5K. They did the whole workup, blood, urine, pap smear and later today a mammogram. During the pelvic exam, my doctor said to me, "its a lot easier to check your ovaries now that you are so much thinner"... LOL I never thought about that.. what an nsv for me! Makes even my doctors life easier. My blood pressure was 80/60... really low. He wasnt concerned though. He said it was good. I was dehydrated but they didnt give me an IV, just told me to get to drinking. I am cleared to keep running now that I have my asthma inhaler. I just feel so much healthier.

As others have said, take the word only out of your vocabulary. This is not a race, but a lifestyle change. As long as you follow the "rules", you will lose weight. When the scale isn't moving, you should be looking for the NSVs. For me the weeks I don't lose pounds are the weeks where I see the most difference in how my clothes fit. I walked out of my first size lost during a stall!! I actively look for those Nsc changes now. My car seat is much more comfy now, I am down two sizes, I am getting rid of my bi-pap in a couple of weeks, and I am able to walk more and longer distances than before!! I love those changes, even when the scale is being stubborn. The best part is that I may get up tomorrow and see another 2.6 pound loss like this morning! Our bodies do what they want, but the weight that is gone now STAYS gone!! Yay!! Lissa

My husband and I have been going to the gym on and off for about a year... mostly off...lol. We started the 5k training together last week. Its going great. On days we dont walk\run, we do the weight training on the machines. He likes to take turns on the machine so he can compete with me. He is 6'2" tall and about 210. He is not muscular really so we lift pretty close the each other. Anyway, we were on this thigh machine that works your outer thighs. The two pads are against your outer thighs and your legs are together when you start. You swing your thighs apart to lift the weight. He started first and his inner thighs were touching and his knees very nearly. Then it was my turn to do a set. I started and there was this huge gap when my legs were together, he said, hey! your cheating... you dont have it set where your legs are all the way together! I said, yes I did! We checked it and sure enough, and to my great surprise, it was as close at the machine allows and there was at least 5 inches of room between my legs! LOL.. it was the greatest feeling to know my thighs have shrunk that much! They look little now! So much smaller then our earlier visits to the gym this year that he thought I was cheating! Woohooo! Just thought I would share in my excitement. My hubby couldnt stop talking about it at the gym... I love my sleeve

This is great! I really enjoy reading everyone's NSVs. I went from a 42DD to a 38DD and now I'm having to be fitted again. I love it. And Leslie - you're doing fantastic for just having had your surgery a few weeks ago. Wait until it's been a few months and you can hardly believe how small you've gotten