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NSV fitting into a size medium shirt from a 2x or 3x. Fitting into a size 12/14 pants from 24 and 2x Sitting in a chair and taking up 1/2 of it vs hanging off the edge Not having to worry if a chair will support me Flying comfortably with room in my seat and having to tighten the seat belt because it's now big *Best NSV of all is the hugs from my grand babies now that they can put their arms around me.. Little things!

WOW! Just stumbled on this thread and read the whole thing. FluffyChix: Totally get what you were saying about the article, it sounded a little more like "throwing in the towel" than "moderation". There is a difference. To tell yourself that you do not exercise for weight loss is just dumb, it has to be PART of the reason. I do agree that the scale does not determine my self worth, I will be ok with a reasonable range of weights. REASONABLE, not bc I gave up. The way you talk about weight loss is like a warrior going into battle, and that is exactly what it is. It is the exact words many people use to describe thier weight loss journey. We have all heard people say things like: "I have been battling with my weight." We have to be geared up for a fight with our own bodies/fat cells. I hear You, take no prisoners this is war against my fat body. Surgery is just one weapon we have in this war, the rest is our choices and determination. KEEP FIGHTING! We all have different goals and that's ok. I just had surgery 4 days ago and do not intend to waste this opportunity either. This is my best shot at a healthy new me. But at the same time I have not set a specific weight goal for myself and at 5'4" I expect to still be considered overweight. That's ok, I am focused on NSV. Don't let anyone discourage you. Keep working towards your goal. Fight like hell.

I'm 5 months post op tomorrow! I finally hit my first major goal of 100lbs down. This is including what I lost before surgery. I started last January (2017) at 355.2lbs, this morning I was 253lbs! Not sure what my goal weight is yet, as Ive been heavy my entire life, so I don't know what's a good weight for me. I think I'm aiming for the 180's! Just a reminder to trust the process, and enjoy the little NSV's and not just the scale. I had a month long stall last month and I hated it. I tried everything and turns out I wasn't eating enough! Good luck to everyone, feel free to share stories or pictures! Total loss=102lbs Loss since surgery= 68lbs (5 months post op) [emoji1]

I converted from lap band to sleeve... nsv... I haven’t thrown up in a month! Oh and I’m wearing size 18 jeans from a size 22

And ladies, I have a slightly different slant yet. You see I've. not had the Fat Brain, almost the reverse. In my mind superficially at,least I am 175-185 pounds, maybe not Smokin Hot but glowing along pretty nicely. Then I go by a mirror, with my bad luck usually 3-way, I look and say Who is that fat ungainly ugly elephant in my mirror?. I reach out and touch the mirror andvrwalize it's ME. And I start to cry, usually I back up and sit in the nearest chair. but often I then put both hands on there and still cry. I am a good person, a kind person, even a wonderful person but someone or something has put me in this fat ugly knobby suit and I can't pull myself free, it is glued with industrial grade Super Glue to me. So I stop eating as much as my Ghrelin Monster would like , as often. as GM would like, sometimes I don't given him anything after Breakfast, some days I let him hurt and don't even listen at breakfast, he's hurting me, why should I be kind to him? And when I do eat, I don't get a sense of satisfaction, I eat my little portion, and I stop because I feel sick. My son starts to worry, I'm natually eating a half to third what he does, but then 2 hours later it's Hello up there in the thinking center......I've tried to just drink,unflavored water or a protein shake at this point. Weight should be dropping off like dandruff scales? Nope, my forarmsand wrists are getting thinner, thighs, hips, belly, not that I can notice. I'd revert to a bad diet, but nothing appeals over there, and if this is a stall do I want to imperil another NSV as well as a real scale one? I'm supposed to be a "wise woman" someone younger people consult because of life experience, I don't resent being the Wise Woman of the Mountain as much as the Wide Woman the size of a Mountain. Please help me joy in All This. I keep on keeping on, but fear something is going to snap and then I'll need a keeper. Instead of chasing the bright elusive Butterfly of Love I'm chasing the invisible butterfly of a Commited Surgery Date. What if I see it after all in the distance, when I get close enough,to trap it, my butterfly net has big holes in it, the Butterfly flies on through and escapes? Do on stand there with egg all over,my face, start crying, or throw myself down on the ground and have a full- blown tantrum? There may be sunlight still ahead for,me, but I am growing old and weary, how strong do my glasses have to be for me to see it? Your friendly neighborhood Queen of Frstr8tion,ME😵😪

I had two NSV’s recently. 1. I had to get dressed up for the first time since my surgery. I’ve always been uncomfortable in dress clothes and felt like I was being choked by my collar and tie even with a properly fitting shirt. This time however with a full suit on I felt completely comfortable and couldn’t believe the difference. It was also nice being able to walk into a normal store to buy that suit and have a huge selection now that I am a normal size. 2. I went hiking for the first time since my surgery on a Mountain I have hiked a few times before. This isn’t a huge climb, but has about 2000ft of elevation gain over about 2 miles with a few very steep sections. In the past this mountain has wooped my butt and taken me about 2 hours to reach the top of. I am usually soaked from sweat by the time I reach the top due to the effort of dragging my big butt up there. It also has always left me soar for days afterward due to the weight putting pressure on my joints when coming back down. This time however I was able to reach the top of the mountain in just over an hour while hardly breaking a sweat the whole time. Then coming back down I could immediately feel the difference on my legs. The lack of pressure on my knees and the softer foot falls were an amazing difference over before. I ended up with my knee being slightly soar the next day, but that is 100% better than the multiple days of both legs aching like crazy in the past. Now I need to try running again for the first time since surgery. I’m hoping to see a difference there and turn that into my next NSV.

That moment where you had your first “oh wow life really is different now? “ Yeah I had that this weekend. I’m on day 10/11 in the post op liquid phase (and struggling but that’s a different post). I had to go buy belts for my pants because they were getting droopy. First time for that. First time hanging out with friends and while it’s not unusual for us to bring our own foods because of what ever diet/ gastric thing one of us is dealing with. I literally smelled food and that while that smells good I really don’t want any (grilled burgers). Like literally didn’t have the feed me now response I was so used to. I was content with my blended soup and jello I brought. First time for that. One of my friends commented on how much brighter/upbeat I seemed too. Next first: The Mr and I went out for errands and are finished the night up with a show. I put on a shirt and it just felt weird and baggy. This was a shirt I have like two or three of and a month ago wore regularly. I actually went and changed to into something less baggy. While out and about we had time to kill and went to one of our favorite restaurants. I knew I could get an awesome soup that the broth would be tasty and would blend up nicely once I got home. I ate really slow and barely made a dent. I think I was full (still figuring that part out) and stopped to get the rest to go. I also laughed when they gave me this big ole soup spoon that I knew was bigger than I should have per bite and instead used the teaspoon. A couple more firsts there. I know I’m going to lean on these NSV for the eventual plateau. What were some of your firsts?

I've had something odd happen, well it seems odd to me,maybe a mini-NSV? As everybody probably,knows I am currently in PreSurgeryVille, been living here so long my name should be on the mailbox. Okay, although no one instructed me to, I've been replacing one meal a day,with a protein shake 1. To get used to them and,maybe find a flavor I could put,on my in-laws shelf in the pantry, yeah the same one where the pretzels, chips(crisps to the UK) crackers and cookies used to live. 2. Hoping I'd lose a skoosk more weight so that my new program and also myself could feel I'm trying. Think maybe it's starting to work a little. My problem: the only place I can see a diminishment, My wrists and firearms are visibly thinner. Dang it, that is NOT where I planned the loss. So I asked Tomkitten, my son and primary heir to my miniscule fortune, to,look and see,if my tushi e was looking any smaller? He tried, bless his💛, circled me twice,like a human. Cat Scan , then grinned and said "Nope, its still there!" Are my efforts going to be in vain? Am I going stay more or less this size? I have even been to the gym twice weekly for PT, you would think that stretching and marching around like I'm Meredith Wilson,looking for the 76 Trombones he misplaced would have some effect. I was grateful,everybody else was so busy they weren't watching,me buff and puff along. So am I going to lose weight in my nose and cheeks next? I want this backside to shrink,before somebody slaps a election poster on it, thinking its a billboard.

How can we make a support group happen? Truthfully, I’m on Facebook more than here— can we start a secret group where we can check in on each other? Anyone up for it? If so, I’d be happy to look into it. Also, the head cravings are still so real. I took my DD to a birthday party today and the smell of pizza almost pushed me over the edge (and I’m not even a huge pizza person). But I just kept drinking my protein water and pushed through. Is it too early to have NSV?? 😂😂😂

And I believe you will be happy with what you see. You have done two very important NSV (non scale victories) and they are I've trouble with myself. For me the better balancing of my food plate wasn't too difficult, my strange acting stomach rather hold me back I'm eating smaller portions , I feel overfilled with 1/2 to 2/3 the sized portions I used to eat, I wanted to eat enough I wouldn't be hungry until,the next meal, now strangely I'm eating less but I don't have the knawing hunger I used to have. Illogical but I'll accept it. My bigger failing of the 2, I would(in the former days) eat extremely mindlessly in front of the TV, suddenly a whole box of Cheezits, I preferred the white cheddar ones, or an entire bag of Lays potato chips was gone. Did I share either one with someone else? Nope they had gone down the pink tnnel to my gut.. Did I feel overfilled or at least full? Nope. Now I eat slowly enough that I can taste each bite, and I'm trying to chew instead of bolting things right down. When I look back,I ate like I had a dozen brothers and sisters trying to take my food away if I didn't swallow faster. Shoot, I'm an only child and I acted that way. No too proud to admit it. Another bad habit, in an argument I would heap extra blame on myself, thought that way the other person would like me more, would still want to be my friend. Strange but it never worked, people didn't respect,me a whit more. Ah, Darlin' I'm still learning me Life Lessons. Rationlized it "Hey I'm gonna be a great person when this is done" well I was great all along, I just couldn't see it. So have a fine day and I'll try to do the same. A new thought I'm holding on to Every new day is a gift, that's why it's called the present. Smiles😜

Or try to convince my PCP I can still weigh the same and have lost so many inches. He gives me a smirky look, he may not believe in NSVs😢

Stats first: HW 427.4 (Jan. 2) SW: 413 (Feb. 15) Last week: 365 Today: 365.4 So, up 0.4 since last week and down 47.6 since surgery and 62 overall. (Grrrr.) I had gained a pound, but now I've lost another 0.6 pounds of that, so I'm "only" up 0.4, which I know could be something as simple as minor digestive delays, but it's still annoying. Since the weather is warm enough now (finally!) to no longer need long sleeves, I cleaned out my closet and dressers last night and got rid of an entire 55-gallon bag of clothes that are either too large or will be by the time cool weather comes around again. Kept my largest pair of jeans (34s) and my progress photo outfit, but the rest of it is going to Goodwill this weekend (after I do laundry and throw a few more things in the bag). I also went through some of my clothes in the next stages down and fit into a few t-shirts and pairs of capris that had been too tight, so that was a good NSV, and I'm glad I won't have to spend money on capris, at least for a while. I noticed this week that I have a bit of a sunken-in area on the right side of my stomach, like I lost a bunch of fat in that one spot all of a sudden. Rather amusing.

sounds like the third week stall - Read embrace the stall below. https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/351046-embrace-the-stall/#comment-3952027 Posted September 18, 2015 It seems that at least 50% of the posts on BariatriPal are bemoaning a stall. Daily, and sometimes hourly, I am reading about how someone ONLY lost x number of pounds and now the scale hasn't moved in ___ [fill in the blank] days/months, etc. Oh no, they write, I am a failure/unique/my surgery didn't work/life is not fair, ... Why am I in a stall? I know I am exaggerating but I think you get the idea. Guess what? STALLS are a NORMAL part of the PROCESS of losing weight. If you want to lose weight, you will stall. Not just once, but over and over. And, guess what? A stall is where your body actually does the hard work of becoming smaller. It takes a lot of work and energy to dismantle a structure that has been holding up, in some cases, hundreds of pounds. For those who think they have to DO something to somehow "break a stall" (in my opinion, you do not break a stall, you just ride them out), here is my response: What can you do to "break" a stall? 1) STAY OFF THE SCALE Relax and stay off the scale if it bothers you so much. Weigh no more than once a week, or even less often. Weighing only at your doctor's appointments early in the process is a good strategy if your mood and self-worth are dictated by the numbers on the scale. 2) PICK UP A TAPE MEASURE In addition to using the numbers on the scale to measure your progress, take your measurements. Inches lost are also a great way to see physical progress when the scale isn't moving. Most people see the biggest physical changes in their body when the scale seems stuck. 3) TRACK YOUR Protein AND Water AND MEET OR EXCEED YOUR PROTEIN AND WATER GOAL EVERY DAY As long as you are getting in all your protein and water and following your NUT and surgeon's instructions, you are doing what you are supposed to do. If you aren't getting in all your protein and water, then increasing your protein and water is something you can do (and should be doing anyway whether or not you are in a stall). 4) EXERCISE If you aren't exercising, then you can exercise (and should be whether or not you are in a stall). You can start slowly by walking or even moving more around the house. Exercising will help you feel better, tone your skin and build fat-burning muscle. 5) MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR NUT If you are unsure or unclear about what you are supposed to be, or should not be eating, then make an appointment with your NUT (which you should be doing whether or not you are in a stall). 6) REASSESS AND REEVALUATE About the only good result I see that comes from complaining about a stall is when you take an honest look at what you are doing and realign with the program recommended by your NUT and surgeon. Have you started eating more outside of your plan? Are you restricting calories? Are you eating enough carbs and protein for your exercise? Are you taking your Vitamins? Are you eating often enough? Are you eating slowly with protein first? Sometimes, all you need to DO is go back to basics. 7) JOURNAL One of the biggest things I have noticed from the various posts is how anxious and out-of-control some people feel when they notice a stall. Journaling can help you gain some perspective and deal with some of the emotional turmoil. -- Write about how you are feeling about the stall and your weight loss, and surgery in general. -- Write about why you had the surgery in the first place. -- Write about what life was like before surgery. -- Write about what you hope and dream about accomplishing in the future. -- Write about your fears. -- Write about your NSVs. -- Make a gratitude list. -- Make a bucket list. -- Write a letter to your old self; write a letter to your new self. Just write. 8) SEEK HELP Stalls are when too many people seem to revert to old, counterproductive dieting behaviors (restricting calories, over exercising, bingeing, etc.). If this is you, then another thing you can DO is to talk to a counselor or therapist or consider joining a bariatric support group or a twelve-step group like Overeater's Anonymous. The discomfort of being in a stall can also drive people to develop new, unhealthy coping habits or even transfer addictions. This is where you want to marshall all the resources you have available to you and use them. The last, and most important thing you can DO is: 9) EMBRACE THE STALL Stalls are a normal and natural part of the process. Our bodies are complex systems and not simple machines. Stalls go hand-in-hand with weight loss. If you had Weight Loss Surgery, then you probably want to lose a significant amount of weight. So, get ready to embrace the many stalls you will experience as your body is transformed. It will be worth it.

I have some shoes, bought them either a day when I'd taken an I bet dose of basic or early in the day before standing up at work. Another lady said her feet went down to in width and a shoe size, want to rock these shoes even if they aren't F M heels. What to know What, Does FM stand for? Okay you come out of bathroom or bedroom clad in a pair of very high heels nekkid, you look at the man in your life and utter a 2word phrase. Yeah that is what very high heels are called, like 3in.+. nasty but the truth. Why at 72 would I put on something that if I fall, and it's 8 to 5 I will, give me floor burns on not-exposed to the sun areas. And any guy my age is either going to die from a heart attack, stroke or blindness from the glare off of all this white flesh. Yeah another reason,for me to,lose weight, I'm keeping the male half of life from such a traumatic death. Yes men , you're perfectly welcome, I feel it's the least I can do. Not the usual NSV you're looking for, but I do what I can do!👈😜👉

3 months post op. Most of my NSVs are clothing related - down to a 1x from 3x. Shopping starting to be fun again! Just bought a shoes in W rather than WW! Can cross my legs! And my primary care doc reduced my bp meds last week and so far, so good on the bp! Hubby calls me "puny human" because I'm getting small. He sees it more than I do - body dysmorphia!

Had a memory the other day of when I was a kid and loved running through the mall. Going full speed dodging people as I ran. Used to feel awesome how I used to love running. "NSV's" I'm coming.......

Hey all - thought I'd check in with an NSV this morning! Struggling with a stall that seems to be lasting all month, so turned to clothing instead. One of the things that always made me sad while on vacation was not being able to fit into cute souvenier t-shirts in women's sizes. I don't usually care about brand names, but in particular with tees, I've always wanted a "life is good" shirt. Well, at Cabelas, checking out the life is good section a couple, I couldn't decide on short sleeve or long sleeve would be my goal. Wasn't planning to buy because surely they wouldn't fit! Hubby threw both in the cart and checked out. Tried them on this morning and both fit perfectly! Woo hoo! I was going to wear an old, too big shirt today, but screw that - Life is Good! Also had one of my employees approach me this week and say "I don't want to be weird or anything, but you look fantastic". trusting the process.....

no you are not doing anything wrong. a pound a day is simply not possible for any length of time. i also lost 30+ my first month then 8-10 per month since. A slowing is natural and healthy. Dont weigh everyday it just messes with your mind. pick a day of the week (same day as surgery or a weekend) and weigh in just once per week to take the emotional pressure off. It can take a while to relearn the full signals from your brain. If you know you will hurt at 4 bites then stop at 3. and yes slower is way better. Try to enjoy the journey you have started and look for NSV (non scale victory) in your life - getting off meds - smaller cloths - mobility -

I'm 5'4". My highest weight evs was 325lbs. My most recent high was 287lbs and the weight was heading up, up, up. I started pre-surgery preparation last May (2017). SW 222.4lbs CW 193.2lbs 1st GW 150lbs Secret GW 135lbs (that puts me smack in the middle of my theoretical "normal" range for my height) My actual physical goals are beyond scale related. I want to reduce my chronic daily pain back to the point that it's <4 on the pain scale. I want to reduce my risk of BC recurrence, normalize my A1c out of the pre-diabetic range, reduce my fasting insulin, reduce the fluid around my heart and reverse my heart enlargement, normalize blood pressure without drugs, reverse my asthma and dependence on asthma drugs, decrease my left arm lymphedema leftover from BC, increase my core strength to correct some DDD changes and curvatures, improve my balance, increase my endurance, and be able to participate in life outside my front door step. I want to be able to go anywhere, do anything, wear event appropriate clothing without being self-conscious, be able to wear a bathing suit in public and be able to take float trips down the Frio and Guadalupe and Comal rivers. My most recent NSV is that I went to a minor league baseball game last night and wore a short sleeved shirt for the first time in 20 years. My butt fit in the seat (barely) but it fit. And I wore my arms bare in all their bat-winged glory. I put the F-U in fun. It felt so freeing and I was able to just cope with the pain from sitting in the chairs and for too long without using anything for pain, and was still able to enjoy the night.

Working toward the day someone thinks I look too thin. A non-NSV loss, just awhile back little kid👦 looked at me and said "Are you fat or are you a 👩woman"? I will drop enough pounds that my girl-hood 🙆shows and I get a figure that just curves in and out. I'll settle for a glass coke bottle figure 👸instead of a salami🍤 one!

Ok, I went to a dept store to try on bras. That in itself is a NSV (non scale victory) for me, because they never had those 38DDDDs in there. Well, I’ve dropped down to a 34DD, exciting. I can shop anywhere. Nope, NOTHING fits. All those beautiful bras, but my girls are so EMPTY that they just look like melted ice cream cones in everything. At least in my too big 36DDDs they are kind of hidden even though they aren’t supported. I am planning once at goal to have a lift and augmentation, but until then, is there any kind of bra that looks great when your boobs are super deflated? Thanks.

Smaller clothes are definitely one of the best NSV! Good work!

Big NSV! Great work!!! Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

Wahhhooo! What a cool NSV! Congrats on your hard work paying off!!

I was so stunned...I had my surgery on january 31st 2018, and for the first time went shopping for some clothes to help me get by (considering its only almost 3 months, but my "old" clothes are litterly falling off me) i could not believe it i fit in an Xl-1X!!! Before surgery i was a size 26-28 or 3x i almost cried my mom was there with me and i told her i never thought i would fit in them... Sent from my SM-S727VL using BariatricPal mobile app