Search the Community

what a wonderful NSV!!!! I cant wait to go shopping...

You hit the nail on the head with your question about the size thing. I finally bought new clothes this past weekend. I was really wondering this too! (future reference if your ever in STL area and see a stressed mom shopping with 4 kids running in three carts in a department store stop and ask her if she wants help- IT IS ME!!!! I have never taken the kids anywhere where you had to go in to get carts new surprise and not so fun- moral I will shop with two and only two if I am by myself! I got mostly 14's but 2 sixteens and 3 twelves. bUT ALL LARGES (THOUGH i THINK A MEDIUM MIGHT HAVE FIT) So I am so confused (but the only pair of gap jeans I ever owned and fit - size 14 still can't even pull up past mid thigh (from 1989 or 90 my one skinny month) tHE VERY NICE LADY TOLD ME i HAVE PROBABLY NEVER HAVE WORN CLOTHES OR SHOES THAT FIT CORRECTLY AND i HAVE A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE COMING. My new NSV was to go the Fox theater, have plenty of room in the chair and be able to comfortable cross my legs and not crowd dh or my neighbor!!! ANd BIG RIVER WAS AWESOME!!!! Though a co worker of DH recently go back after 4 months abroad for work and saw our new family photo and asked Eric if he got remarried. I think that was good! Anyways congratulations and have fun!!!

Had a great NSV yesterday!! Some guy said I was cute!! OMG that hasn't happened in like 7 years!! Woo hoo!

New clothes, new coats, new shoes, cute underwear. Lol. Met my goal last week and need a second job to support my shopping habits. My big goal was to wear a pair of Ms Me jeans. I now have two pair. Bought a new Malibu to celebrate. It's sporty and yes I am one of those "old people" who drive a car that's a little sporty. Now my challenge is to stop losing weight. Harder than I thought it would be! Good luck fellow sleevers on you NSV's.

I learned just the other day to begin appreciating the "little" NSV that will happen and you won't even realize it until you do it. For the first time in I can't remember how long, I was actually able to bend over and tie my own shoes. I have worn shoes that slip on for as long as I can remember, but that day I put my sneakers on and tied them myself. I almost cried.

Yay Amy! What an amazing day! You're efforts are paying off. And I have done the same thing, grab something to stuff in my mouth before I realized what I was doing. The panic is undescribable isn't it? I'm so happy for all of the NSVs you had after that, which confirmed that you are doing just fine!

For me there are just too many things to count...not being so obsessed with when and what I am eating I feel so much freedom. Every day I notice things I can do now that I couldn't do before I lost weight...cross my legs, sit in a booth at a restaurant, fly without a seat belt extender, not take blood pressure meds, no knee pain...these NSVs make me so happy and remind me why I am doing this.

NSV- came home from an out of town trip weighing less than when I left:)

Now that is one heck of a NSV. Way to go!!

You know one of the best things about this forum is on matter how you feel about somethng, there is always someone and usuallu many someones, that feel the same way and understand what we are feeling. I alsoi never looked in mirrors if I could help it. I hated trying on clothes at store because of the evil 3 way mirrors! Tended to shop a lot on line or just buy and return if it didn't fit. No matter how many time my DH and DD tell me how good I am doing and how much better I look, I still see in the mirror, fat. There seems to be a short in my brain somewhere that can see the changes and process the sizes I have grown out of but still see me as fat. I am well aware that I have a long way to go yet but I have a hard time seeing where I have been and congratulating myself. I have noticed that I am slowly reaching acceptance for the way I look now and smiling with the NSV that happen along the way. My latest smile- standing in the grocery line and I had to move my cart to the end of the line and I was able to pull it right past me without having to step into the next door cashiers space to do it! Did make me smile!

All, Today is my one year anniversary of my surgery and I was wondering how everyone is doing on their Anniversary. I would love to hear from all of you as your DAY approaches. As of today, I have lost 115 since the begining of my journey. I can not tell you how much better I feel and all of the NSV I have had. I started out in a 26 jean or 3x and am now wearing 12p jeans and some med tops. I went from 3x scrubs to wear to work, to now buying mediums. More important, I feel so much better. I can breath, I am not short of breath anymore, I can walk from the parking lot to the store, or into work. I can reach things so much better, not knocking stuff over with my butt.... My chances of diabeties has lowered, my blood pressure has lowered. I can now sit on the floor if I want, I can cross my legs... My thighs dont rub as bad. I feel healthy... finally. I love, love ,love my band and want to hear your stories. Following those band rules. Lois

Very nice Stef!! Looks like alot of fun at both.:thumbup: As for me, last night was upper body. Let me just say, I've always lifted, but I honestly feel as if I am getting to be stronger than ever before and working harder than ever before. The weights I'm throwing around, while nowhere near what a true powerlifter does, is so much more compared to my current weight than ever in the past. Ok, done tooting my own horn. This morning was 60 minutes on the elliptical. Have to work this weekend, so cardio will be trimmed down. Might be able to get out on the bike this weekend after work, but not holding my breath.:frown: Back to tooting my own horn, couple of nsv's to share. Tried on my shorts from last summer that were getting a little tight. Waaaay to baggie now. If I put a belt on, the shorts bunch up on the side and look awful. No way I can wear them again. 2nd one, the other day at home while changing, I noticed I have oblique muscles now.:eek: Where did those come from? Still got the love handles, but much smaller and the muscle is starting to show through.:w00t: I'll never have a 6 pack, but I'll take what I can get. Last one, yesterday I was walking through our dept when our training Lt that had been away at an FBI class for close to 3 mos mentioned I had lost enough weight to finally need new uni's. I looked him in the eye and said,"Yeah, again". I got new uni's at the end of last year around late Dec. Now, those are getting baggy. Been a great week for the esteem.

At under 300 pounds you shouldn't need to worry that they won't let you fly or will require a second seat. You are making great progress and your internal mental image may not be in synch with your new trimmer body. I'm sure everything will go smoothly and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you have changed since the last time you flew! Keep up the good work and be prepared for a NSV when you realize how much easier it is to travel at less than 300 pounds! I am flying for the first time post surgery on 9/29 and am hoping I won't need the extender this time! We have to embrace and rejoice in the little victories along the path to a healthy body!

Great NSV, we take whatever we get!

Hi everyone - here I am again with even more apologies for not posting for so long....! :nervous :nervous :nervous Things are really busy for me and I never seem to get two seconds to spend on the computer - last few times I logged on, I have been perusing all the Vegas photos which took me ages - wow you all had a brilliant time - I was sick with jealousy - I thought of you all on that weekend as it was my sister's 30th birthday and we had a huge surprise party for her - she was absolutely thrilled so it was (nearly! :cool: ) worth missing the bash for her! Well anyway - my big news is - I am finally getting a fill! Two weeks from my one year bandiversary! For those who don't know, I have a 9cc Inamed band, which was filled to 4cc during surgery, and have never had a fill. I have some restriction but not much - I have a problem with some breads but that's about it! So rather than go back to France to my french surgeon, I sourced a really good band doc in the UK - a belgian guy who has fluent english (unlike my surgeon!) who can answer my questions and most importantly of all - GIVE ME A FILL! I am a bit apprehensive, and wished I had paid more attention when y'all were talking about fills - now what was it you all were saying again???? :nervous :nervous :nervous - I am coming up to my one year anniversary, and wish I'd lost more than 70lbs in the year, but hopefully I'll get a lot more off in the next year - I am 80lbs down from my highest weight so I guess I shouldn't be whining... The other big news is, I decided to go back to school! It has been so long since I have felt depressed and unable to cope with life so I peeped outside my rabbit burrow, and decided to get back into the world! I rummaged in the back of the cupboards, found my brain and headed out into the world of acadaemia! I am doing a university certificate in Psycology, and am hoping to get into college next year to do a degree as a mature student. I am loving the course so far - and my new found knowledge will really come in handy with my bonkers family! This is my NSV - there is no earthly way I could have concieved doing anything like this in my old body. I feel so focused and energetic, it seems like a miracle.... Last week, we walked to the nearby village, during the lunch break of our lecture - I was smiling to myself as I walked with everyone else - I wouldn't have been able to "stroll to the village", over half a mile, a year ago. The whole day was a triumph for me - my concentration, my confidence, and I walked!!! Wow! Anyway just wanted to say hi to everyone - i'll try to be around more xx

I was thinking....what a great NSV! I hope someone says that to me someday. Maybe it comes from them being concerned that you're not getting enough nutrition? OR in the case of someone who isn't supportive of you, jealousy? I'm still waiting for someone that doesn't know about my band to notice, and say something about my weight loss. Over 50 lbs gone, and NOTHING. Not that I care, but you'd think SOMEONE would notice! LOL!

DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is in no way intended to replace or undermine the advice of your physician. Every person is different, every surgeon has different guidelines, and no two situations are identical. Therefore if any of the answers below are unclear or contradict your physicians’ instructions, always follow your physicians’ instructions. The responses given are a compilation from multiple sources and references. How do I embed the weight loss ticker? Click on the liquid stage? During your clear liquid stage you can have anything that you can sip through a straw that is translucent, meaning see through. For instance: Water, juice, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, Isopure Protein drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, decaf tea just to name a few. Once you move on to full liquids you may add liquids that are not translucent. For instance: creamed Soups, soups with the chunks strained out, milk, Protein shakes etc… When do I start mushies/purees? Every surgeon has different guidelines for the progression of your post-op diet. The majority of post-op diets progress as follows: Day 1-7 Clear Liquids Day 8-14 Full liquids Day 15-21 Purees Day 22-50 Mushies What’s the difference between mushies and purees? The major difference is that purees are anything that has been blenderized/pureed to a baby food consistency and has no chunks. These should not be watery, but instead a thicker pudding like consistency. Mushies are soft foods that have not been pureed. Should I be counting calories or carbs or both? Both. Again, every surgeon is different, but the majority of sleevers will be on a 600-1000 calorie/day diet with carbs kept at 60-80g or less. The general guideline is this: When eating, protein is always first, veggies are second, and if you have room carbs/starch last. The majority will rarely have room for the carbs. How much protein should I be getting per day? The recommended protein intake may vary from 55 to 100g per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60g per day and men need at least 60 to 70g of protein per day. How much liquid do i need for the day? About 60-80oz When can I eat salad? Once you reach the point where you’re on normal solids you can try salad. Start with a small amount and see how your sleeve tolerates it as it can be difficult to digest. Best protein shakes? This one depends on your particular tastes, however most seem to enjoy powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury. What else counts as a liquid? Anything that can be sipped through a straw or that will reduce back to a liquid. For example: Jello, sugar free popsicles, frozen yogurt/ice cream (these are generally no no foods) How long will my surgery last? Typically about 45mins assuming there are no complications or other procedures (ie: hernia repairs) being done at the time of your surgery. Every surgeon is different so for a more accurate answer you should consult your respective surgeon. Why can't I tolerate plain water, is this normal? It’s called water nausea and it is completely normal. This is very common during the first few weeks following surgery and should eventually subside. What is sliming/slimes? Sliming or slimes occur when you eat or drink something and then regurgitate a slimy, foamy, saliva like substance, usually when belching. What is grazing? Grazing is when instead of consuming your standard 3 small meals and 2 small Snacks per day, you simply munch all day grabbing a handful here or a bite there. The rule is that your meals should take you 20-30 minutes to eat and should be about 3 hours apart with only fluids in between. What do all these acronyms mean? In no particular order: WLS – Weight Loss Surgery NSV – Non scale Victory (ie: smaller clothes, compliments, climbing a flight of stairs etc…) NUT – Nutritionist PCP – Primary Care Physician VSG – Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy TOM – Time of the Month SF – Sugar Free WFL/WFD – What’s for Lunch/Dinner How much did you lose at 1 month etc.? How much can I expect to lose in what time frame? Everyone’s body is different and so is everyone’s journey. There is no set amount you should expect lose in a set amount of time, and you should never compare your journey or your progress to someone elses. As long as you’re sticking with the program and following your surgeons guidelines, the weight will come off. What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own. When can I have sex? When you’re ready. Keep it simple for the first few weeks post-op and don’t attempt any tricky positions. Be careful until you’ve been cleared by your surgeon for strenuous activity. When can I start exercising? Typically right away, though the types of exercises you can do will be limited. Most surgeons restrict weight training/resistance training for about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but you should be walking/speed walking at least 30-45min daily starting from the day you get home. What do I do with flabby skin? What's the best exercise etc.? The severity of the flab will vary based on many different factors. While there’s no way to tell how bad it will be or whether it will even be bad, there are a couple of proactive measures you can take. Make sure you’re using a moisturizing lotion with Vitamin E and Keratin several times daily. The vitamin E will help add elasticity back to your skin and the keratin will add moisture, both of which may help your skin bounce back as the weight falls off. The best exercises to target your problem areas are resistance and strength training in order to tone and build muscle to replace the fat. Lastly, be patient. Just as your weight stalls while your waist catches up to it, your skin will sag until it gets the signal to shrink. While it probably won’t ever be as tight as you’d like, it will shrink. Will I lose hair? How much? What causes it? When does it return? Do Vitamins help? The truth is, yes, you probably will lose hair. Because of the drastic changes going on that are caused by the extreme reduction in protein and vitamins coming in as well as the hormonal fluctuations caused by the rapid weight loss, it takes our bodies a while to adjust. Don’t worry, as our hormones level out and our bodies get used to the new us, it will come back. There is no set time frame for it to do so however. I’m constipated - what is it okay to take, especially in the beginning when newly sleeved? Will it get better? Worse? In the beginning a simple stool softener like Colace should do the trick. You don’t want to take a laxative or anything that may irritate your new sleeve. While you’re in the liquid/puree stage, constipation shouldn’t be an issue, but as you reintroduce solids you may have to go back to your stool softeners. If you do find that stool softners are only offering temporary relief, try increasing your fluids and Fiber and decreasing your cheeses. I’m having very loose bowel movements, is this normal? Totally. You do need to monitor stools of this consistency to ensure they contain no blood, but very loose stools, even watery stools, are completely normal for a few weeks post-op. When in doubt – ask your surgeon. Will I feel fatigue? Will fatigue go away? Yes and yes. Your body has just undergone major surgery and it needs to heal. While it’s healing you will feel more fatigued than normal. Subsequent to having such a large portion of your stomach removed is the fact that you can no longer take in as much food (read: fuel) and therefore your body has to adjust and find a new fuel source. Your body will eventually begin to burn fat for fuel and some of the fatigue will subside. Your surgeon should also prescribe a B12 supplement which will also help with energy. When can I go back to work? How much time should I take off? That will be entirely up to your surgeon. Most return to work within 2-3 weeks. How many days in the hospital? Your hospital stay will depend on your recovery. When you are able to keep down liquids, are up and about and walking as directed, and your surgeon and nursing staff are confident there are no complications, you’ll be released. Your surgeon should be able to give you an expectation of the length of your stay. Do the staples dissolve? No. The staples used to close the stomach are titanium and do not dissolve. The stomach tissue will eventually grow over the staple line. Your staples do not make metal detectors go off or make you ineligible for an MRI. They are completely benign. Why am I always hungry? The most likely culprit is either head hunger or reflux/heartburn. Head hunger is a false sense of hunger triggered by boredom/emotions/the clock or any number of things which make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Heartburn is the most common culprit of constant hunger. Even though you may not feel as though you have heartburn, you may find that a simple antacid will eliminate that constant hungry feeling. What is a stricture? A stricture is what happens when scar tissue builds up in your esophagus (sometimes caused by reflux) that causes your esophagus to narrow and makes swallowing difficult. What is a leak and what are the symptoms? A leak is an opening along the suture line of your sleeve that allows bile and other digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. The symptoms of a leak vary but the most common symptoms are pain radiating across the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal cramping. It is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Can you get a leak any time after surgery? Or is it just immediate? Most leaks happen very soon after surgery, but there is still a risk for about 4-6 weeks after. Again, it is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Some of my incisions are oozing - is this normal? If they’re oozing a green or yellowish Fluid, absolutely not. Green and yellow are the colors of infection and should be reported to your surgeon immediately. If your incisions are oozing a pinkish or clear watery fluid it’s your body’s way of keeping your incisions clean and isn’t usually a concern. When in doubt, ask your surgeon.

I am beyond thankful for the success that I've experienced thus far and praise God for this opportunity to have a longer healthier life. The dilemma I have recently discovered is I've begun to question myself about the amount of enjoyment I get in talking about my WLS journey. I have always enjoyed sharing my story with others for a number of reasons. The most predominate reason though is that I have found so much encouragement form others as I was looking into and beginning my journey and I hope to be able to provide that encouragement to others. I really love sharing the adventure with others. With weight as the topic I feel I have been to the near extremes, I was never on a public service special but I had gotten to the point where some of the basic life functions where cumbersome to say the least. Maybe the depth of sadness I felt at those times in my life are now being counterbalanced by the happiness I now feel. I've had better than average success with this WLS surgery and I feel like I'm in the best possible position moving forward with the rest of my life. I'm still seeing scale and NSV regularly and feel badly that others have struggled where I have not. So my question is this justified, is it ok to still be so happy and excited. Am I providing any value by continuing to tell my story or am I an attention ***** destined to turn into a daffodil?

The local fast food restaurants go out of business. Your dog gets fatter (now that there are leftovers). Your scale doesn't make a groaning sound when you stand on it. You have a fancy designer label on the back of your jeans instead of "Pass" and "Don't Pass" over the back pockets. But seriously, at first you may see yourself as the same, but people will be noticing the difference. Your clothes will fit looser, you will have many NSVs, you will not mind having your picture taken or looking in the mirror or weighing yourself, you will have more energy; the list goes on and on.

Hey y'all, I'm incredibly excited and I have to share this with someone who will understand! I was sleeved on May 18th and since then I've lost around 16 pounds. The scale hasn't moved in almost a week though and I've been wanted to add in exercise so I thought now would be a great time to do so. I've had an elliptical for a couple of years and I finally got back on it a few days ago. Tonight when I was on it it hit me - I wasn't out of breath! Before my surgery when I would get on it (a year or two ago) I was out of breath within five minutes and the rest of my workout was a huge struggle. Tonight when I was almost finished I realized my chest wasn't on fire! I think I'm more excited about this than the weight I've lost!! Anyways just wanted to share with my fellow sleevers! God bless!

Kirsten we seem to be on the same plateau mine will last a few days then I will lose and then stall then gain a lb or two I prob have lost over 40 lbs at one point and keep gaining and losing the same ten lbs sassy no numb cream or shot here my fills really don;t hurt all that bad today is the 1st day I will go in without someone with me so I am a little nervous steph congrats on the nsv I love those kay i am a big soup eater but only thick soups

NSV--- size 13 skinny jeans!!!??? Haven't been this size in over 10 years! Feels great! [ATTACH]2494[/ATTACH] xo Hilary

Thanks for the positive feedback. I fail to see the differences that others glean from the photos. I see my successes in the several NSVs I've mentioned elsewhere. Only did the photos because my surgeon, my dietitian and my exercise therapist said to try a monthly or bi-monthly set of pics.

Hi- For years I had been an avid hiker, but for the last 10 years I have been too fat to hike. I figured I would try it again. I went out this morning for what was supposed to be an hours walk-well, guess who got really lost? I took about three hours to get off the mountain. But I did it!!!!!! :whoo:It was hard. My calorie monitor watch says I burned about 1700 calories. Now that's a workout. Now I want to go back ASAP to find out where I messed up!

I have noticed that I am losing in places that I never lost in before. The first time I was on Atkins I lost a lot of weight (down to 185) I just seemed to lose a little bit everywhere, but when I gained it back I gained it all back in my upper torso area. Now that I am losing again that is where I am noticing it most. Also in my thighs!! Huge NSV: Today I was lecturing to my students and noticed that I could completely cross my legs like a proper lady. So while they looked like they were ready to die from boredom, I was super excited because for the first time since I could remember, I could actually cross my legs and not look like a man!!! Now if I could just get rid of this pesky double chin. I really only need one!