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My wife and I went away for an impromptu weekend away to one of our standard get away locations. Birch Run outlet mall in Birch Run MI. This was the first trip we've made to the mall since my having surgery. I was eager to go to some of the stores that my presurgery self would have never been able to shop, Tommy Hilfiger, RL Polo, Izod, etc. Let me also tell you that I am incredibly cheap and the only way I would ever buy anything at such stores was if it were on clearance and I had a stack of coupons. The clearance shopping gods were smiling on me this weekend! Not only were there some great prices, perfectly caught the end of summer season polos, jeans, shorts, etc but I was able to fit in sizes I would have never before dreamed. All of my new polo shirts are XL with the button up shirts XXL. What a dramatic difference from the 3XLT polos and 4-5XL button ups I would have had to previously purchase. Now the really exciting stuff...pants....I'm wearing 34 jeans from Levis, Tommy, Gap and Nautica and 36 dress pants from the same places. This is an area I would have NEVER imagined I would be. That takes my jean size change from 48 to 34 and dress pants from 50 to 36, unfreaking believable!

One of my goals was to be able to shop at Old Navy. Wearing a size 26/28 as recently as May, that has never been an option. Old Navy wasn't around when I was a skinny teen and young 20s. So today I ran over there to see if I could find any capris or jeans that would fit. I tried on three size 18s and lo and behold, I had to put them back and walked out of there with perfectly fitting size 16s and a really cute top. That totally made my day!

That's a huge NSV! Congrats!!

Ok, so I was getting dressed to run to the store with hubby, and pulled out a T-shirt. I looked at it and though, hmmm its a little small. It was one of my sons old t-shirts, a mens small, from way back when, not sure why I kept it, but there it was. Keep in mind that I have always worn a mens XL t-shirt, to hide the tummy etc. I said screw it and put it on. Yup, thats right folks it fit! Big smile about that one LOL

Truly fantastic NSV! Don't need to top it, just replay it in your head!

I love NSV's like this!!! Made you feel like a little girl again didn't it?

What a great NSV!

Ah Kim, not Belgian, British, but closest affordable surgery was belgium, so combined my sleeve with a weekend away! Well, I have been far from perfect, but I have been a lot better this week, and -2lb, which is the first significant shift in a very long time. So thats good. I also had a great NSV this week, a friend (who I consider to be a skinny friend), asked me to take a bag of clothes to the charity shop for her, and I thought prior to donating them I'd have a quick peek and see fi anything was vaguely my size. Well it ALL fit despite being an odd range of sizes UK 10s-14s (US 6,8, and 10s), so I just adopted a new work wardrobe, and now I owe a big donation to charity! Anyway I have 7 days until I go on holiday, and so I seriously doubt I'll get the extra 10lb needed for my labour day goal, but I am happy, I am now tecnically just 9lb overweight, and 19lb to my long term goal! Its a good place to be :D :D

GREAT NSV!!! I have to remind myself that I don't need to pull my seat up. Since I have shrunk, my belly doesn't touch the wheel and I think "Oh I am too far away" and then realize I am not.

Yesterday we had dinner at my fiance's parents' house as we usually do. My future father in law is a nice guy but kind of quiet (like me), so our conversations are kind of limited. When we walked in, almost immediately he said "You've lost a lot of weight! You're doing good." I was so surprised I almost didn't know what to say! It was even nicer to hear because my weight loss has been slow lately and I've been feeling kind of down about it. So happy!

That's wonderful! I've had to adjust the seat in my car several times since surgery. It's a nice little NSV that you wouldn't think about otherwise. Hooray for smaller tushies!

Love it! Great NSV!

When my step father passed away in 1996, I inherited his 1994 Grand-Am. I drove it for several years and then bought a minivan right before my surgery. I gave the car to my son. When I drove the car I always had the seat all the way back because I have long legs. At least that's what I thought. Yesterday I got in the car to move it in the driveway and couldn't reach the gas peddle! I had to move the seat up 2 notches. It finally occurred to me that it wasn't because of my legs, it was because my butt was so big I was sitting closer to the wheel! LOL, who knew?!!

Great post Diva! I'd add, "DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and "DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!"

WLS Do’s and Don’ts DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!! DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next: DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op. DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can. DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it. DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own… DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples: DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do! DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go. DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses. DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!! DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now. DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!! DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences. DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc… DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could! DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life! DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility. And finally… DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance. DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses. DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here. DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to. DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid. DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!! Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind. Add-ons by other experienced sleevers: DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and "DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week. DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

Congrats on your NSV! I too rely more on how my clothes fit than the scale.

WOOHOO great NSV thank you for sharing with us!

Awesome! Those NSVs are so much better than the scale victories. I remember how excited I was the day I realized I had collar bones again haha!

Now that is an awesome NSV!

In May 2011, I was wearing a size 22-24 business jackets and non-stretchy pants. As of today, August 2011, I am a comfortable size 18. My size 20 blazers are way too big for me and make me look frumpy. Woo-hoo! I haven't been relying on the scale much because it has come to a stop for now, but I notice my weight loss in how my clothes fit me.

Awesome NSV! I haven't worn a belt in so long . . . that's one of my mini-goals . . . to be thin enough to be comfy in a TUCKED-IN shirt with a belt!! No more mumu shirts for me!

woo hoo! congrats. gotta love those NSV's!

Congrats, that's awesome. Had my own NSV just this morning. After years of the doona falling to my husband's side of the bed and leaving me cold and my husband saying it's because I'm bigger and therefore gravity makes it fall off me, last night it fell off HIM! It's not that I'm smaller than him (yet), but much, much closer in size than I have been for many years.

First NSV of the week came on sunday when I went to go buy a new pair of pants since the ones I have are getting too big. Pre-surgery (june 8th) I wore a size 24 pants, sunday I was able to buy a size 18!!! There is no longer a 2 in front of my pant size!! Second NSV of the week came today at work. It was freezing in my office and I did not have any sweaters with me so I went to grab one of my labcoats that have been hanging on the back of my office door for years. I have not worn one in forever since they were wayyyyyyy to tight in the arms and came no where close to buttoning. I put on the coat and guess what??!!! All the buttons were able to close and I have room to spare!! Could not be happier about my decision to go through with this surgery!

Awesome NSV!