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Nsv.. This is a Nsv that has been posted so many times. My first experience fitting in an airplane seat.

I have had a big NSV day... I am on the United Way board and we were doing site visits. The people on my panel didn't know me heavy and didn't now my situation at all. They don't know that two years ago I was in pulmonary rehab and couldn't walk more than 100 ft. Today, I walked myself all over the Y, a huge homeless shelter with a Soup kitchen and transitional dorms, a developmental daycare, and finally an adult daycare PLUS vocational campus. When we finished at the adult daycare, the tour guide wanted to take us to see what the United Way funds paid for the prior year - a walking track of about 1/3 miles in the woods that's paved so wheelchairs can go. We walked about halfway to the lookout and then back to the facility up a huge hill. OK, huge to me but still...a hill. Anyway, I didn't sit down except when we were in conference rooms and everyone else sat. I stood or walked for most of the almost four hours I was on these visits and without this surgery, I never would have been able to do it. I sent an email to my program director thanking her for this. Really, I feel like I'm slowly getting my life back.

Just wanted to say hi. Still plugging away. Right now I find myself wanting to snack and knowing that it's not allowed...struggling a bit with head hunger and reminding myself only to eat when hungry. It's a challenge. I lost 2 pounds after my first fill (3/18) but I'm back at a standstill again. Finally got an exercise routine going so I hope that helps. I have had the NSV of fitting into a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in six months at least, so that's something. I am still looking for a local fill doc. I have a few choices but haven't finalized yet (or found out if they will accept me -- need to send my surgery report). I'm ready to have that second fill lined up. Hope all of my fellow Georgian bandsters are well!

I have 16 more days til my VSG in Mexico with Dr. Elias Ortiz. I am beyond excited! I took some time today to really dig deep and think of some non-scale victories. I think they are so beneficial because for my this journey is more than the number on the scale. Its about how I want to feel and the woman I want to be again. Im 31 yrs old and I feel as though I have lost years of my life yoyo dieting. I think a list of NSV's if not only motivating while losing but especially when maintaining so I can remind myself why i dont wanna go backwards. I had a coworker tell me that I dont need to have the surgery and I was highly offended. She is much smaller than me and has never battled with her weight. She does not know my stryggle and will never understand. Anywho... such is life... I'm sharing mine and I would love to read yours.

sing with me please all i want for christmas are my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth ...... one of my latest NSV??............... got my two front teeth capped - go to dentist this tuesday for permanents to finally be put on smile

Surgery Status: 2 weeks post op (13th July surgery date) Phase: Post-Op: 2 weeks into a 4 week full liquid phase Highest Known weight: 213lbs Starting weight: 210lbs Surgery weight: 200lbs  Current Weight: 192lbs Inch Loss: haven’t checked, still very swollen around the tummy 😞 NSV: people have mentioned my face looks slimmer and my acne has almost disappeared 👍🏻

Congrats on the mile. This is one of my NSV goals!

Okay I did the Fenton-thing last night -- super buffet dinner with tons of delicious food but I tried to eat as small amounts of things as I could including only 1/3 of the slice of cheesecake that came for dessert after a dinner that started with a glass of white wine, prime rib, etc. etc. I did skip the rolls -- not worth it. So, the total for that one meal was 1200 calories. Beware, it adds up fast at a fancy dinner. Fortunately I had done over 3500 calorie burn yesterday with two big snow shoveling hours burning up alot but I still should have gone for less. My NSV this morning is that I'm wearing a pair of jeans for the first time in years and years. Yes, they buttoned up without having to lay on the bed to zip them. Woo hoo! Okay, gentle reminder for myself and others -- no big eating today for SuperBowl parties tonight. I looked at the small bag of Doritos I bought and it said 170 calories for a serving and I thought okay, for a special treat, then I read the bag has 3.5 servings in it and it isn't a very big bag! OMG! I am going to have to count out or weigh a serving to not eat the whole bag. Go Steelers!

There are some good ones here. I can't really think of a NSV for the fall and I have been trying. I have knee high and thigh boots that will be too large pretty soon, but I won't be at goal this fall to buy new ones. I feel like being not so far out from surgery winter is mainly going to suck with all my clothes/boots being too big.

Good morning! Pat, those pictures are so great! They all look like they are having a great time. And, congrats on the NSV with the shorts..even when we are not losing numbers on the scale, our bodies are still changing. I keep repeating that to myself when the numbers stay the same (which is happening now!) Missed you! Beanie, I hope you make it through the day...heartbreaking loss. IMHO, there certainly was some iffy officiating, but you can't argue with 37% shooting, and Dirk being held at 0 points for the 3rd quarter (I think). Both teams were good, and it was a good series. Congratulations to all the HEAT fans, especially Donna! I checked in on the board yesterday, but had so much trouble moving around the site, I couldn't post...did anyone else have trouble? I haven't read everything as of this morning, because I was afraid if I went back a page, I'd lose this one, and I wanted to post and say hi to everyone! I went to the dr. yesterday...she has me at 66 lbs lost, great blood pressure, etc. Nice to hear! We're still adjusting medications to control the migraines...I still have about one a week, just not at the super intensity I was having. So, progress is being made, and that's a good thing. DD is still taking swim lessons, and this session she's lucky to be the only one in her level, so she has private lessons, and is learning so much! She is actually swimming the length of the lanes now...I just can't believe it, like she's growing up in fast-motion. Sherry, how frustrating to have to fix someone else's problem! The problems you describe exist in the public sector (education) also, so I wonder how we're going to remedy this crazy lazy mindset that has taken hold of people? Is it such a revelation that some things really DO matter? HAHAHAHA! I'm watching the news, and there's a story about how the police are catching criminals because their baggy saggy pants are slowing them down and tripping them, or even falling off, with their wallet and ID in them! That cracks me up! LOL! I"m gonna read for a while...see ya'll later! Hugs, Cindy

Hi Friends, Sorry I've not been around much lately. I've been swammped with Girl Scout Cookie Sales & other Kid Stuff. The Cookies have not YET been delivered, so there's been no temptation from them (but they get here on 2/20 - I AM NOT STORING THEM AT MY HOUSE). I also have my kids trained to hide 'naughty' food and not keep it in the pantry. My goal is to not eat a single GS Cookie until I'm at my 1/2 way goal. Well, I'm down 28 lbs so far (72lbs left to go). I was really getting hungry again and went in for my 4th fill. I'm at 5cc's in the APS 10cc band. Ate some chicken from the top of a salad & I'm full! I hope this lasts a bit longer. But, as my fellow Potter Fan (Bandpal) says: "but we are putting in the work, going for our fills, learning how to eat all over again through trial and error and maybe even seeing some NSV's or a little movement on the scale." And that's what counts. This is going to be a long process and we just need to hang in there & find what works for us. Bandpal - I'm glad you're finding ways to make it work in your personal environment. 37 lbs down is TERRIFIC! You're finally out of that MORBIDLY OBESE catagory. Doesn't it feel great to be on the road to health? I love your quote from Joshua. I think I may just put that quote on the fridge as a reminder! And just think - You are a terrific Seeker, so therefore that Golden Snitch will not elude you for long, my friend! Just keep an eye out for a Bludger, ok? Ovahkummer - Hang in there. Keep that scale hidden for the time being. Just continue to eat well & throw in some walking when you can. I had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery. If you're hungry, get it filled - that's what it's there for! Towens - Wow 7.5cc's! I bet you're getting some terrific restriction. How much have you lost so far? How much are you able to eat at a sitting? Skinny Jill - Sorry about the Superbowl. Well, 18 out of 19 ain't bad! You are doing sooo well on your weight loss! I't terrific your down 35 lbs! I'm so glad you're doing well! Longhorn - OMGosh - You've got only 34 left till goal? Wow - that's inspiring. Well, I'm off to walk on that dreaded treadmill (can't wait for it to get warm enough here in Ohio to walk outside for a change). Love to you all & keep me posted on how you're doing!

The weekend I've been preparing for is finally here---I'm doing a 50-mile walk this weekend! 25 miles tonight (finishing tomorrow morning) and 25 miles on Sunday. I'm nervous as heck today! Along the way I've had to see an orthopedic doctor for knee pain, who says that I have some degeneration in my joints. Physical therapy and knee braces have helped a little bit, but there will be a certain amount of pain I'll just have to grin and bear. The knee braces increase the impact to my hips. I'm not supposed to take nsaid pain relievers, but for this weekend I will. I'd self-medicate with margaritas if I thought I could still keep up with the group! I would not have tried this 3 years ago when my son first did it, or even a year ago. But he asked me to participate and I finally felt like I could do it, so I did. I'll count that as a huge NSV. Wish me luck!

Taking some Time... It’s a crisp, sunny Wednesday here, 68° and I am going to take a little personal time while at work and spend a few minutes with all of you. I’ve kept up with all the posts on this thread even though I haven’t written in a week. I hope everyone who hasn’t been writing is doing well. A Month Out I can’t believe that tomorrow (for many of you) and the day after tomorrow (for me) will mark one month since we were banded. This is the biggest change in my life in many years, no doubt about it. So much has changed that I can’t believe it’s only been a month, after years and years of basically hitting my head against the same wall. I truly feel that I have been given a new lease on life. Here are some of my NSVs: I eat much, much less than I did before the operation. I stay full for hours, rather than having a bottomless pit in my stomach. I no longer binge at nights, something I did every night for years. Consequently, I no longer spend my morning hours trying to function and put up a front while recovering from the physical and emotional devastation of the previous night’s binge. I have binged once during the day (more on this later) this month, rather than bingeing at least once every day for years. I no longer obsess about food all the time. My body feels like a whole lot of air has been let out of it. Any kind of movement– walking, bicycling, standing up, sitting down, scratching my back, tying my shoes, and performing various sanitary and hygienic functions – is accomplished much easier than just a month ago. I’m also no longer out of breath all the time and don’t sweat all the time. I no longer obsess about food all the time – in fact, most of the time, I’m oblivious to it. I Don’t Eat Clay I have to add here that I work in the reception center of our guest rooms, where we serve homemade cheesecake, apple pie, and chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, milkshakes, omlettes and grilled cheese sandwiches. I love my job, but it has been a nightmare trying, and consistently failing, to stay clear of all that’s available here. But for the last month, I have succeeded in doing so. The analogy that has come to my mind is that of a potter, who works day in and day out with clay, but never thinks of putting any of it in his mouth. That’s what food is nearly always for me now – just clay, just something that’s part of the work or home environment, nothing worth spending any time thinking about. Paying for the Party My one binge was last Friday; we had a big party at work and I was meticulously abstemious – I really didn’t resent, either. But, when I went home for lunch, I lost it – just kept eating, nothing that I couldn’t swallow but a lot of soft stuff. My wife, who rarely has commented to me about my bingeing, told me the next morning that she was worried that this was just going to be another phase, another failed solution. That really was hard to hear – especially because, of course, it’s my own deepest fear. It doesn’t surprise me that all my “reasons” for not indulging in this behavior again didn’t work – that’s the nature of the beast. But I know that every day of eating with my band will reinforce new behaviors and a new physical reality which will make my binges less and less frequent until I just don’t do it anymore. I know that one thing I could’ve done at the party was to just have a little bit of ice-cream so I wouldn’t feel “deprived”, but there are some foods which have such powerful associations for me, like ice cream, that I just don’t see myself stopping with such a small amount; I’d rather have none. I can’t defend this thinking, but that’ s the way it is for me right now. What’s on the Menu… Anyway, since then, everything’s been great. My meals this month have panned out something like this: I have a glass of buttermilk in the morning, a cup or two of soup in the evening (no cream or milk based soup, no noodles, just veggies) and for lunch (the main meal here) a salad sized plate of steamed vegetables, in between 2-3 oz of chicken, fish or beef and tablespoon sized dollops of salad, and hummus. I don’t drink for an hour before or after meals, and suck on sugar free candies to help get me by. That's all for now - hope to write again soon - lots of love and encouragement and good luck to you all,

Great way to make your own NSVs! Happy New Year!

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! I hope this newsletter finds you well and making progress towards your surgery, weight loss, and health goals. Now that summer is officially over, it’s about time to take advantage of what autumn has to offer to help you lose more weight. We hope this newsletter will help you do that, and here is what you will find. Ready for Weight Loss Anytime, Anywhere Appreciating the Weight Loss Surgery Journey Autumn Weight Loss: Take Advantage of the Season Take a look at the newsletter for some inspiration and ideas. Then, why not put what you learned to the test by planning the next stage in your weight loss surgery journey? The BariatricPal forums are always there for encouragement and support, so you can be confident that you’re never alone in your journey. To your health! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Ready for Weight Loss Anytime, Anywhere Your best bet for sticking to your weight loss surgery diet is to be prepared. For starters, you can stock your kitchen with fresh vegetables and fruit, chicken, tuna, yogurt, and other lean proteins, and instant protein breakfasts and entrees to use in a pinch. There may be times when you need something even faster, and you can be prepared to get a healthy meal or snack anytime, anywhere. Shakes, Bars, and Snacks A healthy snack can give you needed protein while curbing hunger, but putting together a fresh snack is not always practical. Protein shakes, protein bars, and protein snacks, such as protein chips and protein pretzels, can do the trick when you are time-crunched or have other things on your mind. You can find the calorie-controlled, ready to use choices you need at The BariatricPal Store. New to our store? Use coupon code BPNLSEP2016 for a 15% discount on your first purchase! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Healthy Options at Every Corner No matter how careful you are to plan ahead, life can throw a wrench into your plans. When life happens, you can be caught empty-handed and starving. Even then, you can find something that fits into your weight loss surgery diet. Fast food restaurants have a lot of bad options, but they have some good choices, too. Whether you are stuck with a coffee shop, a burger joint, a pizza parlor, a sandwich shop, or another type of national franchise restaurant, you can fit something into your WLS diet if you order carefully. You might want to consider your options ahead of time so you can be confident in your choice when you have only a few quick minutes to decide what to order. These are some likely possibilities to look for. Eggs and cheese from a breakfast sandwich. Chicken or turkey breast, a burger patty, or cheese from a burger, sandwich, or taco. A side salad or green salad with chicken breast. Fat-free yogurt. You always have the choice of how much to eat, so do not ever pressure yourself to eat too much just because you received too much food. Also, you can pick and choose what to eat. Never feel obligated to eat the bread when all you wanted was the chicken breast inside the sandwich, and feel free to pick out the shrimp and vegetables from a rice bowl, while leaving the rice untouched. Appreciating the Weight Loss Surgery Journey There is a lot to think about from the moment you begin the weight loss surgery journey. Goal weight may be at the front of your mind. Also at the forefront are probably milestones such as getting through your pre-op diet, having surgery itself, progressing to solid foods, and, if you are a lap-band patient, finding the green zone with your band. On top of all that, you need to focus on working hard day in, day out, on following your WLS diet. There is truly a lot to concentrate on as you chase weight loss surgery success. That is good because it can keep you focused on track, but it can keep you from noticing some of the great things that are happening every day of your WLS. Making an effort to notice these exciting moments on a daily basis can keep you motivated and make your entire journey easier. Recognize Great Choices On a daily basis, you are faced with countless choices that affect your weight loss surgery journey, from what to eat to whether to exercise. No matter what else happens in your life, you are in control of your choices. If you make a habit of noticing and praising yourself each time you make a good weight loss surgery choice, you will be motivated to make more good choices. They build on each other. Here are a few choices you might recognize. They may seem small, but they show your commitment to your weight loss, and they add up to big results. Measuring portions instead of eyeballing them. Packing a lunch the night before so you don’t rush out of the house empty-handed the next day. Getting up to walk in the morning instead of rolling over in bed. Making the effort to go to your support group meeting instead of staying at home. Phoning a friend to talk through your feelings instead of drowning them in food. Enjoy Daily Progress You will not hit a major milestone each day. The scale will not go down each day, or even each week. But you can still progress in your weight loss surgery every day. When you appreciate your progress, you can see the links between your hard work and the benefits that it leads to. In turn, that can increase your motivation. All kinds of progress can happen on a daily basis. Many of them will be NSVs (non-scale victories) that can pop up at any time. For example, there might be that first day when it takes you a moment to see that the skinny figure reflecting back at you from the shop window is…you. You might find that you ar Or, you might realize that you chose to order the grilled chicken salad instead of your old go-to of nachos supreme not because you had to, but because the salad actually sounded more appealing for your new palate. Autumn Weight Loss: Take Advantage of the Season Ready or not, summer is over and the chillier weather is coming in. You might as well embrace it, though, since autumn can be a great season for weight loss. For one thing, the distractions of summer vacations are over, so it is easier to focus on routine, including the routine that you know will get you to your weight loss goals. Here are a few more ways you can take advantage of fall for weight loss. Walk outside in the invigorating brisk air instead of avoiding the summer heat. Snack on crisp fall apples, or bake them with cinnamon and serve them with Greek yogurt for a guilt-free dessert. Discover winter squashes such as acorn and butternut as one of the most nutritious starch choices you can make – packed with fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. Find a local farm where you can burn calories picking apples or pears. Curl up with a hot cup of protein cocoa or cappuccino on a chilly evening. Go to a gym regularly, since they are fairly empty at this time of year. Get creative as you think of ways that the fall season can help you lose weight, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes along. Whenever you have ideas or need ideas, hop on over to BariatricPal and get those conversations going! I hope you enjoyed the newsletter and got some inspiration from it. You are always welcome to share your questions and comments over on the forums, and I hope you will! Have a great fall, and thanks for your support. · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

Well. I have just taken a major step. I have signed up for C&W dance lessons starting Monday night. This is quite a step for me. I have country danced since I was 10 yrs old, however the country dancing I have done all my life is 'traditional' country dancing not all this new-fangled line dancing and steps. I literally danced my ass off when I was younger/single and never knew I had a serious weight problem. Then, I met my husband (who is now ex) and he did nothing of the sort. I danced on occasion even after that, but I really missed it and always sort of resented him for not learning how/taking that out of my life. Once I was single, I had began traveling 100% for my work, so there has been no time or way to incorporate that or any sort of regular activity into my life. Then, I got sick and have been fighting my way back to something resembling health over the past 3 years in addition to traveling. Now, my traveling has slowed way down and I think I may be working in the office or at least in the area more, so I just signed up for dance lessons and a local dance club who go dancing as a group on the weekends and some weeknights. This has been a helluva long hard road and there were days I sure never thought I'd make it to this point, but I've been such a recluse these last few years, due to illness and self-loathing. I reckon this is exactly what NSV(non-scale victory) is all about.

Laura - that's wonderful! Gosh - I don't think I've EVER been a size 10! I shared this NSV in another thread with my February 2008 friends, but it was so encouraging, I'm gonna share it here. Last November, I had to fly to Dallas, and on the plane, the belt was so tight, my tummy hung over the top and I had to cover it with my magazie so the flight attendent wouldn't make me wear a belt extender in front of my work friends! Yikes! I was so embarassed it was one of the reasons I decided to take the LB plunge. Anyway, I flew to DC last week, and the belt was actually loose - with about 4 inches of slack! And my butt didn't make the arm rest pop up in between me and my seat mate. I loved every minute of the flight.

I took a box knife to my belts and used a screwdriver and hammer to put in new holes. I've had to do this twice and need to do it again. There's an NSV for ya!

I feel naked when I don't have it on. Another NSV-- I have officially went from the larger strap to the "normal" sized strap for my arm! Hooray!

yours may be different but mine consisted of questions & answers and celebrating member victories scale & NSV's

Congrats on your great NSV!!! What a great feeling!

Livvy - good job! And congrats on recognizing the importance of NSVs. Keep us updated.

I wasnt prepared for how amazing this would make me feel!! I got in the bath and i felt like something was different.. i realised that my hips no longer reach the sides! I am no longer a human dam stopping all up all the water! After i sprung outta the bath i THEN realised that my towel actually fits all the way round my body instead of either my bum or my boob poking out!! Theni got dressed and i critically examined myself and you know what.. i CAN see a difference! I have got a little slimmer! Obviously its early days but to finally see some kinda results.. There are no words to describe how excited i felt! sorry for rambling but just wanted to share! Best wishes

LOL...that would get me alot of response then...lol..... It is truly an honor anyway! I feel like this is the BEST NSV ever!

Hi! I was sleeved on 8/31, too. I'm feeling good, not much pain but I am just SO exhausted. I'm getting about 50 grams of Protein a day plus all of my fluids. I have no issues drinking - can swallow almost as well as pre surgery. I came home on puréeds but mostly just eat soup and Greek yogurt. I feel hungry 5-6 times a day and eat accordingly but haven't taken more than 2-3 tiny bits of anything. Still defending on Protein drinks for energy. I'm down 15.3 lbs since surgery morning. I tried my long-too-small wedding rings on today and they slid right on!! My first NSV