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Awww that's a terrific NSV!! How wonderful that you were able to feel so good on your sister's special day!!

Nice one Cludgie... loving this NSV! Hope you had a good night! Keep up the good work, you will be rewarded! =]

Was at my sisters wedding on Friday and had a blast. It was so much fun. Everyone was amazed at how I looked and kept calling me things like skinny, slim and tiny. Kept hearing you're melting away, you are disapearing etc etc. I love all the compliments and at the same time it makes me feel a little weird. I don't know, but I still don't see me as skinny etc. In the past it was always at this point that the tides would turn and I would gain what ever I lost back. The best thing is that the ones that know me better, didn't say those things but did ask how I felt and how was my over all health with the weight loss. That is when I got animated about it all because I haven't felt this good in over a decade. A couple of NSV's from the wedding: They gave all the brides maids these beautiful Tiffany like silver bracelets. I was so afraid mine would not fit, well because those things never fit my wrists and it did, it fit perfectly. They also gave the brides maids these little tank tees in their color ( it was a rainbow wedding I was medium blue ) to wear the day of the wedding when everyone was getting ready together. They got me a large and I smiled and put it back in the box thinking, no way in hell is this thing going to fit me. But it did fit and it wasn't even a tight fit, it fit with room in it. I normally do not wear anything that shows my upper arms because of the skin and stretch marks, but I wore it that day with a smile.

Wow, congrats on the great NSV. I think sometimes those are what are really what makes the surgery worth while.

Hiya! My name is Karen and I was sleeved on May 10th, by Dr. Nick Nicholson here in Dallas, TX. My recovery has been fairly uncomplicated and I have amazing support from my husband and family. I am a nurse and I went back to 12-hour shifts after two weeks. I still am not hungry and I have lost about 35lbs since pre-op. My husband jacked my scale and hid it from me because I was weighing myself everyday and I had a stall for about four days early on. I now weigh once a week (wednesdays) and I concentrate on the NSV's that seem to happen daily. The decision to have this surgery has totally changed my life and I am so thankful that it actually happened! I was a cash pay and there were many times when I doubted that my sleeve would ever happen. For anyone whose on the fence about this..get off on the right side and change your life for the better...forever. I am happier now than I have been in literally years! Here's a pic of me four days into my pre-op diet and one that I took this past Friday! ( I hope these pics load!!) Have a truly blessed day, my friends

LOL! That's so awesome No NSV's for me this week. However, my company has a fancy suite at Coors Field, home of the Rockies, and on Thursday I was the winner of 2 tickets plus the free parking pass. My husband and I arrive in the suite (which is right behind home base) and there's a TON of food - hotdogs, brats, all the fixings, chips, nachos, fajita bar, beer, you name it. Popcorn, peanuts and crackerjack are in bowls all over the place. I was really proud of myself - I ate a brat and a hotdog, no bun, just a little mustard. I put some of the chicken fajita meat on my plate, put lettuce and cheese on it, and ate that, then snacked on roasted peanuts while drinking nothing but Water. I did have a cookie though - they brought them fresh-baked around the 6th inning and I could not overcome the smell of oatmeal raisin! But otherwise I didn't go crazy and gobble Even when the icecream bars were passed around in a basket on the 8th inning, I held my ground and said NO.

Oh yeah, I definitely have the "big butt" seat on my bike, lol. My NSV today was a 8 mile bike ride with my older two boys. I had only been doing 4 miles previous to today. Another thing. We were at an amusement park today and the little kid "drop" ride my youngest and I were going to go on had one adult seat that was taken already, but the lady was too big to fit into it and had to make the walk of shame out of the ride. I saw this, thought twice about attempting it myself, but decided to go ahead and give it a try. My walk of shame would have at least made her feel better that she wasn't the only one who couldn't fit. Well, I got up there, stuck my ass in the hole without problem and the bar went down with ease.

YAY YOU! That must've felt great! Love those little NSV's!!! Smiles to you!!!

NSV is a non scale victory Something that you achieved that does not have a number attached to it.

thanks!

I love NSV's they really hit home with everyone. Keep up the great work Diva!

that's great to hear allen. i am hoping that is the case with me. i am really not in a huge (pardon the pun) hurry to lose tons of weight. i want to lose it pretty slowly and not drastically if i can help it, i also don't want to feel like i am depriving myself of food or anything when i am on vacation. it doesn't mean i am going to gorge, but i'm a foodie and i'm going to enjoy a bite of this and a bite of that. i totally understand people not wanting to get unfills for vacations or for any reason, but i didn't get this band to be deprived, i got it to help me make better choices and not stuff myself silly, which so far has really worked like a charm. i am kinda not the typical bandster either. my goal isn't to really lose a lot of weight. i've already lost about 34 pounds, and i feel great. if i lose 50, i'll be happy, more than that is icing on the cake. i would still be fat, but happier in my own skin. i can already tell a difference in my energy levels, clothing, etc.....my goal isn't to get skinny as i will never be skinny, plus i can't afford plastic surgery and don't want to look like a meat sack so, i'll enjoy this one time a year that i get to let my hair hang down and eat without guilt (still watching portion size, but not necessarily calories or fat or what have you....) also, edited to add to what kelly said " I figure I had plenty of vacations and plenty of fatty foods, that is why we all got this surgery is to eat healthy and lose weight right?" i actually, in all truthfulness, got this surgery for vanity reasons. i had no health problems of any kind, no co-morbidiites or whatever. i am just fat and growing. i got the surgery because i didn't want to grow any larger, not necessarily get smaller. i just needed help with portion control. again, i'm probably the only person who did this for that reason. i really like seeing the scale go down, and i'll confess that a few weeks ago i was a little upset that it had stopped moving, but i'm seeing so many NSVs in my clothing and in my energy level that i'm happy the way things are. if i stopped losing weight altogether at my current size, i would honestly be ok with it...but i don't want that scale to go back up, so i will stick to my post-op diet (until vacation time of course) then i'll get right back to doing what i'm supposed to do. thanks for your answers everyone. i feel better about my decision to forgo the fill. i'll probably have one in August if i feel the need. i'll keep you posted.

Congrats on all your NSV's!!! How wonderful!

I am at my June goal weight...200 lbs. I can't believe it. I feel so good. I am down a clothing size from 18W to 16 regular. I saw a co-worker today I haven't seen in a couple of months. She looked me up and down and said that I am getting so skinny. That felt so good! It is worth not eating the bread (not sure if I can or not---just gave it up) and lettuce. Thanks!

This is a great post and even though seeing the scale move down it is those NSV that mean much more

That is so awesome for a 5 week NSV! YOu are doing great girl!

Those are awesome NSV's! Congratulations on those and the 50 pounds lost!

I am five weeks out from surgery. I'm losing steadily, and have fortunately not had any stalls that last more than a couple of days. Hope I didn't just jinx myself. Here are some of my NSVs: I had knee caps under all that padding I had to sleep last night with a pillow between my knees (I sleep on my side) because my knee bones were crunching each other. LOL. I walked laps at the hospital where I work today and not once did I feel out of breath My knee arthritis is not hurting me at all right now. Before surgery I was so in pain that I dreaded going up and down the stairs in our house. My seat belt doesn't ride up into my neck because of so much stomach and boob. It stays nicely in place. Getting out of the tub doesn't take 10 minutes anymore. I have a lap for my dogs to sit in. I am down from a 3X to a 1X and even they are starting to get baggy. My bra straps keep sliding down to my elbows (shopping this weekend!!!) I don't want to cry when I go to find clothes. I'm still in the plus size, but I know they will fit now. I used to get so upset and give up when even the 3X clothes felt tight. I'm sure there are more, but these are the things that I was excited about today. This is such a wonderful adventure. Now that I am eating soft foods and tolerating them well, I am starting to feel so much better. It's easier to get Protein in and I'm doing better with fluids. I think I'm going to make it!!! My mid-term goal is to be in regular ladies sizes when I buy a dress for my cousin's wedding in August. Hope you are all having great NSVs too! Lisa

Good job! I love your NSV!

Ok... so if you've read some of my posts recently, I've been complaining about being in a stall or not losing inches or anything. I received some killer advice on this board and took it to heart. I stopped consuming 2-3 Protein shakes a day and decided to get most of my protein in via food, I stopped weighing myself everyday, and I up'd my Water intake by double! So, here I go last week with all my changes and what happens? I get hit with my kids' cold/flu! I've been out of commission since last Thurs and am finally back to work and feeling somewhat normal. The bad news? I havent been able to eat anything substantial since last week and have only been able to finish 1/2 of a Protein shake. I know I'm depriving my body of the nutrients it needs to survive but nothing is going down. I made chorizo and scrambled egg for BF and was only able to eat maybe 3 bites. I have baked chicken for L today and am hoping to get most of the 2oz in but I highly doubt it. Anyway.... on to my scale VICTORY!! I am officially down 30lbs post-op!!! (Ticker to reflect this later) YAY!!!! My "stall" has broken since last week due to all your help and advice!!! and for my NSV.... I fit into my size 14 slacks today!!!! So very excited!!! One more freakin pound and I'll be in ONEDERLAND!!!! Doing the Happy Dance!! Thank you all for your encouragement and advice!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

my 1 year band-iversary is tomorrow (and Thursday) and while i haven't reached my personal goal (not sure if I had one), I have lost over 80 lbs. I originally wanted to hit 140, dr. said that may be an unattainable goal, so i settled on 160 - but I am in a 10/12 and headed for my TT next month... so I have reached a NSV in that I don't shop in the women's department

Hellooo!!! So this morning I decided it's time to do some measurements. I don't do this on any kind of regular basis and it turns out I do this about once a month. I don't usually see a whole lot of changes month to month but the grand totals are really incredible now! I've lost an ENTIRE HUMAN BEING in weight... I mean the inches came from somewhere right??? WOW!!!! I can't even believe it as I type this... I measure my entire body; my neck, bust, waist, hips, upper and fore arm, wrist, thigh, calf and ankle. I only started my measurement records when I was around 300 Lbs. I'd already lost a good 30 lbs at that point so I really don't know my exact inches lost and never will. Anyway in totals I've lost 58" off my entire body!! Wow!!! I'm down nearly 140 Lbs from my peak so I've lost the weight of an entire person!!! WOWOWWOWWWW!!! My female dimensions right now are 36-32-42!! That 42 inch hip is not the lenth, majority of that is booty. I'd like to still lose some of that to at least get it into the 30's. I'd love to be 36-28-38. I'd be super comfy there I'm sure. I'm sooo close!! Of course I know that will make my bust smaller (not a 36 but more a 34) but hey - we can't have it all right??? LOL And that can be fixed once I get the boobage puffed back up. My ribcage is a 34 and honestly my ribs stick out so I don't know how much more I can lose there... it's weird to be this close! My mind really is taking it's time getting used to my new reflection in the mirror. At 300 Lbs my measurements were 44-45-56. Anyway here's the very best part of all of this. The healthy waist measurement for a woman is 32" or less!!! My waist is IN THE HEALTHY RANGE FOR A WOMAN!!! Whhohooooo!!!! This is an AWESOME victory for me!! I knew I was close but wasn't keeping exact tabs, so I decided to look it up and come to find out - I AM THERE NOW!!!! Doing the happy dance!! Today is a happy day for me. I just keep working my sleeve, and it keeps working for me. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!! It truly has saved my life, and every single day I get closer and closer to my goals. I sooo close and I can hardly stand it!!! I'm within inches of my final goal. Now if I get to 165 Lbs and haven't hit my inches goals I think I'll keep trying to lose more. But I'm thinking it would be pretty close, or if I hit my inches before my weight then I'll not try to lose anymore. Cheers to all on this most successful tool!!!! Newbies be warned... you have all this to look forward too.

Such a great feeling!!! Funny that even your hubby thought they would be too small. What a great NSV!!!

I’m officially one month, two weeks, and two days post op (6 weeks)!!! I got my first fill today (6/6/11). I had 1.8 cc worth of priming fluid in my standard AP 10cc band, the doctor added 3.5cc for an overall total of 5.3cc. This was done under fluoroscopy, so I got to see “Michelangelo” live and in person as I watched the contrast funnel through my pouch. I was advised to do two days of clear liquids, and two days of full liquids before moving back to solid foods. I thought I was special. I read a lot on the forums that a majority of people gained a few pounds back after starting back on solid foods, but I didn’t. I THOUGHT I was special. Well, today I went in and I gained a few pounds (3-4). Now, I’m also experiencing HORRIBLE constipation. I’m not sure if this is due to the band, because again I’ve read where lack of fiber and eating right can cause constipation for bandsters, but my bowels have been fine since surgery. The past couple days, I’ve had horrible pain in my lower abdomen and I can’t **** for NOTHING! Normally I get constipated right before my period comes on, and now that I think about it, we’re about four days away from when my period started last month, and my cycle could also account for the added weight… it could be water weight! So, if my cycle does decide to magically cycle again this month, it’ll be another NSV for me… a reoccurring menstrual! Yay! (who knew I’d be happy about this?!) I’ve been trying to work out, but I really hate working out alone, so I’ve recruited my God Sister to walk with me in the mornings, and we go exercise together. We both openly admitted that if it weren’t for the other, we wouldn’t be doing half as much exercising or for even 30 minutes. It’s easy to give up when no one is holding you accountable. I know some people can go and work out and do it everyday. I don’t know what it is, but I need someone to be there with me, not necessarily yelling in my ear, but it’s like we both motivate each other. It’s not a competition, and I’m not looking at her saying “Damn she’s going faster/slower than me” I’m looking at her and saying “Damnit, I’m not the only one tired and sweating! Let’s keep going!” A funny story: So, I tried to incorporate jumping jacks as a daily exercise by doing as many jumping jacks as you can do within 10 minutes. I THOUGHT my boobs had shrunk, and granted they have because my bras aren’t fitting me like they used to, but these babies are still HEAVY! I thought I was about to die doing jumping jacks… needless to say I didn’t get through 10 minutes… I have to admit it’s been harder than I thought sticking to a low carb/no carb diet. But I’m constantly looking up low carb meals and snacks. Now to put them to use!!!! I’ve solved my “clean-the-plate” syndrome a while back before surgery, but now my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I’ve been catching myself making plates like I used to or maybe not AS big but still bigger than I can stomach and I’m left with a half full plate, which is not a bad thing, but for some reason I feel like it is. So, I need to start using my baby plate that I bought a while back just so I can get used to smaller portion sizes. When I do then I can move on to putting those smaller portions on the big plates without over doing it. Well, I’m not sure if I have much more updating to do right now. I’m happy with my band. And I don’t see it yet (I feel it sometimes) but I know I’m losing weight. People are noticing and always commenting. My family and friends see it in my arms, neck, face, breasts. ALL OVER! So I can’t wait to see this for myself!