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Tried on some jeans today and I'm in a size 12!!!!!! I really can't remember the last time I was a size 12! I know I graduated highschool at a 10 and I was married 4 years later at a 14 so sometime in between there and that was over 11 years ago!! Whats really crazy is I have been this weight within the last 6 years. One time while doing WW I got down to 173 (174 right now) and I was a size 14 then but a 12 now!! WOOHOO!! So I went from my highest size of 24 in Nov. 2010 to a 12 in May 2011

Hey, My son goes to a local boxing gym, he is nearly 11 and really enjoying it... doing really well and thinking about fighting. The training has really changed his lil body and he is soooo lean and trim and very strong considering he is so young and fairly small. I found out they did ladies sessions... at first I was worried that I was too fat and that the ladies that went were all Amazion -types...lol Anyway about 6-7 weeks ago I persuaded a friend to come with me and to my surprise the ladies there were all shapes! There aren't that many of us in a session, but I like that. I have worked up to twice a week now and the best NSV for me is to be able to go, train like a demon and not ache like hell the next day. We do the same work out as the fellas, no slacking and plenty of sweat! The coach is the Welsh coach and he is amazing... I modify the stuff I can't do but still work the same muscle groups and get the same benefits. I really look forward to it now!!

I had some routine blood tests done last week and got the results today. Before surgery my cholesterol was about 225, now it's 191. It may not sound like much but that's the first time I can remember it being below 200 in a very long time. The good to bad ratio was good though, so that's even better. I'm on my way to a healthier, happier me!

great post about 'do you always feel fat'? For me, the very first hint that wasn't true, was suddenly discovering I no longer was the fattest person in any room I came into. The second clue, was no longer having to shop stores that have only XXXX+ sizes. Then I noticed a whole series of little NSV observations, that helped convince that ~*something*~ good was happening. Now 6 1/2 years postOp, the answer for me is 'NO.....I don't always feel fat.' And I find myself eating more like Normos do all the time. food and eating/overeating is no longer the most important thing in my life. and re: "I am in a place where i can;t keep food down, not sure if my band area is inflamed or something else. Possibly mental.....i don't feel hungry and i have no cravings but i need to get some nutrition," It does sound like you have irritated something. There are tons of clinical symptoms that need to be answered before leaping to any professional conclusion. You should find some local live face-to-face support group or actual clinic that services Bands. I went thru being too tight several different times, without being emotionally competent enough to admit THAT was my problem. Your solution awaits taking action now. Please keep us advised of what you find.

My Update: Weight loss has been slow & in longgggg stalls BUT NSV inches mean fitting back into closets full of Spring clothes and feeling better!

Congratulations!!!! That's an amazing NSV!!!!!

I'm sitting here in tears writing this....I just took a shower and was getting dressed when I decided what the hell, why not try on a pair of jeans from freshman year of college. I pulled them up thinking "there's not a snowflakes chance in hell these are going to fit." Yet, they slid up and buttoned EASILY! I'm fitting into a juniors size 13!!!!!! AHHHH!!!! Holy.shit. (can I say that on here? If not I'm sorry mods!) I think I peed myself a little! I'M NOT PLUS SIZED ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!! I may have done a stupid booty dance in front of my full length mirror...but if anybody asks me about it I'll deny deny deny . Can I just say something? I LOVE MY SLEEVE! From size 22 to 13 in just over 2 months. Not too bad for a girl who weighed over 250 D.O.S. Love you all! <3 B.

Amazing and inspirational NSV! Congrats to you!!

Well, I posted this elsewhere too, but just got back form holiday, and on reflection there were 3 NSVs this week (Much needed as I gained 2lb!). 1 = On a shopping trip I chose a lovely maxi dress, my husband makes me put it back saying "you can't buy that you look like you are a fat person hiding in there, but you aren't, so choose something that shows off your figure please!" - I stood in the store and cried (for a moment hubby was not sure if he'd put his foot in it or not). 2 = We went to the beach on what looked like a cloudy morning, so I didn't pack a swimsuit, by the time we arrived it was boiling, so for the first time EVER I decided to be bold, and sunbathed in just my knickers (they were very nice ones I'd just treated myself to, so why not?), to my surprise, nobody passing by laughed, complained, or said anything unflattering - RESULT! 3 = As someone who is pretty camera shy, I avoid holiday snaps, but the one and only picture of me on holiday is a picture of someone distinctly average (which is a really good thing), I just keep looking at it, and thinking that if I passed the person in that photo in the street, they wouldn't strike me as a particularly big person (not that I walk around critiquing people I hasten to add). I'm getting there - slow and steady wins the race I guess!

You look great! And what a big NSV to not immediately want to hide a photo of yourself (my normal reaction ) Congrats on your great loss so far!

Ok, so had a tough day today, have just come home from holiday this afternoon, which always leaves me a little blue, and then weighed in, and have GAINED 2lb (ok, so I wasn't perfect wilst away, but 2lb feels a bit harsh!). So I'm in a bit of a mood, then I start to download my holiday pics, and I come across the only one of me, and I think on reflection that I look fairly average in it, I certainly didn't look at it and think woah I look soo fat (my usual response to any photo of me). So I am claiming this as an NSV (photo attached), please feel free to argue I don't want it sugar coated, I am still only 1/2 way to goal, and know thats still going to take some doing, but I think I look really very average, which was the pick me up I needed! Plus as a mini NSV along the way this week - ended up at the beach without swimwear, so stripped off to just my knickers, and sunbathed topless (I have NEVER done this before, let alone in the UK!!) - although this did result in all over sunburn!! Anyway enough from me! xx

:cheer2: Fantastic, well done :cheer2: Enjoy every one of those NSVs, they are a great aid to keeping sane in the early days!

Hiya Janine, congrats on your excellent weight loss to date! You are doing a great job and so far so good. Try not to compare yourself with others as it is a complete head blow. I used to do it all the time and it drove me crazy! You have rec'd some good advise already and I can only echo that. I am a REAL slow loser and I tick all the boxes 95% of the time (the remaining 5% I am just being human!) I am 10mths out now and since christmas I have lost just 14lb but I am still losing and as along as it is slow but sure I will be happy; over the last mth or so it has really got me down, but I have shifted my mindset and my focus is to remain positive and keep doing what I am doing. I just have to have confidence in my self and my sleeve. Patience needs to be my new friend...lol I exercise a lot now... I started exercising at 8weeks post op because I used to love the feeling and I wanted to get that part back into my life. I have achieved that now! I vary my exercise from walking to boxing and different things inbetween. Although I have a fair amount of weight left to go, I can feel the muscle underneath the fat now and that is a great NSV!! I am starting to feel strong again, if that makes sense. It sounds to me that you are doing everything right with your food intake; I agree with the water though... try to drink as much as you can; aim for about 64oz and anything more is a bonus! As far as exercise goes, do what you LIKE and what is comfortable with your body...once you get a taste for it and you start to see the benefits - especially in the way your clothes fit - you can up it and change it to suit your needs. Good luck and let us know how you get on... =]

Fantastic!!! I hope you didn't have your window coverings open when that happened! May you continue to have equally embarrassing yet inspiring NSV's

So today I wore a pair of jeans that were a bit loose before surgery, but I could still wear them in public. I figured they would not hurt my incisions. On my upstairs to get ready for bed I made it to the next to the top step when the jeans just slid right down around my ankles. I just stood there laughing for a few minutes and then hitched them up until I could get to my pjs. YAY!!!

oh yeah liquids makes huge difference dear.. Water is my only way -when I had the band and stalled for too long - to flush out all the extra water and bad stuff in my body.. really live like a fish! to be able to break this stall.. how many fruits are having daily? I will try to shake things up if I was in ur place:) - If u are doing 2 miles and trying for more just try adding intensity instead.. interval training is also great. Also u can try the elliptical instead of the treadmill. - If u are logging ur food intake take a second look, there must be something triggering ur weight loss. sometimes it is the tiniest thing! for me it was the extra latte I get. Congrats on ur NSV!!! I am sure u have always been pretty!

I've been in a stall for a whole month. I've upped my excercise, but I've lost and regained the same 3 pounds over and over. On Monday, I will be 8 months out from my surgery. I've lost 84 pounds and would like to lose 50 more (really, 55). Is it possible to do? I'm so worried about not taking full advantage of this honeymoon period. HELP? Am I looking for the impossible? Also, during this stall, I've been flirting with Onederland. Is it mental? Am I afraid to go below that magical mark? I haven't been there in 24 or 25 years. On the plus side, I've been getting lots and lots of compliments about my weight loss so far. A stranger was talking to me in Walmart two days ago, and in the middle of the conversation, he stopped and said, "Has anyone told you just how pretty you are?" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Um, not in more than 20 years. Really, it was so sweet. I'll even overlook the fact that he was probably 75 years old. (I might put that in the NSV thread.) Opinions, advice, please?

My weight loss has been really slow, i even put on some weight over Easter. I now have 9ml in my band and am finally feeling good restriction. Any way yesterday i was having trouble finding something to wear that wasn't way too big and I pulled out a shirt (that i love) that i have not been able to wear for about 17 - 18 years. Not only did it fit but it was actually loose. It probably was a little too casual for work but i wore it any way.

I knew that finally deciding to take action and not be obese anymore was going to change my life. I was prepared for the lifestlye change, the new eating habits, the different wardrobe, and the better health. At 4 months out, I'm down under 200 pounds, somewhere that I haven't been since roughly 9th grade. All of the changes have be fought for,welcome, but expected. What I never expected was that I would start to feel more confident in myself. I didn't realize how little self-confidence I had until after I started to lose weight. For years I've been the stay-at-home-mom shuttling the kids to their various activities, to school, to doctor's appointentments, to friends parties. I've let my hussband be the sole bread-winner, and we've always managed to "get by" but there isn't much left at the end of the month. For the last year, I've thought about starting my own small business. I even began the process in September of 2010, and then something stopped me from following through. At the time, I wasn't sure exactly what was holding me up, but I realize now that I was afraid. I knew that I would have to market myself, talk to strangers, and make presentations in front of people (some I know, most I don't) to really be successful. At the time, I didn't realize that I didn't believe in myself, didn't think I was someone that people would want to buy from, and was really worried that as I was standing in front of people talking, all they would be thinking about is the fat chick in front of them. Well, I started my business last week. I did my first presentation, and it went so much better than I dreamed. Everyone was listening to me, staring at me as I talked, and I didn't feel like I was the "fat one." If I can make an extra $100 a month, then my sleeve will not only help save my lifee, but get my kids the trip to Disneyland that I've wanted to take. This had truly been a life changing operation, in so many ways.

I'm 10 weeks out and I finally decided to resume my zumba exercise class. I hadn't been there in about 3 months. In the middle of the class, the instructor catches my eye and mouths, "Wow! You look great". After the class she stopped to talk to me to tell me she couldn't believe how different I looked and it was amazing how much a person could transform in just a few months. I felt great when she said that because the scale hasn't moved in a while and I was getting frustrated. Today, I'm happy knowing the weight loss is starting to really be noticeable. YEAH!

Aw, congrats on the great NSVs! It is stories like these that keeping me coming back here.

Hello Ladies, I have to say you are all a God send to me. I am just post op 9 days now and no where near where you are, but I know I will be one day. The main reason I did this was for my health. Prior to surgery I took 20 pills daily to try and maintain my numbers and one day post op and I was down to 10. I expect that to go lower too! Going through this as you all know is an emotional roller coaster. One of my biggest fears was what if in the end just like every other time I couldn't maintain it? What if I can't control how much I eat etc. I know I will be able to this time because of the tool. I started this journey last June at 240lbs, this and that and that and this happens and was not able to have the surgery till April 27 this year. In the meantime I was determined to at least lose something while all the "stuff" was going on and by the time I did my pre-op diet I was 206. Not bad but at the same time I knew in my mind that if I didn't get this done that it would be just like the last time and the time before that and so on and so on and I would gain it back again. I read everything and anything about the surgery and what to do and the possible complications etc. Now, my mind has caught up and I am reading all the NSV's and success stories and how to maintain and their trials and tribulations. My goal weight is 140lbs ... for now. I'll see what my numbers are then and how my body feels at that weight but this time its not a matter of if I'll be able to do it but when I'll get there. So after all that I will be following you all as I have been doing for the past month, and grabbing all the inspiration you share! On a side note, I am going shopping this weekend for shoes for my sisters wedding and decided I was going to buy a "little black dress" in a size 8. Nothing crazy revealing, I am 44 years old! But I have ALWAYS wanted one and never thought it "appropriate" for someone my size through out my life, anywhere from a 16 to a 22. It will hang in my closet until I am able to fit into it and then I am going to make hubby take me out for a night on the town! LOL Again thanks for sharing everything that you do! Raine

Glad your experience went well. I too have to travel by plane soon. Hope I have as good of an experience as you did. Congrats on those NSV's!

I took my first business trip this week since being sleeved on 2/22. I have lost 48 pounds, and felt pretty confident about being able to handle being outside of my safe environment of home/work/family/selected restaurants. Then, I realized I wouldn't be able to take liquids through the TSA security checkpoint, and wouldn't be able to take any Protein drinks with me (as "backup" if I couldn't find a decent protein choice). Gulp - one crutch was taken from me! ( I talked to a TSA agent, and described to him being on a special diet and needing to carry liquids through - he said they would accomodate that - would need the OK of a supervisor) It was fun packing smaller sizes for the trip - I have dropped from 24Ws to 18Ws so far. The normally tiring trip of walking from the car to the terminal, through security to the gate was not tiring at all. I made it through security with no problem. I noticed bending over to tie my shoes after I replaced them on me feet was much easier! Before it had been a chore, sitting on a bench just to get my damn shoes tied. The first place I checked in the terminal that sold magazines and Water had Muscle Milk Protein Drinks also - I bought two (just in case) and two bottles of water. I passed by my old favorite travelling companion - peanut M&M's. And, I didn't even say hello to the sugared papaya at the fruit and nut stand. Once I got on the plane (US Air) I noted how closely spaced the rows were. But, even with that, the tray table would go down into its normal horizontal position when lowered. Before, it would tilt up because of running into my thighs and belly. I buckled the seatbelt WITH NO NEED FOR AN EXTENDER!! YEA!! And, during the flight I had to make use of the facilities. It really seemed as if the toilet closet was larger this trip. I used the two muscle milk drinks during the trip, but had no problem finding protein (chicken, shrimp) to eat. It's not as though I was travelling to the third world - I just went to Connecticut. In the airport on my return trip, I had two layovers. Instead of reading and eating my favorite junk/comfort foods (my usual ways to kill time in an airport), I walked laps of the terminals with my rolling bag trailing behind me. I probably walked 30-45 minutes total that day doing that. Word of worning - the TSA agents may question this as "odd" behavior - they are on edge this week due to the death of Bin Laden. On my third lap by a TSA agent - he asked me what I was looking for - and could he help me find it. I thanked him and told him I was exercising. I even had to do a short sprint to make a connection - barely made it! Before the 48 pound loss, I probably would have missed the flight. Anyway - life is good - even when putting up with the hassle of travelling by air. No one needs to worry that they will have to eat "bad" things when they are travelling if they are aware of the options available. And, the victories - although minor - are certainly sweet!

Bahahahaha You crack me up Rootman! Great NSV! I have a little nsv I always put my phone inbetween my legs when I drive or my hands if they are cold but since my thighs hardly touch anymore my phone just slides right into the floor and it's not very warm there anymore either!