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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!

35 days ago I could eat like a horse. I remember not two months ago being able to put away a whole pizza if I was hungry, a huge sub sandwich. Anything you gave me I could finish and the fact that there wasn't anything left to eat was my signal to stop eating. Hahahahahahahaha. It is such an odd new world. I am now an abstemious eater. This morning I poured a normalish looking bowl of Cereal for myself and ate a whopping three mouthfuls before I was done. I left the house, went swimming(yay), went to get my oil checked and then got a car wash because my car looked like it had just returned from Islamabad, Then I had this weird bill that I had to straighten out. It was 3 PM. I had not eaten anything but three swallows of Special K Protein cereal six hours before. I was starving, driving around, thinking I had to get to food at some point and then I realized I could stop *anywhere* to get *anything* to eat. So after my scheduled argument with customer service I went across the street to Jimmy John's and ordered a turkey sub. Now I knew there was no way I could eat even half of it but it seemed like a brilliant option to my hungry, clueless doggy brain. Okay. When I got home I ate the following: Two pinches of turkey and provolone and a tear of bread. The whole damn sandwich was sitting there and I did not want anymore. I ate a small tomato. Done. 4.25 I paid for that thing and it would feed me for a week. I put the rest of it in the fridge with all the the other stuff I've tried to eat this week and could not finish. Imagine making a Lean Cuisine and having it sit through three mealtimes until it was spent. Can you believe that? I can't. I was standing there perusing the rapid acquisitions my fridge was making and then I realized something. I forgot to weigh myself. I've not been weighing myself at home, will not check my weight if it seems like part of a compulsion, and refuse to obsess. But I do jump on when I'm at the club. Before surgery that scale gave me the highest weight so I decided to go with it. I figured it was telling the truth. But I forgot! The health club I go to is full of normal Midwestern people. A lot of them have nordic backgrounds and I think this is why they have this odd custom of running around naked, even the old women. It is a trip. I have always been kind of a modest person and when you're fat, you know, the last thing you're going to do is go bouncing around a locker room without your drawers on. But these women just wander around with nothing on, in all their Midwestern not-so-perfect glory. I know it sounds strange but as I was averting my eyes from a 55 year old female who was not my relative I started to giggle to myself. I have been feeling utterly hideous for at least two years but I look just like everybody else there, pretty much. Suddenly my perspective shifted. I was not the ugliest, fattest human being on the planet. Not that I was looking for other candidates in that locker room but it was a quick hit of reality: I'm just a normal, overweight middle aged person, like these people here. Still can't bring myself to run around in the altogether like these women though. I'm always in my suit or something and demurely step behind a shower curtain for the full monty. One thing I can tell you though is that when you start to feel like you have more control over something as unconscious as your relationship with food, you just have no idea what other little neuroses are going to resolve along with it. So NSV I guess: I forgot to weigh myself and forgot to hate what I look like today. Go Team.

Everybody has been so quiet lately, so I thought I would start a new topic on how we are all doing. Just a topic where we can check in when we can. I'm doing okay -- the weight loss has definitely slowed down, so I've had to bump up the exercise and adjust my eating a little bit to shake it up. I've only had one fill, and will probably get another one at the end of this month. I think I need it, because I've been getting a little hungrier than usual -- I'm not snacking a whole lot, but sometimes I eat and think "geesh, should a banded person be able to eat that much?!" Overall, I'm feeling MUCH better than I did a couple of months ago -- more energy, sleeping better, able to keep up with my kids a lot easier, and (I think my fellow lady bandster will be able to relate) -- I can sit and cross my legs very easily now, which a major NSV for me! I love the band, and what it has helped me to achieve so far -- I think that I just need to work a little harder on my end (before surgery, my doctor told me that losing with the band is about 5-10% device/90-95% you, and that it does take work...I'm feeling that now). Hope to hear from you all -- I miss chatting with you. :welldoneclap:

Hey Kerry, I hadn't even thought of it like that,.. and in that case it must be a NSV for me...lol!! I was just browsing on the net looking at different options when it dawned on me that all my holiday gear is going to be way to big and that includes my swim wear. I think I might try on a tankini and see how it feels. Thanks ladies for your input! I was gonna ask my hubby, but unfortunately he normally says what 'he thinks' I want to hear when it comes to clothes... and it is usually the wrong thing ...lol... for example, I put a tee shirt on and I suspected it was still a little tight, especailly around the tummy area, when I asked him he said 'No love, it is just a bit short...!!' WHAT is he like. Luckily I found this amusing!!

Well done... glad you are handy with the needle, that could be a life saver...lol!! Hope you enjoy many more NSVs!! Keep up the good work! =]

JoJo; I suggest you just review the NSV (non scale victory) & VSG Success Stories for the next two days. That will keep you happy. This is sudden, but most of the pre-ops here would love to be in your shoes rather than up to a 6 month wait. Keep smiling!

Hi-- I'm going to a family wedding over Memorial Day weekend. Of course, there will be a rehearsal dinner and my partner is in the wedding so I have to dress nicely because I will probably be in the couple's pictures. I was really in a quandry about where to shop. I haven't had a big fancy affair to go to in a long time. I still have a little anxiety about size. Also, like a lot of WLS patients, I am losing all my weight above the belt. I am down to a 12/14 on top (except for my boobs) and I am still an 18 on the bottom. Not a great combo for a dress, right? So I go to Nordstroms (I figured I would spend some $$ if I could find something that looks good). I found 2 dresses!!!!!! I have to have them both tailored becaue they are too big on the top, but they are both so pretty. Best part? They are both size 14 :-) Just 2 months ago pre-op I would have bought a size 18 dress and cried behind closed doors because I wuold have thought I looked so bloated and bad. My lap-band never treated me this well So, to top it off I also bought 2 new pairs of shoes. My bank account may be crying, but I am smiling. Lara

We'll I'll be eight weeks out this coming Wednesday and I've lost 50lbs. My clothes are hanging so I've been sewing what I can but ended up running out to Target to see if they had anything... Tried on a bunch of stuff from the plus section but ended up taking home some XXL's from the regular section. Loving life!

So yesterday was supposed to be my first ever 5K race but a few weeks back I decided to do the Scope it Out with my friends but I was still signed up for todays and it was AWESOME! First I made a goal for myself to weight 175 by race day! Because of course I could run a race at 175lbs! LOL Well earlier this week I didn't think I would make it as I was doing not so great Well I DID! YAY!! The scale was 175.6 this morning! WOOHOO!! Go to the 5K and found out there were hills UGH I was not looking forward to this! It was downhill at the start so that meant uphill at the end! SUCKY SUCK SUCK!!! BUT, I did pretty good. Could have done better but am VERY happy with my time of 36:17!! WOOHOO Thats 1:40 better then the last race where there were NO hills! LOL

It'll be a great NSV for you when you get to the 6/8's again! Here's to never having to "rebuy" anything again (unless of course, we WANT to). When I find something I like that fits, I have tendency to go back and get mutliple colors -- I may need to work on that!! Good luck on Wednesday.

Lila: Congratulations on these two tremendous NSVs! Isn't it amazing how we let so many things that make us happy fall by the wayside when we're gaining weight? It's also an incredibly amazing feeling when we "rediscover" these lost bits of happiness, right? You go girl!

Hey Lila... these are great NSVs... don't they make a world of difference... I have come to learn, that these little things are a BIG achievement in our world. Keep up the good work and enjoy your new wardrobe! =]

This made me lol!!! Congratulations on your awesome NSV's!!!

I just wanted to share, not one, but TWO big NSVs I had today! NSV #! When I gained weight, I stopped wearing nice clothes. In fact, I only bought clothes that were absolutely necessary--a few pairs of jeans, some sweaters and Tshirts, and a couple of pairs of shoes--basically, whatever it took to not get arrested . Yet, I love clothes. In fact, I read fashion magazines and go shopping with my fashionista girlfriends; I just didn't want a giant wardrobe in a size I didn't want to be!! But, today, after losing 65 lbs, I decided it was time to get some cute clothes. All my other clothes are too large, and I was just sick of everything falling off of me. So I went to Old Navy, which is pretty affordable, and I figure I'll pass these clothes on to someone else who is losing weight when I "under" grow them! I am soooo happy I did this!!!! It's been sooooo long since I wore an item of clothing I actually like! I know that as I lose weight, they won't fit anymore, but it's so worth it to have some cute clothes. I feel like it's going to help motivate me to keep losing weight! NSV #2: As I gained weight, my jewelry stopped fitting me. And in particular, I have a necklace that has a single pearl that drops off of a chain. It's really simple and cute, and I used to wear it every day, but as I gained weight, it got too tight around my neck... it was so sad to see my favorite necklace sitting in my jewelry box and being unable to wear it. But, today, I got out my old friend---and it fits again! I'm so, so happy!!!!

I got a cool NSV to share. first today is my birthday. I made an outfit for Easter and cut the pants by a 22 size pattern and i could not wear them. But today is my birthday and i was going through my closet lookinf for something to wear and that would fit. A friend of mine gave me some clothes and a pair of jeans that a couple of weeks ago i could not wear. today i put them on and i can wear them comfortably and they look nice and not too tight!:bananajump: the tag says they are size 20! woo hoo! I told my husband i could care less if i got anything for my birthday just fitting into a smaller pair of jeans was birthday gift enough! Everyone have a great and awesome day! :party: