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Greetings fellow November bandsters! I was banded on November 22nd and am teeter-tottering between 75-77 lbs. lost. My first fill was on January 7th and my second one is scheduled for this Friday. Unfortunately, I'm in desperate need of fill as I can eat almost anything I want to in any amount. Right now, it is back to the early stage will power....ugh! I've started a hard core exercise program that reminds me of what they do on The Biggest Loser. This is my thrid week with that and I have gained 2 lbs. I'm contributing that to either muscle or my need for a fill! I plan to get back on track Friday. NSV include: Being able to bend over and tie my shoe; Going down 3 sizes in clothes; Walking without being completely out of breath; Blood pressure meds gone; Saving money at restaraunts by sharing a meal or eating off the kids menu; Positive self esteem! Would I have Lap Band surgery again? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Excellent NSV! Thanks! Dave

LOL feel like im reading my own NSV"s!! i just realized the towel thing on sat!! and yesterday i bought my first size 12 levis!! yea hit 198 yresterday!! so happy for you too:)

Congratulations! Ths is a great success! So inspirational! I really hope that people who still have doubts aboout this surgery will read your NSV!

6 months ago, I was at my highest weight in my life. I couldn't even walk to my mailbox and back without being out of breath. My driveway is only 2 car lenghts long, so that is very sad for a 32 year old woman. I would walk to get the mail, walk back in, and have to lean over the counter to catch my breath. I would take out the trash, and have to rest if I made more than one trip. I could barely make it thru a shower. After I showered, I would lay in bed naked. Once I got a flat tire in my neighborhood, and had to walk like 4-5 houses back to my house, which isn't a far distance. When I got home, I didn't think I could even make it inside. I was sweating and dizzy. I even stopped shopping at the grocery, because it was too hard for me to get in and out of the car and walk thru the store. That's how I got even fatter, just drove thru the drive thru. That was at 369 pounds., Now when I go to the store, I park far away, on purpose! I had a garage sale once, and my sister and I were hanging signs, I had her get out and hang them when I drove, because it was too hard for me to get in and out, I would have gotten too out of breath. I knew at the time it was really bad, but its now that I realize just how bad that was. I am so glad I didn't let it get any further than that. I was 369 pounds and gaining. I haven't exercised much post-op. There was a 2-3 week time frame where I was working out somewhat, but then I got sick and never got back to it. Well, this week I decided I was going to walk, no matter how much I could do. Tuesday I walked 2.5 miles, with both of my boxer dogs. It was kinda tough, but I made it. Thursday, I walked 2.5 miles with just one dog (the other has arthritis pretty bad and I thought it was too much for her). Then, Saturday I walked 4.5 miles!!!!! There are paths all around where I live, thru neighborhoods, around a lake, etc. From my house to the lake it exaclty one mile, and the path around the lake if you go a certain way, is 2.5 miles. So, I walked there, around the lake and back I was so proud of myself. Then, today, I was like, lets top that! I walked to my sisters house and back! I walked past the lake, to her house, hung out with her for a bit, got some Water, and went back home, for a total of 5 miles!!!!! I did take a break in the 5 mile walk, but still, I walked 5 miles, in 1.5 hours!!!!! My average speed was a little over 3mph. I got lost on the way there because I coulnd't find the right trails to follow since I had never walked to her house! It just amazes me. I am so happy too that I can finally do something my dogs love and have missed so much!!!!! I am on cloud 9 right now. I just wish the weighloss would pick up!!! So, I was thinking, if i can already walk this much (I think its a lot, especially compared to what I could do before) at 255 pounds, in another 50 pounds lost, I will be running. I have never even been able to run a mile in my life! I was in soccer, softball, and was a thrower in the track team, but never could run long. So, now I need to pick up the pace somewhat, and maybe jog/walk. We will see!!! Just had to share! It felt awesome!

:D Thanks my peeps!!! Just enjoying the losing weight, and for once I feel like I can keep it off too. I'm lovin it!!! I told my hubby I want to get the girls done as soon as I hit goal. Everything else can wait awhile. I guess that's why I haven't even thought about getting any smaller shirts than mediums now. I doubt with the size I want I will be able to fit into smalls. Aaaanyway, here's another NSV... it's my TOM and I haven't really gained any weight (haven't lost either but oh well!!!). I'm keeping myself under control as much as I can. I blew it last time and didn't want to do that again. I'm almost out of it, so hopefully I can race to get to my Easter goal with time to spare!!! :D

The towel has to be one of the best NSVs out there! You rock!

Aw, congrats, Irene!!! I'm so proud of you! Those are such great NSVs!!!

Awesome NSV's its truly makes you realize that you are losing weight and getting healthier.

I had two NSVs this weekend! The first happened yesterday. Yesterday me, my son, my girlfriend and her cousin played 2 on 2 basketball in the park. It was the WORST game in history because none of us are any good. But, for 45 minutes I ran around the court, guarded my son, ran after the ball, dribbled, shot and played. I wasn't winded or anything, my knees and back didn't hurt, either. In fact, I felt great during and afterward! I finally lost enough weight to be active and play with my son again! I had SOOOOOO much fun!!! I can't wait to do it again! For years I've been watching everyone around me run around and have fun, and I was finally able to join in and do it too. Then, I took a shower. When I got out, I wrapped a towel around me...it went all the way around! There were no gaps in the bottom of the towel where it doesn't close all the way! Thank you sleeve!

It was soo awesome I too went to my closet and all my shirts were so loose I use them now as night shirts.. NSV are soo awesome.. I have went to 2x instead of 4 and 5 X shirts.

I started my journey on January 3, 2011. After a short and terrible experience with the band I was very reluctantly sleeved. To make a long story short, I had the band for only 3 months and had a major slip and after agonizing pain, had it removed 3 days shy of 3 months. I started my new journey at 245. Today I weighed in at 192!!! I am not going to lie and say it's been easy. My biggest problem in the mental part!! I was an emotional wreck after the surgery with major regrets. I then had big problems eating out because it would literally make me angry that I would order a meal, take a few bites and be full. My EYES and HEAD wanted me to eat the entire thing!!! Though the help of a friend I met at a support group and my sister-in-law (who had gastric and is doing great), I worked through these challenges. I know to order food that reheats at home well....(no salads when I am out!), I take it slow during meals so I can eat my food the same time everyone else eats an entire plate....and I keep thinking of how 'lucky' I am to be able to get about 3 meals out of one meal!!!! I went shopping today because I have NO clothes!! I fit into a regular size large shirt and a pair on size 16's from the junior department. There's no "W" after that 16!!! Even more amazing that after taking my kids to the movies and Friendly's last night I woke up and WEIGHED LESS!!! That would NEVER have happened before!! It took longer than most but I can now say I am very happy I make the decision to do the weight loss surgery route again.... Thanks for reading!!

Went shopping today.... I'm officially OUT of the PLUS size department!!!! Yahoooooooooooooooooo!!! I'm doing the happy dance!!! I didn't buy too much ~ just a couple of tops. I still have a long way to go, so I don't want to invest too much in clothes right now. But... it feels good to have a couple of new, nice things to wear to work!!

I have been a bit down in the dumps lately because the past few weeks' weight loss has been really slow. But this week was great -- over 3.5 lbs. lost! I am now down to 192.2, very close to being in the 180s and so excited about that! I had a NSV today, too. About a month ago I went shopping for some new jeans, since my size 22's were getting pretty loose. I was really happy to find out I could fit into size 18WP jeans, even though they were a little snug. I bought two pairs of jeans. I am very short and the jeans were still a couple of inches too long, so I needed to get them hemmed (I can't sew at all!). I had a lot going on the past few weekends, so kept putting off taking the jeans to get hemmed, but today I finally did it, because the size 22s are so loose they are going to fall off any day now, and just *have* to go. So I went to the seamstress to get the jeans hemmed, and put on the size 18s for the seamstress to measure, and I was quite gratified to notice that they were looser than I remembered when I bought them. The seamstress made me stand on a little dias so she could get the length right and I was facing a large full-length mirror. At that point I noticed the new size 18's were actually already pretty darn loose in the legs, and comfortably loose around the torso. I started wondering if maybe I was getting close to fitting into a size 16WP. So, after I finished with the seamstress, I headed on over to Macy's and decided to try on some new jeans. I picked up a pair of Levi's size 16 short, the Macy's house brand of jeans, and a pair of size 16 capris. When I got to the fitting room, I picked up the Levi's first and was aghast because the size 16s looked really, really small. I didn't think I could even get them up over my thighs ... but I did. I even got them buttoned and zipped up, to my amazement. OK, I have to admit, they were tight, and I wouldn't have felt really comfortable wearing them, so off they went. I nearly bought them just to measure my weight loss progress, but decided to hold off for a few weeks and come back and try again in a month or so. The Macy's jeans, however, fit perfectly and so did the capris. I took my new size 16 jeans to the seamstress and had her swap out one of the size 18 jeans (which I will hem using that magic hem stuff I bought from Walgreens). So, I am officially able to wear size 16! Woo hoo! I ended up buying a couple of new bras this weekend too -- the balconette style from Lane Bryant, size 42DDD. I was pleasantly surprised at the nice shaping they provide. My girls are hangin' low, so to speak, so they need a strong support and shaping bra! Now I will be brutally honest -- I look like total crap with clothes off. I have horrendous cottage cheese thighs right now -- not just the normal cellulite area, but everywhere down to my knees, front and back -- ick. And as I mentioned, I pretty much have the breasts of an 80 year old woman. And I still have a big old gut and butt. And, I am sporting a rather nasty wattle on my chin, making me look years older. Every day I put bio-oil on my chin hoping to moisturize and firm the loose skin, but it doesn't seem to be working that great. My body is definitely smaller than it was, but by no means is it a body I would be willing to parade a bathing suit around in! But, all in all, I am totally thrilled with my sleeve and feeling better and more confident every day. I am really looking forward to the summer, when hopefully I will be down in the normal size clothes range, and will look and feel even better. I talked to my husband and we are going to try the couch to 5K program this spring, and sign up for a local 5K race this summer. That will be a HUGE NSV for me, to finish a 5K! I am really excited about the future!

Whoohooo!!! That is a great NSV!!! I looove to run so I know how amazing this feels. May you continue on the right path and run run RUN!!!

Weighed my self on the Wii Fit this morning. I am down 50 lbs since I first started weighing myself on the Wii scale. I started at 280 last July and I am now down to 230. Below is the plot from Wii Fit.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! That is by far the best NSV!!!!! so happy for you! Please keep us all informed and updated!

Great NSV!! Whoohooo!! That's always a really good one.

NSV means Non-Scale Victory. Like when the scal doesn't move but you drop a pants size, or you can cross your legs normally when you couldn't before, you don't have to use a seatbelt extender on an airplane anymore, etc.

Well my topic is self-explanatory. I keep hearing about "sliming" and I would like to know what you guys mean by that and what exactly it feels like. I know what being "stuck" means but I never heard of sliming until I came to this forum. I'm a noob. Also, I've been trying to find an FAQ section for the terminology used but I haven't found it yet. I've come across some other terms too that i'm just not familiar with yet- like NSV. So if someone could like me to another post where these terms have been addressed or something that would be wonderful! Thanks in advance!

I think this is a good plan for you. You should Celebrate more NSVs because those are true things about weightloss. Weighing is a tool to help you know if you are on target. Numbers dont make a person. God Bless on the new changes.

That IS a really great NSV!!! Congrats!!! They are going to come fast & furious... I hope you're ready!!!

What a wonderful nsv! Congratulations! Loved the ultrasound photo.

OMG!! I can't wait for that!!!!! That's an awsome nsv!!

That is amazing!!!!! I have had 3 c-sections and I know just what you mean about the overhang. GREAT NSV!!!!!!!!