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So my first NSV for the week is making me scratch my head. I'm still losing, which is nice, but I had to return a pair of American Eagle brand shorts because they were too large—apparently I'm a size medium now. The idea of a six-foot-tall, 268-pound man being a medium in ANYTHING clothing related is just too bizarre for words. I expected it in Carhartt work t-shirts because they're like Chucks, they're known to run very large and you have to size down. But a teenage clothing line?? But that's not the weird NSV. The weird NSV requires some backstory. I live in a two-story home that is a little older (by local standards; stop laughing, Europeans). My beloved offspring's bedroom is directly above the doorbell—the actual thing that makes the chime sound itself. Whenever I would walk across her room, my weight would compress the floor and press down on the wall that the doorbell mechanism is mounted on, and because of how it's wired, the doorbell would ring. It took me WEEKS after we moved in to figure out what the heck was happening. I'd be putting her to bed and the doorbell would ring. She'd wake up and need water or to chase away a nightmare at 2:30 a.m., and I'd walk in and... the doorbell would ring. Freaked me out! Well, the other day I was putting clean laundry on her bed ("put it away yourself!") and I noticed that I don't make the doorbell ring anymore. Not even if I hop up and down on the spot. Nothing else has changed except the size of me, and so... weird non-scale victory!

A new NSV for me at 9 weeks post-op is getting out of the tub is much easier and I can push myself up with arm strength alone.

You look amazing!!! High boots is a NSV I cant wait for!

I feel the exact same way. The scales are saying "I gained" however, my clothes are saying "I've lost". I also had a NSV yesterday. I was sitting at a red light when I could feel someone looking at me, I looked over the left and there were these two young boys giving me the looks and smiling at me. LOL. Wow, even though I'm 40 and happily married for 19 years, it still felt good to have these young boys notice me. They probably would have crapped their pants had they known I was 40. LOL. Here is another NSV I had, a guy I work with came up to me yesterday and said my face looks so much thinner and not only that, my complextion looked so much smoother too. He said he could tell I was losing weight. No one from work knows I had the Lap-Band surgery, but they they know I had a hernia repair, so thats all they think. Its just nice when someone notices. It lifts my spirits.

Hi Terry! Cognrats on the 40lbs! It seems for a few of us here that is where things start to slow down. So I had an awesome NSV last night! I went to a wedding, and I didn't feel like wearing nylons because it was so hot out. I put on my favorite pair of dress pants, not thinking about the fact that they were still technically "fat pant". Well, I was on the dance floor, and I noticed I had to keep hiking them up. It was so annoying that I gave up on the dancing. Later on, I went to the bathroom and discovered I could pull them down without unbuttoning! DH was laughing because I was so bummed I wouldn't be able to wear these pants again. He was like, hey, aren't you supposed to be glad that you're shrinking out of things?! He's right, of course.

sherilynn- That is AWESOME- a great NSV and feeling! Congrats to you! Gigi:clap2:

I had a great NSV!!! I have been wearing 14's very tight and today I just tried on some size 12 slacks and they fit!!! Not perfect, a tad too tight, but I was able to wear them!!! I still don't want to weigh in. Maybe next week after I start solids! How are we all doing? Who wants to start the South Beach Challenge with me in a few days on Saturday? I met a girl at a support group yesterday who had lost 130 pounds in a little over a year!!!! She looked fantastic!!! And wouldn't you know.... she follows the bandster rules and a South Beach diet type of eating plan. Lots of water and exercise. I also met other ladies who had lost 20 pounds in 8 months. Wouldn't you know, they eat what ever they want and don't exercise..... HHHMMMMMMM. I for one want to follow after the one who lost better following the rules. I didn't do this to just stay fat!!!!

Genuine first weird NSV: Walking outside and experiencing that magical sensation of my undies slowly falling down inside my jeans, which are also slowly falling down. Holding my jeans up by the pockets on my way home, with my undies trying their best to be budget thigh-garters. Sexy!

Back with a new NSV: I officially weigh less than my husband. First time in our 25 years of being together. Not only can I wear his shirts, but they are baggy on me.

I've had several NSV's, such as comfortably fitting in a normal size chair, using a regular stall in the bathroom, fitting in the movie theater seats. But today is, without a doubt, my happiest. Today, after I did a 1 hr workout early in the morning, I spent the day with my son and we unexpectedly ended up doing a 4 mile hike!!!! I didn't have to stop and rest, I wasn't out of breath, and we were chatting the whole time without me struggling. He mentioned it a few times, and said he was so proud of me, and I was shocked. I literally didn't even notice how easy it was for me!!! I just got on with it and walked. It was AMAZING!!!!!

My two biggest NSVs recently were fitting into a regular-sized hotel robe and being able to go to the store and buy a new shirt (size large!) when I spilled coffee all over the one I wore to work. Pre-op I would have been totally stuck unless I was lucky enough that one of the stores near my office had something that could fit a 3X.

I can’t believe I haven’t really thought about this NSV until now, but now that you mention it, I remember that I used to go through so many pants because of wearing out the inner thighs. I haven’t worn out a single pair of pants since I’ve been my current size (about 2 years)!

I just said this today to one of my coworkers!!!! Its a great NSV!

So I have experienced some good NSV's like many of you during these past few months. Stuff like fitting in restaurant booths better, fitting clothes better, not having to worry so much about weight limits on certain things, the car seatbelt not making that dreaded sound cause it was pulled out too far.........lol.......etc. But this weekend I had something else happen that took me by surprise. So since surgery on May 19th I lost 62 lbs and since March the total is 81 lbsl! Even though those numbers sound good and I can see some changes in me, whenever my husband says stuff like, "Wow, I can't believe how thin you've gotten!" etc. I always reply with how I don't see it and how I still have lots to go. He always says I don't give myself enough credit, etc. Anyway, this weekend we were out and about and we decided to stop and have lunch and as I approached the restaurant door, I was taken aback by the figure/person I saw in the reflection. It was almost as if I didn't recognize myself for a split second. It was strange. I usually wear my old baggy clothes still but this day I decided to wear leggins that actually fit and were NOT baggy, I had my heel boots on, a nice sweater, etc. I was feeling really good about myself. Well, the next day we were out again visiting a lake/park. This particular lake has different boat rentals like kayaks, canoes, etc. Things I could never do cause of my weight. So we went inside to inquire and, low and behold, I was actually UNDER the weight limit!!! I was so happy I could barely contain my excitement!! So we walked outside, me in front of my husband, and he again commented on my weight loss and how I've been looking and so I told him to take a few full body pics of me so that I could see what he sees. He took one of the front and back. Now, taking a photo of my whole body has always been a HUGE NO NO and everyone knows it so I was scared to see the results. Well when I looked at the pictures I actually burst into tears!!! It was such an unexpected reaction from me that it caught us both off guard. My husband was asking and hoping they were tears of happiness and I told him YES! That it was the first time in decades that I could actually stomach seeing a photo of myself that I was Ok with. I cried some more and hubby comforted me and told me how proud he was of how well I was doing and how happy he was that the surgery was finally helping me lose weight when so many things I tried never did. He said he was happy I was getting healthy, that I was off some medication, and my labs were coming back great. He also reaffirmed that my weight was NEVER an issue for him and that he loved me always, no matter how big or small I am and I told him that I always knew that but that it was always an issue for me. Which is why I had the surgery. I guess it was the combo of the catching a glimpse of myself in the reflection, the better fitting clothes, learning I can now kayak and then seeing myself in the photos that it just really hit me. I have a ways to go still, like I always tell him, but I am FINALLY starting to feel happy with what I am seeing. It feels really good!!

Nothing weird about this one, just a regular NSV, but still a milestone for me. I got into a standard size AU/UK 16 (US 12) pair of skinny jeans today. I have not worn a size AU/UK 16 in at least two decades. Go me!

Wonderful to see all my positive friends here.... Great idea for a fun thread. BT. Welcome to the club and not for one minute have you not really belonged. You are MY true inspiration. (maybe if I had had a heart problem I would have been as motivated as you). You are doing AWESOME!!!! Be ready for the surgery pain. GAS, Bloating and weird head for 2 days. By Friday you will feel good and be off to the races. Enjoy that loaf of bread!!!! I had a weird week. After hitting 299, the scale went up 9 pounds. (Water retention??) I had salty Peanut Butter pretzels this week, and salty buffalo chicken nuggets and forgot my BP meds for a few days. But this morning, it showed 300.2 before going to the gym so I am back to even. (I think I was dehydrated at the 299 day, as I had just gone to the gym and worked out for an hour then sat in a steam room). Best NSV's: I now wear XL tee shirts, and 46 jeans, but I can actually button and zip 44 size Levi's and bought them at Kohl's not Casual Male... I keep having to put new holes in my favorite belts. I had to buy a leather hole puncher. I can wear a pair of size 12 Nikes that used to be too small. Funny how your feet shrink too. I noticed I sit a lot farther back from the steering wheel in my car. Funny huh... I am flying tomorrow, and despite not being upgraded yet (I fly so much I have top status) I selected an exit row seat that has more leg room. I usually could not, as I had to use a belt extender. Not anymore!!! I stopped counting calories and exercise cause I have figured it out in my head how to live without having to be anal about it. I still watch calories and exercise a lot (45 min to an hour on an eliptical, six days a week) I can eat out, and do so often. I have had 2 fills and feel some restriction and feel close to PB if I eat too fast. I don't have head hunger often, and when I do, I have figured out substitutes (sugar free Jello, pudding and popsicles) that work for me. Best of all, I eat real food. Had a steak last night. 7 oz filet instead of a 22 oz ribeye. I alway eat on a small plate and cut food small and eat slow. I have had ribs, chicken, mexican, and a just about every other type food. Just a lot less. The band has changed me. All for the good. I read this site everyday and love the positive posts. I angst sometimes over the drama posts and the needy people, but sorry, that may be a guy thing. You guys are all terrific cause ALL of you have made a choice to change your life. We are really a small minority of the obese, overweight America (and other countries) that have chosen to fight our issues. We are the people that will succeed. OK, we need supportive people around to help and also to validate. But we will all live longer, more fun lives because we are here doing this. You guys and girls are awesome... Keep it up!! TJ

I'm off to Boston for a conference for the next three days, and will be in touch again Monday. I walked 2 miles today, and have made a commitment to at least 2 miles 5-7 days a week. Plus my calories are 1200. So I'm on my way. Oh, NSV today- a neighbor I haven't seen for about three months said "You've lost weight!" It shows! Now, boys and girls, behave yourselves, especially Christie and Felix:tongue2:!!!

WTG aclubb!! You're doing great!! Great NSV's Kathy!! I love NSV's....sometimes they make me feel better than SV's. Okay, I have a question for ya'll. I have a Sony Erricson Walkman Slider Phone and it's like an ipod as well. I have an armband that holds my phone and I use it when I run. Yesterday, while I was running, my right arm (from the elbow to the shoulder) went kinda numb but was hurting really bad. I almost stopped running. Well, I finished my run and did my cool down and it eventually went away. Anyone else had this happen? I don't know if it happened because of the armband or if it had to do with something else going on with my body. The armband didn't feel too tight so, I dunno. It was weird....it's never happened before this. Any thoughts?

Renewed - that sucks! I hope they can get your air fixed today. I see you are in Texas. Is it scortching now? The humidity here is killing me! Is it the whole unit or do you have a leak? Ours went out two years ago at this time - it's miserable! kathy - that' wonderful! I'm like you - I was a 42/44DDD preband and love that the girls have shrunk. Yea!! Great NSV!!!

NSV moment... I had a massage this morning (my work benefits pay for it!!!!) and when she was massaging my calf muscles and the back of my thighs (whatever they are called), it actually was sore. That's never really happened before. She said it was due to my running, that I'm working those muscles hard right now. You'd think it would have hurt before, but I think since those are my strongest muscles (for me I'm all leg!), all I've really been working so far is my cardio, not necessarily my legs... but now I'm getting to the good stuff! I'm resting today and plan to run the rest of the week. I want this to be a 6 runs out of 7 days week!

Georgia... Yeah!!! Congrats on running again! Now, next time you're outside, don't trip on the cracks!!!! Renewed... reality bites, but its good to get a full dose of it once in awhile to bring you back around. Sorry you've conceeded defeat! I've been out of town since Monday morning, so have just now caught up on everyone. I used the hotel fitness facility to run Tue & Today, and it was nice. NSV to share... ever go to the hotel and they have small bath towels and those plush housecoats that are "One Size Fits All". It was always very frustrating for me cause the towels were too small to wrap around me and the housecoats would never fit me... Well now they do!!! After my shower I wrapped the towel around me and it OVERLAPPED! Then I cozyied up in the housecoat, and it was too big!!! I get to fly on Feb 1st, which is the first time since very early banding days (about 85 lbs ago), so I'm excited to see if I fit in the seat comfortably now???

MacMadam... what's the new picture? Is that you on the finish line of your recent Tri??? I have an NSV to share... I put on my skin tight jeans this morning straight from the dryer, and didn't have to suck it in. In fact, they could almost be considered loose! Yeah! The strength training and running combo is working!

Renewed... Great NSV! I'd say you lost no ground! Of course its going to be harder, you haven't run consistently in a long time (end of Oct I think). But look what you have accomplished. Most people who've had PS take months and months to recover, let alone bounce back to exercise in the time you have! I'm in awe of your progress! Its healthy to not be all or nothing all the time. Falling off the regiment makes you more approachable, more human... LOL! Lyn... Did you get my positive thoughts and prayers today? How'd the interview go? It was funny, I was in the middle of a meeting when my Blackberry buzzed my reminder. So when I discreetly looked at it, a little smile came to my face, and I sent my thoughts and prayers... kind of made my meeting! LOL.

i LOVE NSV's!!! - georgia/renewed just got caught up on the sept 07 board....good to see it alive again. leslie - unfills seem to do well for me; i might be heading in this wk for unfill #3 because it's been a while that i can eat a hot meal hot. gets annoying to wait , wait , & wait some more. hope your ankle is feeling better!!! kathy - i notice that runners do the acknowleged "nod" to one another; a neat club to be in. running was just not in the cards for me today - tried, and the legs would rather be in the yoga class that just started so left the treadmill for the dark confines of the class....i need to do this more; i felt better and my legs needed a break... have a good evening all!

Debbie and Natalie.. when I have trouble finding time for breakfast, I still grab a Protein Shake. My dietician said having one or two a day is an excellent way to supplement the Protein most banders struggle to maintain. I find them handy for when I'm on the go too and don't want to bother with packing food. (Who would have ever though I wouldn't want food!!! now that's a NSV!) Natalie, though you might feel like you are eating too much, looking at your food log, your portion sizes look good. As long as you are eating less than 1 or 1-1/2 cups, you should be okay. Don't deprive yourself of the nutrients you need by eating less, just keep eating the right foods that you have been doing. Do you have your next fill scheduled yet? I go in for my first one last week, YAY! Have a GREAT weekend away! We will miss you. Debbie.. planter facitis.. i know your pain well! do you have a brace to sleep in at night. That helped me alot. I did the cortisone shots too, which would help only for a short while. I ended up getting ultrasound therapy for it and after about 6 weeks of 3 times a week, the pain left! Just in time too, cuz a month later I went to Vegas and got married. There's no way to have foot pain in Vegas! Mom, I'd talk to your doctor about your increased hunger after your fill. I think a 6 inch sub sounds like you are able to eat too much. Are you chewing enough and taking the full minute between bites? Drinking too fast after a bite? Maybe the better question is, are you still losing weight? I was advised to eat protein first, then my veggies and very little carbs. Carbs tend to make you hungrier and don't keep your hunger satisfied for long... I don't do the daily log, but I do want you all to know, I'm still eating good. I'm able to eat a little more which troubles me some but still within acceptable limits, I am exercising, and more importantly, still losing weight. Eating healthy has become fun for me. I take pleasure in seeing how much others overeat, knowing months ago I would have been right there with them. But the feeling the freedom the band has given me reassures me I'm on the right road. I am glad I eat less, I know my portions are what they should have been all my life and they are healthy! I have pride in my eating now, where I would suffer shame before because of my overeating. Though the journey is only beginning for us, find your victories along the path.