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What does NSv mean?!

So this past week has been an emotional one for me and a major accomplishment. The other morning around 5am I woke up and decided to weigh myself, I'm now in onederland. I so wanted to run thru the streets yelling and cheering like I won the lotto. Needless to say I woke up my hubby crying and he was ecstatic as well, we were up for the day from that point on. I'm now down to 197 and truly amazed at how fast the weight is coming off. I've bumped up my work outs to everyday and even lifting weights everyday. My arms which were sagging bad and I was getting highly self conscious, they are now starting to tone and I'm actually getting biceps that are visible . I'm working out like crazy only because the results keep me going, hubby says thats my new addiction (I'm not complaining). Plus I have a cute lil black dress I want to wear soon, hee hee. On Tuesday I climbed Mt. Rubidoux, for those of you who don't know its a mountain in Riverside, Ca. It's 3.5 miles up and 3.5 miles back. It's a wonderful feeling and a beautiful sight from the top. My biggest goals were met in one week and I still get emotional talking about it but man I couldn't of done this without my wonderful sleeve. I would do it all over again and if you are un-decided get it done, you will not be disappointed. Now to the bummer part, my computer crashed at home and I can't post any pictures. I can only access this website from work and today is he only day I'm working because I'm off to Vegas baby!!!! So for pictures or updates check out my facebook, I update that allday long from my phone.

This is a great NSV, especially because it's so difficult to believe that our skin is ever going to tighten even a bit, hooray!!!!!!!!!

So I have set a few goals for myself, and I thought it would help to share them here. I have lost 105 pounds total so far, 92 since the date of surgery. I lost 13 pounds the 2 weeks before sugery. So, I think my weightloss has been pretty good, and now it is slowing down. I can't really complain because I am still losing 2-3 pounds a week. But I think I could lose 4-5 pounds a week since I stil have 99 to lose. So, I am going to change things up for the next few weeks. I have been tracking what I eat and I am grazing way too much. Its going to be hard to break that, but I will! Right now, I am at 264 pounds. My goal is to be 240 pounds by March 28th, 2011. That is 6 weeks away, so an average of 4 pounds per week. I don't think that's an unacheivable goal for me. My second goal is to stop the snacking! And my third goal is to not weigh myself this entire week, until Monday morning!!! That will be SOooooo hard since I weigh myself multiple times a day! I think it will be more rewarding if I wait all week! And I have an NSV to share too!!! I am now severely obese, instead of MORBIDLY obese! Woohooo. From what I found, severe obesity is a BMI of 35-39.9 and I am at a BMI of 37.9, so I have been out of morbid obesity for a while When I get to 240 pounds, I will just be obese! After I meet that goal, my next mini goal will just to be overweight, hehe! As I type this, I also noticed that I have 99 more pounds to lose! That feels so awesome to have less than 100 pounds to lose when you start out needing to lose over 200 pounds!!! WOW!

That's awesome Tiff! I know what you mean about NSV's being rare when you are a bit out.

I've been in maintenance for close to a year so NSVs are a little hard to come by ! ! ! But, today I pulled out some springy shirts from last season to rotate back into my wardrobe now that winter is heading out and the weather is gorgeous here in Florida. I was hesitant to put them on because I remember last year, they were a little snug around my waist and belly area. NOT TODAY, the one I tried on is actually a little big on me around the lower belly/hip area, and is definitely big around the upper arm area ! ! ! I'm so stoked because even though I weigh the same this means only one thing; MORE INCHES ARE GONE, and my skin is rebounding, and tightening up ! ! ! Now that's a victory that I'll Celebrate proudly. I'm almost 21 months out, and honestly NSVs are a rarity in my little world. My husband actually has a "down day", the kiddo is home from school, and we're heading to the zoo for a family day. It's a 50 acre zoo and when I told my husband how big it is, he said "WHAT, 50 acres? ? ?" I replied "damn skippy, and we're walking as much of it as we can get to" (some of it is only accessible by the little train ride) Which will be another victory because the last time I went to the zoo, I had to sit in a seat my myself because I was so huge ! ! ! I really love my sleeve, my life post-op, my life in maintenance ! ! ! Best decision I could have ever made ! ! !

It is a great feeling when someone important gives you a compliment like that! What a great NSV!! Congrats and a good job! =]

So I guess this qualifies as a NSV... at least from what I've read. Last week I was cleaning out the shed and found an old dress shirt I saved from my highschool graduation. I then proceeded to wear it work the next day. Yeah I wore an XL shirt and it looked good. :-)

Melody as all the others have said you KNOW this is not weight - it has to be fluid retention. You cannot gain 7lb of fat in one day. This is one of the reasons that most Dr's recommend a weekly rather than a daily weigh in. It is normal for fluid etc to vary from day to day so a weekly weigh in gives a truer result. Of course for most of lapbanders that doesn't work as we tend to be obsessed with the scale. I would suggest that you keep eating the way that you have been but relax a little. Weigh weekly, don't log every calorie and enjoy life. Do not base how you are feeling on a number on a scale. Think of all the NSVs instead. How much better you are feeling, how much your health has improved etc.If you do this for a couple of weeks and your weight stays stable or drops that is great. It may be hard but sometimes we hit plateaus and they can go on for far longer than they should. The main thing is that you are not gaining and you stick to doing all the things that you know you should be doing. If your weight starts going up week on week then I would go back to the Dr and scream for help.There has to be some reason. You probably are perimenopausal even if you don't realise it and female hormones are a curse - the guys don't realise how good they have got it. Chin up it will get better. Glad that your son is OK - I was concerned that the problem was more serious. I am still stressing about mine and will be until after 29th March which is when he has the procedure. Our weekend away was great but not long enough. The only problem I have with going to that area is I always want to buy a holiday house there. Just a little one - happy for it to be old so I can do it up but the sad news is I haven't won the lottery yet. I suppose it is good to dream though isn't it? Denise sorry to hear about all the dramas. You have done your best and if the others want to do things differently you can't force them. I think you should relax and enjoy your cruise. Can't believe that after 3 years your hubby would make a comment like that about eating so slowly. Men are a bit dim sometimes aren't they? Bob if you are reading this my apologies. We are missing you - you need to come back to add some balance. Don't know if the rest of you have seen it but his new profile pic on FB looks Fab.

LauraK, your new guy sounds great - I too love Arena Football - so fun! Hope the weather forecast is wrong for you -- hope the snow doesn't happen. We are having another pretty, sunny day and it's 43. I went back to Penney's - had a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase and another coupon for 15%. Found more stuff for $2.97 -- this time I got turtleneck sweaters one in a teal and one in a rose color that will be great for next winter -- and a pair of skinny black jeans for $2.97 in the junior dept - not sure why they were so cheap -- but hey, I'll take them -- they were 11 jurnior short ones -- which I need so maybe they just didn't sell. I did pay a little more for a Valour top ($4) and another top and I got two new bras -- buy one regular price get one 1/2 -- so I could meet the $50 to get my $10 off. I got another little top for $14 so all in all I think my total was $68 with tax. I got another top for $2.97 but I can't even remembe what it was - now that's bad. LOL. They had boots on clearance too - but don't really need them but hard to walk by them. This shopping thing has proven to be the biggest NSV in my world - I never ever got clothes so cheap -- it's wonderful to be able to walk in a regular store and buy stuff cheap that fits!! Wow. Laura, if you feel up to it you should try the 5 day pouch test before you get another fill - it's hard to tell if you have good restriction -- I used to think but I was eating so many sliders and carbs that would make me hungry between meals. Good to hear from you Julie -- sounds like you're feeling a bit better, hope so anyway. Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Linda

Hi there..... Let's see..... I now fit into XL shirts! No more plus sized shirts for me...... and I no longer fit into the plus sized underwear LOL and I wore a non-plus size 18 pair of pants....... I do not know what I am going to do when I can shop anywhere and have a good selection. Jackie

Not only was I complimented by 2 of my male associates (I manage a TJMaxx), but....here is the best part...I was able to buy a junior size pair of jeans and am wearing 4 inches heels for the the first time in a long....long time

Hope that is a really wonderful NSV!! Congrats lady you are doing so great!!!

I'm 5 weeks out and haven't seen my youngest daughter in 4 weeks....she goes to college. She came home and said OH MY GOSH MOM you LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT...WOW I can really tell! You are looking good...I didn't think you would look that good already! LOL I wanted to say GEE THANKS but instead I did my "STRUT YOUR STUFF WALK" and gave her a BIG HUG AND KISS!!!!! I MISSED my BABY!! LOL That was my FEEL GOOD MOMENT!!! I hope EVERYONE has a GREAT weekend.

I have a lot and y'all know I'm long-winded so grab your favorite cup of "whatever" and enjoy. . . 1) I am the only person responsible for what I put in my mouth 2) I am the only one that will endure the consequence or victory from what I choose to put in my mouth 3) This constantly cold thing that everyone experiences isn't forever. My body temperature has regulated, and if it's 30 degrees outside, it's perfectly acceptable to be cold. 4) Skinny bitches eat Cookies too. I'm gonna have a cookie occasionally. 5) hair grows back. Not always the same texture, but it grows back. So freaking out over it, isn't going to do anything, but make you freak out. Embrace it and honestly I gave up back fat for a little temporary hair loss, I think I'll deal with hair loss. 6) Follow the guidelines set forth by your medical professionals. It works. If something isn't working, tweak it to make it work. Your body is individual to you. Your needs might be different than mine. Respect your body because we didn't for years. Now, we've altered it, so treat it right, and it'll return the favor. 5) Weight loss surgery does NOT have to be a cookie cutter world. 6) Everyone has a bad day here and there. You have 2 choices: 1) wallow in the guilt/self-pity 2) Suck it up and move forward 7) Being skinny is not the only perk to losing weight, but sure makes life a hell of a lot easier. 8) Cherish every early out victory because once you're in maintenance, those little NSVs and SVs are non-existent and it's easy to take the little things for granted 9) Immediately after surgery, your weight is going to fluctuate, you are losing Water weight, if it's difficult to get in fluids, you will retain fluids, they pumped you full of iv fluids so don't freak out. It's not physically possible, nor is it logical to gain 5lbs of fat overnight. All you're doing is setting yourself up for disappointment and heartbreak, fears of failure are going to set in and you'll just sabotage your efforts. 10) LET YOUR BODY HEAL. . . Cheating is one thing, being irresponsible and reckless can result in complications. You can live on liquids for a couple of weeks. It sucks, NO DOUBT, but you will not wither away and die because you don't eat something crunchy for a couple of weeks. 11) Stop comparing yourself to every other sleeve patient. Refer to #6 12) You will hear many opinions throughout this journey. Remember opinions are like assholes and are pretty shitty. Stop allowing other people to dictate how you feel. No one can make you feel a certain way unless you allow it. 13) Pull up your big girl/boy panties/undies and stop making excuses as to why you can't take a high quality, adult Vitamin. Yes, some taste horrible, they are a pain in the ass to swallow, they might not be your favorite thing in the world, but your body needs them. Vitamin deficiencies suck. You can prevent it, you can make the choice. 14) Get your labs done regularly. Adjust your intake, vitamin/supplement regimen based on how your body is doing. 15) Loose, wrinkly, excess skin is fairly inevitable. Suck it up. I punished my skin for years being morbidly obese. Why should I expect miracles in the skin bouncing back department? ? ? Do I like that about me? Noper, not for one minute, but I'll take my wrinkly inner thighs, saggy skin bags I have boobs over being fat and miserable for the rest of my life. 16) If you do not change your relationship with food, don't think surgery will fix you. They operate on our stomachs, not our brains. You can still cheat, eat around the sleeve. I do it, and I know why I bounce around on the scale. Either I accept it, or I choose to follow the basic rules that proved to be so successful for me during my losing stage. I choose to live a life of moderation, and I wanted normalcy without hardcore dieting for the rest of my life. The trade-off I make is that I bounce on the scale up or down 5-7 pounds. I have a good relationship with food/drinks, and I reap the benefits of this life. 17) Every clothing store is different. Learn to love trying on clothes. For jeans, I wear size from 0's to 5's, for shirts I wear from a size XS to a Medium. Even being this size, I have to try everything on. The only thing that is guaranteed is leggings, and tights. Even panties are hit and miss because every cut is different. 18) Being skinny does not completely fix self-esteem or self-worth issues. If you don't think you are worthy of the best at a size 22, being a size 2 isn't going to change the way people treat you. I demanded to be treated with respect, and common courtesy at a size 22/24W, my core personality is the same. 19) If your marriage/relationship is rocky, or not solid, and you've allowed your spouse to treat you like crap for the last XX years, guess what? ? ? Being skinny is not going to magically make them treat you better. If anything, you'll realize that douchebaggy behavior is not acceptable anymore and you begin to resent them and start demanding better/more from them. However, their behavior isn't going to change just because you decide you deserve better. Again, it's a choice. You choose how people treat you. At the end of the day, you deserve nothing less than everything from your partner. If you aren't getting it at 250+lbs, being 125lbs isn't going to change it. 20) Therapy is a fabulous tool. If you have food demons/issues, recognize, address and conquer them. If you can not do it on your own, seek help. There is zero shame in asking for help. 21) Choose the path you want to take. If you fall off that path, pick yourself up, dust off, and move forward. I cut my own path, and while I have fallen off, I've never fallen far enough off that I couldn't find my way back. If you want to follow a similar path, do it, but don't expect to have the same identical results as anyone else. What worked for me, might not work for you. 22) Habits are just behaviors that we have established, and continue with over time. To rid myself of a bad habit, I had to replace it with a good (or better) habit. These habits are not permanent and engraved in stone. My habits, food triggers, and issues are just mine. We might share the common thread of surgery, and how I conquer my issues is what works for me. I can share what I did/do, but it might not work for you. Don't be disappointed, just find what works for you. 23) Exercise does NOT make me feel fabulous. It's a chore just like scrubbing a toilet. I wish this was different, but I hate it. I loved it early out, but now, I absolutely hate it. If you hate it too, find something you do like. I know that I need formal exercise of some sort. I choose to dance (Zumba, Hip Hop Abs, Just Dance2 for the Wii). I enjoy it, but still am not super excited to do it. I just know my heart, bone and lung health need it. Finally! ! ! 24) I will always be a fat girl on the inside. I still have cravings, and love food. I still never experience true hunger, but I still want food. There are good days, and not so great days. I take it one day, one meal at a time.

I'm not really sure if this is the right place to put this, so I'll go on ahead and place it here for the time being. My surgery isn't until the 25th, but (aside from my little valentine's day carb fiasco) I'm finding that I'm not really enamored with food anymore. I'm not really sure how to describe what I'm talking about. I guess it's like......okay, I chart everything that I put into my mouth, and I'm just stunned by how little I can eat and still feel really good. I feel awesome on 1200 calories a day, and as long as I can end the occasional evening with my crystal light popsicle that my sweets craving is nonexistent and everything is right in the world. It's like I've stumbled upon this path, and food isn't a huge part of it. I just want to eat enough to not feel hungry so I can get on with my day and wake up tomorrow one day closer to surgery and to coming out of this on the other side of being sleeved so I can claim my spot on the losers bench. Does that even make sense? I know I can't do this on my own, and that's why I'm getting the sleeve...but it's almost like I don't even have my sleeve yet and it's already working for me. Has anybody else experienced this, or have I truly gone and lost my marbles? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I don't think about food anymore. I'm too busy worrying about my Water intake and making sure I get in 10,000 steps a day and increasing my lung capacity. It feels almost like I got out of an abusive relationship (which I think is a fair way to classify my love affair with food), and I have no desire to see my former significant other anymore. Idk...I'm not sleeved yet, but I'm choosing to call this a NSV. I haven't felt this good about myself and my choices in a long, long time.

When I started my job 10 years ago I was wearing a mens 2X. We wear the same uniforms as the cops so I had 5, 2 x shirts, 5, size 48 pants and one 2x sweater and I wore that same size until a couple of months ago. As of yesterday I know own 3 size large shirts, 3 size 42 pants and one size large sweater, and........................................................... I would say by the end of next week I will be going in for the next size down in the pants ( This weight loss is causing my employer a bit a money at 45 dollar a pair paints and 30 dollar shirts plus the Patches, But hey I offered to wear street clothes and they said no. Great to be me lately, sucks to be them

Today my boss calls and informs me she won't be needing me the rest of the week. Things are slow and she will see me next week. Well I only work 3 days a week and today and tomorrow were days 2 & 3. I can see the writing on the wall and know my days are limited there. So while I drove around hoping to find a bakery/resturant/grocery that needed a baker or cake decorator all I could do was think about all the food out there to be eaten. Normally I would have stopped at the first food place and eaten anything that sounded good and still have felt bad. You know what though? I DIDN'T DO IT TODAY! Nope, I drank my Water, licked my wounds and made the right choice. Today I am 3 weeks post op and so proud that I was able to mentally not let food control me but I controlled the food. I wish it was for a different reasone but a NSV is one just the same! -28lbs and counting!

Great NSV!!! I was also like that yesterday!!!

I pulled out a pair of pants this morning to hang in my vision as Clothing Goal #1 to be able to wear. Previously I could not get in them much less zip the up. Well, not only did I get them on, they feel a little loose. So, I have decided to wear them today and find another article of clothing to strive to wear later.

I just got new panties in the mail today! This is a BIG NSV for me, since before I went into maintenance mode I just bought plain, cheap ones as I shrank. But now that I'm right where I want to be, I got some really cute ones! Also got two nice new bras, and a bikini that I look dang hot in! I've never been the materialistic or superficial type, but just this once I'm enjoying having some nice (SMALL!) things to wear that I look good in! Yet again my band journey has amazed me...

I've had a few NSV's lately. ~One that I hadn't even realized I wanted-on of my dr's commenting on my skin and telling me he's going to give the name of a plastic surgeon-that totally made my day ~Starting at a 26/28, and I'm currently in 16/18's ~going from a 44G to a 36/38DDD(depends on the bra) ~ I was walking to the store last week, and a guy riding his bike whistled at me as I went past ~ Being able to borrow clothes from my mom ~ Guys telling me I'm beautiful, or sexy ~ Having lost a shoe size, I can now share shoes with my little sister ~ Going shopping, and being able to get stuff in regular sizes ~ The compliments I get from friends and family ~ My dad telling me I've inspired him. He's now training for the Ironman competition ~ My Dr.'s office asking for before and after pics to possibly use on their website/brochures ~ Being flirted with in general ~ I wore stretchy/spandex leggings to the gym!

I've been on a business trip since Monday and this trip has been full of NSVs. First, I didn't have to use a seatbelt extender for the first time in years. Then today when we went out to lunch we walked 4 blocks each way to and from the restaurant. And again for dinner we walked 3 blocks each way to the restaurant. None of these things would have happened 3 months ago...I wouldn't have been able to walk that far. Even more than the 41 lbs I have lost, these things really show me how far I've come!