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Diabetes: Before surgery while on insulin...A1C = 11....then 9.....now 3 months after surgery, not taking anything/no pills, no insulin...6.6 I left my endo. doc's office with a big smile. LadyPooh and Tigger...congrats on your NSV!

Officially, the program I am working with recommends not weighing in so frequently. I weigh myself daily. At times, this has been frustrating. However, at this point (11 weeks out) it has helped me understand my body and my weight loss patterns. I know that I will go down to a new low, then over the next several days I may bounce around (up to 2.5 lbs) above that low before hitting the next low. As I said, early on this was frustrating, now I understand that it will happen and it does not stress me out (as much). I am currently using Fitness Pal to track my weight . I only enter new lows, and I don't record the little jumps back up between lows. Having that to examine the weight loss over time is very helpful. After the initial drops my weight-loss has felt so slow, but looking at it over weeks is helpful. I have a hard time "seeing" my weight-loss. The other things that has been helpful is recognizing the NSV. I had to buy all new pants. Also, I am almost done shopping in my closest. Those things can offer a boost when the scale is not moving as quickly as we would like it to.

Non Scale Victories. Things that get better in your life/diet without measuring on the scales. You might notice that your belt is now in a couple of notches. Your partner might tell your your upper arms are 'harder'. You might notice that because your arse is a little smaller, you have to move the car-seat forward to drive off. NSV Lesson 1 is over!

NSV stands for non-scale victory. These include walking or running or climbing stairs without becoming breathless, fitting comfortably into airline seats, wearing smaller clothing sizes, resolution of health problems, etc.

Can someone please tell me what NSV means?

Fitting into hubby's jeans, hiking Tahquamenon Falls, overall health and wellness! Today we celebrated our 13th anniversary with a two mile hike to an international dark sky park (in the dark)! We could see the Milky Way belt, comets and satellites! The park lit the trail with tea lights so you could find your way! It was so cool! Sent from my LG-TP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

10 weeks~!!! congratulations on your weight loss! You deserve the credit for your hard work and you definitely deserve the compliments. I agree with the above posts. It will take time for your mind to catch up to see your physical appearance. Comments and compliments on your weight loss are going to continue until your in maintenance mode. The new attention can be a bit unnerving. Try giving them comment or compliment a scale (1) appropriate - acknowledge the NSV. Smile and say thank you. (2) Hilarious - Enjoy the laughter (Please post any funny things that people say to you) (3) Inappropriate - (a) Creepy (B) People intended it to be a compliment but, It comes out as an insult (c) a straight up insult. - Smile say have a nice day and walk away ( In your head say kiss my ***) Never waste your energy on negative people. Surround yourself with the supportive people that have your back in life.

I’m three months since surgery now. And in the last two days, I’ve had two Non Scale Victories! One, I went to a grocery store and two of the checker women hadn’t seen me in a couple months, and were so nice to me, and fussing over me, and telling me how good I look! Have I lost weight?? So I told them I’d had the sleeve in July, and yes, I am losing some weight. Finally people are noticing! Here is a small but very meaningful non scale victory: the other night I took my child to the movies, and I did something I couldn’t believe. I crossed my legs. What? They actually fit! Not forming the letter 4 shape perpendicular to each other. Crossed over each other, nearly parallel. What a trip! I remember being able to do that once! Cheering all the little victories along the way.

Hi there! My surgery went great! I’m down 26lbs my third week post op. I still do feel sick at times and am learning how to eat and drink slowly. I can’t keep too much down though. My NSV would be ; no more back pain, and I can’t leave out that my feet don’t hurt anymore! I had the worst throbbing foot pain in both my feet and now I can walk and run errands without being miserable. Congrats on your toe nail victory. I hadn’t tried! I just leaned over and saw that Wow I can! However it does hurt my tummy to do much since my incisions are still healing.

Beautiful name, beautiful pregnancy. Now that is a NSV if I ever heard one!

Love these nsv! Prior to becoming pregnant, I was in a size 2 jeans. Before surgery: a size 28! Being able to wear a belt was amazing as well. Being able to tuck in a shirt is amazing. Also, being able to go to the doctor with no shame. Stepping on the scales confidently.

Update. I'm now five months out and down 75 lbs. weight loss has slowed down but I'm feeling better each day. NSV every day. First pic is my high weight before surgery. Second is at 3 months after surgery down 55 lbs. Third is today, 5 months with 75 lb loss. I feel so much more in control of my life and choices.

Looking good! NSV for me..... buckling the airplane seat belt and even pulling it a bit to tighten it up. That was one of the things I used to dread about traveling for work. Especially if I was traveling with coworkers. Asking for an extender and seeing the look on the persons face that sat next to me.

In my current state (162kg), my belly almost touches the steering wheel when I'm driving. (SEE PIC) Theres 20mm (0.8 inch) between me and the bottom of the wheel with the seat right back. I well remember a 100mm (or 4 inch) gap when I was down to 131kg in early 2016. I want that feeling and better. It'd be nice to give the passenger behind me some leg room. :-) The eventual hernia op next year will help too. A great NSV to look forward to ...

I have been trying to revel in these as sometimes the scale may not budge and I want to keep encouraging myself. My NSV this week was having to buy new jeans because I shrank out of all my old ones, and having to get rid of my old dress shirts. I went from a 3/4x to an xl now and 22/24 to 16/17 pants. As a reward this Sunday I'm going to an amusement park with some friends. this will be the first time in years that I have gone and not been afraid of fitting on the rides. What's your NSV's? Please share your successes! Btw here's my most recent update pics

I had the same NSV. I always wear leggings because my body is curvy and i'm short so it's hard to find jeans for myself. But also, since I had gained a lot of weight, I did not want to know what size my pants actually were so I never went to go buy jeans. But since I've been losing weight, I was feeling more confident and decided to go buy a pair of jeans. I had one pair before surgery and I was a size 18. I went to Old Navy maybe 2 weeks ago and I was a size 14 (stretchy jeans but still...) lol then I saw a pair of white slacks I bought from Express a couple years ago (size 12) and I thought, let's see how these fit so I know when I might fit into a size twelve soon...they zipped up and buttoned, a little tight but they actually fit. I dropped 3 pant sizes and I'll be 3 months post op on the 14th of this month. How awesome are we?

Prior to my VSG I swore I would never wear skinny jeans. The couple times I tried them on in the past was not a joyful experience. If I was lucky enough to get them above my calves they did nothing for my figure. I would wiggle around trying to get them on and then feel like an udder shame when I looked in the mirror. I was solidly a boot cut jean type of girl. Well..... I not only found a pair that fit but I love the way they look on my figure. Also, I'm wearing white! White is not a forgiving color, I've always been a black/dark solids girl but not anymore!

I'm feeling really proud tonight. The first picture was taken a few days before my surgery on 7/7/17. The pic in the black dress is from today. This was an old dress I'd given up hope on ever wearing again. I'm not quite where I want to be in it yet (or maybe it just feels weird being so 'exposed' in a dress), but I felt really proud of this NSV and wanted to share it gets easier, with each passing day. Hang in there everyone! Sleeved 7/7/17 5'5 female, 28 years old HW: 230 SW: 223 CW: 185 GW: 135

I hope your surgery went well @SGirl35. MY NSV is being able to cut my toe nails with out pain. P. S. what does NSV actually stand for?

BariatricPal Newsletter #outlook a {padding:0;} body{width:100% !important; -webkit-text-size-adjust:100%; -ms-text-size-adjust:100%; margin:0; padding:0;} .ExternalClass {width:100%;} .ExternalClass, .ExternalClass p, .ExternalClass span, .ExternalClass font, .ExternalClass td, .ExternalClass div {line-height: 100%;} #backgroundTable {margin:0; padding:0; width:100% !important; line-height: 100% !important;} img {outline:none; text-decoration:none; -ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;} a img {border:none;} .image_fix {display:block;} p {margin: 1em 0;} h1 { color: white !important; } h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {color: #333333 !important;} h1 a:active, h2 a:active, h3 a:active, h4 a:active, h5 a:active, h6 a:active { color: red !important; } h1 a:visited, h2 a:visited, h3 a:visited, h4 a:visited, h5 a:visited, h6 a:visited { color: purple !important; } table td {border-collapse: collapse;} table { border-collapse:collapse; mso-table-lspace:0pt; mso-table-rspace:0pt; } a {color: #4a8aca;} /* Unhides cells that we set to hide in the HTML in case the client doesn't support style properly */ *[class~=hidePhone] { display : block !important; width : auto !important; max-height: inherit !important; overflow : visible !important; float : none !important; } *[class~=hidePhone][width="30"] { width: 30px !important; } *[class~=hidePhone][width="40"] { width: 40px !important; } td[class~=hidePhone] { display: table-cell !important; } @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) { a[href^="tel"], a[href^="sms"] { text-decoration: none; color: blue; pointer-events: none; cursor: default; } .mobile_link a[href^="tel"], .mobile_link a[href^="sms"] { text-decoration: default; color: orange !important; pointer-events: auto; cursor: default; } #userPhoto, .hidePhone, *[class~=hidePhone], td[class~=hidePhone] { display: none !important; } .responsive_table > tr > td, .responsive_table > tbody > tr > td, .responsive_table > tr, .responsive_table > tbody > tr { display: block; text-align: left; } html[dir="rtl"] .responsive_table > tr > td, html[dir="rtl"] .responsive_table > tbody > tr > td, html[dir="rtl"] .responsive_table > tr, html[dir="rtl"] .responsive_table > tbody > tr { text-align: right; } .responsive_row { margin-bottom: 10px; } .responsive_fullwidth { width: 100% !important; } } @media only screen and (min-device-width: 768px) and (max-device-width: 1024px) { a[href^="tel"], a[href^="sms"] { text-decoration: none; color: blue; pointer-events: none; cursor: default; } .mobile_link a[href^="tel"], .mobile_link a[href^="sms"] { text-decoration: default; color: orange !important; pointer-events: auto; cursor: default; } Store Forums Magazine Activity Hey BariatricPal Members! Time flies, and the summer certainly seemed to slip away for us at BariatricPal! Still, our busyness has been fun and productive, and we hope you feel the same way about your summer. Here is a newsletter that we hope will keep you centered and move you forward as we head into fall. You’ll find: • Weight Loss Surgery Journey Help Anytime, Anywhere • Fall Flavors, WLS Style • Looking Backwards and Forwards During Your WLS Journey Use this newsletter to get a handle on your weight loss surgery goals and strategies, and then launch into action! Get your meals prepped, lace up your walking shoes, and logon to the BariatricPal Forums on your computer or using the Android or iPhone app! Can’t wait to see you there! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Weight Loss Surgery Journey Help Anytime, Anywhere Going through bariatric surgery, losing weight, and keeping it off is already a tall order; why would you even think about trying to go it alone? Rather than trying to go through the journey alone, you are probably better off figuring out what help you may need, and where you will find it. That way, the challenges you are sure to come across will be nothing more than little blips that you can overcome more quickly than if you were trying to face them on your own. Your Healthcare Team Obvious though it may seem, sometimes it is easy to forget, that your healthcare team is there…for your health. Your surgeon, primary care doctor, and specialists that you may have, such as an endocrinologist or cardiologist, can answer your health questions, and put you in touch with bariatric specialists, such as nutritionists and psychologists, when you need them. The People Around You People may be more willing and able to help than you realize. Look to family, friends, and even coworkers for help in your WLS journey success. They can help you in a variety of ways, both direct and indirect for your surgery and weight loss. • Your parents and neighbors can take care of the kids or drive them to their activities, especially right after surgery when you need to rest and/or cannot drive. • Coworkers who are trying to lose weight or who work hard to lead healthy lifestyles can be supportive as you work to eat healthy, and could walk with you at lunch. • Friends could agree to socialize while shopping, hiking, or crafting – not eating. BariatricPal Really! Talk about 24/7 support, and BariatricPal should come to mind. The forums are where to go for support from BariatricPal members. You can browse or come to ask specific questions. Find helpful WLS success tips in our WLS Magazine when you read articles on nutrition, exercise, head games, and more written by experts including nutritionists, psychologists, surgeons, and successful WLS patients. Get trusted reviews on surgeons in your area in our Surgeon Directory, and check out The BariatricPal Store for protein bars and shakes, bariatric supplements, great-tasting entrees and snacks, and more products that can make your journey easier. Fall Flavors, WLS Style The bounty of fall is in, with apples, pumpkin, and mushrooms making their presence known. With these and other nutritious choices in season, why did diet disasters such as apple pie, pumpkin pancakes, and mushroom dip become the culinary face of fall? Classic fall foods can put a damper on weight loss, but fall fare does not need to throw you off your diet, though. Here are a few ideas that can get you your fall fix while letting you hit your fall goals. Apples Crisp fall apples are so innocent, until they turn into apple pie a la mode, apple cobbler, and apple butter. You are far better off pairing these fiber-packed fruits with Peanut Butter Powder, which adds some low-fat, reduced-calorie protein. Or, try great-tasting apple-flavored protein punches, without extra sugar in apples or baked goods, in the form of Protein Fruit Drinks, Apple Pie Protein Bars, and Cinnamon Apple Protein Oatmeal. Check out our Apple-Flavored Collection! Cinnamon Nothing screams “autumn!” like cinnamon and spice, but the food industry takes the flavors to dangerous places. Cinnamon turns from a blood sugar-lowering agent into a sweetened flavor that brings too many calories and too much sugar and fat: think cinnamon latte, cinnamon French toast, and cinnamon buns, for example. Get your fix instead from our Cinnamon-Flavored Protein Foods, such as Cinnamon Swirl Protein One Meal Replacement, Cinnamon Vanilla and Cinnamon Crunch Protein Cereal, and Cinnamon Crunch and Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Protein Bars. They are low in carbs, and high in protein and flavor. Pumpkin, Chili, and More A piece of pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffin has about twice the sugars you need in a day, and hardly any pumpkin. A bowl of beefy chili can have your daily dose of saturated fat and sodium. Those creamed mushrooms may smell appetizing, but what if their rich sauce sends you to the bathroom with dumping syndrome? Don’t do it! You are better off going with Pumpkin Protein Muffins with 20 grams of protein, low-carb, protein-rich instant entrees such as Vegetable or Turkey Chili, and Creamy Mushroom Protein Soup or Meal Replacement. You will get the fall flavor, without the hit to your waistline. Check The BariatricPal Store for more fall flavors you love, with nutritionals you love, too. We have treats for every phase of the WLS diet, including liquid, pureeds, soft, and solid foods. Looking Backwards and Forwards During Your WLS Journey Bariatric surgery is a process, not an endpoint. Getting bariatric surgery, losing weight, and keeping it off are a lifelong journey. They require commitment and effort, and you might be best able to keep it up if you balance looking back with looking ahead. Backwards: Staying True to Yourself and Celebrating Achievements Your past may be behind you, but it shaped you and still affects you today. Remember who you were and the frustrated or other negative feelings you may have had before surgery or before you started considering surgery, and you may help yourself stay motivated to keep moving forward. You can also honor your past by marking milestones, such as weight loss markers, fitting into smaller clothes or other NSVs, and your surgiversaries. Forwards: Setting New Goals There is always something to achieve, and setting new goals will help you move forward. There are weight loss milestones on the way to goal weight and goal weight. Along the way and beyond, you can always set goals to improve fitness, try new activities, and keep growing as the result of your commitment to yourself and your health. As always, we support whatever commitment you make to yourself and your health, and we are thrilled to be a part of your journey whenever you allow us to be. Good luck this fall in your quest for health, and thanks for being a BariatricPal member! Stop paying for nutritional supplements! Check your insurance eligibility now! If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please click *|unsubscribe|* or to unsubscribe from ALL BariatricPal E-Mail Click Here.

Nearly six months out and so many NSVs I recently arrived on holiday in Europe for a week of fun in the sun, unfortunately my bag decided it wanted to hang out in New York, it took two days to catch up with me. With no hot weather clothes with me I was forced to go shop for clothes in the limited resort shops but ..... clothes fitted !! I cant believe I could actually shopped easily in these shops and found stuff that fitted to get me through. 6 months ago I would have to have bought mens tshirts and sports shorts to get me through. Still love fitting into airplane seats, no one elbows me in the side because I spill into their space, the tray table comes down without resting on my stomach and the seat belts feel big !!! Over all the general feeling of happiness is amazing. Going out wearing pretty clothes and feeling good in them, strangers compliments, I am off the alcohol and just high on life, I party longer than anyone else having the best time. Waking up refreshed ready to hit it hard again the next day.

Saw my PCP yesterday. I'm off blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol meds! Major NSV!!!

Pretty psyched by my Dexa scan results, the technician said she's never seen results like it. I was able to bring my body fat down to 23.7% and gain muscle while doing it! This puts me in the 9th percentile for women my age....Thrilled with the results. Now I need to stop losing.

I rode rollercoasters all day yesterday. It was an awesome NSV!

Hello all, I am going to be sleeved on Tuesday (19th September 2017) and I found myself on this website this evening creating a profile... I suppose I am on here for some support and guidance, but also because I thought it might help center my own thoughts about my journey to 'have to' type it out. Mini therapy, I guess. I also couldn't find - maybe I was being lazy - too many people sharing their journey with my sort of stats, so many I will be helpful to some younger, female patients on the 'light' side of the scale in terms of what to expect etc. We are all in this together! VITAL STATS Age: 26 Height: 159cm or 5'1" Weight: About 86.5kg, or 190lbs - I will verify this and put it on my signature when I am weighed pre-op. Female Location: Australia, home for the operation but I live in London, UK. Surgery + Date: Gastric Sleeve 19/09/17 JOURNEY TO NOW I suppose I always had a bit of a problem with my weight. I have certainly gone through periods in my young adult life where I was slim. The trouble for me, I suppose, is that I have an identical twin sister who has always been slimmer than I have (maybe 5-7kgs) and, as such, I have always subconsciously felt like the 'bigger' twin. My twin is tiny - she is now about 20kgs lighter than me and it really gets me down. She lives in Australia still and I am in London, but imagine living with a 20kg lighter version of yourself! Someone who is exactly like you but 25% less weight. It can be hard, although she is really supportive. I am a really emotionally stable and rational person, but I have self-control issues and I emotionally eat. In the last 2.5 years, I have gone through 2 serious break-ups. The first was with my boyfriend of on-again/off-again 9 years...and the second was with a man I loved possibly more. I turned straight to food and alcohol (which I seldom drank prior) to forget the pain I was feeling and to be able to get on with work. Over this 2-2.5 year period, I have gained about 25kgs. I remember being 62kgs at Christmas 2013, and when I was weighed a month or so ago at the surgeon's office I was 86.6kg. To say I was devastated was an understatement. Although I admit I have self-control issues, I certainly have it within me. I guess I would classify as an 'all or nothing' person; I can easily eat and eat and eat, but when I reallllllly get on a roll with a diet, I am the type to be able to starve myself. This has lead in the past (over 10 years) to yo-yo dieting and I have tried it all; starvation, protein shakes, exercising, duromine/metermine pills...really anything. Sometimes it has worked, sometimes it hasn't. My mother has been overweight my whole life and although she doesn't have diabetes, her mother did. I live in a family of eaters and providers, and I see patterns in my own behaviour that mirror my mother. My mother was a very attractive woman in her youth - she is still attractive now actually - but I do not wish to see the same health and aesthetic issues she has repeated in my own life. I find myself not wanting to go out and socialise because I have nothing to wear; my clothes don't fit and I always tell myself I should lose weight before I buy more...I say no to outings, I hide away and eat. I am embarrassed about my weight - I hear myself telling people that I 'put on weight recently' and over-compensate for it by saying how I used to be slimmer....I go shopping and I don't even bother to look at perfectly normal, lovely clothing because I seem to have subconsciously (or otherwise) decided that I could never wear something like x, y, z. All of this might seem extreme given that I seem to be less overweight relative to some people on this forum - but I am sure these are issues we all share to varying degrees. Also, I am so short and small in frame that my weight is probably largely as evident as others. All in all, I suppose I subconsciously 'decided' I was chubby years ago and have become obese as a result. It is such an unhealthy pattern. GOALS First goal: get under 80kg. Second: get under 70kg. I want to take it as it comes. But, longer term: to be 60kg or under. 55kg would be ideal. 60kg would be great, too. NSV: Throw out all the old clothing I have been wearing to cover up - aka my 'fat' clothes. NSV: Buy size 28 jeans for comfort, like I used to. I am currently in a 32 of the same jean. To be honest it's really hard to write my goals as I have not yet even conceptualised this working! It has been so long since I lost weight and felt good that I can't even remember....perhaps I will work on the goal list later! I'm also gonna post some headless pics....I think that will help me... Anyway, this is a start. I have an appointment on Monday to see the Dr and take bloods...then it's straight to it on Tuesday. Wish me luck!