Search the Community

What a wonderful NSV. Congrats to you for finding normalcy. I like that phrase better than losing weight, weight loss, etc. Because that takes it away from the scale and numbers and puts it where it should be. It's about living our lives like everyone else. Good for you!!

That's a GREAT NSV! More to come for you, I'll bet! Congrats!

That's a VERY impressive NSV. Congratualtions.

thank you so much! i've had a few nsv like my shoes are big and slip off my feet and my clothes fit better, I can almost fit into a size 22 i was a 26-28 before and I feel really good and I'm not always tired anymore thats the best one so far!

Wow, what a great bunch of NSVs! I look forward to hearing what your mother says when she notices how much weight you've lost.

@@nikisa welcome to onederland nice to see you!! the above are three wonderful NSV's enjoy them - they are a big part of your new life pre and post op down 68 lbs party dance party dance keep up the great work mentally and physically kathy congrats

I fit into Kohls clothes again (3x)!! Haven't been able to do this in years! I'm so excited!!!! Have to keep reminding myself not to buy too much because I hope to continue losing weight! Only bought two shirts... Although they ALL fit! Yay sleevie!

What a shock to you both! Gotta love those NSV's!

Hi all, I've just returned from a weeks holiday to Sydney (Australia). My family and I drove up last weekend. We all had an amazing time, we walked everywhere and some days we were out from 8 am in the morning till 10 pm doing all the touristy things. We walked and walked and walked and I kept up the whole time, some days it was walking for up to 6 to 7 hours, I walked with ease, I climbed stairs with ease and even when it felt like my feet were ready to drop off I kept going. I even did a thunder jet boat ride ( amazing). If it was a year ago I would have been exhausted within the first five minutes of walking. My 15 year old son came up to me and hugged me towards the end of the week and said, "mum, I am so proud of you, do you realize how much walking you've done and you kept up with us all without even saying you need to sit down". He bought a tear to my eye, I feel so much more energetic and part of society again and don't feel like I stand out like I used to at my heaviest (366 pounds this time last year). My confidence levels are returning, I'm energetic and so much more alert. I walked through spaces holding my breath because I was scared I wouldn't fit but I did and with plenty of room to spare, I sat comfortably in every chair I sat in including booths. food wise it was fine, I was never hungry for Breakfast, lunch times if I still wasn't very hungry my family shared their meals with me, a bite here and there, dinner time I ordered my own meals focusing on Protein rich meals and one night I even had pizza and I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with dinner. We always walked after dinner. I managed to loose nearly 5 pounds in a week with all the extra walking and felt muscles waking up. This lapband has saved me and given me the quality of life I ached so much to have again. I still have a long way to go and for the first time in all my years of trying to loose weight I am confident I will get to my goal weight, even if it takes me another year or so. Food is no longer my focus 24/7, living is now and I have so much I want to do and will do. To those of you thinking about lapband it is an amazing tool when finely tuned and used correctly, sure there are struggles throughout the journey but so worth it. Less than a year into banded life and so many positive changes for me personally. To those of you that are struggling take a deep breath and try to refocus and get the support of your aftercare team, a crucial part of being successful is being open and honest with aftercare and a good team will get you back on track. The only pain is every morning going through my clothes to see what still fits ok without looking overly baggy or falling off. I'm at a stage where my smallest clothes are way to big so I need to get a few things and at this stage in my journey just dropping 10 pounds is making a huge difference from size to size. Life is good again, finally!

Happy Birthday! I want to play tennis! One of my nsv goals is to play with my dad again. I am 50 and I lettered in tennis in high school. The last time I played was in college. My dad who is over 70 still plays 3 times a week.

Update: I came back from Cuba last week and hopped on the scale right away! Lol! I ended up losing 3lbs which I’m lucky because I’m still in the honeymoon phase. There wasn’t much choices when it came to food. Breakfast was great as I had omelettes everyday. Lunch and dinner were another story. I tried to eat the grilled meats whenever I could but most of the times, I ended up with the prepared stews. It was way too salty and fatty. I had hotdog sandwiches and fries more times than I’d like to admit. I’m lucky that I didn’t get sick and just got right back to my plan when I came back. I did splurge with a couple virgin mojitos and brought my Splenda to replace the sugar. Mostly I just asked for ice water and used my crystal light or nestea zero. NSV - it was so nice to wear shorts for the first time...I actually enjoyed the heat this time around instead of dread it. On top of that, I did not need a seatbelt extender AND the airplane tray also went down all the way without hitting my belly. I was never able to rest my drink on the table before and would always use my kid’s tray!!! Life is great 😄

Today was my first post-op appointment with my surgeon. My day kicked off to a great start to find that I had lost four pounds since my weighing yesterday morning. I've been losing anywhere from one to three pounds every day, so that one about knocked me over. That being said, there's a reason I'm losing so much weight. I'm drinking mostly Water and managing an Isopure about every other day. I'm really starting to feel my body beg for something more. Not as in cravings, but as in just pure sustenance. Two weeks is long enough. My follow-up went great. As much as I was beyond ready to have this drain removed, I was still dreading the actual removal. I literally felt nothing. No pain, not even the weird feeling some people talk about. I wouldn't have even known he was pulling a foot and a half of tubing out of my belly had I not seen his hands doing it out of the corner of my eye. I felt so silly for asking my Mom to hold my hand for that. xD He cleared me to move to Phase 2, which is full liquids, and to start my Vitamins. I had decided I wanted to try Premier Protein, as I've heard so many people say they like it. Part of me could not wait to start drinking something else, as I could barely stomach the Isopure for another day, but I was also afraid that I wouldn't like it and would have trouble finding one I did. Now, please understand me, I know how to make myself just drink something anyway when I don't like it, but my new sleeve has done a number on me. If it makes me feel icky one time, then it's like my body starts rejecting it before I even try to drink it again. The nausea starts at the mere thought of drinking it. My sleeve really is picky. I think I'm going to have to find a prissy name for it, like Lola, or something. Only the best for her, apparently. Anyway, I digress. I just finally opened up the chocolate Premier and... *angels singing* I love it. It's the first flavored thing I've tasted since surgery that I didn't have to just tolerate. I'm actually enjoying it. It tastes almost identical to Ensure, which I've always liked, oddly enough. I'm so grateful in this moment. I can totally do two weeks of this. I drove for the first time today since my surgery, and even though I've lost 32 pounds, I am just not feeling it in my clothes yet. I wasn't really expecting to feel any different behind the wheel, but lo and behold, I could totally see and feel the difference. My stomach still touches the bottom of the wheel, but just barely. It's not pressed against it and with the wheel rubbing against it while I drive. I guess that's my first NSV!

So, cleaning out some older things getting ready for my son & his family to move in with us from out of state and I came across a sweatshirt from when I played MERP Football (girls team) in high school. Just for shits & giggles I threw it on. Imagine my surprise when the damned thing fit me!!!! It's from junior year ... 25 years ago!! Yup, I'm smiling today.

I want to take a second and explain why I listed this in Success Stories, as opposed to other forums that depending on the individual it might seem more relevant. I put it here because it is not just relevant to veterans, or it is just about food, or coping, or 'finding myself'. It is an NSV; in addition to everything else I consider it a vital part of who I am now and wanted to share with my support community. I have come to adopt a way of life now, or honestly I feel more often anymore that it has adopted me, it is something I have come to call my "True North". It is a paradigm shift, it is incredibly simple but seems so deceptively complex, but it is not complex at all. It is the small steps that along the way have helped me cope and become who I needed to be in order to succeed post VSG. Everything I do I ask myself, gently, is this making me happy? Is this helping me heal? Sometimes it is physical as I experienced complications, or mental as I deal with losing my Mom (she died a week after my surgery). Maybe it is the dreaded combination of the two - the head hunger and thirst and heartburn for some noteworthy examples – just constant questions of “does this put me where I need to be”. I just return to the Goal of Me, by asking am I healing by doing this? Is this lining up with my needs and goals and abilities? If I were a compass, by doing this, am I pointing to my True North? At first I shouted it at myself and it was so harmful, looking back, I had this strong person, yet really frail and tired and I almost pushed too much. I was able to catch myself, with the extraordinary love of my Husband - I will never understand how he even stood me sometimes. I don’t question it too much however, and that is a part of the process. I just try to reciprocate and shine back to him what he offered to me. That comes back to the True North. I love to love my Husband. It is the ‘N’ on my compass, so I reciprocate all I can. Food is that way now also. I love the foods that love me back. In the process I try to stay away from any treats or the thought process that would associate a poor choice of food from being a "treat". Each bite for me I try to make it an active choice, an aware process and I tell myself "I am not what I was, I am not what I will be tomorrow, and this gets me there, while celebrating this moment." Food is for me to guide now, not the other way around. I FEEL alive when I eat bright, colorful, foods full of life. I am the energy 10x returned for the energy expended to learn about, choose, and prepare and even grow my meals. Exercise is much the same, and of course there is the less fun moments like work, traffic and bills, bunny poop and mosquitoes and Mondays. I just make an effort to live each moment, and in that instance also gently keep my needle pointing ‘N’. Be awesome to yourself and keep pointing ‘N’! Namaste.

Ok, fairly new here... and trying to figure out what is NSV? Googled it and came up with No-Scalpel Vasectomy, National Socialist Vanguard, Net Sales Value,... so which is it????

you look great! I went a little crazy and bough a bikini, a monokini, and a full swimsuit this year. I always wear my bikini with a swimsuit cover because of my pouchy, stretch marked, scarred stomach but I feel great and look great too! Great NSV!!!!

I understand why you would wonder that - it's an excellent question. The way being sleeved helps me is that I now have a short list of very simple rules that I have to follow if I want to get to my goal weight and stay healthy. They go into effect when one is released from the post op liquids/pureed/soft foods restrictions. They are: Consume 60-80 gm Protein per day and 60-80 oz of Clear liquids per day. Every day. Do not drink anything for at least 30 minutes before a meal or snack. If you forget and do drink, re-set the timer and wait another 30 minutes before you eat. Eat dense protein first at every meal. Eat a very few bites of non-starchy veggie in addition if you have room. Decide how many meals and/or protein Snacks you're going to have per day, and stick to it. Do not eat between meals. Wait at least 30 minutes after every meal or snack before drinking anything. If your mouth gets really dry you could rinse after eating or brush your teeth. I avoid alcohol because I'm concerned it would decrease my ability to resist bad food choices. Follow those rules at least 90% of the time, and you will succeed. For the other 10%, do not beat yourself up - just get back on the wagon immediately and Sleeve On! I was very fortunate in that I was not hungry at all for 2-3 months post op. I ate because I knew I should. When my hunger returned it wasn't as intense as before, and by then I had established my new eating habits which helped a LOT. Now I eat every 4 hours (8a, 12n, 4p and 8p), and I keep my carb intake as low as humanly possible. Both factors contribute to my never being hungry for very long at a time. What keeps me on track when I could never stick to a diet before: The feeling of satisfaction / fullness after each meal, plus the decreased hunger, is the main thing that makes it possible for me to stick to the plan. I do get head hunger sometimes, and when I can't ignore it I have a big glass of Water, a SF popsicle or some SF Crystal Light. I've lost a significant amount of weight doing this, so I KNOW it works. I will be da**ed if I'm going to throw away the $12,500 I paid out of my pocket to have this done, not to mention all the work I've done (and the goodies I've resisted eating) to get to this point. Sometimes I just repeat to myself, as many times as necessary "I'm not going to eat that. Not gonna do it. There will be goodies available when I'm at my goal." The support available on this site and on the Facebook group I belong to is PHENOMINAL. It helps SO much, especially at those times when family/friends would probably beat me to death if I mention one more thing about the trials and tribulations -- or the NSVs -- related to being sleeved. The above have kept me going even through a 6-week stall, and I am deTERmined to get to my goal. Hope that helps. Best wishes.

Oh Wow Michelle! What a fantastic NSV! I'd be happier for you if I wasn't sick with jealously!!!! Well Done!!!

so, a huge NSV for me this weekend, I went shopping at the mall for the first time since surgery for new clothes. (bypass surgery 7/4/14 and down 101 pounds so far!!) (I've been to places like Savers and goodwill buying things here and there, but this was my first mall outing). I went into stores I've never stepped foot in... and I BOUGHT there too! WOOHOOO! I went to H&M, Aeropostale, Forever 21,just to name a few. So, since this is a whole new shopping world for me, where are some stores that you like to go in now that you're on the losers bench? My old go-to store was Dressbarn for Women, and I'm so happy to have a new variety of stores to shop at. Please share your new favorites- whether in store on online- I'm in the shopping mood!

Okay, I will start by saying I'm a 48 year old, educated and for the most part, demure woman....but I think one of my favorite NSV's will be .... when a man bumps into me because he is trying to cop a feel, not just because my ass is in his airspace.... ....sigh....I am but weak flesh.... :faint: ...cat

:clap2: WooHoo!! Congrats on your NSVs!!:clap2:

Thanks everyone. It was interesting and fun to read everybody's "aha moment' story. It's funny, but a couple days ago I looked in the mirror and thought "is my face slimmer". Didn't know if it was just hopeful thinking. The next day my sister said my face looked thinner!!YES!! That'll tide me over till the next nsv.

I had my lap band surgery Oct 31st, 12 days ago, and am SO happy that I made the decision to have it done. However, I feel that this is probably the hardest time to go through. I wonder how long it will be until I notice something, any little thing, like a nsv. Cause I went through the surgery, am doing the liquid, puree, and soon mushies phase, but there's no reward yet, understandably. I'd love to wake up feeling a little lighter, like maybe after being sick for a few days and the tummy feels not so full. Or having my pants feel just a teeny bit looser. I've probably lost about 8-9 lbs, and am happy if that's so. (so far, I don't plan on weighing myself, will let the doctor do that) I'm just wondering; does it take long to have that first YES! moment? I know once I get there, I'll be patient with the rest of my weight loss, because I know I'll feel better as the scale is going down. So what I want to know is, did it take long to get that feeling???

I agree! The band is your NSV!

I'm 6 weeks post op and I have lost about 34 lbs. I'm still in my same size clothes. I think I may be down one size but I haven't checked. The way I see it is that, as we get smaller, we should see the sizes come down quicker. I was just telling my best friend how I have lost a little over 30lbs...she is so amazed by this. However, she' seeing this amount in reference to her weight. She is under 200lbs so if she lost over 30lbs it would be a major change in her size. But, for someone like me, who was 264lbs at the time of my surgery, 34lbs is great and quite an accomplishment...but, it is not drastic enough to drop a significant amount in clothes size. It's all relative to how much weight we have to lose. I have no doubt that the weight and inches are coming off. I know I have to be patient before I see a shift in my actual clothing size. I was a size 20 for awhile. I was also able to fit into a size 20 even if I went up a few pounds. Hang in there! The NSV will come for us all!