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Dear Don: That's fantastic!:thumbup: Those NSV's (off your meds) are great. I tend to think only of the scale victories, but the NSV's are real too. I'm going for my physical in August and can't wait to see what my internist says. Keep it up

You are doing excellent. You are supposed to be loosing 1-2 lbs per week... that is what we signed up for, slow and steady so that it can be maintained and not gained back. And as far as the inches... some people wish they could hit a NSV (Non-Scale Victory) like that. Look at it all girl... you are doing wonderfully.

How great is that!?! Congratulations on your NSV!

I recently read another thread similar to this one - minus the feud - and I feel the same way about this one as I do the other one. There are statistics and numbers out there for every form of WLS on the market. We really have no idea how they actually reach those results and what the inclusive or exclusive parameters are. I think we each have to make our own decision about what surgery is right for us. My doctor let me choose. I chose the band and have not regretted my decision. I work hard at eating right but do allow myself a great treat once a week. I think that, ultimately, this is about the way it works with each type of surgery. I am happy for all of us who have found our own path and for some of us who have had to find a new path because our original path was not the solution. We are all here with the same common goal...to lose weight and keep it off. I think it would be awesome if we could put our differences aside and focus on that one goal. I, for one, am celebrating many NSVs right now since I have lost close to 65 pounds (does not matter what type of surgery I had)! I have more to go but I am diligently working towards my goal. I am excited for those who have lost weight on other surgeries as well! Look how far we have all come!

OMW, Lori! I can't wait to see the picture of you in that T-shirt. My hubby has been talking about a tent camping trip - it's been a long time, and (like you) I don't think I can sleep on the ground! But I'm getting ready to give this a try - prerequisite is the cot! We are headed to Bennett Spring and our camping trailer this weekend. It is HOT here - and very humid - so hiking may not be on the agenda at this time. With the hot humid summers in MO, we are totally different campers now - we (meaning me) like that air conditioning and that indoor potty! I am excited for you and anxious to hear about the adventure. I know how the knee is - but you have probably strengthened the surrounding muscle structure with your workouts to the point where it may not be an issue for you. It may not feel great the next day, though, as the joint may react more after a few hours. Take along the pain medication of choice so you can get some good rest after your climb. Congrats on the great NSVs you had at the support group meeting. It tells me that maybe you should just not worry about that last 10 - with your LB tool in place, your healthy food habits, and your exercise, that 10 pounds is going to go it's going to go away all by itself without you worrying about it. After all, you are normal!! And the name? I was just kidding... Nobody else can be Long2BThin!

Hi, I have a comment as well, I am only 1 year and 1 month out. To date I have not lost very much weight I seriously thought I was doing something wrong. My eating was better than ever and I had been exercising but I was drinking so called "lo cal" drinks ie DIET anything. Once I cut that out of my diet, for whatever reason I am now losing weight and have found a balance with the band. Don't be afraid to try again, no one here will point and laugh we all have our own horror stories. Just take it one meal at a time, make better choices and get in some exercise. And remember those NSV are a huge part of weight loss. I still "weigh" heavy but I love the way I look, so go figure... Best of luck!

Good Morning Gang - I guess I never got around to posting yesterday - busy at work (will be again today) and last night DGD spent the night and we played Wii Fit - In some areas I am better than a 14 yr old !!!! And if she couldn't do it she cheated or gave up... Well I guess she's not competetive like her old grandma... Linda - Yea for giving the cake to DH - Isn't it such a great feeling when you control the food and it doesn't control you !!! Well I think you would be a hoot to hang with - but I just don't know if I could keep up with you :0) -- I would have to have some naps :0) Charlene - It's getting warm here too - but for us anything under 105 is cool :0) Aren't you luck - here I have to wear heals with my long pants unless I buy petitees - DARLING IT'S NOT BRAGGING IT'S SHARING YOUR SUCCESSES AND NSV... WE EARNED THE RIGHT TO - SO NEVER EVER APOLIGIZE 1!! Yep new pple see as as normal - they don't know what we use to look like - I had a sampler lady tell me I could afford to eat whatever it was that she had samples for. She saw a thin person - not the person who we use to be.. You were an inspriation to those ladies :0) MY VOTE - GREAT2BTHIN - Yep you are a pro - but the game makes us all even - I'm Janet Wright on FB - so send me freind request :0) Meredith - you day sounded enjoyable and rewarding !!! Well gang I have to get my butt in gear - will try and cbl

I used to be 5'6" but after I gained weight I was 5'5.5" due to the fact that the padding on my backside made me lean back a bit, thus appearing shorter. I am back at 5'6" when I got measured today! Woohoo! :smile2:

Good goin' on the cake, Linda. The band sure makes it easier to pass all that stuff up. It's not going to make food choices for us but just having it is a reminder of our new and healthy way of living. I hope and pray that it is with me (and works as well as it does) until I leave this world. Also, great NSV with the co-workers. Isn't it fun when people really start to notice???? VERY warm this week in MN also. Crops look good though with the rain we had over the weekend. Mornin' to the rest of the gang. Hope everyone is having a great day. Running around getting caught up so I can leave again in the morning. Have a bunch of GF's :wub:joining me for a few days. Floating rafts, foo foo drinks, movies, board and card games, etc. :smile2: Big celebration over the weekend in the little town close to our resort. Should be a fun filled weekend. Wish I could snap my fingers and all of you could join me. I am fun....honestly....I would make sure you all had plenty to do, drink and eat. Ohhhhh, maybe next weekend?

Apples, Congratulations on your 1 year band anniversary - I missed it last week, so just wanted to say congratulations and thanks for sharing with us newer bandsters and inspiring us. So sorry to hear of your friend's passing Apples and Janet, I will say a prayer for her family. Meredith, I loved your story about your dad -- what a great dad you have -- and now you only have 3 days left till your band day!! You're going to do so great. Julie, hope you can relax now and get some rest. My dept. was celebrating its 10 year anniversary at work - and we had a little party -- cake and punch. Since I work at night and weekends, I rarely see anyone except my immediate co-workers. Several people from different departments told me how great I look and one girl even told me I look younger! I was worried before that I'd look older after I lost weight, but so far so good. I talked to two different people who didn't even recognize me at first -- then all of a sudden they said, "oh, Linda, it's YOU!" That was fun too and the best NSV I've had to date. I brought home the piece of cake they had put on my desk and gave it to my sweets loving DH. Better in he than in me! Have a great day tomorrow everyone. It's supposed to be 105 here in central Iowa -- along with 98% humidity! Linda

I'm back from my long weekend with DS2. We had a great time with my family. We left early on Friday and arrived in Columbus for an early lunch (white-knuckled trip with pouring rain until we were almost there). I was supposed to be on mushies the whole day and then start solids Saturday (post-fill), so I chose some cottage cheese for lunch. I brought flowers from my garden and between those and Mom's we made about 8 arrangements and took them over to my Middle Sister's to start prep for the party. We worked until dinnertime and I was able to get down a little thin crust pizza and mixed fruit salad back at Mom's. Saturday found Mom and I (and two of her Herb Society friends) on a two hour trip down to a lavender farm for a festival (sorry, I forgot my camera but found these pics of the farm online-no, I don't know that cute little boy). It smelled like heaven as we pulled into the lavender field to park. She'd signed us up for two classes so we went off to the 'Mediterranean Cooking with Herbs' class. As I've said before, I'm not the chef in our family, but I was excited for this class. I have a nice herb garden (most cooks would kill for…my neighbors do come to take snippings occasionally at my urgings) and I'd like to learn to use more of them. I always dry some herbs each year (mainly for show in my kitchen and basement rack), but the only things I really use fresh are the basil to mainly make pesto or my mozzarella/tomato Italian flag salad, the tarragon for a chicken bake dish DH makes, and occasionally some chives, dill, or oregano for an occasional recipe. The teacher is the regional cooking expert for Macy's department stores (I think she works a lot with brides, etc.) and she was very knowledgeable. I'm inspired to try to incorporate the fresh herbs more now while they're in season. We had a meal of bread, salad, chicken, pancetta, and cookies all incorporating the herbs at the end of the demo. I almost had a stuck moment as I was carefully eating the herb salad (I thought I chewed very carefully). I was trapped at an inside table with people all around or I would have gotten up as I could feel the sliming about to start. I was panicking and I'm sure the folks across from me saw my eyes watering…but then it passed in a few minutes. I quickly gave Mom the rest of my salad saying I'd taken too much…whew…that was a close one! The Lavender Festival was wonderful, but small (about 20 vendors and the classes), so then we found ourselves with about 3 hours to kill before our next class. It was almost 90 degrees out so after the 'cut your own lavender' trip to the field and shopping the vendors (I bought; 5 plants, a pair of beaded earrings for DD's birthday in August, and 20 wooden garden markers for DS2's vegetable garden that he can decorate) we looked for a shady spot and bought some lavender ice cream from the Mennonites who had an ice cream and baked goods booth (they had a small John Deere engine attached to the ice cream maker…cool to watch). I asked for only one scoop…OMG that ice cream was wonderful…fresh cream from the cow…a scoopful of heaven! Our last class was making a framed picture from pressed flowers and Mom is going to be doing this at one of their Festival's at the herb garden she volunteers with weekly, so she was very excited. We were done in record time (the heat made us work fast) and we were back in the car for our trip home. Then off to Middle-Sister's for my nephew's HS graduation party (he's in a college program now to become a police officer). It went perfectly; no rain and lots of fun. We collapsed after pitching or bagging up the extra food around midnight. Sunday we stayed until late morning so I could spend some more time with Dad for Father's Day. I gave him a nice box of smoked salmon, which he loved. Unusual gift, I know. DH and I (and the kids) twice visited DH's sister and her family when they lived in Alaska for 2 years. We took my only brother on the second trip. He loved it so much that he and DH arranged a fishing trip there (in a motor home for a week traveling the area) a few years later and they took my Dad. He loved getting the salmon they caught smoked and so the salmon I bought him was labeled as being from one of the rivers in Alaska that they fished…he noticed right away. We got in the car for our 3 ½ hour ride home and DS2 said 'It was a great weekend!' and high-fived me as he said 'It was a nice trip with just you and I!' I forget that the baby of the family, even at 13 yrs. old can still need some quality one on one time. We played Mad Libs most of the way home and stopped at McDonalds for lunch (I ate ½ a grilled chicken club sandwich…went down fine). Had a nice evening of playing Frisbee in the backyard and grilling out for Father's Day back home with the family (Happy belated Father's Day all you Dad's). Tomorrow is the Jimmy Buffet concert with 2 neighbor couples (can't wait) and Thursday morning we leave for PennState with DS1 for our orientation (staying at the old colonial Nittany Lion Inn on campus overnight-run by the PennState hospitality program, so it should be fun). DH took off the rest of the week for all this, but I'll try to post some updates when we have some down time. I'm off to the Drs. (routine) with the boys and then on to DS2's guitar lesson (he AMAZES me with his talent...no idea where it comes from, but it's great for each kid to find something they're good at). Today is my two-month bandiversary and I'm down 19 pounds since surgery (most of that, just post-op though). I'm just hoping to keep losing or at least not gain during this 6 week wait for the next fill. Sorry I went on and on as usual, just catching up. Have a great week all!!! I'll post some pics I just took of my garden later.

What a great opportunity to see what experiences others are having. I haven't posted for a couple of weeks - I've been really busy but the major reason is that I've really been down about my progress. Now I can share my frustration, and maybe even someone else will feel supported by my experience. 1. WEIGHT-I've lost sixteen pounds since my surgery on April 23. Several weeks I've lost no weight, and I have found my weight fluctuates a lot. I'm trying to wean from weighing every single day. 2. FILLS- Realize Band. Have had one fill of 5cc. 3. RESTRICTION-I have very little, if any restriction. Had a bit for about a week after that fill, but now I have none. Sadly for me, my schedule is such that I can't get in for another one until mid-July. 4. RULES-I try hard to obey the rules, though sometimes I long for bread. I had a hamburger bun once, when I was stuck somewhere for a long time and my choices were hamburger or hot dog. No problem whatsoever with the bun, which was a bit depressing. I have no trouble with the "no Water before or after meals". I know I need to increase my water intake. I have always eaten shortly before bedtime, and didn't realize there was a rule about that until I was reading the posts on this thread. Of course I knew it wasn't good, but I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep, and somewhere along the line became convinced that carbs before bedtime helped. LOL 5. ANYTHING ELSE- Sometimes I don't feel like anything is different, as far as my body is concerned, since the surgery. EXCEPT, I now have lactose intolerance, which I didn't have before. I am hungry all the time, and feel very weak. I have a new job and am working 10 hours a day and travelling an hour each way, so that doesn't leave a lot of time for other activities. I'm single and live in an old farmhouse, so I have a lot to do around the home, which keeps me moving a bit. All of this will get better, as my wonderful employer is setting me up to telecommute. I notice big improvement when I am more active. I have a great elliptical machine, so maybe I'll get more than 5 minutes on it soon. I've had no NSVs, and though I know I've lost weight, it would be nice to think that someone has noticed. On the bright side, I know that I will eventually get to that sweet spot, like so many others here, and am trying to pat myself on the back that I haven't been gaining during the time where the band hasn't been able to help.

Agnes: Congrats on making this decision for yourself. I can say this has been the best thing I have done for myself. I do not regret it. Just realize, this is a tool that you must work with. It is a lifestyle not a deit. It is normal to get scared and to worry about this working or not. Just be prepared that you may have times of little or no weight lost as we all hit a pleateau. In fact, I just started moving down again after about a 6 month pleateau. The key is working with your doctors and getting fills (adjustments) every 6-8 weeks til you get restriction. It takes 3-4 fills for most people to get restriction. So be prepare for this to happen. Start now practicing portion control and not drinking with meals. You cannot drink anything with you meals. No drinking anything 30 -60 minutes prior to a meal. No drinking anything 30-60 minutes after a meal. liquids wash the food thur the band. Also remember to Celebrate NSV (non scale victories) such as dropping a clothes size. I had many of these nsv during my plateau. It helped keep me motivated. Remember to drink or sip you liquids slowly. I drink mainly Water or diet green tea. It is best to find some zero calorie drinks and save you calories for you food. Tho' I have my cup of coffee each morning. You will need to trial and error to see what you can and cannot eat. I have a list of no-no foods my doctor gave me, which I have avoided. Some of the foods on my list, others can eat without a problem. Just like we all are different people, we all react differently to the band. Our bodies tolerate different foods. So don't be surprised you cannot eat the same things as others do. I think you have done a good job educating your self about the band and I believe it is key to being successful. The chatroom here is a great source for support. There are groups on here and yahoo that may help you too. The forum provides good data as well. Just know this is your journey and it will be as unique and special as you are. Listen to your doctor and follow his guidelines & instructions. Find you a fill doctor here in the states and make sure to work with them to get your fills in a timely matter. Good luck and much success on your journey. July will be here before you know it. You can and will make it. Positive thinking, a great atitude, and working with your band equals great success. I hoipe this post helps you!

I guess this is what you might call a little NSV that happened this week...Like so many women, I have at least 3 different wardrobes--fat, fatter and fattest(not too mention the few dreaded-"omg even the fattest are tight" tent pieces:cursing:). My DH has always complained that I have too many clothes even though I always felt like I had nothing to wear ...you know the story. Well, a couple of girls at work this week have been commenting on my "new" outfits. Funny thing is I have had these things for a long time but haven't fit into them for at least 2 years!!! Granted these are still "plus sizes" but it's still a great feeling. I can't wait to say goodbye to the plus sizes and have so many more options for clothes shopping! Definitely gonna need some new stuff this fall/winter I predict! (OMG I hope so!)

Hello everyone! I'm back from my trip and happy to see all of you are doing well. Long, congratulations on another great accomplishment -- I think you already deserve the gold medal, but if Janet is making you do another 10 pounds for the gold, I know you will do it. Such a great inspiration! Julie, hope you have other people helping out making pies and ice cream as it sounds like a lot for just you to do! I'm sure it will be a great time. Sounds like fun. Wish I could be there too. Meredith, just another week! That will go by fast! You're doing great, and I know you'll do great after your surgery too. I loved that you "cheated" with olives. LOL. I too love olives and pickles and crave them sometimes, so I completely understand. I was like you when I did my 2 week liquid diet -- I felt great and was so sick of food by that time that I too was happy to get started with my new life. Pam, so happy that you are feeling better. I also love that your boys said "wow" at last. I think it's true that when we're with people everyday, it is harder to notice the changes. I'm sure you'll get lots and lots of compliments at your reunion. Have a great time. Laura, what a nice experience you had with that woman. It's nice to talk in person to another bandster, isn't it? I have one friend that I met on LBT that had the same surgeon as me and we try to get together after the support group meetings to talk and we e-mail several times a week. I guess we're "lap band sisters." Janet, all I can say is "Wowzeeee!" You look fantastic and soooo skinny -- I'd never ever guess you were ever a fat chick. Love that color of your blouse on you -- so pretty with your skin and hair. Laura, so sorry you are still bothered with TOM. Oh my goodness, that's the ONE advantage of getting old. I don't miss that at all. Charlene, so sorry about your hubby's surgery being postponed, but have faith that it will happen before summer is over. Glad they are so careful so your DH is not in danger. Love your Dr. Garth -- saw some new shows recently - he and his dad are great with their patients. Well, I went to the Lake of Ozarks and behaved pretty well, had a delish margarita one night and a couple of other frozen drinks (someone brought one of those tubs you mix with vodka) and they tasted really great (considering I've had no alcohol since probably Nov. or Dec. LOL. I only had two meals that were not strictly on my plan. One was a chopped salad at an Italian restaurant that has a famous parmesean salad dressing and we went there ESPECIALLY for that salad. But I ordered a small and didn't touch the roll or butter, so that was a victory for me. That same night we met some other friends at a pizza place and the only thing I could order was some pasta with a pink sauce with shrimp, so I ate the shrimp and had a few bites of the pasta and then I offered it to another girl who ate some and so I wouldn't eat the rest I opened the salt shaker and dumped enough in it that would make me not want it. But I was bad and didn't get any exercise in (four days). But the good new is, is that my shoulder which has been bothering me for almost 2 months didn't hurt today when I went back to the gym, so I think that 4 days rest was what it needed to finish healing. So, that's a good thing. I won't weigh until my regular day on Tues., so I hope I did okay. But I had several NSV which I want to share. One of my friends I've always thought of as "thin" gave me an outfit to try on. She said, "it's a little snug on me, but I think it will fit you, so try it on. If you like it you can have it." I said, "oh, I don't think that will fit ME." But OMG, it DID! I couldn't believe it. However, like everyone else, when I look in the mirror, I still see the old me, not the new me when I look in the mirror. Well, after that, there was no stopping me. One of the girls had set up a fashion show at the Dress Barn at the outlet mall and I was shocked at what cute clothes Dress Barn has! Well, to say the least, I spent the most money (by a large margin). I was so busy trying on clothes that I could probably have counted it as exercise (only kidding). But too many cute things and I made it into a size 16 without elastic!! Oh what a thrill! It's been over 10 years since I've had on any pants without elastic. So I'm happy happy now. LOL. And, I was able to wear Large tops and even some mediums. That's a big difference from 3X and 4X I was wearing in January. Just had to share all this good news with my friends here on LBT. Thanks to you all for your support every day. I love you all. Linda

Hmmmm. Where to begin! My wedding rings are virtually falling off after once strangling my finger. I can sit in a chair and see the chair on both sides rather than my big ole butt hanging over the sides! I can see my collar bone again! My cheeks look awesome! I had to buy all new shoes because mine were all too big. HAD to buy new clothes even though I am not at goal because my skirt FELL OFF at church last week! I now weigh 30 lbs less than my hubby rather than 30 lbs more! I am shopping in the skinny girl side of the store again! I have gone from a 2X to a medium in most everything, My bra size is down to a 36D rather than a 42DD. I have a waistline! I can wear belts and colors again! I, too, can sit in a booth rather than squish into one. I have tons more energy! I can hop and run and climb and not die! I get killer compliments from just about everyone who sees me, young and old! Men hold the door open for me again rather than dropping it in my face. I wear a B in panty hose again instead of a Q. Oh my gosh, my brain is tired! There is so much more! I love NSVs, mine and everyone else's! It is sooooo neat to read them all! I get so excited!!!

OMG -- that is hysterical!!! Well, I guess it's time for some new pants! That really is the funniest NSV I've heard! :crying:

OK long, I will do a 5 day pouch test with you. When do you want to start? Ugh, the thought of 5 days of chicken broth....but I can do it if we talk and encourage each other every day. Lets get to the 170's. I had a NSV moment today. BF invited me over to where he was staying...at his brothers who has a pool. I haven't even looked at swimsuits at all this year. Didnt even think of it So I rushed home and pulled out the 3 that I had, size 20, 18 and 16. I knew I wore the 16 last year so I tried it on and it was soooo saggy! Had to wear it anyway but i did get complements from BF who hasnt seen me in a swimsuit for a year lol..and from his brother! So guess what... i am gonna go shopping for a new swimsuit this weekend! Glad to hear about everyones successes. Teach you are lookin awesome, girl! Oh, and who wants to meet in Missouri? I live in Jeff City, thats right in the middle of the state. I just have a small apartment but if anyone wants to travel anywhere in MO and meet up, I will be there too I would love to meet you all!

I can't possibly name just one.....there are so many! These are my most recent NSVs: Getting rid of all clothes with a "W" or "X" behind the size. Sitting comfortably in a booth that I had to squeeze behind last fall. Watching my face lose the bloat and become familiar again. Racing up my front stairs without even getting winded. Throwing out my size 12 granny panties that had gotten baggy. I'm only half-way through my journey, but I feel amazing and genuinely proud of myself. I wonder what exciting NSVs losing the next 50 pounds will bring........:wink2: By the way, Catherine, I read your blog regularly and really enjoy your insight. I'm in awe of your boot camp endurance!

(NSV = Non-Scale Victory)

I have a few good ones, but I think the best one was being able to go shopping -- in normal sizes -- and feeling great about how I looked. It was the first time in many years that I was able to go shopping without being totally disgusted with myself about how I looked and how much weight I had let myself put on. I had another one this morning. . . my size 16 banana Republic pants (the ones that I just dreamed of getting into when I first got banded) are getting too big!! WOO-HOO! :wink2: Catherine

Hey everyone! Your Ive been reading your NSV's and am so happy for everyone. Ive thought about posting my NSV's but until now I really didnt feel that they were important. I dont really like to toot my own horn, but sometimes we all deserve to pat ourselves on the back. Anywho! My latest and greatest NSV's are: My bestie and fellow bandster said that I now have "skinny girl" weight problems. My left over stomach just looks like a pudgy belly not a hugely fat monster gut. SCORE! People at my LB surgeon's office have asked me disbelievingly if I had surgery. My Dr refers to me as his "LapBand Allstar" and wants me to attend their LapBand support groups as an example of what hard work and the LB can do. He says that my weightloss is comparable to that of RNY patients. People refer to me as "the tall girl". Ive been asked how tall I am more now more than ever. I guess being skinnier makes me look all of my 73 inches. Best of all! I feel attractive! Whats funny is that I know that I am more attractive to men, but I never felt it inwardly (where it matters). BUT I DO NOW! Wow! Everyone you are doing great, keep the NSV's coming!

My fill is still holding, though it's loosened up a bit. I'm struggling with trying to eat more healthy, as my weight has stayed the same the past two weeks. I've also been slacking on going to the gym as I had last week off work and spent three of the days hanging out with my boyfriend and the rest of the week visiting my parents. I'm hoping if I'm diligent at the gym and eat healthy, I should lose more. I am pretty much where i want to be restriction-wise. I'm also just past the 6 month mark, so I want to kick it up so I continue to lose at least 10 pounds per month if possible. NSV: I've been getting alot of random people asking me how I've lost weight and telling me how good I look. My mom and I went to breakfast in Orlando and this waitress who I didn't really recognize went on and on about how great I look. I told her about the band. I'm feeling more open about it now. I think I mentioned that I told my boyfriend and he's fine with it. The only issue is that my fill was so super tight before I could barely eat anything so now he's used to me eating practically nothing and I feel bad if I'm hungry around him. I'm not sure why. I have no clothes that look good on me and I'm in a weird place with sizes. Sometimes I wear a size 18 regular in pants. 16W's fit the other day, but the tops are weird. I either wear a 1x or 18 or sometimes a 2x if it's cut small. I got to hear that one of my boyfriend's friends made a negative comment about my weight, which made me feel like crap. My self-esteem is very day by day. Some days I feel great, other days I feel like a blob still. It doesn't help that my boyfriend is super scrawny. He's tall, but really skinny and I'm by far the biggest girl he's ever dated. As far as the band, it's great. I just need to keep my head on straight.

My fill is still holding, though it's loosened up a bit. I'm struggling with trying to eat more healthy, as my weight has stayed the same the past two weeks. I've also been slacking on going to the gym as I had last week off work and spent three of the days hanging out with my boyfriend and the rest of the week visiting my parents. I'm hoping if I'm diligent at the gym and eat healthy, I should lose more. I am pretty much where i want to be restriction-wise. I'm also just past the 6 month mark, so I want to kick it up so I continue to lose at least 10 pounds per month if possible. NSV: I've been getting alot of random people asking me how I've lost weight and telling me how good I look. My mom and I went to breakfast in Orlando and this waitress who I didn't really recognize went on and on about how great I look. I told her about the band. I'm feeling more open about it now. I think I mentioned that I told my boyfriend and he's fine with it. The only issue is that my fill was so super tight before I could barely eat anything so now he's used to me eating practically nothing and I feel bad if I'm hungry around him. I'm not sure why. I have no clothes that look good on me and I'm in a weird place with sizes. Sometimes I wear a size 18 regular in pants. 16W's fit the other day, but the tops are weird. I either wear a 1x or 18 or sometimes a 2x if it's cut small. I got to hear that one of my boyfriend's friends made a negative comment about my weight, which made me feel like crap. My self-esteem is very day by day. Some days I feel great, other days I feel like a blob still. It doesn't help that my boyfriend is super scrawny. He's tall, but really skinny and I'm by far the biggest girl he's ever dated. As far as the band, it's great. I just need to keep my head on straight.

HI All, Another NSV or two- down 2 more sizes in clothing. Slacks i bought 2 weeks ago (fit well), are too loose now. ( Am running out of clothes that fit!:wink:) Not quite out of plus size clothes. Also did 2 + hours in the garden - before I could barely do 30 minutes w/o having trouble breathing.