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About 2.5 years ago, I had to go to Hawaii for my sister's wedding. It was nearing October and any swimsuit that was left in the stores had already been through 4 or 5 clearance sales and was not looking pretty by this point. The fall clothes were definitely taking over. To top it off, I was 25 weeks pregnant with twins! So, I logged on to motherhood.com and bought whatever suits they still had left in their clearance section, which meant one 2X suit and one 3X suit. I wasn't sure which one would fit around my belly and my cellulite, so I went with both just to be safe. Today, I bought 2 bathing suits. They were size TEN! I kid you not . . . I bought SIZE TEN bathing suits. What a miracle. I'm still in shock. I still have a ways to go, but I'm very happy about my new bathing suits. I just had to share!

I hope you had a great day china. I know I did today. I took my mom shopping to an outlet mall. I found some lee jeans for $5.87. I bought 4 pairs. I bought 1 a size down and 3 2 sizes down. The great news. 2 pair fit now. I started this weight a very tight 22W. I actually put on some 16W and, they fit...now that was a very nice NSV for me. I can't even remember when I wore a 16. I am having a great time on vacation. I have been able to do the parks everyday without dying. Have a great day everyone. Oh yeah. Our 4 month aniversary today. Laurel:tt2:

You made me cry with your story! The last time I flew, I had to ask for a seat belt extender. Your post has reminded me to stop and enjoy the little NSVs that come along. They are truly a joy...and they are great victories!!! You are very inspiring, and I wish you so much more success! Thanks!

I am in the very same place as you, WDW -- anxious to get rolling! The clinic coordintor at my surgeon's office also told me that best case scenario for me would be late summer, early fall. All I do is just keep plugging away at all of the prerequistes. I am a non smoker now (surgeon requires that his patients have not smoked for 3 months prior to surgery.) I smoked for about 15 years (excluding the 9 months I was pregnant with my youngest child who is now 13). I have tried to quit many times, this time I feel like it will be permanent! So, that is one non scale victory I am savoring while I move toward getting banded. I also have given up caffiene. One of my doctor's requirements, which was almost as hard as giving up the cigarettes. But, I have found that the insomnia that has plagued me since I was a teenager has greatly diminished. I don't toss and turn for an hour or more when I go to bed at night! Another NSV to savor! I've also gotten a jump on eating healthy, which has resulted in some weight loss. In short, what I am trying to do is focus on each step of the journey ....from the sounds of many of the posts I have read on this site....this is a life long journey and you have to pace yourself. Best of luck to you!

I'm in love with exercise...specifically, walking!:wub: I've been active before - worked summers during high school and college as a lifeguard, which meant being able to swim 500 yds, 4 different strokes, in less than 12 minutes - but never had the results I'm getting now. Since my last fill, I've had good restriction, and I'm off the plateau that I was on. I'm down a few pounds and feeling really good about my progress - though, of course, I wish it were faster! I attribute my good results to my lovely little internal enforcer - the lap band. Never before have I been able to control the quantity of food I eat like I can now with the help of the band. I also started wearing a Bodybugg fitness band the past few weeks and have noticed a difference. I log my food intake faithfully (and honestly) and I get immediate feedback on what I'm doing right and wrong. I never go anywhere without my Bugg - it's a constant reminder of my goals and what I'm doing to reach them. I drove past (yes, past!) a Wendy's the other day and realized that in my pre-banded life, I would have probably pulled into the drive-thru, ordered a double Baconator (1/2 lb of beef, multiple strips of bacon, cheese), a Biggie french fry, and a Biggie diet soda ('cause I'm diabetic, dontcha know - can't have all that sugar :ohmy:) and finished it all, plus a Frosty for dessert (never mind all the sugar that was in that). :scared2: Thanks to my band, I don't even bother pulling in any more - I know it won't go down! :wub: I've had some wonderful NSV's (non-scale victories) lately: 1. My insulin dose has been cut in half with approval from my doctor. :w00t: My blood sugar measurements in the morning have been so good that I think I'm really close to getting off all of the medication! 2. I've dropped several clothing sizes, and have to buy new clothes. :w00t: This is a big deal for me, because I love to shop, and because I love clothes! I'm really looking forward to a new wardrobe when my journey is over. 3. More stamina :smile: I don't get out of breath when I go out dancing with my husband as easily any more - heck, I can hang with some folks 10 years younger than me now, where pre-band, it was one song and out. I'm actually looking forward to summer this year, because I know my new slimmer body will look better in summer clothes than I've looked in years! Even the prospect of swimsuit shopping doesn't hold the terror that it used to for me - I can't wait to see what new things I'll be able to fit into and wear! If you're reading this and you're not yet banded, do your research, talk to your doctor, and then make an educated, quality decision. For me, there was no other option, and I don't regret it one bit. If you are already banded, but struggling, please don't give up - if you haven't been to see your doctor lately, go back and get an adjustment or a fill if needed. Talk to them - they are there to help. A new, healthier life is the payoff for taking this very serious and important step. You can do it - if I can, anybody can! :thumbup:

I'm in love with exercise...specifically, walking!:wub: I've been active before - worked summers during high school and college as a lifeguard, which meant being able to swim 500 yds, 4 different strokes, in less than 12 minutes - but never had the results I'm getting now. Since my last fill, I've had good restriction, and I'm off the plateau that I was on. I'm down a few pounds and feeling really good about my progress - though, of course, I wish it were faster! :tongue2: I attribute my good results to my lovely little internal enforcer - the lap band. Never before have I been able to control the quantity of food I eat like I can now with the help of the band. I also started wearing a Bodybugg fitness band the past few weeks and have noticed a difference. I log my food intake faithfully (and honestly) and I get immediate feedback on what I'm doing right and wrong. I never go anywhere without my Bugg - it's a constant reminder of my goals and what I'm doing to reach them. I drove past (yes, past!) a Wendy's the other day and realized that in my pre-banded life, I would have probably pulled into the drive-thru, ordered a double Baconator (1/2 lb of beef, multiple strips of bacon, cheese), a Biggie french fry, and a Biggie diet soda ('cause I'm diabetic, dontcha know - can't have all that sugar :ohmy:) and finished it all, plus a Frosty for dessert (never mind all the sugar that was in that). :smile2: Thanks to my band, I don't even bother pulling in any more - I know it won't go down! :wub: I've had some wonderful NSV's (non-scale victories) lately: 1. My insulin dose has been cut in half with approval from my doctor. :w00t: My blood sugar measurements in the morning have been so good that I think I'm really close to getting off all of the medication! 2. I've dropped several clothing sizes, and have to buy new clothes. :w00t: This is a big deal for me, because I love to shop, and because I love clothes! I'm really looking forward to a new wardrobe when my journey is over. 3. More stamina :thumbup: I don't get out of breath when I go out dancing with my husband as easily any more - heck, I can hang with some folks 10 years younger than me now, where pre-band, it was one song and out. I'm actually looking forward to summer this year, because I know my new slimmer body will look better in summer clothes than I've looked in years! Even the prospect of swimsuit shopping doesn't hold the terror that it used to for me - I can't wait to see what new things I'll be able to fit into and wear! If you're reading this and you're not yet banded, do your research, talk to your doctor, and then make an educated, quality decision. For me, there was no other option, and I don't regret it one bit. If you are already banded, but struggling, please don't give up - if you haven't been to see your doctor lately, go back and get an adjustment or a fill if needed. Talk to them - they are there to help. A new, healthier life is the payoff for taking this very serious and important step. You can do it - if I can, anybody can! :thumbup:

taps - hope your feeling better, you sound ready to make a butter cake though :wub: re: butter cake - 2 tables, 1 w/cake - 1 w/chips & queso.....i'm diving head first into the cheese...LOL glad i don't have a sweet tooth, to me yogurt is dessert.. ebony - congrats on the NSV!!!!! btw - is there anything paula dean makes that doesn't include a stick of butta'?

So Susan, have you been fantasizing about what that first mushie meal will be??? What a FABULOUS NSV!!! YAY Ebony!!! For me, it is MY body - anything in/on it is MINE and I have the right and the responsibility to know. And BTW, as patients, you do have the right to know. Any doc telling you differently, or throwing up roadblocks is in fact in contravention of codes of ethics, laws, best practices, and common sense (a few notable exceptions exist of course)! What she said!

PJTP... Taps - I hope your migraine goes far, far away and never darkens your doorstep again. I suffered with them for a short while, and nothing but Excedrin Migraine would touch them - it's the worst feeling in the world, I think... Re: Butter cakes - I make a Sour Cream Pound Cake from scratch that is an absolute killer! It's heavy, dense and has the most wonderful crispy crust on it...my husband eats slices of it with meat like it was sandwich bread. He always requests cupcake-size ones that he calls "Grandma's Specials" and eats them by the dozen when I make them, which isn't often! I made one with Hershey's chocolate syrup in the batter as a fundraiser for my church's Chocolate Auction, and it fetched the highest price EVER for a cake at the auction...the winner almost didn't make it out of the church with it - people were still trying to buy it as she went out the door! Re: Fill levels - my doctor doesn't really talk about mine, either...of course, I'm nosy, so I look at my chart, but I'm going more by how I feel and less how much is in my band. I think I'm at 3 or 4 cc's right now, and I feel plenty tight. I would have thought that a 10cc band (which is what I think I have, but I'm not sure) would need "more" to get me to a restricted level, but no such. I guess for those detail-oriented folk among us, they might obsess over the level and not do the other stuff necessary, so that's why the doc doesn't tell. I dunno - I tend to believe that knowledge is power, and I WANT to know. At my next appt, I'm going to ask, and I'll keep the info in my iPhone...:wub: Latest NSV...I was able to cut my insulin shot amount by 50% just this week! I have been taking one shot at night, and after my latest report to my doctor, and getting sub-100 readings in the morning for the past week, he agreed that I can cut the dosage. So far, it's been two days, and my morning numbers are still under 100. I think that's reason to celebrate - but not with anything sugary! :wub:

You go girl! Awesome NSV's!

So here I go with more NSV. Why am I writing about these? Well I have come to accept that there will be a day that I don’t remember what it felt like to be where I am right now. I have stated to forget how it actually felt to be where I was 6 months ago. I remember the things I had to do (position pillows to get comfortable to sleep, ask for a window seat on the plane so I could smash myself up against the side and not take up too much room, buy 5x shirts because I wanted them loose and baggy) but not how if felt to roll over in bed and I remember the tears I cried after being intimate with my husband but not how embarrassed I was with my body, even with a man that always told me I was beautiful and he loved me. I’m writing this down so that when I get to place that I need motivation I will have it in my own words. So on with the story. I walked into Maurice’s yesterday to look for some cute jeans. That would be different than just looking for jeans that fit. It is much more fun to look for cute jeans. Anyway I walked into our local Maurice’s that has regular sizes and plus sizes. The size 4, teenage sales girl asked me if she could help me and I told her that I was jean shopping and she pointed to the REGULAR size side of the store and started telling me what was on sale. Ok…do I need to point out that she did not ask me what size I wore or tell me what was on sale on the plus size side or even glance in that direction. I couldn’t believe it. I stood there for a second reveling in the moment. If I would have stood there any longer I could tell she was getting ready to ask me if I needed something else. It was FABULOUS!!!! I have decided that I am officially out of the plus size stores. :smile2: Ok so I tried on the flare leg and those are always too tight on my big old thighs. No surprise there, but when I tried on a looser fit, stretch low rise, (low rise…..H-E-L-L-O-!-!-!) :eek:I was absolutely overwhelmed to see that the size 13/14 was about too big. I checked the tag thinking I grabbed the wrong ones, or it was marked wrong. I didn’t even try on the 15/16. I would have gone to a size 11/12 (!!!!) but I didn’t like the wash on them. They looked too young for this old mom. My 15yr old daughter was with me and liked them but agreed that maybe they were too young of a style. Well I walked out of the store without jeans, but I was not bothered in the least. I was on cloud nine! Ok so I know you might think that alone would be enough to get through the next month or so…but there is MORE! Today I am on my way to a conference. I haven’t flown for 7 months. So just to recap I had surgery about 6 months ago and have lost 90 lbs…..Do you see where I am going with this? Okay so first I got on the little plane (one seat on one side and 2 on the other) and I was able to walk down the aisle facing completely forward. No turning in the aisle to fit my too wide body down it. I was smiling and I’m sure if anyone was watching me and not asleep at 6:00am they would have wondered what the deal was with my sly little smile. :tongue2: So I found my seat and sat down and I didn’t have any arm rest cutting into my thighs. I put my bag under the seat and buckled my seatbelt and had about 8 inches to spare! Before it would have been at the largest setting and probably would have been uncomfortable on this tiny plane. So I wanted to grab a blanket and I unbuckled my belt and got up and got one and sat down and rebuckled and then I realized I didn’t grab a pillow and I jumped up again and rebuckled without any major production. I couldn’t believe it. So the plane wasn’t very full and about ¾ way through the flight I ….. CROSSED MY LEGS! :tongue:Yep you heard me. Now I will admit that my leg was out in the aisle some and with traffic I would uncross and get out of the way, but I think you know what a HUGE deal this is for me. I enjoyed walking out of the plane too with my butt actually fitting down that aisle! Skinny people that have never been obese just wouldn’t understand what a big deal this is! I was in the airport and looking for breakfast and I was starting to get worried. I saw McDonalds, a donut shop, a breakfast wrap restaurant and finally a BBQ with bacon/sausage and eggs. Whew! I’m glad I kept looking. One meal down on this 5 day trip. Only 14 left to go!

So here I go with more NSV. Why am I writing about these? Well I have come to accept that there will be a day that I don’t remember what it felt like to be where I am right now. I have stated to forget how it actually felt to be where I was 6 months ago. I remember the things I had to do (position pillows to get comfortable to sleep, ask for a window seat on the plane so I could smash myself up against the side and not take up too much room, buy 5x shirts because I wanted them loose and baggy) but not how if felt to roll over in bed and I remember the tears I cried after being intimate with my husband but not how embarrassed I was with my body, even with a man that always told me I was beautiful and he loved me. I’m writing this down so that when I get to place that I need motivation I will have it in my own words. So on with the story. I walked into Maurice’s yesterday to look for some cute jeans. That would be different than just looking for jeans that fit. It is much more fun to look for cute jeans. Anyway I walked into our local Maurice’s that has regular sizes and plus sizes. The size 4, teenage sales girl asked me if she could help me and I told her that I was jean shopping and she pointed to the REGULAR size side of the store and started telling me what was on sale. Ok…do I need to point out that she did not ask me what size I wore or tell me what was on sale on the plus size side or even glance in that direction. I couldn’t believe it. I stood there for a second reveling in the moment. If I would have stood there any longer I could tell she was getting ready to ask me if I needed something else. It was FABULOUS!!!! I have decided that I am officially out of the plus size stores. :scared2: Ok so I tried on the flare leg and those are always too tight on my big old thighs. No surprise there, but when I tried on a looser fit, stretch low rise, (low rise…..H-E-L-L-O-!-!-!) :eek:I was absolutely overwhelmed to see that the size 13/14 was about too big. I checked the tag thinking I grabbed the wrong ones, or it was marked wrong. I didn’t even try on the 15/16. I would have gone to a size 11/12 (!!!!) but I didn’t like the wash on them. They looked too young for this old mom. My 15yr old daughter was with me and liked them but agreed that maybe they were too young of a style. Well I walked out of the store without jeans, but I was not bothered in the least. I was on cloud nine! Ok so I know you might think that alone would be enough to get through the next month or so…but there is MORE! Today I am on my way to a conference. I haven’t flown for 7 months. So just to recap I had surgery about 6 months ago and have lost 90 lbs…..Do you see where I am going with this? Okay so first I got on the little plane (one seat on one side and 2 on the other) and I was able to walk down the aisle facing completely forward. No turning in the aisle to fit my too wide body down it. I was smiling and I’m sure if anyone was watching me and not asleep at 6:00am they would have wondered what the deal was with my sly little smile. So I found my seat and sat down and I didn’t have any arm rest cutting into my thighs. I put my bag under the seat and buckled my seatbelt and had about 8 inches to spare! Before it would have been at the largest setting and probably would have been uncomfortable on this tiny plane. So I wanted to grab a blanket and I unbuckled my belt and got up and got one and sat down and rebuckled and then I realized I didn’t grab a pillow and I jumped up again and rebuckled without any major production. I couldn’t believe it. So the plane wasn’t very full and about ¾ way through the flight I ….. CROSSED MY LEGS! :tongue:Yep you heard me. Now I will admit that my leg was out in the aisle some and with traffic I would uncross and get out of the way, but I think you know what a HUGE deal this is for me. I enjoyed walking out of the plane too with my butt actually fitting down that aisle! Skinny people that have never been obese just wouldn’t understand what a big deal this is! I was in the airport and looking for breakfast and I was starting to get worried. I saw McDonalds, a donut shop, a breakfast wrap restaurant and finally a BBQ with bacon/sausage and eggs. Whew! I’m glad I kept looking. One meal down on this 5 day trip. Only 14 left to go!

haha jane you are too funny! congrats on your NSV! and please, were young, go out and make crazy decisions, life is more fun that way. so if you want to flirt with "big buff silly guys" dont even think twice about it!

Well, I tossed the Easter stuff yesterday by mid afternoon....that's how badly it was going. Next Holiday it's all going with people. I'm not keeping any of it. Today it's South Beach induction. Load up on the Protein. I cannot believe how incredibly hard yesterday was. It was totally like pre-band...No concious eating, just eating through the food because it was there. Ok, so today's a new day. Congrats Scrappy on almost being at goal! Special K you are doing really well! Congrats! Carrie, Congrats on the NSV! Christine

Jane! You are too adorable! I LOVE reading all of your NSV's! Congrats on another great accomplishment! You are awesome! by the way... Big buff silly guys with tatoos are amazing... I've been with mine for almost 3 years!

so there's this guy I've known for the past year and a half or so, my friends think i'm crazy for secretly having a crush on him because he is ridiculous-- like an ogre (6 foot five and can push a one-ton truck up a hill, competing soon in the strongman competitions, his night job is a bouncer at a bar).. he's so crazy and loud and obnoxious and has all these stupid tattoos of a sailboat, a tiger cartoon, one that says "yo momma" (really now?) ... but i can't help myself, i have always found him so oddly attractive! haha but anyways, the point of this being a NSV is.... so today, i saw him in a computer lab where we were both working on different group projects. the whole time he was flirting with me from across the room, giving me kissy faces and winking and whatnot-- but i just figure we were joking around because we always kind of friend-flirt back and forth. but as hes about to leave about an hour later, i stand up to talk to him and he gives me a big bear hug (like a serious bear hug since he IS a bear).. and goes "jane-- i dont know how to tell you this but have you lost weight or something?" and i kind of sheepishly smiled and go "yeah actually i have, thanks for noticing!" and he was like "damn girl how could i not... you are just looking soooo good! like seriously, goood! i mean i wasnt gonna say anything bc i didnt know if you would be offended that i noticed or something, but really jane, you look hot." and the way he was looking at me was different than the other times we have friend-flirted with each other. haha i mean obviously this boy is no husband material (nothing im looking for right now anyways), but it felt sooooo good! seriously made my week! and it is such a motivator to eat healthier and workout more when you have someone in the back of your mind pushing you right along! even if this doesnt go anywhere (i kind of like the flirty friend level that we're at for now), i think i am going to use his strength skills to cross off another goal on my NSV list-- to be picked up by someone! he could handle my weight, right? he flipped this huge tire: alright so NSV crossed off here: have a guy i find attractive tell me i look hot

I think I have plastic surgery in my future. I'm sure the tummy will have to be done. I'm young enough (and vain enough) to want to have the girls done too. The girls have never been very attractive, at least to me anyway, so I think I'll treat myself. I have a long way to go though. Excellent NSV this weekend. Went shopping for my birthday and bought some new summer clothes. I'm down 5 sizes. I haven't been this size since college. It was very inspiring. Sounds like everyone had a good Easter. Mine was nice and quiet. I didn't cook, so there was very little temptation. Lisa - I hope you get those pics working; we'd love to see them. Scrappy - you have to cut yourself a break. You're top of the class when it comes to this lapband stuff. You deserved a reward. I do however tip my hat to you for being so hard on yourself... it's probably why you are so successful. Kudos to you!!!

Yeah, I NOTICED that! :tt2: Pretty cool, if ya ask me... Just came back from my daily lunchtime walk...for some reason, the hill kicked my butt today - I was a couple of minutes slower at the top than last week, and the backs of my thighs were griping and complaining...guess I need to stretch more! Wonderful NSV - my DH commented on my "tiny waist"...yeah, I know, it ain't tiny yet, but it's nice to be referred to as "tiny". He does that a lot...makes me grin and giggle...:tongue: I my DH!

This weekend was a tough one for me. I cheated both Saturday and Sunday. I haven't eaten less than stellar for 2 days in a row since I was banded almost 6 months ago. I was doing well and the weight was dropping, but just like every other time I concetrated on my weight or a certain goal I started to drift in the water. It is like being out in the middle of ocean. If I look at how far I have to paddle my little boat to find dry land, I start to give up and think that drifting will eventually get me somewhere. It also happens when I paddle hard and when I have almost reached land I think that it won't hurt to take a little break for the day and before you know it I have drifted back a few miles (pounds). If I stop concentrating on all of that and just know that every day I have to paddle all of the sudden I look up and I am on the beach! Does any of that make sense to anyone but me? I have a stupid NSV for you. I bought a belt. Okay...that isn't it. I actually wore the belt yesterday with jeans and my shirt tucked in. I am starting to tuck in my shirts! That is another NSV. It only took losing 90 lbs to get me to that one! Well I have shared the fact that I had surgery with some of my friends. I did have one say during the conversation when I said that I am working hard she added that I couldn't have done it without the surgery. I know it is true, but there it was and I feel like it be-littles the hard work I am putting into my weight loss journey. She didn't mean it in a bad way and I'm sure doesn't think I gave the comment another thought. I know more people with think and say things like that as more people find out. There is part of me....a big part of me that wishes I would have just kept it to myself, but you can't unring a bell. I am still proud of what I have done and will continue to do it. I just have to remember to paddle........ everyday........ without fail........ I will be on the beach before I know it!

This weekend was a tough one for me. I cheated both Saturday and Sunday. I haven't eaten less than stellar for 2 days in a row since I was banded almost 6 months ago. I was doing well and the weight was dropping, but just like every other time I concetrated on my weight or a certain goal I started to drift in the water. It is like being out in the middle of ocean. If I look at how far I have to paddle my little boat to find dry land, I start to give up and think that drifting will eventually get me somewhere. It also happens when I paddle hard and when I have almost reached land I think that it won't hurt to take a little break for the day and before you know it I have drifted back a few miles (pounds). If I stop concentrating on all of that and just know that every day I have to paddle all of the sudden I look up and I am on the beach! Does any of that make sense to anyone but me? I have a stupid NSV for you. I bought a belt. Okay...that isn't it. I actually wore the belt yesterday with jeans and my shirt tucked in. I am starting to tuck in my shirts! That is another NSV. It only took losing 90 lbs to get me to that one! Well I have shared the fact that I had surgery with some of my friends. I did have one say during the conversation when I said that I am working hard she added that I couldn't have done it without the surgery. I know it is true, but there it was and I feel like it be-littles the hard work I am putting into my weight loss journey. She didn't mean it in a bad way and I'm sure doesn't think I gave the comment another thought. I know more people with think and say things like that as more people find out. There is part of me....a big part of me that wishes I would have just kept it to myself, but you can't unring a bell. I am still proud of what I have done and will continue to do it. I just have to remember to paddle........ everyday........ without fail........ I will be on the beach before I know it!

"What I actually mean is, the speed you lose weight seems to have no bearing on the speed you gain your confidence. None whatsoever." This is so true! It has been almost 6 months and 90 lbs for me. I am dressing in nicer clothes and bought myself a belt and wore it with jeans for the first time yesterday. Wow! That stupid NSV was huge for me! I think my confidence is getting better, but I don't know that it is gaining at the same rate I am losing. By the way......I love your story about the tree....it works for little girl trees too, only girl trees look smaller...not the other way around. Isn't nature funny? :rolleyes2:

You can put me down for -1.2 Lotza', sounds like staying on liquids for a few days might be a good idea. Sorry everything hurts . . . Miss Dee, way to go on the NSV! Are you back yet?

My first NSV in a very long time...even though I've only lost 36 pounds, I've been working out the last few weeks and I feel myself getting into better shape. Today, I went for a 2 mile walk and didn't have to stop at all to rest. My feet didn't even feel like they wanted to fall off when I was done :thumbdown:

Today's my 4 mos anniversary of being banded... Total weight loss 81 3/4 lb. - since surgery 48 3/4 lbs. I am still convinced this has been the best thing I ever did for myself, my life, and my family. Since 1/22/09 my health has taken a nose dive... whooping cough, inflammed brochial tubes, (6 weeks), just feeling better and kidney stones hit with lots of complications including two stays in the hospital 3 day and a 8 day. Infection in my blood, surgery on stones, and pnemonia. A very sick cookie. I know you are wondering where I'm heading with this...NSV - Not being able to exercise but craving, yearning, wanting (in the shape I was I won't use dying) to EXERCISE what a change in my thought process. My LBS has been awesome...visited me in the hospital both times admitted. Dietician has also visited me in hospital. They have given me such support ... I know I am and will continue to be successful in my new lifestyle change. Through all the illnesses my primary concern was my band...it has come through like a trooper. I'm still very protective ... which is good because it helps me make good choices and follow the LB rules! I'm really beginning to realize what all the talk about it being a TOOL is about. I have to make my food decisions and can make good choices. Still measuring all my foods. DH has bought me the Wii/Wii fit and a sport's watch to monitor my heart rate. I did fudge a little (dr. has not released me to do any exercises yet except minor 5 to 10 min. walks.) and tried some of the balancing games and I did try the Basic Step Aerobics(laughed with DH more than anything because I have no rhythm - can't figure out right, left, front,back - out of 85 steps I got 13 and this was on the beginner! Another NSV - realizing my DH is there to be supportive and that I can handle his help. I am nothing but grateful for having my best friend travel by my side on this journey. Have you begun to see a common thread through my rambling.... My most important NSV is my MIND SET. I am beginning to BELIEVE I am changing my LIFESTYLE. In the beginning of my journal I wrote, "I am dedicating this journal to a lifestyle change: From Living to Eat to Eating to Live!" I believe I am on my way to doing that! PS - I could actually buy a top today at the local Walmart store and only pay $8.00 instead of the only store for plus size women I've had to shop at for the past 10 years! What an anniversay present! Keep the faith! Deb

I was a size 28. Today, I'm wearing my size 22 jeans. I keep looking at my "goal" jeans-- a pair of black leather size 18 jeans I bought over ten years ago (!!) when last I was at 205. Thirty pounds to go before I dare try them on. Today was a strange NSV. I'm having a garage sale this weekend. A gentleman older than myself walked up while my DH and roommate were inside. The customer was a flirt! With me! I froze like a scared rabbit for a few moments until he started teasing and I knew the answers to his riddles! Then my husband came out and the sweet thing had the most disappointed look on his face. Someone flirted with me. I'm still in awe. It's been thirty years since a man flirted with me.