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Thank you! Looking forward to my first NSV, happy to read about yours!

NSV: Non scale Victory

Sorry, stupid newbie question: NSV? Please de-acronym. Congratulations on your progress! Congratulations on normal blood values!:tt1::w00t::tt1:

Great NSV Loser. I just love reading these. My latest.... Today my doctor told me that I am now overweight not obese!!!

Some of my NSV's: I can fit into smaller clothes; down from size 2X to 16 (XL) walmart and kmart not designer sizes as someone else said... My face is much thinner. Some people no longer recognize me. That's always fun. :eek: Smaller bra size. yippppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I can walk til the cows come home. No problem. I can climb stairs without any difficulty. No resting or break required. I don't feel like I'm sitting on my steering wheel anymore... I can cross my legs comforably a biggie for me! I love good healthy food and crave it not the fatty stuff... but fresh fruits and vegetables and enjoy them! Wayyyyyy more energy. I can walk in the morning, swim in the afternoon and walk on the beach in the evening. With energy to sit here at 11PM still going... If a wave knocks me over at the beach I can get up.

I have been in the friggin Water exercising the dang Cookies off. I did two water aerobics classes today. You know how proud of myself I am. I could have never done that before but I love water aerobics a lot. I never thought that I would like to exercise as much as I do now. I know that the exercise is going to be the key to getting the rest off. I am seeing the benefits because the sizes are dropping. I have gone from a size 32/34 to a size 20 and tonight I put on a 10 year old Garth Brooks T-Shirt my brother brought me when he saw him in concert...it was a XL...woo-hoo! I want all of you to take a look at some your NSV's for a moment. Even though the scale might not be moving as quickly you would like, think about some things that have changed for you. How are you clothes fitting? Can you do things that you couldn't do in the past? How do you feel? I am sure that you have some wonderful things to ponder on. So forget the scale and think about the great accomplishments that you have made. I know that I am proud of you all! You are all great inspirations to me....you'll never know how much. Ok...enough of the mushy gushy stuff...lol! Think positive thoughts! Cindy

Dude! You are doing so good. Isn't the NSV's the best. Even if the scale isn't moving you are seeing other things that mean more. I know that is how I am looking at this journey right now. The scale has been moving slow for me in the last few months but I have had so many NSV's that make things brighter for me. Take today. I actually did two Water aerobics classes today. I am loving water aerobics and go just about everyday except for Saturday and Sunday. I was proud that I could handle two classes in one day. The one I did tonight is titled Burn Baby Burn and was very high energy. I was tired after but I didn't quit. These small victories keep me going and losing another size in the last month has been a great bonus. I have gone from a size 32/34 to a 20. There are so many NSV's now that I can't name them all but I wouldn't trade this band for anything in the world...except for God, of course. Keep up the great work everybody...even if the scale isn't moving...the NSV's must be there. Cindy

Had my first fill last week, Wed June 18th. I was told it could take as long as 2 weeks to feel any effects, but I definetly feel a difference already in my decrease in appetite. I have even dropped 6 lbs since the fill! Bringing it to a total of 33 lbs lost. Another NSV this week is that all of my blood sugars have been in the single 100's and in the 90's. My PMD told me when I have a full week of sugars 100 or below to call him to adjust or start taking me off my meds!! That will be a big success!! :sad_smile:

My two NSV's - I was wearing a baggy 28 (my butt was SO huge, OMG, it was gigantic!) and now I can fit into a 20.. it's so weird because a lot of my weight came off my lower half when normally I lose my waist first. I have lost a lot of waist, but wow... I think I've lost about 6 inches in my butt . Now, granted, the 20's are tight and give me a muffin top, BUT, they button and zip up easily. So, I'm sticking with the 22's for now, but in about 8 more pounds I think the 20's won't give me that muffin top. Because of that I had my hubby take down the two big tubs of clothes from the attic that had all my 18's, 20's and 22's in them. That was nice.. I went to my sister in laws and when I sat in her chair there was actually space between my side and the chair. Holy crap! I use to touch the sides big time. That felt really good.

I was banded on May 15th and had my first fill June 12th. I get my second fill in two days. I have lost about 33 pounds since my highest weight. I don't have much restriction and I've been "on plan" most of the time since surgery, but I've indulged here and there too, which I know has slowed down my weight loss, but a few times, I fell into the trap of telling myself.... "I should have a sandwich because once I'm restricted I won't be able to". The restriction I feel is when I try to eat a full sized meal, like a restaurant meal of salad, 8 oz. prime rib, baked potato and veggies. Then I can't clean my plate as I used to (well I could, but I listen to what my tummy is telling me and I stop eating). I'm looking forward to a level of restriction that will allow me to safely eat smaller meals and feel as satisfied with the smaller meal as I do with the restaurant meal. I'm working out with the Wii Fit and using my treadmill. I've been going for walks in the park near my office at lunch time on pretty days. I feel really really good. I was walking with a cane due to a hip injury and arthritis at the time of my surgery, and I've already been able to give up the cane. And by the way, what are NSV's? It's great to hear from all my fellow May bandsters!

I was also banded May 7th. At my last visit June 12th I had lost 14 lbs. (I'm a lower BMI to start). I'm only planning to weigh when I have my Dr's visits. I get too easily psyched out by the number game. Next weigh in and 2nd fill will be July 14th. I am enjoying the NSV's though. I had noticed my pants getting looser, and decided I need a new pair of capri's for something I had over the past weekend. So, I go to the store and choose a size lower than what I usually wear, but thot, just for fun, I'd also try on a pair 2 sizes smaller. Guess, what! They fit!! And very easily. I was thrilled. Bought 2 pairs. I am very carefully measuring my foods and making the best choices I can. It's a whole different thought process for me now. It's almost fun. The fill was a breeze............no numbing and didn't feel a thing. Looking forward to the next one!

I have to have MRI scans every now and again and hadn't had one since being banded. For those that don't know, you lay on a table, are strapped down and then the table slides you into a round tight capsule where it takes very noisy (think jackhammer) scans of your body......it must be horrible for people who are claustrophobic. Today I noticed that when I was being slid into the capsule that I didn't need to almost dislocate my shoulders to fit my arms through the gap and also that I didn't need to take a huge breath in to stop myself from getting jammed in the gap due to the size of my tummy!!!!!! :thumbup:

Congrats on skydiving and Happy Birthday! That's a goal I've set for myself too. I had no idea that they actually have you step on a scale!! Yikes. The place I'm going has a max of 225lbs (or you can pay $25 for each pound over that!)...I'm hoping to go once I drop below 200 (about 40 lbs away). Who knows when that will be, but it will happen and it will be a MAJOR NSV for me too.

I've always wanted to go skydiving, but have been over the permissable weight since I've been old enough. Well, I turned 30 on Saturday and for my birthday I went skydiving! It was amazing! Now I just need to figure out how to convince my head that I am at a more normal weight. When they had me step on the scale I was convinced it would read out heavier than I am. Then, when I went to put on the jump suit I really didn't think it would fit... But it all did and I had a BLAST (and survived ) Anyway - just had to share! ~Lori

Hey all, Happy to see so many new faces on the thread, I have not been here in a long time. For those of you not telling anyone, people who know you will notice that you have done something, they will pry it out of you, and yes you will get those people who say oh you cheated, and what I tell those people is no, I finally did something about it. This was not an easy decision for me, and it took me a lot of work to do this. Some people have to live in the closet because of there families and jobs. Don't make your self more miserable by trying to hide one more thing. Ok, for a nsv I love to body board in the ocean, but last year I could not because of my weight loss I am always too cold, in fact I always cold no fat on these bones, if it is 110 out side it is comfortable for me, any way I went to a dive shop and was able to get in to a women's 9-10 wet suit. I was so jazzed, my wife said she did think she wanted me to go to the beach. She is so sweet. lol Ok, I will stop rambling, best of luck to all of you, I will try to log on more often and check out the thread.

Noahsmomm - Hang in there - you are probably getting cold feet. I got them, I was so nervous before my surgery. I really freaked out a couple of days before hand. Now saying that - make sure that this is something that you want to do and that you are ready. I'm sure if you are a year out already you've done your research. I'm not trying to discourage you by any means - I love my band. But, I don't believe in doing anything unless it is something you are ready to do. There have been some negative posts lately, but this site is also wonderful source for information. There is so much more positive here than negative. Yes, you will probably have a bad day every now and again. There may be PBing or sliming at some point. You do need to prepare yourself for the chance these things can happen. They shouldn't deter you from being banded though. If they do then maybe you should re-evaluate why you want this done. Check out the progress pics thread, the NSV's and the support that is offered here. One thing for sure. As long as you come here you are not alone. I hope you can come to a decision. You need to do what is right for you.

This past weekend my daughter and I went to camp (she as a camper, me as a counselor). It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. This camp is situated on a small river as well as a couple of man-made lakes. At some point, they built a huge cross on the top of a pretty steep mountain. Now I say mountain because I live in Texas and it's bigger than a hill, but not as big as the mountains in say Colorado. But still high and steep. One of the really cool things they do is offer a hike up this "mountain" to the cross which has a phenominal view of the valley and river below. I really wanted the experience and my DD decided she wanted to go as well. She's only 8 and I wanted to share this experience with her. I was fairly confident I could make the hike as I've been jogging almost everyday for the past month on an incline, but you have to climb up this rock shelf (about 6 feet high) from the river which means it's slick and very smooth from past flooding. There were two big guys standing at the top pulling people up. Now my first thought was "OMG, what if I jerk them off that shelf?" But I figured they both weighed more than me or at least that was what I was praying. Turns out I didn't jerk them into the river and I climbed up just fine. The hike was very steep, muddy, and rocky. I'm only 5'4" and have very short legs. Some of the rock ledges along the trail were up to my chest which means pulling myself up on more than one occasion. I made it to the top, winded, but I made it just the same!! I would not have even tried that a couple of months ago. It would have been something that my DD would have missed out on as well because she wouldn't have gone if I didn't. I said a prayer of thanks at the top for beng able to experience something that was so beautiful. I felt such a sense of accomplishment and I finally felt like I could live my life the way I wanted. I still have a long way to go, but at least I'm trying new things with less fear. I also went down the infamous "Wet Willie". This is a huge slide that you have climb up several flights of stairs to get to and slide down into the lake. I'm terrified of heights, but again my DD wanted me to do it. Once you get to the top you can feel it swaying in the wind and it took all of my power not to panic. There was a very large group from my church and all the adults went up. No way I would have done that before. I had no problems getting into a life jacket and no problems swinging into the slide. Yes, you have to swing from a bar to get into it. I screamed like a girl all the way down!! :thumbup: I probably wouldn't do it again, but at least I can say I've done it once!! I didn't particularly care for the atomic wedgy that I received when I hit the water either. I feel like I'm finally living my life again. I can be the fun person I am and hold my head high because I'm more confident and feel good about myself. That alone was worth having surgery! My journey may be long, but I'll finally get to where I want to be. I feel great and am looking better each day! What an amazing gift I've been given.

I had to share a couple of NSVs: 1. Sitting in restaurant booths comfortably for the first time in a very long time. 2. Wearing jeans I bought too small 2 years ago and have never worn. 3. I wear a red plastic bracelet from the American Heart Association in memory of my father... it sat up around my wrist before surgery. Now it sits about 3" down my arm. 4. I am not constantly adjusting my shirts when I sit or stand to make sure they fall right over my body. 5. My choker necklaces no longer choke me. And that's after only 36 lbs!! =) I can't wait to see what happens next!

I went to a party last night. some people I have not seen in 6 months. I felt great. My good friend has a new harley, and last time I saw him, we wanted to go for a ride. we both were over the weight limit. he has lost 65 pounds and I'm around 55 pounds. we are going riding next week. it was great to be able to fit in a size 16 again. good luck :grouphug:

Suzzie--GREAT NSV...I know you were excited!!! have you posted 1 year pix yet? Did I miss them? Have you heard from Stef? I sent her a PM, but haven't received a response.

Good NSV for you Suzzzie!!!! Have you posted your one year pix yet? Heard anything from stef? I sent her a PM...and hope to hear from her soon.

My 2 Summer NSV's in one I started running three weeks ago. Last week my ex was going to the US (everything is cheaper) and he offered to buy me some of those dryfit nike running shorts. Heasked me what size, I said "ladies medium" Well I wore them yesterday and went for a 4k run!! I am not sure what is more of a "rush" the running, or being able to tell people my real size with confidence

We are entering our first summer as the new us. I don't know about you guys but I am enjoying mine more. I think the fact that the board has dried up a bunch shows us that you all are too. What wonderful things have you all been able to do this summer that you couldn't do last? Anything wonderful planned that you wouldn't have dreamed of last summer? Enjoying the world more? How has losing the 30+ pounds that we have each lost affected your enjoyment of summer? Yesterday I walked on the beach of the lake....rolled up my shorts and just LOVED it. I wasn't self concious that someone would see my thighs....I just enjoyed my world. I bought a swimming suit that didn't cover shoulders and thighs. No skirt this year. I make it a point to go outside every day and enjoy the world. Last year this time I was dying because it was so darned hot and walking from one room to the other left me sweaty. 3 things there....walking doesn't make me sweaty, sweaty is a GOOD thing these days, and I'm not nearly as warm as I was with 50 more pounds of fat on me. How about you all. Share!!!!

Hi to everyone. Got back from Florida from vacation and was anxious to get on my home scale this a.m. -- I stayed off the scale on vacation because I didn't want to let it run my life.... AND....drum roll now! I lost 4.8 lbs on vacation from where I was on June 13th when I left to today! Go Shrinking Shamrocks Go!! :ohmy::biggrin::biggrin: <--- 4 smilies for 40 lbs! AND second NSV... I was able to buckle a seat belt without an extension on the flights from Columbus to Charlotte, NC on an Embraer jet that only had 2 seats on each side but I needed about 4" of the extension belt still (darn!) on the 737 jet that went from Charlotte to Florida. Can't wait until I can buckle the airplane seat belt regardless of which plane I fly on but that was such a nice feeling. I've updated my ticker and officially crossed the 40 lbs lost milestone as of today. About 3.5 months since surgery 3/17/08 to lose 40 lbs is fantastic for me. P.S. Yes, I too now know what sliming and productive burping is. Nothing terrible but I definitely have a different level of restriction with this 2nd fill and if I push it and eat a few bites past my limit, I have that pressure sensation, want to get rid of it, and have excused myself once in a restaurant to be sure I was okay. I know now to just leave the food on the plate and let it to away and try not to feel guilty that my family or friend paid for a dinner and I can only eat maybe 1/3 of it. That's what got me, trying to eat a Thai dinner of chicken and vegetables, I didn't even look at the cup of white rice that came with the meal, and I just had to let 2/3 of it go to waste. I had warned them I couldn't eat much so they knew it wasn't that I didn't like the restaurant's food they chose to go to but I just was full. I really missed checking into the forum but it was a good vacation and now its good to be back to sleeping in my own bed and with my own pillow!

Hi to everyone. Got back from Florida from vacation and was anxious to get on my home scale this a.m. -- I stayed off the scale on vacation because I didn't want to let it run my life.... AND....drum roll now! I lost 4.8 lbs on vacation from where I was on June 13th when I left to today! Go Shrinking Shamrocks Go!! AND second NSV... I was able to buckle a seat belt without an extension on the flights from Columbus to Charlotte, NC on an Embraer jet that only had 2 seats on each side but I needed about 4" of the extension belt still (darn!) on the 737 jet that went from Charlotte to Florida. Can't wait until I can buckle the airplane seat belt regardless of which plane I fly on but that was such a nice feeling. I've updated my ticker and officially crossed the 40 lbs lost milestone as of today. About 3.5 months since surgery 3/17/08 to lose 40 lbs is fantastic for me. I'm off to church to sing praises and thank God for all he has done for me through this surgery and the friends I have met due to this journey. P.S. Yes, I too now know what sliming and productive burping is. Nothing terrible but I definitely have a different level of restriction with this 2nd fill and if I push it and eat a few bites past my limit, I have that pressure sensation, want to get rid of it, and have excused myself once in a restaurant to be sure I was okay. I know now to just leave the food on the plate and let it to away and try not to feel guilty that my family or friend paid for a dinner and I can only eat maybe 1/3 of it. That's what got me, trying to eat a Thai dinner of chicken and vegetables, I didn't even look at the cup of white rice that came with the meal, and I just had to let 2/3 of it go to waste. I had warned them I couldn't eat much so they knew it wasn't that I didn't like the restaurant's food they chose to go to but I just was full. Okay, off and running for the day! God Bless to all!