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Yes! I had a blue handbag in storage which, even with the strap extended as long as it could, would sit waaaay too close to my armpit pre-surgery. Now it sits at my hip. The downside is that it's spent SO long in storage the faux leather is starting to disintegrate. The NSV that got away!

I love a cross body handbag. My NSV is having to shorten the strap because the bag hangs way to low now that my back is so much thinner.

NSV so far this year: I wore my boots first time since early November and they fit big, I'm finally out of the morbidly obese classification and I fit into a size 14 jeans that I have not worn in over 4 years.

I can't believe it has been a year already since I had my surgery. Time really flies. This past year was filled with lots of major milestones, NSVs and overall positive things. I decided to write this post to hopefully inspire others who are on the fence or those who are already on their weight loss journey. I had my surgery (MGB) in Egypt on 30 January 2022. My sister had hers earlier that month and it didn't take her long to convince me to do it as well. I flew to Egypt on 28th, admitted to hospital on 29th and had the surgery 30th morning. I stayed in the hospital for two days and rested for a week in Cairo before flying back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The whole process went smooth and the recovery was quick with no major issues. Just a bit of discomfort which is normal for any surgery. I was not given any specific diet to follow except for some guidelines - one week of Clear Liquids, 1 week of pureed food followed by gradual introduction of solid food in week 3. I will start with the positives and the current stats. The negatives / issues are listed below My starting weight was 149 kg. I was 85 kg yesterday. That means I’ve lost a total of 64 kg or 43% of my starting weight. I still have like 15 kg to go. The weight loss was quick at first then started to become slower but I’m more than happy with where I’m at right now. I didn’t follow a strict diet but rather reduced my food intake and ate healthier. I always start with my Proteins vegetables and end with carbs. It helps that I cook myself so I know what goes into my food and can control the portions. I now enjoy food better than before because I really take my time to eat. There are some foods that I can’t tolerate like Pasta, scrambled eggs etc. Not sure why but I’m not too concerned by that. Here are some of the major achievements and NSVs I’ve experienced the past year (a part from the weight loss): I went from size 52” pant to size 34-36 inches pants depending on the cutting. Here is a comparison between the pants I wore on surgery day and the current ones. Custom-made shirt on surgery day vs the one I wore yesterday (Size M) Here is me in December 2021 and yesterday morning (left to right) I got myself a mountain bike when I went below 100 Kg and that helped a lot. I try to go on a ride around the town whenever time and weather allow. I’m planning to do this more often after the rainy season. I feel more fit and energetic overall. I was able to join my family in a lot of fun activities which was impossible last year. I took the kids to the Water park last weekend and we all had a great time. My son told me that he is so happy I could go on the water slide with him and that made the whole journey worth it. I’m planning to join the gym and start rebuilding muscles and tone my body. I’ve some loose skin here and there but it doesn’t bother me. I might end up having it removed but it is too early to decide now. There were also some negatives (as with everything in life) which I consider to be minor : - The 6 months blood work showed that I had Vitamin B12 and D deficiency. The doctor asked me to take high doses of Vitamin D and daily Vitamin B12 tabs which I’ve been doing over the last 6 months. I’m planning to redo the test soon. - I struggled with heartburn and indigestion early on but I learned how to control it. I don’t add a lot of spices to my food now and will stop eating if I feel any discomfort. I still get it every now and then but OTC heartburn medicines really help. - Loose skin specially on my arms and thighs (but that was expected) Overall I’m very happy with my decision and what I’ve achieved over the past year. I’m really looking forward to this coming year.

Just a vent. . . I'm 2 weeks post op today. I had a bad weekend with eating. I think I did ok with water. But I am 1 wk into puree and did eat a couple slices of deli turkey which I won't be doing again for a couple weeks, because it made my belly upset. So it was my first event since my surgery. My nieces 16th birthday. My sister had soda, turkey or ham sub sandwiches and chips. I drank water and had 2 slices of deli turkey. I did better than I would of pre-surgery. So that was a NSV. But like I said in first paragraph it did make me very full and uncomfortable. That night my sister ordered pizza. I had some cheese and sauce topping and a couple mozzarella sticks. Again felt like I ate too much. But just relaxed for the rest of the night drinking my water. I now realize how toxic my family is on food. The stress being around them is hard. But I have learned new things which I feel this whole weightloss self-care journey is all about. Got home and right back to my puree and water. 1 more week then soft foods. Which I think I will do pretty good at. I just miss chewing the most. Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

Two new NSV’s: most of my necklaces I have always needed an extender for, but this week I was able to wear one of my favorites without an extender. When I went for a drs appt, my doctor proudly stated… I’m soon going to need the regular blood-pressure cuff for you! Progress has been slow… slower than I’d like, but things seem to be moving in the right direction still.

I go back to work tomorrow after 2 weeks off. I had my post-op today. I'm down 18 lbs from the day of surgery. I'm feeling great and getting my 60+ g of protein in and tons of water. I do 2oz of soft foods every 2 hours. Today my BP was 114/70 and I haven't been on BP meds since 2 days before surgery. I sort of feel like that's a huge NSV already!

My new NSV: I was able to finish an entire spinning class without panting for breath or quitting early! It’s amazing how much losing weight can make working out easier! Now I’m training for a triathlon coming up in a few months!!

NSV for me is wearing these beautiful shoes for 9 hours!

I went out this weekend for my cousins birthday, and had multiple NSVs. I was called "skinny" multiple times. 🤯 Got a couple of "whoa look at you girl" comments People I haven't seen since before surgery didn't recognize me. I danced!! and didn't care.. didn't care that I can't dance. Didn't care if people were staring at my horrible dancing skills. I just danced and didn't care... this is HUGE for me because all of my friends and family have ALWAYS been trying to get me on the dance floor at events and I just sit there by myself.... I HAD A BLAST!

Hey!! You got this! you´ve lost 80 lbs, that´s something big!!! You are doing great; remember we are here for the long run. The most important thing is that you are better than 1 year ago, and that 1 year from now, you´ll be even better. My surgeon told me yesterday in my follow up app that if I continue to be consistent and that I keep learning and "listening" to my tool (gastric sleeve) we are good. So, look on all the weight/inches off, the saggy clothes, all the NSV we´ve experience in only 5 months, YOU/WE are doing great!

This isn’t a NSV, but everyone reading this thread HOPEFULLY can give me some insight. I am 18 months PO. I have lost 156 lbs. (total) BUT, WHY do I bite the inside of my mouth when I chew sometimes! Is it the weight lost in the face, sagging to allow me to ‘bite it easier’ now?

Here's a genuinely weird NSV: I have new stretch marks! Really red angry ones on my shoulders. Looks like I was mauled by a big cat. How could stretch marks be a victory? They're from weightlifting. Not something I was anticipating, but definitely not something I'm mad about.

To celebrate reaching my goal weight (95% excess weight loss), I had a DexaScan done to measure my body fat percentage. I'm at 20.6%, which is in the Ideal range for my age. The scan revealed that my weight loss was mostly fat and not muscle.

2 NSVs to mention. 1. I just got my annual labs drawn and the lab has those chairs with the padded lap bar that comes down, presumably to contain surprise fainters. The last time I had labs drawn, maybe 7 months ago, the bar rested on my stomach and couldn't come down all the way. Today it came all the way down and there was room to spare. 2. I'm a side sleeper and at my highest weight, my hips were so wide that my body was kind of a slope and my top arm would fall down with my shoulder pressing into my neck. Now, not only is my arm horizontal and not choking me, but my elbow is dipping down into my waist. I don't find this comfortable, but it's definitely a victory. I'll be experimenting with pillow placement to deal with being poked by (still very buried, but now detectable) hip bones.

NSV… happy with the way I looked for my husband’s 35th high school reunion! I didn’t feel old and fat as I would have in the past. Plus this was a few weeks BEFORE my tummy tuck and thighplasty. About 1.5 years after WLS and down from a 2x to a size 4.

I thought about it but I also like the double take I get when having my ID checked, That is a fun NSV in itself.

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I posted or updated. Mainly because there isn't much to update. (Just over 9 months post-op) First: I am going to go a head and admit that through the Holidays I sucked! I ate too much (not to be sick, but over my calories) and the wrong things at times. Reset- Holidays are over so I admit it and I am moving on from it and back on the horse and focused! The worst part of this (or at least what I am calling the worst) is that I still lost some weight through it. I am saying this is bad, because other than knowing I shouldn't have done it, there was no "punishment" in my mind. Honestly, I wish I would have just gained a few pounds. But, it didn't seem to stop me from getting re focused and back on track so I will take it. 9 month update: No changes except weight and NSV's! I can eat anything (including what I shouldn't) I don't and have never dumped. I still track everything I eat and drink, still stay within my calorie range (less the previous comment). I had my 9 month follow up with my surgical team. They called me a rock star. I was very proud of myself and how well I am doing. I still don't exercise, they still don't care. LOL Well, kinda, of course it has other health benefits but they are not concerned for the weight loss aspect of it. I am well ahead of schedule, and my Nutritionist has already started talking about my maintenance calories and how to start upping my calories slowly and safely. I told him to slow down, I still want to loose another 43 lbs to hit my goal! He agrees that is achievable, but was merely explaining where my calories would likely fall when the time comes. Which, is about double what I currently eat so he wanted to bring it to my attention so I could mentally prepare for how much more I would to eat to stop loosing weight. He explained that some people struggle physically and mentally to increase so greatly so he wanted me to have time to process and prepare for it. He said I would fall between 2000-2300 calories a day WITHOUT exercising, more depending on the intensity and frequency of exercise. Yeah.. that's a lot. I still drink a shake a day to maintain my calories and proteins, 70g protein or more a day and 80 oz fluids a day or more. Pretty much all water, and usually 1 sugar free drink a day to switch it up. NSV's are ENDLESS! Really, as we lose weight so many things change. Even some bad, like my bony ass knees when I sleep I have to stagger them so the knees are directly on top of each other because they hurt like crazy in the morning! I could go on for days about this subject! Body dysmorphia is real, like really real! When I was my heaviest, I knew I was fat but when I looked in the mirror I didn't see a 422 lbs person but when I saw pictures of my I did.. man I did.. I was sick to my stomach and so disgusted! Now, At almost half that size when I look in the mirror I still see a fat girl but when I see pictures I am like WHOA I am so small. I found out my cousin is 1 size smaller than me, but when I look at her I see someone very small and when I look at myself I cannot believe we are only 1 size different. I look so much bigger! I love to see pictures of myself now! I encourage them rather than hiding in the back of them. I buy shirts from everywhere, and really only because I can. HAH I have never been able to buy a souvenir shirt, they never fit. Not even close to fitting. Now I literally buy them everywhere I can, to an rate of just wasting money because I shrink out of them faster than I can actually get use out of them. To finish up: I hope to hit my goal weight by my 1 year follow up but I know 43 lbs in 3 months will be tough! My original goal was 225, which is much more reasonable to loose in these next 3 months. But 210 is my ultimate goal as that will be half of my starting weight which is pretty freaking cool! 422 down to 250 26/28 down to a 14 4/5XL TALL shirt down to a 1/2x regular shirt Good luck to all!!!! ❤️

You guys! I just realized a NSV that I have to share!!! This is something that I've been wanting to achieve - forever (not forever, but for a little over 7 years)... The keyboard tray on my desk is at the same height as the arms of my chair. For as long as I've had this chair/desk combo (a little over 7 years), my tummy has stuck out farther than the arms of my chair. I could squish my keyboard tray in and touch the arms of my chair, but my tummy would be touching the tray. Today - I noticed that my tummy isn't touching the keyboard tray, but the tray is up against the arms of my chair!!!! There's only about 1/4-inch of space, but it's there!

I can relate somehow. My negative NSV is that I've lost the "padding" I used to have and now sitting for a long period of time hurts haha.

Update & NSV: Friday was my 4 month follow up. I weighed in at 47 pounds down from surgery and 97 pounds lost total. My clothes are getting pretty big on me but I’m trying to modify my clothes rather than buy new for as long as possible. I was helping at a school event and one of the other volunteers came up to me (who hasn’t seen me since last April) - gushing over how good I looked … saying “I almost didn’t recognize you”. I have had several people tell me that lately (many saying it’s was due to my shorter hair, I think they were embarrassed or unsure how to mention my weight-loss). Funny thing is because my loss has been gradual my family and I don’t really “see” it as much - so when people react to it, usually it’s sweet. I’m struggling getting enough calories and protein because I have some sinus drainage that make eating difficult but otherwise my dr and nutritionist think I’m on a really good track and are encouraging me to keep up the good work. I would have like to have lost more by now, but one advantage to slower loss is my skin is looking pretty good in general. I still have a lot to loose. I don’t have an ideal number set in my mind. I’ve already met all of my health related goals. In my perfect world getting down to the 100’s would be great, but as long as I’m healthy and avoid regaining… I’m happy. Having lots of plateaus which can be frustrating but with my calories being low that’s kinda expected.

Another NSV is finally getting my wedding ring replaced. It kept sliding off my finger. I went down from US size 12 to Size 9 and still it is a bit loose. I got a "temporary" tungsten ring and planning to get a new silver / platinum one for our 10 years anniversary next year 😀

It has been a bit traumatic, very angry with my original surgeon, but I am proud of the progress. The nsv's have been great! Was able to touch my toes today lol!

Today was a non-scale victory today! All of my pants are falling off of me and it feels great! I went to a consignment shop and I was able to comfortably wear size 18 pants! I think I could have squeezed into the 16 size, but I have worn tight clothes for waaaaay too long and not by choice. I was really pleased to learn I have dropped from a 24 to an 18 Another NSV I experienced was the bath tub water draining out around me. I no longer dam up the back of the tub without moving because of the inches I've lost from around my hips when I sit!

That's how I am. Sometimes we have to remember that slow and steady wins the race. I lost 30 pounds in the first 2 weeks after surgery. Now I am 7 months out, and I lose MAYBE 2 pounds a week. Sometimes 3. And my stalls went from 2 weeks to 3 to 4. Every 6 weeks or so, I hit another one. When It breaks, I drop like 5 or 6 pounds. Then it goes back to inching along until my next stall. It's really frustrating, but what you want to do is focus on your NSV (Non Scale Victories). Does your face look smaller? Are your clothes getting looser? Do your rinds feel bigger? Can you move around better? When the scale isn't doing what we want it to, we have to look to see what our bodies are doing. THAT's where you'll get a more complete picture of what's happening.