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That's great, Ozroo! I hope you can resize your pretty bracelet so you won't accidently lose it. Ahhh, time for new shoes for you. Congratz on your NSVs! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

@@ThinJenne that's great most common NSV's are about clothing they are great 14 days til sleeve - but whose counting? good luck congrats kathy

One GREAT NSV for sure!! In the words of one of my many Weight Loss Coach's, NOTHING TASTE AS GOOD AS BEING HEALTHY AND BEING ABLE TO FIT INTO OUR CLOTHES!!! Way smart lady. I didn't understand what she was saying because back then I never got to my goal weight!! Now I know SHE was one SMART COOKIE!!! Congratulations!! KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!

I love the NSVs! They are awesome.

That's a great life! Everyday a honeymoon ...... Good for you! Yes, NSVs do happen, and I need to pay more attention to them, instead of the scales. Today was a surprise for me as I did not expect that Long live NSVs!

Everyday is a honeymoon for me! Oh, wait, you are talking about weight loss. Those nsv's honestly mean more to me than the scale.

Today I finally noticed another change. After 6-8 weeks bouncing around the same weight, my longest stall so far, I put my pretty watch on, and it was super loose around my wrist. In my fat days, I could barely do its bracelet up, and it was digging into my skin. Today, it was half way up towards my elbow ..... And I lost a full shoe size! Even though my (I'm not happy with you right now) scales haven't budged much, obviously I am losing inches/centimetres .... Yay for small NSVs ! 8 months post op, and I am well past my honeymoon phase, and I am so grateful for any improvements.

That actually looks to big for you now awesome nsv. Sent from my SM-G920P using the BariatricPal App

You're gorgeous! It's a great idea to keep track of the numbers, the visuals, and the non-scale victories (NSV)! Congratulations and I wish you the best on your journey!

Well, I don't have "THE BOYS" but my hubby has said I can share some of his NSV'S!!! Because his thighs are so big, they squeeze his BOYS!!! Since he lost 60#'s they are safe now. He also can put his own socks on instead of waiting for me to do it. He can take a shower and use wash clothes instead of a cloth back scrubber. He can get out of the shower without touching the sliding glass doors. His seat belt finally fits him. Life is GREAT!!! More NSV'S coming as he loses more!!!

Ok It seems the that on here there are no taboo's when talking about weight loss Men discuss the possibility of becoming the next BIG thing in the porn industry and women discuss needing more support in the breast department and so on However I have noticed another NSV that seems to have been missed or not suffered by others on here!!!!! I can now wipe my bum without having to dislocate my shoulder to do it Wooooo Hooooo

@@startinganewme - Enjoy the ride. Terms to know: NSV - non-scale victory Stall - the inevitable point where you body catches up on fat loss and readjust your metabolism and causes you angst for a few weeks thinking you are doing something wrong. Stalls happen, don't sweat it. Hormone Rush - Since hormone's are stored in fat, you might get some strange emotions or urges you have never felt before. It's normal, but it may explain why you want to have sex more often, in strange places, with strange people. Panic Points Not pooping for a week to 10 days post surgery. Ehm, it will all come out in the end. You will worry, but don't. New attention from people, which may bum you out because you feel like the same person, but people are treating you differently. Eventually you will find your new normal and the feeling passes. I'm sure others can add to the list. Congrats.

Well...I have so many NSV's since my RNY!!! Being able to exercise, sitting with my Grandchildren in my recliner with room left over, shopping!!! I used to hate to go shopping now HHHMMM I think I love it too much!!! Setting a good example for my grandkids and my daughter, feeling good, less pain, kind of happy in my own skin (sometimes) Not feeling like I am the biggest person in the room (sometimes) I am working on this!! And like you I am a past Horseback rider!! I might try it again. Now if only my mind catches up with my weight loss things would be so much better. I hope it will come. CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming WLS!!!

High functioning fat man said "my poop no longer stinks" hmmmm, did i really need to know that? LOL lookin' good dude great pics, NSV's wife and kiddo don't look so bad themselves!! keep up the great job for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life kathy congrats

So today I actually bought my first pair of size 8 pants, and they fit!! I have never worn anything with a single digit size in my life! I was at a 26/28 at my biggest. The pic below is my biggest pants compared to the pair I bought today and the other picture is my 13 year old son and I both in that same biggest pair from the other picture.

Approaching 10 weeks out from VSG. It's been the best decision I've made. I feel mentally and physically fitter. I've experienced NSV such as cloths, airline seat belts and comments[emoji6] I'm eating fine and living life! I'm about 40% of the way losing 60lbs. The piccy is before surgery and 9 weeks

Great NSV's!!! Sometimes the NSV's are what keeps us going!!

I bought a dress off the rack at size L. It's not tight at all. My son is able to wrap his arms completely around me for a hug.

Yes, all the doctors and published side effects of Coumadin will proclaim that it does not cause weight gain. It can cause boating, which may account for some Water weight, but not "real" weight. However, as a retired nurse, I have heard dozens upon dozens of patients complaint of weight gain after starting Coumadin. Anything from 10 to 40 pounds. And they couldn't lose the weight. Nobody (that I know of) ever did any sort of body composition studies to confirm if it was fat gain or Fluid gain, but there were too many complaints to ignore the fact that the numbers on the scale went up for a lot of Coumadin patients. Well, that's wrong, the doctors had no problems ignoring it. As a new WLS patient you could just be experiencing a normal stall, but some of it could be due to the Coumadin. In any case, all you can do is stick on plan and maybe stay off the scale for awhile. Take measurements and pay attention to NSVs and how your clothes fit. Do they know how long you will have to take the medication?

[awesome info!!!!quote name=Lilee84" post="2285395" timestamp="1332967880] DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is in no way intended to replace or undermine the advice of your physician. Every person is different, every surgeon has different guidelines, and no two situations are identical. Therefore if any of the answers below are unclear or contradict your physicians’ instructions, always follow your physicians’ instructions. The responses given are a compilation from multiple sources and references. How do I embed the weight loss ticker? Click on the My Tickers link under your settings in the top right of any page on here. What can I have during liquid stage? During your clear liquid stage you can have anything that you can sip through a straw that is translucent, meaning see through. For instance: Water, juice, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, Isopure Protein drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, decaf tea just to name a few. Once you move on to full liquids you may add liquids that are not translucent. For instance: creamed Soups, soups with the chunks strained out, milk, Protein shakes etc… When do I start mushies/purees? Every surgeon has different guidelines for the progression of your post-op diet. The majority of post-op diets progress as follows: Day 1-7 Clear Liquids Day 8-14 Full liquids Day 15-21 Purees Day 22-50 Mushies What’s the difference between mushies and purees? The major difference is that purees are anything that has been blenderized/pureed to a baby food consistency and has no chunks. These should not be watery, but instead a thicker pudding like consistency. Mushies are soft foods that have not been pureed. Should I be counting calories or carbs or both? Both. Again, every surgeon is different, but the majority of sleevers will be on a 600-1000 calorie/day diet with carbs kept at 60-80g or less. The general guideline is this: When eating, protein is always first, veggies are second, and if you have room carbs/starch last. The majority will rarely have room for the carbs. How much protein should I be getting per day? The recommended protein intake may vary from 55 to 100g per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60g per day and men need at least 60 to 70g of protein per day. How much liquid do i need for the day? About 60-80oz When can I eat salad? Once you reach the point where you’re on normal solids you can try salad. Start with a small amount and see how your sleeve tolerates it as it can be difficult to digest. Best protein shakes? This one depends on your particular tastes, however most seem to enjoy unjury. What else counts as a liquid? Anything that can be sipped through a straw or that will reduce back to a liquid. For example: Jello, sugar free popsicles, frozen yogurt/ice cream (these are generally no no foods) How long will my surgery last? Typically about 45mins assuming there are no complications or other procedures (ie: hernia repairs) being done at the time of your surgery. Every surgeon is different so for a more accurate answer you should consult your respective surgeon. Why can't I tolerate plain water, is this normal? It’s called water nausea and it is completely normal. This is very common during the first few weeks following surgery and should eventually subside. What is sliming/slimes? Sliming or slimes occur when you eat or drink something and then regurgitate a slimy, foamy, saliva like substance, usually when belching. What is grazing? Grazing is when instead of consuming your standard 3 small meals and 2 small Snacks per day, you simply munch all day grabbing a handful here or a bite there. The rule is that your meals should take you 20-30 minutes to eat and should be about 3 hours apart with only fluids in between. What do all these acronyms mean? In no particular order: WLS – Weight Loss Surgery NSV – Non scale Victory (ie: smaller clothes, compliments, climbing a flight of stairs etc…) NUT – Nutritionist PCP – Primary Care Physician VSG – Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy TOM – Time of the Month SF – Sugar Free WFL/WFD – What’s for Lunch/Dinner How much did you lose at 1 month etc.? How much can I expect to lose in what time frame? Everyone’s body is different and so is everyone’s journey. There is no set amount you should expect lose in a set amount of time, and you should never compare your journey or your progress to someone elses. As long as you’re sticking with the program and following your surgeons guidelines, the weight will come off. What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own. When can I have sex? When you’re ready. Keep it simple for the first few weeks post-op and don’t attempt any tricky positions. Be careful until you’ve been cleared by your surgeon for strenuous activity. When can I start exercising? Typically right away, though the types of exercises you can do will be limited. Most surgeons restrict weight training/resistance training for about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but you should be walking/speed walking at least 30-45min daily starting from the day you get home. What do I do with flabby skin? What's the best exercise etc.? The severity of the flab will vary based on many different factors. While there’s no way to tell how bad it will be or whether it will even be bad, there are a couple of proactive measures you can take. Make sure you’re using a moisturizing lotion with Vitamin E and Keratin several times daily. The vitamin E will help add elasticity back to your skin and the keratin will add moisture, both of which may help your skin bounce back as the weight falls off. The best exercises to target your problem areas are resistance and strength training in order to tone and build muscle to replace the fat. Lastly, be patient. Just as your weight stalls while your waist catches up to it, your skin will sag until it gets the signal to shrink. While it probably won’t ever be as tight as you’d like, it will shrink. Will I lose hair? How much? What causes it? When does it return? Do Vitamins help? The truth is, yes, you probably will lose hair. Because of the drastic changes going on that are caused by the extreme reduction in protein and vitamins coming in as well as the hormonal fluctuations caused by the rapid weight loss, it takes our bodies a while to adjust. Don’t worry, as our hormones level out and our bodies get used to the new us, it will come back. There is no set time frame for it to do so however. I’m constipated - what is it okay to take, especially in the beginning when newly sleeved? Will it get better? Worse? In the beginning a simple stool softener like Colace should do the trick. You don’t want to take a laxative or anything that may irritate your new sleeve. While you’re in the liquid/puree stage, constipation shouldn’t be an issue, but as you reintroduce solids you may have to go back to your stool softeners. If you do find that stool softners are only offering temporary relief, try increasing your fluids and Fiber and decreasing your cheeses. I’m having very loose bowel movements, is this normal? Totally. You do need to monitor stools of this consistency to ensure they contain no blood, but very loose stools, even watery stools, are completely normal for a few weeks post-op. When in doubt – ask your surgeon. Will I feel fatigue? Will fatigue go away? Yes and yes. Your body has just undergone major surgery and it needs to heal. While it’s healing you will feel more fatigued than normal. Subsequent to having such a large portion of your stomach removed is the fact that you can no longer take in as much food (read: fuel) and therefore your body has to adjust and find a new fuel source. Your body will eventually begin to burn fat for fuel and some of the fatigue will subside. Your surgeon should also prescribe a B12 supplement which will also help with energy. When can I go back to work? How much time should I take off? That will be entirely up to your surgeon. Most return to work within 2-3 weeks. How many days in the hospital? Your hospital stay will depend on your recovery. When you are able to keep down liquids, are up and about and walking as directed, and your surgeon and nursing staff are confident there are no complications, you’ll be released. Your surgeon should be able to give you an expectation of the length of your stay. Do the staples dissolve? No. The staples used to close the stomach are titanium and do not dissolve. The stomach tissue will eventually grow over the staple line. Your staples do not make metal detectors go off or make you ineligible for an MRI. They are completely benign. Why am I always hungry? The most likely culprit is either head hunger or reflux/heartburn. Head hunger is a false sense of hunger triggered by boredom/emotions/the clock or any number of things which make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Heartburn is the most common culprit of constant hunger. Even though you may not feel as though you have heartburn, you may find that a simple antacid will eliminate that constant hungry feeling. What is a stricture? A stricture is what happens when scar tissue builds up in your esophagus (sometimes caused by reflux) that causes your esophagus to narrow and makes swallowing difficult. What is a leak and what are the symptoms? A leak is an opening along the suture line of your sleeve that allows bile and other digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. The symptoms of a leak vary but the most common symptoms are pain radiating across the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal cramping. It is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Can you get a leak any time after surgery? Or is it just immediate? Most leaks happen very soon after surgery, but there is still a risk for about 4-6 weeks after. Again, it is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases. Some of my incisions are oozing - is this normal? If they’re oozing a green or yellowish Fluid, absolutely not. Green and yellow are the colors of infection and should be reported to your surgeon immediately. If your incisions are oozing a pinkish or clear watery fluid it’s your body’s way of keeping your incisions clean and isn’t usually a concern. When in doubt, ask your surgeon.

Get you Ms RosieCheeks-Jimmy Choo's. I have to agree with the feet losing weight though. I've lost a bit from my trotters but the biggest difference is the circumference of my calves. I'm getting into boots that have been relegated to the back of the cupboard for years. Loving it. Mind you, it has saved my neck when my nearest and dearest (Mr 'We're on an economy drive') spied a new pair of boots. I used the 'these old things' line. Of course the excuse works EVERY time as there is no way that a mere man can remember exactly what his woman's footwear looks like from season to season! I am a complete shoeholic so I have to have viable excuses at the ready! Oh the NSVs, especially the ones that keep your addictions flowing! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

YEP!!! That is so true!! I think after we are at goal we need lots of NSV'S to keep us going. Like for me one of my biggest was when my grandkids could sit beside me in my recliner with room to spare!! When I went for a walk with them and THEY ASKED me when I was done, and could we go home now!! LOL When my daughter started teasing me about not having a BUTT and that was why my tailbone hurt. When my knees hurt at night because they were bony. I could go on and on!! I'm sure you have lots of them too. RIGHT After the scale stops these are near and dear to us!!

@@busybeebug Congratulations! I love NSVs, almost more than scale victories!

I put on my son's track and field warm up and it fit! Size large top size medium bottoms. Bottoms a bit too tight but doable if I had an emergency need for bottoms. Top fits really nice.

Okay guys, this is getting awesome. At my highest weight I wore a size 6x t-shirt. I love funny T-shirts and every year when my family and I go to Maine I stock up on funny t-shirts at the little stores in town. This year in August I saw a couple shirts I loved but they didn't come in my size. I decided to get them anyway thinking that I'll be losing weight and maybe I'll fit in them eventually. Since I've been trying to do things I previously couldn't I decided to try one on just to see how close I was. It fit. I mean a bit snug, but it could maybe be passable. I won't wear it out yet until it fits looser but before I would have never been able to get it over my head let alone be able to have it on and sit down without it rolling up The size? 2x!! I wore a 6x and now I almost fit in a 2x!! I did cry this time guys and it felt really good Highest weight 10/30/2015: 540 Surgery weight 5/27/16: 480 Current weight: 352 Also, I'm sooo close to losing 200 pounds in a little over a year!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App