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Happy days and more NSVs for you Misty. I'm so happy for you Looking forward to meeting you on Monday. Update on me, and thanks to all that gave me such fantastic advice last night and this morning. I emailed back and forth with my dietician today, and spoke with Dr Nolan's crew and decided that I'm not mentally or emotionally ready to have the sleeve. I'm not writing it off, but I really think I owe it to myself to give it one last red hot crack with good old willpower and exercise. The advice you all gave really rang true, but Fiona (my dietician) said something that really stuck with me - that her many successful clients that WERE ready to be sleeved, all couldn't wait to be full from half a sushi roll - and I just couldn't bear the thought. So I'll be off to a psychologist Monday, which I probably should have done earlier in my journey anyway, and then will consult closely with Fiona going forward. I know what I need to do, I just need to execute. Perhaps I can take inspiration from the QUEENSLANDERS on Wednesday night (thought I'd drop that in ) Ill continue to hang around, and look forward to meeting you SEQ peeps on Monday. Onwards and upwards hey? Congrats to all of you who are doing such great things, and best of luck to those of you who are pre-op in not falling at this final hurdle as I have. Cheers, B x

Clothes that fit make for a great NSV. I have bought new pants and shirts. and looking at myself as I walk by a store window, I can actually see the difference. What a boost to the ego I was measured last week and have lost 4 inches in both my waist and hips.. woohoo!!! I actually had a friend call me "slim" the other day.

NSV!!!!!! i was just here on my phone replying to another thread. And I moved my hand down my chest to find my fingers hitting my bra cup....a big gap by the way. I didn't realize it. The band is too large, I knew. I'm happy they're going down too!!! Had to take a pic!!! My seven year old in my lap. Lol the only time y'all will see a piece of my booby hahaha

So I am in Melbourne for a conference but have had some free time so went to the National Gallery and the conference is at the MCG so of course I had to get some photos saw the Monet exhibit- incredible!! Having a blast!!! Another NSV- walking all around Melbourne without even breaking a sweat!! Walked nearly 10km today and I wasn't even puffed!! Love my sleeve!!

Woo hoo Susan! Another terrific nsv for all your hard work It must be great to see your change in clothes as well as the scales.

Hi, I'm 42, wife of 20 yrs, mother of 6 ( ages 3-23 ) and a grany to 2. My oldest son ( 19) was with me the other day and someone asked if his girlfriend wanted to try a food sample (me! ). I loved the nsv, but what was really great was the expression on my son's face. You would have swore someone stuck his foot in honey. lol

Tomorrow I will be 8 weeks out. To date down 55 pounds and counting! I feel great and love the NSVs more than the SVs. I started out wearing size 22 jeans and I'm in a loose 18 at the moment. Can't wait to hit 16s! I also love doing my vlog on youtube. I can eat pretty much anything besides chicken and have found that I need to get in enough carbs or my weight loss stalls. I went through a two week stall and then another one week stall. But 55 pounds?? I'm happy!!

One month ago (yesterday) I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, MX. I cannot tell you how AWESOME I feel right now. Here's why: I was wearing a size 22W!!!! Today I'm fitting a lot of my 16's and some are Misses. I bought a Suede leather jacket today from Goodwill. It was so nice, and it was size M. OMG... it fit, except it was a tad bit tight at the very bottom where the buttons are. It's ok, I KNOW I'll fit into it really soon. I count the moments! In the mean time I took it to my Green Cleaners who are going to do some minor repairs and restorations. It's actually in very good condition. I am able to do over two miles now in walking and on my treadmill, and I feel so much lighter already. It feels so wonderful! I'm going to start adding in more of my cardio exercises as I'm feeling good and up to it again. I'll just do minor 20-25 minute sessions to start, but I'm at it again! I'm already almost down 20 Lbs since surgery and almost 30 since my pre-op diet. I really couldn't have DREAMED of having better results. My status right now is RIGHT ON!! I'm actually able to eat soft solids pretty well now. I can get my Protein naturally, and eat my Fiber bars good. Things are running quite smoothly for me now! I'm soooo ecstatic, it seems so unreal. Thank you SLEEVE, DR. ACEVES AND HIS AWESOME STAFF, VST AND MOST ESPECIALLY THANKS TO MYSELF FOR BELIEVING IN ME. :-) Here's my best NSV so far though... Hubby's already calling me "skinny". Hahaa! Ok now I know I'm not skinny by any measure of the imagination, but it sure feeellssss good!! :-)

On my new phone I don't have much- I'm almost 14 mo post sleeve / (Sleeved 2/25/13) Here's a few Before Last month (13 mo out) Last month Last month NSV: I submitted my info for the Parade Magazine's Annual Career/Salary Edition...Here are my lil snippets (I wouldn't have submitted my pic 140 lbs ago)

I had to fly to NY this past weekend for baby sister's wedding ... haven't flown since 2002 ... Never liked it because of my size ... But this time ... it was non-issue !!! Enjoyed it sooooo much!!! Wahooooooo hooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Sky's the limit everyone!!!

​Hello everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, whatever you Celebrate. My son invited us over and never called to say what time he would be done at his SIL's. I blame his wife, oh well. I saw my grandsons a few times this week. I would just be going over to see what Santa brought. They got their Hanukkah gifts from us last week. Had a super duper NSV the other night. I started PT for my shoulder and the therapist and I were talking about WLS. One of her sisters had by pass and is very thin, the other one needs surgery and she would like it but I think she is too thin for it. I would say she wears a 14-18 and her BMI is not over 35, you can tell. Well for one of the exercises she had me hold a cane behind me and said, you have no ass!!! My old ass could hold a serving tray for 100. Best NSV. Yesterday I had on a new sweat suit, bottoms size L and they were baggy in the ass after wearing them all day. Now just to get the spare tire/muffin top to leave the body, would be great. Everyone have a great weekend. The rain has left Boston and the temps are around 50. Not bad for December. The rain returns Sunday for the Pat's final regular season game. True Pat's fans don't care what the weather is. I would never sit in the rain or snow for even a super bowl game. Arlene

I got stuck the other day! I hadn't had that happen before.. wasn't too bad, but I was eating a sandwich too quickly and I had eaten too much, and I think I swallowed a chunk of bread and it felt so weird and painful. After a couple minutes it passed though. I didn't throw it up or anything. (thankfully!) what a terrible feeling though bleh! Also an NSV, saw a lot of friends I hadn't seen in a while this week at the American Idol finale, and even one of my favorite Idols (that I've met a million times) noticed I lost weight! crazy! Even though I didn't meet my finale goal, still felt good

I have a lapband victory this week haha (not a NSV I guess). Random.. but I went to American Idol on Thursday. I had breakfast around 9, then i had a banana at around 12. Then I didn't eat anything till about 9pm (from waiting inline, and the taping and all that) and I wasn't hungry. it's so weird! I even said to my friend in the car, it's the strangest thing, I should be hungry! Oh yea I know mentally I think I'm eating this perfect diet. But I know I'm not. I know sometimes I go over my calories but I justify it. If the scale doesn't move I go back to journaling to see where I miss stepped.. Yea, I haven't had after care either. I could bother them.. haha but I don't feel the need. I really don't need another fill. 41 pounds is perfect! I'm at 48lbs. 1-2lbs is totally normal (if you average it out, that's 10lbs a month!). Maybe just check up on your diet and make sure you are eating 1000 calories and not you "think" you are eating 1000 calories... up the exercise.. vary your diet, eat a little more.. or a little less.. sometimes I think the body just gets stuck in a rut.

Yay on the NSV!!!

Happy Anniversay Vicky! Congrats on the NSVs! Jess I saw your post about onderland on another thread. Good job! Doesn't it feel great?!?

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? There are many ticker generators you can use, but the majority of us use TickerFactory.com or MyFitnessPal.com – Once you create your ticker, embed the code into your signature via your “Settings” *Adding* 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… NOTHING CAFFEINATED When can I have coffee/soda/tea? Decaf coffee is typically OK about 30days post-op. Decaf tea is OK starting with your clear liquid diet. Soda is typically never OK, with the reasons varying from the carbonation causing painful gas to the carbonation stretching your sleeve. Regardless of the reasoning, it's generally a good idea to avoid sodas entirely, or to consume them in extreme moderation. 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. I'm on liquids/purees and I feel no restriction, should I be concerned that my surgery didn't work? Nope! You'll feel your restriction as you start to take in denser foods. In reality, you never want to experience that over stuffed feeling again because that means you've over stuffed your sleeve. There's much debate over whether or not you can stretch your stomach by over stuffing your sleeve, I for one am not trying to prove or disprove the theory. Best to play it safe - when you start to feel full, stop eating. 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 powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >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) 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 dumping syndrome? Dumping syndrome is what happens when the contents of your stomach are rapidly dumped into your small intestine. It is characterized by cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Most people that complain of dumping syndrome associate the attacks with eating a certain type of food IE sweets, carbs etc.. It generally resolves on it's own once the offending food has left the system. 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. I see a lot of people posting about drains - I don't have any. Should I be concerned? Drains are tubes that are temporarily placed in the abdomen that allow fluids to drain from your abdominal cavity in order to prevent infection. Not every surgeon uses them so if you don't have any, don't worry. It likely means your surgeon saw no need to place them. That being said, it doesn't mean you're immune to infection so you should still be on the lookout for fever or any areas that a red, warm to the touch, painful, swollen, or oozing any green or yellow fluids.

Someone's comment in another thread reminded me of the NSV moment I had at my regular doc's office last week. The assistant started to put the large BP cuff on me, did a double take and then put it away and put the regular one on! Woot! This morning, I put my pants on and then proceeded to roll the waistband up several times...to the point where the pockets were rolled up out of sight! I've been wondering how I couldn't have lost anything in the past two weeks but I definitely look skinnier. My shirts are literally hanging. Then I made the connection with the pants. My body has been redistributing the fat and my belly is disappearing! Double Woot cuz that's even better than the scale numbers going down! .

Welcome to band Elfie. I feel your pain! After voluntary unfill #1 followed by emergency unfil #2, I have not lost a thing, but consider it a great success that I haven't gained anything either. Plus, I've been a lazy slug so I don't particularly deserve to lose anything recently. So congrats on the NSV and on not gaining! Denise, ewww, ewww, and ewww, but congrats ont he unexpected funds, woohoo! My son's first soccer game of the season was this morning. After standing in the rain for 45 minutes and getting miserably soggy, we had 2 players and no one from the other team showed up so home we came. Yuck! Now I'm sitting here watching the grass grow, I swear you can actually see it it's growing so fast since it rained, and thinking "crap, now I have to mow again".

You will do alot better if you think about how you look compared to before, vs how you 'want to look'. For myself, there are so many 'spots' on my body that I just hate how they look, and while 'deflated' is better than fat and puffy, it's still not really what I'm going for, you know? Whenever I start to get on myself for that, I just think about what it was before. How much stomach I could grab before, vs now, how I always had a double chin before, and I only do now if I try to put my chin on my chest, or how I CAN SEE MY COLLAR BONES. Those are all NSV's... you should start an NSV list, it's really neat to see all that stuff in one place. I have a before picture from when I was pretty much at my highest, maybe JUST a little less. Yikes. There are plenty of times where I just don't feel smaller and I still feel huge compared to my sisters (even though I'm only 15lbs bigger than one of them), etc, but when I look at that picture, I see the difference and I know I'm doing well. I still have some days where I run from my reflection, but what I've been trying to do lately is look at myself and who I'm walking with and trying to see the comparison. My reflection doesn't completely block their's, even if I'm between them and the window

Good morning everyone! Down to 212.2 this week. Also had 2 NSVs yesterday I have to share! First, was able to zip up a size 14 LINED Banana Republic suit skirt (could not believe it when it actually pulled up over my hips) and I officially can wrap a standard size bath towel around me with no gap! Woohoo! Took a picture yesterday because I got so excited! Before I was at 288. These challenges are so inspiring to me. Thanks everyone!

Of course, there is also the having the RNY and gaining it back... I realize this is a possibility with the lap band, but adjustments can be made with the lap band. It is still my contention that this banding was the absolute best thing I've ever done for me. I feel wonderful (even if the flight attendents don't get sensitivity training.) :tea: I think everyone is doing great. Personally, losing 48lbs in less than a year has been a big change for me. Losing 48lbs in less than 4 months is an even bigger change for me. That has made all the difference. Everyone should be proud of the successes they've accomplished so far - SV and NSV! :bowl: Deb

:welcomeB: Lorien and vamaillady! Lizrbit: I also have the small AP, I haven't had a fill yet, but don't want to just get a measy little 2 cc's in my darned band for my first fill. Was it your surgeon's choice for the 6.5, was it a request of yours, was it based on how much you were filled before you lost your first band, or was it his usual practice to fill that much on the first fill? I know, loads of questions, but I want to go in prepared for my first fill. And CONGRATS!!!! Great NSV and goodonya on your renewed confidence in your ability to work this band.

ja9va: Way to go! Another pound is great!!! Suzzzie: Have you tried Skim Milk when you're thirsty like that? I've found that if I've had all or near all my required water for the day, that milk sometimes hits the spot when I'm still thirsty. I, too, had had a slight weight gain back...like 4 pounds...but I've now lost it plus another pound. NSV ahead: I even turned down Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake that a coworker brought in yesterday. Didn't even want it...and I LOVE Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake. Still battling the infection...it was almost gone and I think it's coming back. I've called the doc to see what they want me to do. UGGGH. And my first fill is a week from today. vbmenu_register("postmenu_515003", true);

I had my first NSV. I went shopping today and bought size 18 pants. I was a 22/24 when I started. I was really afraid to try them on in fear that they wouldn't fit and I would have been really depressed. I put them on and they fit. I almost did the happy dance in the dressing room. I feel like I do not look any smaller but it did feel good to fit in a smaller size.

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.