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I'm so glad to hear of your success! Dr. Enochs did my band on 8/8 and I go back to work on Thursday...hopefully it won't be too bad. I can't wait for my NSVs to begin!

Today is my first day back at work since being banded on 8/01. I never realized all the pushing and pulling I did (I just have a desk job) so my port area is a little sore. BUT....I put on my nice pants this morning and the hardly fit me. I mean I have to make sure they are not going to fall as I walked down the hall. I can feel the sliding down. Holy Crap that was fast. I am going to have to get them altered pronto because I am not ready to be new clothes just yet. But what a NSV (non - scale victory)

I am six weeks post op tomorrow. I have been in a stall since week 2. I know I lost ALOT in those 2 weeks, but how long can a stall last? I am eating about 800 calories and my protein is always at least 70g. I am walking most days (nothing aggressive since I am still in bits of pain). What can I do to break my stall. I am getting beyond frustrated. I was due for my period a month ago (sorry for tmi)... could that be holding up some weight loss too??? I need the scale to move soon or I am gonna lose it. NSV - I posed a picture on facebook of myself by accident (I was holding off on that) and I got tons of "you look fabulous" comments... I'm glad I am looking better, but I still want the scale to move. I am worried that it has been too long in a stall. Could my PCOS be part of it as well.... I don't know what else to do to break this stall. I am eating sooo much better than I ever was and so much less. why can't I lose? I eat primarily fish, chicken and tofu. When I go out to eat, I order fish or chicken and take most of it home... Help please!!!!

It's been 5 days since I have written and well as the top post implies, it has been an EXCITING 2 days. And not in a good way. My daughter has a dog named Tank, beautiful white pit bull puppy, he is about 6 months old. Well he has been feeling punk the past few days, and my daughter was very worried. She doesn't have the money so I told her I would pay for him to go to the vet. We figured he just had garbage gut (he LOVES to knock over trash cans and see what booty they have in store) Well a fecal exam later and he has parvo. Talk about freak out time, they wanted 500 dollars up front to keep him and shes in tears. I'm trying to call Bret to get the ok to use the funds, she gets a hold of her bff who works at another vet's office, and they said for 200 deposit they would keep him. Now the only problem with that is we are an hour away...and of course they close in 45 minutes. I think I broke every speed barrier to get him to that vet's office. Now what has me freaking out is she brought him over only 2 days before this, and he and my newest addition were playing, and they were in the same kennel. My baby Tildy is current on all her shots, but she only had 2 of the parvo shots, she was scheduled to get the third one next week. I called my vet and we went and got the shot today. Plus her rabies and bordetella. And we set up the appointment to come back in three weeks to get another booster to be on the safe side and to have her spayed. She is 3 days from the day of exposure and I have to watch until Monday. If she shows no symptoms by Monday she should be good to go. She's being her usual active self, but I am soo paranoid I am afraid I am over watching her. We just got a call from the vet, Tank is reacting well with the medications, he's alert, he's active, and he has not thrown up since yesterday. (He never had the diarrhea, thank God) and they are moving him from ISO to another area (its still isolation but a little more friendly) He has to be kept calm because he has tried to remove his IV now twice from being excited. So we are guardedly optimistic. If he keeps improving the way he's going, he will be able to come home by Thursday. But he cannot go ''visiting'' for a looong while. Yesterday we bleached my entire house. Twice. We also bleached my front steps and back steps and porches. Today I did the back yard... and I have not finished it yet. But I got most of it. I have to go get another water hose and I also have to go get more bleach. I have a large back yard and so far I have used 1 and a half big bottles of bleach on the area's I can reach with the hose. I still have to do my front yard and the rest of the back. It's also 90+ degrees outside so I think I am going to wait a little longer to let it cool off. I let my dogs out (I have 5 total, but the others are all over a year old and up to date on all their shots) and I kept them in the area that I had already sprayed. Now its time for lunch...haha the real reason for my blog. That my dear friends is 8oz. of Chef Prepared Turkey salad with Cranberries (thats what the little dark things are, its not rabbit poo) I was very skeptical at first but omg it was really tasty, and only 215 calories according to MFP. I am still boycotting the scales, I do have a NSV. I have a pair of capris I bought a while back. They are size 20W and they were suuuper tight. I have them on right now and they are LOOSE! Anyways I will keep you updated TTFN

Ugh I feel you. I am preop (no surgery date just yet) and I am way more excited for the nsv rewards than the scale. I want to be able to ride on an airplane ( I don't even want to deal with the issues of being an obese person on a flight) , be able to go to theme parks and ride rides, not worry about if I will fit in the seat every where I go. I am very excited for those changes. I'm planing an Orlando vacation as soon as I loose some weight and ride every ride I can at disneyworld and islands of adventure. Anyways people don't realize how exhausting it is to be overweight. Like I always make sure to be the first one to show up to the restaurant so I can request a table ( not a booth). One time I couldn't do that I was on a date with my then boyfriend (now my ex) and they had to get a chair for me and I had to sit at the end of the table in a chair because all they had was a booth. I wanted to cry the whole time it was so embarrassing. I wanted to leave but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I can't wait until I never have to worry about things like that.

suepeeps first time i heard about shoes becoming to big, i thought it was a joke!!!! I realized some time ago that it can/and does happen about your feet getting smaller, still sounds weird to me though good for you on this NSV Sue - great job on your weight loss - keep doing what your doing, it is obviously working

The band is working and the waist is shrinking. I'm comfortably down to 50x30 individual fit waistband Dockers and it won't be too long until 48x30. I have about 8-10 pairs of 54x30 and two pairs of 52x30 that are scheduled to be donated to charity. I'm thrilled to be losing, but the cost of rapid wardrobe replacement isn't insignificant. If any of my fellow bandsters or their DH's living within a reasonable proximity to Katy, Texas (25 miles west of Houston) could make use of these pants, I'd be happy to hand them down. Due to the hassle of packing and shipping them, I can't extend the offer to anyone beyond a short drive. Email or PM me if you're interested; I'd be happy to meet you halfway.:bandit

Hi Beacheegirl, I dig what you are saying. ITs been all drama and soap opera here. I have been coming to this board for about 3 years now and I personally know Lisa and about another dozen bandsters personally. Had drinks with them, visited them at a Vegas Bash, celebrated NSV's, commisurated with eachother, suffered together etc... You have to understand this kind of bond. Some of the new folks (or quasi new) really need to appreciate the kinship that some of us had that really got this board up and running and spent lots of time helping those who needed help both with tough love and also kindness. Delarla (Lisa) rocks. She is a true friend to me and many others and she has been ousted wrongly. There are some folks here who should get the axe, but they haven't. The post under the guide of being helpful, but their tongues are double edge swords and they continue to fuel fires. If it were me, I would also defend my position. I would never let anyone walk on me or talk poorly of me. If it wasn't for this board, I never would have been as successful as I have been with my band. Babs in TX 334/180 ish -150 ish

I have reached the 1st major goal in my journey. I am 50 pounds lighter.....I am thrilled with the results in such a short amount of time. I could never have done this presurgery. I would have never been able to stick to the small portions, my BAND is my best friend!! I know that staying the course is my only recourse in my addiction and that I will be a recovering food addict forever even when I am at GOAL! I know this will always be an issue and that I need to look at it like an Alcoholic looks at booze! Food is now just something I need to keep my body going. I do not use it for making me feel better nor do I eat just to fit in or eat out of boredom. I love exercising and making that part of my regular life has been the best part. I now feel like a person with energy that can make a difference, by helping others, because I am able to MOVE and not feel pain. I am able to breath and run up a flight of steps....YES run.....before surgery I would of had to crawl up a flight of stairs.....or I would of just taken the elevator. I have had alot of NSV's but the best has been having my 4 year old grandson Adam crawl up into my lap and sit and talk with me, before surgery I had nowhere for him to sit.......I love this time with him now. I also can get down on the floor and crawl around with him playing and he loves it. I know this will only get better over time. I am well on my way to reach my goal of 140 pounds lost and a weight of 140 pounds. I am happier than I have been in I can't remember!! Don't lose hope, if I can do this anyone can!!

Congrats! My very first NSV was that my rings and bracelets fit again. Haven't gotten to the falling off my fingers stage yet, though.

So I got to the point where my scale at home pretty consistently says I've reached Onderland.....somewhere between 197-199 depending on how I've eaten and how much alcohol I've had. In one of my previous posts, I said I couldn't wait to get to that point and that I would savor it. Did I? No, not really. Mostly because I didn't really believe it at first. I figured it was due to water fluctuations or whatever other excuses I came up for myself. For what it's worth, the medical scale at my gym is still says 203 lbs, with gym clothes on. Maybe I'll believe it when that scale doesn't require me to move the heavy bar to 200...but either way, it doesn't really matter, I realize the number is rather arbitrary...it's more about how I look and feel. Which makes it rather ironic that I'm now really interested in this idea that I can get to 192lbs and that would represent 100lbs lost. I don't know how I will feel then....but I do know that 100lbs lost is a big accomplishment. I hope I let myself enjoy THAT milestone. On the NSV front, something that I don't notice must have changed about my appearance because both my mother and grandmother went on and on about how I'm nearly unrecognizable. I don't see my grandmother that often, the last time was at Christmas so I guess I can buy that I look different than I did then. But my mom? I'd seen her about 3 weeks before. A few other people have made comments so I guess I have no choice but to believe that I somehow look different but I honestly cannot see any tremendous change in the way I looked 2 months ago and the last time I saw my mom. The scale isn't really giving me any answers, I have seriously only lost maybe 2-3 pounds between mom visits. But I had been religiously going to my Crossfit class 2x a week so maybe I traded some fat loss for muscle gain which would account for the scale not really moving but having some sort of change in my appearance. I don't know. I guess I should just accept it but the mental gymnastics this weight loss thing requires is much more complicated than I'd anticipated. My dad has been away since March and is coming back next month and apparently my grandmother told him about my supposed grand transformation. Gee thanks, no pressure there, grandma! Not to say that my dad won't think I look different but I'm nervous that he'll be expecting me to look a certain way and I won't meet that expectation. I'm 5'4.....I still have a good 60lbs to go to get to a normal range and personally, I'd like to lose another 75lbs. I know my weight has been a family conversation for years but usually I'm not privy to them as I had asked everyone to back off a long time ago. Being the center of the conversation again, even on the positive side is not pleasant. So this post is a bit whiny (people are saying I've lost weight and look good....wah!) so I'll end with something a bit more upbeat. I'm planning on visiting my friend in Naples, Italy in November and she's a photographer. I've seen her take amazing pictures of people and make everyone look good and I asked her to shoot me but when I last visited her (3 years ago), she couldn't point the camera at me in anyway without me feeling uncomfortable. But this time I'm at my lowest weight ever and I look forward to getting some good pictures out of her so it's a good incentive to stick to my diet as much as possible and get some amazing pics out of the deal. Dieting for a photo shoot....how far I have come

My daughter tried out for softball today, and did so well the coach recruited her on the spot. On the way to car, she runs and catches us (out of breath) and explains she wants my 10yr old on her team and to secure her from the draft she needede ME to be her assistant coach...Im scheduled for surgery in three Weeks with Dr. Garcia, and will six Weeks post op when the season starts..Sleevie Family! I am usually a team mom, And my husband coaches baseball, but I got SO excited thinking how I could be active and feeling good about myself something I have always wanted to do, never played sports because I was an overweight child, I just wanted to share with my extended family this pre op NSV!

I don't get it. I worked SO hard today and still didn't meet my calorie burn goal for the day. I walked to campus twice, did yoga, did 45 minutes of exercise, walked for 10 minutes that evening, in addition to just sort of moving all day. Well, whatever, I still met my daily defecit goal, so now I can have junk at my dad's party. SCALE: 231.5 upstairs at the gym (228 at doctor's office) EXERCISE: Length: 45 minutes (25 minutes Arc trainer, 20 minutes treadmill) Intensity: Weight loss mode on Arc Trainer, steady state (3.3 mph at a 5% incline) on treadmill Activity: Arc Trainer & Treadmill (also walkeded to campus twice, did yoga for a half hour and walked 10 minutes that evening.) Calories burned start to finish: ~332 FOOD: BF: Apex chocolate meal replacement shake ... mmmmmmmm L: Loaded salad w/ Teriyaki Chicken D: Lean Cuisine Chicken & Veggies S: 1 rice krispie treat & some of Sara's Costa Vida Pork Salad CALORIES CONSUMED: 1,108 CALORIES BURNED: 2,679 CALORIE DEFECIT: 1,571 NSV: I could do yoga SO MUCH better than Sara. She's 10 pounds less than I was when I started. She used to be in better shape than me. I really hope she chooses to get a band in the near future.

Feeling good, 25 pounds gone FOREVER already!! I had my first fill 7/30, 2cc's. No restriction yet. NSV = 6 inches from my waist already!!! :ohmy:

Day 12. I am missing the one pee drug we ran out of. It has been a huge hassle to find out who the urologist is/was and to get more.(still don’t know) My wet behind the ears, fresh out of med school PA will not renew the prescription because “I am on too may diuretics” well I will stop taking the one YOU prescribed, give me the one that WORKS, so I don’t get up 6 time a night and dribble. I like to get a good night’s sleep. I have stated elsewhere that I find it appalling that I had pee issues prior to going to my WLS seminar and the soonest “new patient” appointment I could get is in October. I went from seminar to MAJOR surgery in 32 days but I can’t see a &%$#@* urologist! Scale said 328.6 I can see the difference in my legs, not so much in the belly. I have had a few NSV’s the last two days. My clothes fit a little looser, I can get in and out of the wife’s car easier, and I can get my wallet out of my back pocket while in said car. But the biggest NSV for me so far happened in the middle of the night last night. I can finally do a thorough job of wiping. My body can now twist enough that I don’t have to worry.

My doc said my blood pressure was great but he still wants me to stay on the dose I'm currently on. It's half the dosage I was on before surgery. I'm a little bummed but he is very cautious and he's going to check it again in six months. He said if I should have any issues I could come in sooner. I had a physical today and he said everything was looking good. As an aside and a total NSV when I went to have blood drawn she got it on the first try from my arm! Losing 80lbs totally helped them find my veins! Usually I would get stuck 2-4 times and they would end up taking it from my hand...which hurts really bad.

Today is the third day in a row of a nagging headache. I don't usually have headaches. It took me three days to realize what was going on. The pain starts in my shoulders and neck, and comes up and around the back of my head. Oh, yeah, that's right, a stress headache. In a twisted kind of way I take a stress headache as an NSV. I never used to get them. And I bet I wouldn't have one now if I could go to my kitchen and graze. I can simulate grazing, but it's only a nibble. I can't reach that mindless state of carb and fat laden fullness any more. So, I must find a way to cope. I've lost my drug. This headache is a sort of withdrawal. I don't like the headache, but I am amused by it. So, here I am, trying to keep busy, trying to dispel the stress another way. I'll be up late if anyone wants to talk.

I haven't had my VSG YET but I am already experiencing some NSV. Not having to stretch the bottom of my tshirt out for it to fit me feels odd...but it feels good!!

NSVs have been my motivating force the last few weeks! Here are some of mine: 1. I was able to comfortably cross my legs at church yesterday!!!!! YAY! 2. I was able to wear my wedding rings for the first time in 2 yrs. 3. I actually went to a work out class today at a local gym and didn't die! lol 4. I actually look forward to doing things more physical or being outside whereas before my surgery I would stay on my couch. Celebrating these victories is so important! Congrats to all you!

Vent away, it helps . Yes, doubts are common, we've all tried a zillion diets that have failed, what makes this different? I would make a list of things that motivate you- NSV's- like going on the rides at the fair without worrying they'll kick you off for being too fat, no seatbelt extender on an airplane, weighing less than DH (these are a few of mine, LOL). Have a little journal where you write your feelings- good and bad- and reasons to keep on keeping on. It's still a journey, even though you have some excellent help in the form of the band. It will have ups and downs, remember this is a lifetime thing, not another diet. So you can do it, I know you can, just feel your feelings, own them, and try not to eat them . Nicki

That's a great NSV! Good thing your hubby didnt punch him out or anything tho!heheheh

Last weekend we attended a party for a cousin's child. (See photos in A Chance to Compare.) Last night I got an e-mail from my uncle, who has long been a beloved figure in our lives but whom we only get to see twice a year or so. Since my dad died in 1994 this uncle has served in loco parentis when needed. He said, essentially, that he was sorry he hadn't had a chance to compliment me on how I looked at the party. He said: "I gather you've reached your objective." I was stunned, but realize that he hasn't seen me at this weight, well, ever. So that was pretty cool right there. But I wrote back and told him that while I have reached AN objective I'm not done losing weight and hope to lose another 60 or so. He said: "I'm very proud of you." Sniff.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share....... I went thru my closet today and found and old pair of jeans size 12. I was beyond excited that they even went over my butt, when I could actually button and zipper them and they fit I couldn't believe it!!!! I was so friggin excited!!!!!! I even sat in them and it didn't feel like the button was gonna pop off and ricochet off the walls or like I was squeezing myself to death lol. needless to say it was a good day :-)

@@Nurse_Lenora why in the world were you surprised?? you and i knew you were doing terrific great pics keep up the good work 90 lbs and counting gone!!!! kathy congrats ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i leased a beautiful red Honda civic today so cool!!!! luv it luv it luv it last time i had a new car was 9 years and 143,000 miles NSV this car is bigger than my previous Honda FIT and i am smaller than my new Honda Civic LOL go figure kathy

Today is a crucial day for my preop timeline. The last two pieces of the puzzle are hopefully going to be in place today so my surgeon can submit for insurance authorization. I am having my last weigh in at my PCP and my final appointment at my sleep center to pick up my clearance. Upon submission for insurance auth, I also get to choose my surgery date, which they told me could be as early as late May! To top it ALL off, I finally fit back into my spanx!!! The last time I tried to get them on, I pulled a muscle in my neck. Today I got them on without a struggle and feel like I can finally breathe. The support of my flabby belly is much needed. HW: 328 (02/22/17) SW: TBD CW: 288 Pounds disowned to date: 40