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I just got new panties in the mail today! This is a BIG NSV for me, since before I went into maintenance mode I just bought plain, cheap ones as I shrank. But now that I'm right where I want to be, I got some really cute ones! Also got two nice new bras, and a bikini that I look dang hot in! I've never been the materialistic or superficial type, but just this once I'm enjoying having some nice (SMALL!) things to wear that I look good in! Yet again my band journey has amazed me...

this is totally a wonderful NSV! dont it feel great? lol

Doing the happy dance with you! Fantastic NSV!!! Enjoy the tar out of it! Congrats!!!

Wow Brandy! You go girl. I went to my high school reunion (10 year) and wish I hadn't! I was a size 8/10 in high school and 24 at my reunion. NO ONE RECOGNIZED ME! No one! They would read my name tag and look at my face and then it would click. It was awful! I didn't dance or anything. I had some friends pick on me - So you're too good to dance now. I told them no - I just can't do it anymore...it wears me out and my back hurts. I'm so glad you have a great time! You rock girlie! What a great NSV!

Congratulations on losing 116 pounds, that is awesome! I am 3 days out and it is inspiring to hear how far you have come. You can reach your goal! So glad you have also noticed the NSV's, too. Looking forward to more updates as you continue to get to your goal!

This was one of my first NSVs and it was awesome! Congrats on your success!

(NSV = Non-Scale Victory)

Hmmmm. Where to begin! My wedding rings are virtually falling off after once strangling my finger. I can sit in a chair and see the chair on both sides rather than my big ole butt hanging over the sides! I can see my collar bone again! My cheeks look awesome! I had to buy all new shoes because mine were all too big. HAD to buy new clothes even though I am not at goal because my skirt FELL OFF at church last week! I now weigh 30 lbs less than my hubby rather than 30 lbs more! I am shopping in the skinny girl side of the store again! I have gone from a 2X to a medium in most everything, My bra size is down to a 36D rather than a 42DD. I have a waistline! I can wear belts and colors again! I, too, can sit in a booth rather than squish into one. I have tons more energy! I can hop and run and climb and not die! I get killer compliments from just about everyone who sees me, young and old! Men hold the door open for me again rather than dropping it in my face. I wear a B in panty hose again instead of a Q. Oh my gosh, my brain is tired! There is so much more! I love NSVs, mine and everyone else's! It is sooooo neat to read them all! I get so excited!!!

I have a few good ones, but I think the best one was being able to go shopping -- in normal sizes -- and feeling great about how I looked. It was the first time in many years that I was able to go shopping without being totally disgusted with myself about how I looked and how much weight I had let myself put on. I had another one this morning. . . my size 16 banana Republic pants (the ones that I just dreamed of getting into when I first got banded) are getting too big!! WOO-HOO! :wink2: Catherine

I. AM. GRATEFUL!' I am so grateful for this forum and the people here. I am 16 days post-op and just hit my first mini-stall. I've not had a drop in my weight in 2 days BUT thanks to the people here I am able to stay strong, positive and consistent. Thanks to you, I knew weeks before my surgery that I would have a stall, very likely between week 2 and 4 post op. Thanks to you, I also knew that I should get a fancy scale and track my fat % (still dropping!) Thanks to you I knew that a stall would be most likely to occur when I increased my exercise before I was able to consume more calories. And most importantly, thanks to you I knew it was all going to be OK in the end. You even provided me with the tools to cope: focusing on my NSV (non scale victories) So here they are... *I no longer have dents at my temples from my eyeglasses being too tight *I no longer get winded going up my front steps *I can wear a dress without my thighs chafing *My seatbelt isn't as difficult to get on This is only 16 days after surgery!!!! So, from the freshly sleeved and those nursing your new baby pouches, I want to hear what you're grateful for even very early on. Lay it on me!

I can't possibly name just one.....there are so many! These are my most recent NSVs: Getting rid of all clothes with a "W" or "X" behind the size. Sitting comfortably in a booth that I had to squeeze behind last fall. Watching my face lose the bloat and become familiar again. Racing up my front stairs without even getting winded. Throwing out my size 12 granny panties that had gotten baggy. I'm only half-way through my journey, but I feel amazing and genuinely proud of myself. I wonder what exciting NSVs losing the next 50 pounds will bring........:wink2: By the way, Catherine, I read your blog regularly and really enjoy your insight. I'm in awe of your boot camp endurance!

You know when people talk about NSVs (non-scale victories), they often mention fitting into a smaller size or doing something like swimming that they were uncomfortable doing before - well being diabetic and for so many years (26 years to be exact). My NSV is that in the last 3 weeks, I have reduced my Levemir (my 1x daily basal insulin) from 50 units to 36 units! I have NEVER done that before!!! Also, where I was often taking 20 units of Novorapid at meals, I now take 3-6 units. My blood sugars are really good, stable and I feel absolutely fabulous! :smile2: It is so ironic, because one of the reasons that I fell off the wagon for a number of months was because I felt like a failure - all around me (on this forum) people were redusing the meds and going off insulin and I WAS NOT! I was so frustrated! But look!!!! I am doing it now!!!! (Can you tell I'm a little excited)????

That is a wonderful NSV. I love "going shopping" in my own closet, lol. Congratulations.

This afternoon I droves husbands car to go do the shopping. I was getting back in the car at the store and snapped my seat belt and realized I had never moved the seat belt extender from the passenger seat where I normally sit in his car to the drivers seat I had no problem buckling the seat belt and had plenty of extra room. I was thrilled!!! Good bye extender. I never want to see you again. 65 pounds down as of Thursday!!!!

I finally bought my first Victoria's Secret bra! I've been trying not to buy much in the way of new clothes, but today I bought a smaller bra, and some smaller pants and blouses for work! I'm down 33.2 lbs so far (I'm 5 weeks post op today) and things were starting to get big enough that they looked funny! I'm so happy with how everything is going!!!!!!! Here's me back in April vs. now.

I'll call that a huge NSV. what a great feeling. congrats. as a male I have no use for your clothes, but best of luck getting some money from them for your new wardrobe!

That's a big NSV! Congrats. I have a pair or two of old jeans/pants/capris winking at me, while waiting to be conquered. Good for you!

If the many diets that you have tried over the years don't help you lose weight, weight loss surgery may turn out to be the only strategy that is able to get you to your goal weight. Still, weight loss surgery is just a tool, and your weight loss depends on your hard work over the years from when you first plan your surgery to when you are maintaining your goal weight. A healthy lifestyle includes eating right, exercising regularly, and silencing the doubtful voices in your head and of your family and friends. Measuring each bite of food, and getting up before dawn to take a walk, and passing up your aunt’s homemade peach pie can get tiresome. Motivating yourself and setting good goals can help you consistently make the right decisions for your health. These are a few tips to help you. Why Are You Losing Weight? It’s easy to remember why you want to lose weight when you are having trouble finding small-enough clothes or your weight is above the limit for a theme park ride. It’s harder to remember why you want to lose weight when you and a group of friends are at the dinner table with a large chocolate cake. Making a list of the reasons why you want to lose weight and looking at the list often can keep the reasons fresh in your mind and strengthen your resolve to resist temptation. These are some of the common reasons for getting weight loss surgery. Live longer. Be healthier – get off medications or manage your health conditions better. Participate in more activities with friends and family. Go shopping in regular stores with great clothes. Fit comfortably into car seats, restaurant booths, and movie theater and airplane seats. Feel better about yourself. Make It Personal Deepen your motivation even further and use it to help you stay on track if you think about some of the reasons why you are losing weight that have to do with people in your life. These might be some of your reasons. You want to be an active parent who is able to play with your children. You want to be alive and healthy when your children graduate from high school or give you grandchildren. Obesity is making you miss out on important moments like family hikes. You watched an overweight parent or aunt or uncle suffer from diabetes or heart disease at a young age, and know that you may be headed in the same direction. Your siblings also suffer from obesity and its consequences, and you want to break the pattern. Think About the Short, Medium, and Long Term The weight loss journey is a long and difficult process, to say the least. You need to spend months or years preparing for weight loss surgery by getting the payment sorted out, choosing a surgeon, and following the pre-surgery diet. Then there is the actual surgery, followed by months of recovery that can include pain, nausea, and complications. As you recover, you need to learn an entirely new way of eating and living, and may be hungry, cranky, and tired. Finally, there is the rest of your life, as you lose weight and stay on your new eating plan. Every day can be filled with challenges such as tempting but forbidden foods, the need to exercise, and how to deal with people who may not be supportive of your surgery. Goals give you something specific to work towards. The long-term goals are the big ones. They may be the ones that you have in mind when you get weight loss surgery or that you tell other people. Some long-term goals might be losing 100 pounds, or jogging five miles without stopping. Those long-term goals can take years to accomplish, and setting some short-term goals can keep you focused as you work toward the long-term goals. They can include losing 5 pounds this month or speed-walking for a mile. These are some other short-term goals that can keep you on track day-to-day. Lowering your blood pressure or cholesterol or blood sugar levels enough so that your doctor tells you to lower your dose of medications. Going for a month without going to a fast food restaurant. Hitting your protein and water goals every day for a week. Vary Your Goals Victories can be few and far between if your goals are too narrow, and this mistake can leave you feeling unmotivated. Consider what happens if the only goals that you have are to lost certain amounts of weight. What happens if you do not hit a certain weight loss goal? Does that mean that your hard work has been pointless? Of course not, but you might feel that way if that was the only goal that you were working towards. Learn to look for and recognize all kinds of progress by setting goals that go beyond your weight. When you achieve them, you have earned a non-scale victory (NSV). While a lower number on the scale is easy to see, NSVs are what make life worth living. They can include the following. Getting in good enough shape to be able to walk briskly with your husband. Making it through an entire dinner at your parents’ house without taking offense at any negative comments about your surgery. Going out with your friends and enjoying their company without giving in to the food. Celebrate! We’re all a work in progress. With weight loss surgery comes years of working on improving your health. The only way to keep up the effort, and the only way to make the effort worthwhile, is to celebrate! Celebrate the small victories to be sure that you realize how valuable your efforts are. Buy yourself a new kitchen scale, get your nails done, go out for coffee with a friend, or plan a hiking trip. You are worth working for, and your victories are worth celebrating. You can lose more weight and keep it off when you stay focused, but that can be challenged. Remind yourself of your motivations and celebrate all kinds of victories to keep yourself in the game.

Amen to that I can't wait until that day plus size clothing can be super pricey depending on where you go not to mention bras 50 bucks a pop..congrats on your NSV!!!!

Woohoo! NSV's are the best weight loss success, even better than scales. Congrats! Karen

It happened yesterday as I was leaving the house, my 7 yr old granddaughter said, "Wow Nana! You're getting skinny!". I stopped dead in my tracks and was speechless. I, think I went into shock! Well, I finally said thank you, with a smile. I confess, I wanted to cry! Although, my clothes are getting really loose and I've seen some physical changes, some part of me is not seeing or accepting! But, babygirl's compliment broke through and hit home! Yeah me!!! So glad, I started taking care of me and got my sleeve!!! This is only the beginning:)

Hey congrats! :wow2: Thats a great NSV! Keep up the good work!

just over a year ago I went out and bought a set of "how did I get this fat and need to get rid of it quick" work out clothes, unfortunately after my back surgery I gained some more weight and those clothes (in a size I SWORE was the biggest I was ever going to be in my life...yeah right)didn't fit quite right. Well..... Today i wore that outfit (bra and all) to go walk on the treadmill at the gym today!!!!! I actually did a little happy dance when the bra went right on with no pulling, tugging, swearing or contortionist moves. I love those silly little moments that make us smile! Skye

Congratulations! Isn't it crazy? Great NSV!

Addicted here! : ) I weigh every morning but not again the rest of the day. Seems most people go up alittle as the day goes on. Some days it is down a little in the morning, then it might pop back up for a day or two, then down again. So long as it stays 2 steps forward and 1 step back, I am fine with it. Weighing once a week or even longer might be better, but I would be pretty bummed if the one day I weighed was one of those up days instead of a down day! LOL My scale has hardly moved recently but I bought a smaller size of jeans today. If you haven't taken your measurements, I would suggest doing that. I was shocked to find out that I had lost 40 inches the last time I checked! Keep a list of NSV (non scale victories). Those will keep up your spirits when the scale disappoints! Good luck!