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Today is my 3 month anniversary of my band. I think I've just had my most profound NSV to date. I was just spooning some cole slaw into a tiny 1/2 cup tupperware and had the thought.... "Wow that's ALOT of cole slaw!" Are you kidding me? I never would have believed it until it happened. Sure during my first week of recovery it took me 3 hours to eat 1/2 cup of Jello. But not now! Seriously I'm floored. Talk about a change in self-talk. I may be just slowly ticking away at the weight, but this moment shows me that alot more is changing than just my size. Woo hoo!!!!

Whats NSV? nancy

No wonder you're so happy! That's a great NSV.

I'm impressed! Those are some really great NSVs!

Hi August Bandsters!!!! i will have my 6 month BANDIVERSARY on 2-18-04! i have had 10+ fills and have had problems getting restriction. i am now at 4.1 cc in a 4.0 cc band with pretty good restriction although i can still eat any meat pretty much anything. i have lost 40 pounds to date and i cant complain about that!!!! i tried the not dieting thing and letting the band 'work for me' and it did to some extent~ i never gained any weight but i didnt lose either. the only weight i have lost has been through diet and exercise. now that i have restriction we'll see how it works combined with diet and exercise. NSV so far: *not fearing ANY seat- movie, booth, chair with arms *starting size 30/32 current size 22 have even fit into a few 20's *rings that were to tight before surgery are now to loose!!!! *love life~ i leave that one alone but it is improved! *not being the biggest person at winter banquet this year! *increased energy and productivity (losing seems to motivate me??) *exercising- i actually enjoy it now! and i am building some stamina! *being able to pull of a few SEXY clothes!

My surgery was on August 19th and I've lost right at 40 pounds. My weight loss has been slower than I expected, but 40 pounds in 6 months isn't too bad. Hopefully it will be another 40+ in the next 6 months. NSV's... *went from a size 22/24 to a 16 *feel MUCH better *am able to keep up with my 3 year old ****too many more to mention.

A little out of the loop... NSV? What is that??

Not selfish to get healthy and treating a disease. You will be modeling this lifestyle for your kids. They will be learning your habits of eating healthy and activity/exercise. One of my NSVs is keeping up with my active 3 year old grandson and 5 month old granddaughter. Congrats on your upcoming surgery.

Actually, I can see where this would be a major NSV, especially if you wer raised as a member of the clean-plate club! You have just managed to overcome a lifetime of habit and conditioning, you threw away food! I say this AMAZING work!

Congratulations. I had the same NSV last week on my trip to and from Vegas as well.

So very happy for you....enjoy all the lil NSV !!!

Well, I am back to make another entry. I had another "Aftercare" visit yesterday. My Official weight as of yesterday (per doc's scale = official) was 289. My last official weight 1 month prior was 293.5 - so I have officially lost 3.5 pounds. My unoffical weight (unofficial = my scale + 4 lb) this morning was 287.5 pounds. Not exactly supermodel fitness - but a damned site better than the original 357 pound that I started at when I first joined LBT. I was pretty gung ho going into March - but I must say that a number of life's little occurances stood between me and my motivation this month. 1) 1 week of vacation. Vacations are always a trap for me. I am out playing - and I don't want to do anything that resembles work... including exercise. Plus - road food leaves something to be desired in the nutrition and fitness category. I would have been ok - cause I had planned to come home and get back on it however.... 2) DH was sick - REALLY sick - with a high fever for 10+ days... First his temp spiked up to about 103 - then he started throwing up and was unable to keep any foods down - then he got delirious from the fever and lack of food... I took days off to take care of him - and because there were only certain things that he would/could take into his system without throwing up, I had to shop a lot. The longer he was sick, the more desperate I was to get some calories into him - which led to less than stellar foods making their way into my kitchen. Plus, the constant worry about him took all my energy. I just didn't care about diet & exercise at all with him so sick. So by the time he was better enough to start taking care of himself - we were already thru week three in March. 3) Job Hell all month. Lay-offs, program changes, uncertain as to whether I would/will have a job in April. Nothing like worrying about your financial future to stress you out. And what does Irene do when she is stressed out? Well, she EATS, of course. And she eats nachos and donuts - not veggies. *sigh* (spoiled, lazy AND weak.) 4) And just for shits and giggles - my refridgerator stopped working 3 days ago (repairman comes today) which meant I had to throw away almost everything in it and clean it so the repairman can fix it. I have been eating take-out for the last few days, and there is this lovely "rotten food" smell in my house... Hopefully the rain will let up so I can hang the doors open and air the place out, soon. 5) Last, but not least, somebody rifled through my car last night while it sat in the driveway. Nothing like walking out to find all your stuff strewn around the inside of your car to start your day off right. Thankfully, either the door was unlocked (maybe?) or they kids who rifled it just happen to have an electronic lock gizmo that works on my car (somewhat worrying). So, they didn't really do much damage - they didn't even take my crappy stereo, although they broke a piece of plastic facing trying to - and there wasn't a damned thing in the car that they wanted. So far as I can tell, nothing is missing except 20 cents from the change slot. So aside from the worry that they do have an electronic gizmo that opens my door locks, it was just a pain in the ass to have to clean up the mess before I could leave for work. I guess I won't be leaving the Hope Diamond in my car overnight any time in the near future. *sigh* So, the trick now is - what the hell do I do with this big ol' pile of stress? I want to curl up into the foetal position and suck down a couple of boxes of chocolate - but I think that might be somewhat counter-productive to both my attempts to retain my job and my attempts to lose weight. I really can't feel too badly about losing 3.5 pounds last month. March has been FAR too much drama for me. Any one of those things would have been too much drama. All of them is practically overwhelming. I am trying to be proactive at work. There isn't any actual WORK to do (can you say "Sub-Prime Mortgage"? - sure you can) but I am working on an alternative career selection as I wait to get laid off with the rest of my co-workers. I go tomorrow for an informational seminar on getting certified to be a Teacher here in Colling County, TX. I have been spending my days at work researching how to go about that, and brushing up on my once-fluent Spanish. I have a degree in Psychology, a minor in English, and plenty of Spanish Language credits on my transcripts. If I can get certified to teach English & Spanish, I should be able to get a job teaching full time. I want to do Math, too - but I don't think I have the credits for it. I would have to go back to school for that. I guess I might have time to do that if I get laid off! *sigh*. I need to be more proactive about exercise, too. The Aftercare gal reminded me that exercise helps with stress control & relief - so I guess I am going to have to get to the gym and hit the elliptical machine. My eating has been sporadic. Some days I eat proper bandster portions, some days I don't. Unfortunately, I have been making some less than stellar food choices. It would be so much less irritating if I didn't KNOW better - but I DO know - and still choose the wrong stuff. How crazy is that? I am going to have to see a counselor of some kind. I really am. I could be so much farther along in my weightloss journey if I didn't sabotage myself at every turn. But stinking counselors cost money - and I am trying to SAVE money right now - just in case I have to live on unemployment... *shudder* I really, really wish that I could regain the motivation I had when I was battling the insurance company. I was so into the whole thing... I went from 357 to 331 on my own prior to surgery, doing low carb and exercising 4 days a week. But it's hard to do the right things when the weight is sliding off anyway. It doesn't go away FAST - but it goes, even if I eat carbs, even when I don't exercise..... So, for now, I will just keep creeping downward... 3-4 pounds per month... It certainly beats creeping upward. I hope things even out, soon. I planned on needing 3 yrs to get to goal... not 10! NSV's **Weird one - I can feel my port for the first time ever. It was too deep under a layer of fat to feel it, before.

WooHoo! Congrats!! I love NSVs!

I had a great NSV today! My size 24 jeans were getting pretty loose, so I decided to dig out my size 22's, and guess what? THEY FIT PERFECTLY!!!!! They aren't even tight!!! WOO HOOO!!!!:clap2:

I sprained my ankle severely when I was cleaning a closet on Sunday. I was digging out "skinny" clothes and tripped. So I went to see my orthopedic doctor on Monday afternoon, because I thought I had also broken bones in the foot. I wore a brace (laces, straps, etc) in to the doctor - but took with me one of those walking boot casts (metal, straps, etc) I had from a bad sprain a couple of years ago. The doc verified it was a really bad sprain - no broken bones. She told me I would need to wear a boot cast for a month. I pulled the one I had from under the exam table - and she looked at it. She said - that it would work - BUT THAT THEY WOULD TOTALLY HAVE TO REBUILD IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LARGE. Yea!

I've been having some issues with my sleeve playing bad head games on me. The psychologist at my surgeon's office suggested that I don't go off my daily 30 mg dose of Cymbalta and I'm glad I didn't. I've been stalled for about six weeks now, going back and forth from 207 to 210. The stall is getting SO DISCOURAGING. My highest weight was 273 and I'm feeling a lot better, but I'm still so far away from my goal of 135-140 pounds. I'm about five-and-a-half months out. The NSVs are definitely a tradeoff with the negatives. NSVs (Non-Sleeve Victories) include going off one of two blood pressure meds, going off an anti-inflammatory med, knees and feet feel a lot better. I'm about out of another pair of too-big jeans. My stress incontinence is about over, and my cheekbones are starting to emerge. My husband says my sleep apnea is waning and I'm not snoring nearly so much if I nap or fall asleep without my CPAP. On the negative side, I am definitely grieving food, although I believe you can still eat beautiful, fabulous food prepared well -- just not as much of it and definitely not some things. My face looks like a red-dotted road map with zits and I've been having hair loss, although I think I may be turning the corner on that. The nausea that hits if I eat too quickly is a little disconcerting, but I'm dealing with it. But all in all, I'm glad I did it. I feel much better and have lots more energy. Onward, Carol

Had a nice lunch with my mom and then we hit the mall, oh my, it had been a while since I had been shopping and boy was it fun. Ended up in a regular department store, plus size section but regular department store and purchased size 1X shirts, I was so excited. This time last year I was wearing size 26/28 and they were tight and 3X's were beginning to get tight. I still have big arms so I buy 3/4 length sleeves plus I stay cold all the time anyway year around so it doesn't bother me but these shirts were super duper cute. Just had to share. thx.

Okay y'all. ..this is my first and finest NSV. I had my surgery with Dr. Illan on August 12th in Tijuana. I went to my PCP today and he took me completely off my diabetes medicine. I have been type 2 diabetic for 9 yrs. I have never been able to control it a good day for me was 250. The dr. Had told me my kidneys were going to fail if I didn't do something. I already had the numbness on my feet and my fingers. This surgery was my last chance. This surgery. has literally saved my life. Thank you Susan and Omar most of all thank you Dr. Illan.

This is a fabulous NSV!

Great NSV's, especially the blood pressure!!!

First NSV of the week came on sunday when I went to go buy a new pair of pants since the ones I have are getting too big. Pre-surgery (june 8th) I wore a size 24 pants, sunday I was able to buy a size 18!!! There is no longer a 2 in front of my pant size!! Second NSV of the week came today at work. It was freezing in my office and I did not have any sweaters with me so I went to grab one of my labcoats that have been hanging on the back of my office door for years. I have not worn one in forever since they were wayyyyyyy to tight in the arms and came no where close to buttoning. I put on the coat and guess what??!!! All the buttons were able to close and I have room to spare!! Could not be happier about my decision to go through with this surgery!

Here is something I noticed the other day when out for my daily walk with my dog. When I am out walking, my gait is normal and flat on my foot. One foot lines up in front of the other and nothing's rubs except a slight touch right above the knees. This feels so much better when walking then before when my inner thighs would rub to redness. My natural gait is now a pretty quick clip and it feels fine. And yes, it feels more comfortable to cross my legs then not when sitting for a long time. The only issue with sitting a long time is my bony butt now gets a little uncomfortable.

The problem for me is I can gain quickly and the regain comes off slow. I went back to basics to lose the weight. **The just give me ten days weight loss challenge** The Challenge #64 starts on January 3rd. I will post the link soon You will need to use the myfitnesspal food log app to join. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myfitnesspal.android&hl=en_US _______________________________Example of the challenge below__________________________ Round # 63 Please join us! Starting on 12/24 JUST GIVE ME 10 DAYS, we will begin Round 63 Anyone can join us at anytime during the round. Join us! If we stay mindful we can do this, you can do this. Welcome back past members, welcome new members, let's keep each other accountable for another 10 days! Here is what you do: Post your daily weight and add little comments along the way of how your day went. Post everyday to let us know how you're doing! Copy and paste the days in your response--tell us how much you lost and other non scale victories (NSV) you'd like to share. FOR NEWBIES - I find it easiest to copy the dates to a document or note in my device and edit it each morning. Then copy and paste to the message board. MFP will return you to the spot on the board where you left off on your previous visit which is nice to know if you like to scan all of the posts. Day/Weight/Comment 12/24 12/25 12/26 12/27 12/28 12/29 12/30 12/31 01/01 01/02 👍🏼👍🏼 This is NOT A DIET. It’s a LIFESTYLE. 👍🏼👍🏼

I remember during my undergrad studies in Psychology reading a paper that talked about people who were addicted to gambling and a peculiar memory trait that only allowed them to remember the times that they won. This caused them to constantly misjudge the odds when placing a bet, because the were overly optimistic about their chances. I think that we who are fat have a similar trait, but in reverse. We only remember the times that we have failed in our journey to be fit, and so when there is temptation, when there are rough spots we err by forgetting all the scale victories, all the nsvs, all the times that we beat temptation and made a right choice and we only remember the times when we failed. So we believe that failure is inevitable and give in. Today has been a hard day for me, I am experiencing a bit of bandster hell, combined with a generous portion of head hunger and emotional eating and the only thing I can think about is why bother, I am just going to fail anyhow. No, I haven't given in to those voices, but I have had one NSV after another this last week, I am within 4 pounds being at the lowest weight I have been at since I was a freshman in high school, and yet my failures are the memories parade before me today. One of the things that the people of the Old Testament did when God did something spectacular in their lives was they built a marker, a pile of stones to remind them of the victory that had happened in that place. I think I need to start building some markers in my life so that I can concentrate on the victories, and not the defeats.

Congratulations! Every tiny little milestone is a reason for celebration! I can't wait until I'm sleeved and can have my own little NSVs.