Search the Community

Yes this is a pic of my legs crossed!!! This feels so wonderful after not being able to do this for sooo many years!!! I'm 7 1/2 months postop and down 78 lbs!! Forgive me! I couldn't resist the pic! Hehe

I would consider that a NSV!

Here I am 4 months post – op! I’ve got good new to celebrate and some not so good, but overall I’d say my journey is still moving along!!! I haven’t gained any weight, but I can’t technically say I’m at a stall just yet either. I went to the Dr today, and received a 1cc Fill. The last couple of appointments, the Dr was really “proud” and said I was losing at a proper weight (6-8lbs per month)… well, I went in today and had only lost 4lbs. His first question was, “So, what happened this month? You’ve been losing at about 7lbs a month..” he asked if it was my portion control, or maybe I’m not eating the right things… I told him I was doing a Zumba-like class and doing the stairs at my job on my breaks and that I did feel like I was getting hungry more often than before. He basically said he wanted to up my cardio more, and that he’d add just a little to my band. Right now I’m on liquids which I’m not too happy about. My Drs appt was at 1:15p and I had a small breakfast. I wasn’t sure I’d even be getting a fill this time around, but I did, and once I left the office I couldn’t eat. I’ve been hungry ever since.. I’m looking forward to the chicken noodle soup broth I’ll be drinking later! I just wish I had a good lunch before going to the Dr… and I didn’t L I’ve had one NSV that comes to mind… I had a pair of jeans with a pretty studded embellishment on the pant leg that I used to LOVE to wear!...Well, of course I gained weight and could barely wear these jeans. These jeans were so tight! I had to button them UNDER my stomach, and even then I could barely tolerate wearing them… my butt crack was peeking out of those babies! They had to be taken out of rotation and deemed my “muffin top” jeans instead of my “studded” jeans. L Well, low and behold, I tried on those “muffin top” jeans and they are NO LONGER “muffin top” jeans! They’re my old “studded” jeans again! I can button them OVER my stomach, love handles, and ALL! I was just amazed how my ENTIRE behind is covered now! No peek-a-boo crack showing! I can not lie, I don’t care how gross this sounds, but I wore those jeans two days in a row I was SO ecstatic! And I told everyone who saw me, that “these were my muffin top jeans!”, but not any longer, I’m so proud of me!! LoL! Now, that was ALL my good, now for the BAD … I experienced my first PB while at work last week. This is going to be graphic… just a warning! … I was in the lunch room by myself and for lunch I brought Salisbury Steak a little bit of rice and green string beans. So I heat my food and sit down at the computer they have in the lunch room. Now while I’m checking my Facebook and email, things are going very smoothly. I’m eating slowly and chewing, mainly because I was more into Facebook than the food. So I finish playing on the computer, and realize I’ve used most of my lunch break playing instead of eating… So I move away from the computer and go sit at the table and try to eat as quickly as possible while chewing at the same time… And as I look back on it now, I see my mistake and I’m sure you see it too! There’s no such thing as “eating quickly” with the band. You MUST take your time! So, I chewed some steak, swallowed and felt the pain of being stuck! Now, I’ve been stuck before, and waited a few seconds maybe minute and it passed, but this time the pain was soooo NOT the same! It was in my side, my throat, and I think I even felt the pain in my port! I could be exaggerating but you get my point! I quickly wrapped up my food, because I just was NOT interested any longer… And as I’m walking I’m swallowing just spit, not a whole bunch , but in my mind I was hoping this would help the steak pass… I then remember I have papaya enzymes in my work bag… I go to my back as calmly as possible and I shake out four tablets.. LoL or at least try to! I think about ten or eight flew out the way I was shaking that bottle! I pop them back and walk to the bathroom… I’m chewing and chewing the enzymes, praying this helps and the pain goes away, and then as soon as I shut the bathroom door behind me, I burp! Slime and enzyme particles in my hand…very gross! I pour the slime in the sink… I burp two more times (nothing productive though) and I was my hands and walk out of the bathroom as if nothing ever happened… I felt completely normal again. Normally when people spit up I figure you have that sick “after shock” type feeling and that gross after taste in the back of your throat you keep swallowing to get rid of, but I had none of that. I really felt fine afterwards… I was even hungry about an hour or two later… I didn’t eat anything, but I felt like my band, Michaelangelo, he taught me a valuable lesson… “Slow the f!%$k down!”… Well… my weight is slowly declining, and I’m in good spirits! Hopefully next month I’ll have more NSVs and see some weight drop on the scale! TTYL OH!

You are doing everything you are supposed to AND you are losing weight. I don't see the problem? As for being in a different part of the journey, you are right, I am 15 months out, but I have been where you are and I'm just saying you are making yourselves miserable for no reason. You've actually lost more than I had at 4 weeks out but I celebrated every pound I lost as a success. You see your loss as a failure. The only difference is perspective. My biggest advice has always been "stay off the scale, get in all your Protein, Water and Vitamins and don't overeat. Enjoy the NSV's". This can be the best time of your life or you can stress and be miserable. The choice is yours.

I'm sure y'all will think I'm nuts but I'm just so excited. I love wearing boots. Cowboy boots, knee high boots etc. My ENTIRE life my boots have always been right around my ankles and my calves. I never have had that extra space around top. Well tonight that's of the past. I put on a pair of knee high winter boots and I had extra space. They weren't tight... In fact they were almost too big!!!! A month ago I had to leave the tops of this exact pair unzipped a little because they were so tight!! I can't wait for more victories!!!

So...heard these two recently and can't stop thinking about it. First was my physical therapist who was massaging my hip area to try to ease the tightness and pain. I was on my side and my pelvic bone was quite prominent. As he was massaging, he said, 'you're nothing but skin and bones...we need to get you stronger'. Skin and bones....OMG...me..he was talking about me. Amazing. Second was at Burlington Coat Factory last Saturday while looking for a winter coat. Asked the saleswoman where the women's coat are. I realized she might have thought I meant women's as in larger sizes so I clarified I meant for women but in misses or petite sizes and she said of course she knew that's what I meant and that looking at me it was obvious I wasn't looking for larger sizes. Again...so great to hear. Here's the problem though. I feel like I'm 'passing'. It reminds me of when light-skinned people of color passed as white back in the day. Not that I really have any experience with that. I'm white and have never really known that type of predjudice. But the feeling of not really being one of 'those' people...well, that I do know how it feels. I feel like a fat person passing for a thin one. I'm still not there in my head. Sorry for going off topic, but it's what's going on in my brain these days..and like I've always said, if I'm thinking these things, so are others. Guess I should mention this when I see the psychologist tonight...

Looking forward to that day! Congrats on your NSV

Remember that the scale isn't the only place where you see results. I was very surprised when I was going down in sizes but the scale was staying the same. I guess that's called NSV (non scale victories). Your body just readjusts the weight and its wonderful.

I'm only 3 weeks out, but today was a day of reckoning for me in my closet. I've had clothes I bought a while back I had planned to get in to, but never did, we're talking 2-3 years ago time frame. I bought some really nice Ralph Lauren shirts, and some boot cut jeans, not the relaxed boot cut either, wife loves my butt in them. I also had an awesome Magellan button down shirt I got on clearance at Bass Pro, always wanted to wear the shirt on the lake fishing but could never fit in to it. Today I was curious. I started with the jeans. Size 42. I sat on the bed and slid one leg in, good so far, the other, and then all the way up. I have room in them. They're now belt pants, meaning if I don't wear a belt with them, folks will be getting a free show anytime I walk without pulling them up. I was stoked, wife was pleased as well. I do have a pair for 40's in the closet I may have to try on next week. To the shirts. I have a nice collection of dress shirts. My mom used to always buy me custom monogrammed taylored dress shirts when she was alive. Today I tried on 5 of them, only 1 fit. The 4 that don't look like Amur the tent builder made them, they're huge on me. I can fit myself, and my 9 year old in them with room. The one that fit was a 3XL dress shirt. Guys know, a 3XL dress shirt is like a regular 2XL as undoubtedly they run small. My favorite pin stripe dress shirt will have to go though, sadly. I loved that shirt. I'm looking forward to some more clothes fitting, but I'm afraid of wanting to hang on to the old clothes, at least maybe the shirts. They just have meaning and history in them. Perhaps I'm just too sentimental. The pinstripe shirt stays, no doubt. The others though, they may go to charity soon.

About the same time I was ready to start purging some items, I received a donation bad in the mail from the Lupus foundation. They request you fill it up and give them a call. They came and picked up 3 big bags of very good condition items. Double my NSV!!

It wasn't my first NSV, but I must share! The other night hubby and I were intimate and when he had his arms around me, I could feel that his hand could reach further around me than he had previously been able to. It made me feel so good. I told him about it the next day, but he didn't seem to understand why what seemed like such a small thing meant so much to me.

Haha! I LOVE these stories! You guys rock! I just had someone tell me that it was time to burn the vest I wear a lot, that it was way too big for me now. And that was already two sizes down from what I was wearing at the start of this whole process! Plus my pants are falling down - not so much a V in the NSV, to tell the truth! I just haven't had time to take it to a cobblers and get it cut down and have holes added to it.

I discovered my 1st NSV this past weekend. My mother died in 2004 and prior to her death she gave me a 1 1/2 carat diamond ring. I wore it for a while until I almost had to have it cut off my finger. After that epidsode I stored it in my jewlery box and thought I would eventually give it to my daughter. My band has been getting looser so this past weekend I tried on my mother's diamond. It's loose on my finger and I have to put another ring on over it to not have it slide off. Yep, I'm happy!!

got a NSV About 12yrs ago i was in my girlfriends wedding. I paid over $300 for this dress, but i didn't mind because it was purple and i was going to get it altered, To wear again. Well i never did. So, i put it on the other night and it fit again. So now i'm gong to get it shortened and make my husband take me out to dinner. I could see it in his eyes that he won't mind! gotta love these NSV.:biggrin:

That is a great NSV! Congratulations!!!

@@karine76 This is what is called a NSV - Non Sleeved Victory!! We all love getting them examples Fitting in a new size clothes pants getting too big getting out of the plus sized area being able to shop in a "normal" store no seat belt extender needed on plane knees feel better, walking is easier improvement in diabetes, high blood pressure so many more 21 lbs down that's great kathy congrats

Yay! Great NSV! Congrats!

I love NSV's. I have had to buy size 12 women's shoes in wide for some time now. My feet aren't that big but they are wide. I had all this extra space at the toe and I would frequently trip. I had to buy some shoes on Friday and I was able to get 11 wide. This is a big victory for me. The seond NSV is also about my feet. My dh pointed it out. I have not had swollen ankles since my surgery. Periodically they would swell so much that would have cankles and couldn't even wear shoes. It was bad and I am only 40. I have had normal ankles since my surgery. Hurray!

Great NSV, thats a big deal for you I can see. Congratulations!

Geeze, my poor feet have been so abused carrying around all of this extra weight. When I was at my highest weight last year, my ankles were so swollen the skin hurt. I'm not in smaller sizes, but the shoe laces are definitely tighter and my feel are feeling a lot better. So I can really appreciate this NSV! I'm happy for ya!!

I really really love this thread! :wub: I think we tend to save up posts for NSVs and happy things - not that there's anything wrong with that - but it can really make it seem like everyone else is doing great all the time and make a person feel bad. I like to know that little slip-ups are normal! Not as a way to make excuses, but just to know that it's happening to us all, and we can still get back on the wagon and keep losing. I have a hard time trying not to obsess over every "bad" day, and just to keep moving in the right direction. Hearing everyone else's "oops" moments can really take the pressure off and help keep a healthy attitude. Mine is: ate way too much Peanut Butter today...kept going back and having more on these great little rye crackers I found at the health food store. Also plan to have half a slice of pumpkin spice cake for dessert. That also came from the health food store, so it is an "unprocessed" "healthy" version, but I'm not an idiot, it's still got plenty of sugar and carbs!!!! Last weekend wasn't great either, I really do better during the week when my day and meals are structured. Tomorrow is another day - I am 15 pounds from goal and I'm going to get right back on track!

I cnt wait either am 12 days out started at 215 and 5"0 so that NSV will b great for me! Wts great motivation!

So excited - I am 5 months post op and whenever I press the preset for my car seat the position that it goes to is too far from the steering wheel. I need to push the seat up much closer now

Hi All, Thanks so much for your responses. Now I'm really glad I started this thread. I thought of it a couple of days ago, and something just kept telling me to do it. I'm still working towards that 4 ounces. I'm closer to 8 ounces, which is a big improvement over where I was. I'm currently at 8 cc. When I see my doc in early April, I have a feeling that I may need another .5 or 1 cc. We'll see what he says. I have to say WELL DONE on everyone's successes in this thread. I know I'm doing well, but I'm inspired to try harder. I've been looking for something to add to my exercise bike, so I bought the Reebok Step. It just arrived on Wednesday, and I'm going to take it out of the box tonight. I really think I'm going to like it. Not knowing that it was coming with a DVD, I bought a DVD, so now I have two! NSV - I'm proud to say that I've been without soda for 5 months effective March 2nd. Woo-hoo!!!! :hurray::confused: Anne

NSV "Non-Scale Victory"s are super important on this journey. When we become so scale focused it's very hard to not get frustrated by the numbers, so we can think about other things, some of mine have been zipping up tall boots, using a normal bath towel, and starting to jog without dying. Good luck =)