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I was sleeved 3/20/2014. I'm down 46 lbs. weight loss has been a little slower than I wanted. But I feel great. I'm walking miles with no back pain. I've started running. I walked/ran a 5k last month and I'm doing another 5k on the 4th. I am working hard and the scale moving slow can be a little discouraging. So I am relying heavily on my non scale victories. Last night I put my wedding band and engagement rings on. They were a little snug, but I have not been able to wear them for almost five years. The proud look on my husbands face said it all for me. I'm so proud of myself. Surgery was not an easy decision for me. I fought it for ten years. But this has been the 2nd best decision I've made for my life. The 1st was marrying my husband. I love hearing others NSV stories. So please share.

Whoo hooo!!! You go! I think both of those are AMAZING NSVs! Two that I hope to accomplish in the next few months. Awesome job!:thumbup::thumbup:

I don't know which NSV I am more thrilled with, for you, LOL!!!! They are both great....Congratulations!!!!! Mimi

Hey, Nykee, great to see you! What an amazing NSV, being able to walk after living life in a wheelchair. That right there will go further towards improving your health than anything you can imagine. Just keep walking! You look wonderful--and it's good to hear your band is OK. Congratulations on your weight loss and keep it up!

By the way @@shugal, your starting BMI was about the same as mine. I'm betting you meet your weight goal but more important, make sure you track all those NSVs. They are way more satisfying than tracking numbers.

LOL! I hate that weight needs to be on there. I can understand the need, but really. It fluctuates so often and people lie about it anyway...why bother! But, that's an awesome and quirky NSV! :thumbup:

This afternoon we're going to a party for a friend we don't see much. (Hell, we don't see ANYONE much anymore; you know what life is like with kids.) The last time I saw this particular circle of people was probably in the summer of '03, when we went swimming at their lake club a couple of times. No one in this crowd is close enough to know about my banding, but they are close enough to remember what I used to look like. It feels like I should be excited and proud and happy to be seen, but I'm not. What's wrong with me? I can't even decide which would be worse, them asking about my weight loss or them not asking. Rather than a win-win situation, it feels like lose-lose. Blech. And the weird thing is that this feeling is coming on a day when I had an amazing NSV. Doing the laundry today I was moved to try on my husband's jeans. THEY FIT!!! I'd definitely even consider wearing them if I needed to. Holy crap!

Good day to you all! I wanted to share some good news. I woke up Sunday and weighed myself and realized I hit just a tad over my half way goal! I've lost 62 lbs! I started my pre-op diet in Feb 28th of this year. The Dr had put me on a 4 week shake diet. @ weeks of all shakes except a sensible dinner then 2 weeks full liquid. I lost 25 lbs in doing just that alone. I had my surgery March 28th and have lost 37 since. It's been an up and down journey that's for sure. Good days and bad days. Days with good restriction and days where I wanted to eat EVERYTHING in sight. Meeting with my dietitian really helped. When I saw her a few weeks ago she told me she has seen hundreds of patients and that I'm the most successful in such a short period of time that's she can remember seeing. That made my day and really helped get me back to being motivated! I saw her again earlier this week and she said she couldn't believe how different I looked in just a month since she last saw me. I was so nervous to start this journey and kept looking for excuses to not go through with it, but like many have said, in this wonderful forum, that the only regret was not getting it done sooner. I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. It has happened so fast and I cant' believe the little things I'm noticing. Several nsv's. A few of them may be silly. For instance. One I've noticed is when I was at my heaviest using a regular sized public bathroom was so difficult. I was so uncomfortable and could barely open the door to get out sometimes. I always had to use the handicapped stall. Now I'm noticing I can fit in regular stalls with ease now! :-) I was able to paint my toenails the other night with them propped in the same chair seat that I was sitting in without being out of breath and stretching to reach because my big belly was in the way. These are a few of many I notice. They may sound silly but when you couldn't do them for so long it's amazing feeling to do what "regular" people can do that they take for granted. I'm far from goal and I'm a bit nervous because this is the weight I usually have given up with in the past. I felt I could never get any smaller than this, but I'm determined this time. I do most of the work, but this little band has really been a great tool for me. I never understood what people meant in the beginning that it was only a tool if used properly. I totally get that now. I went from barely being able to get off the couch to actually wanting to get up early to go start my 3 mile walk. Sorry for the long ramble, I just wanted to share my story and also give myself some accountability so I won't give up and hopefully maybe to encourage others who may be struggling right now. I've had a lot of encouragement from my surgical team, dietitian, friends, and family and I'm so grateful God's been holding my hand and giving me strength through it all when I really thought I had none of my own left. Well, I hope you all are having a blessed Thursday! The first picture is about an hour before surgery. I look extra gross because of the wet shower hair on no makeup and the fact I was talking when my husband snapped the picture. I almost didn't post it because seeing it makes me cringe, sick to my stomach and want to cry my eyes out, but I ended up posting it because I want to remind myself I never want to go there again. The second one was taken this past Sunday after church. It's crazy how sometimes my mind doesn't see a difference in the mirror at all, I have to take old pics out sometimes to keep my mind in check. Anyone else go through that?

Well, Parvathi, your shopping experience counts as an NSV for sure. I can relate to everything you said, especially "I thought I was bloody massive! Now when I see those pictures, I would kill to have that body again." I think it was Jack who wrote, "I'm finally down to the size I swore I would never get up to." Babs, how long does it take to recover from the plastic surgery? I imagine the swelling would last a long time. If you've written elsewhere about your experience, please forgive the nosy question. I've been thinking about the Tribe of the Large. My size has always been such an integral part of my identity that I don't think I'll ever see myself as non-large, no matter what my size. . . kind of like someone who switches religions but still identifies with the original practices they know by heart.

Margo, that is just FABULOUS! Way to go! Share some more NSV's if you feel like it. It's all downhill from here. Woohoo!

that is a Fantastic NSV - congrats to you!!

What a fun NSV! You should feel terrific about it. I can't wait till I look that much different, too! Emily

Great NSV-- Funny timing on this post. I just looked at my drivers license on Sunday. I am within 5 pounds of the weight I lied about on it. Also, I had a passport picture taken last year at about my heaviest. It's a crappy picture anyway, what a great excuse to get it re-taken

I went to the DMV today to take care of some business and showed the teller my DL, she looked at the DL, looked at me, looked back at the DL and said "sweety we need to retake your picture, i barely can tell your the same person!" :clap2: :clap2: So this is just a reminder, keep tabs on your photo ID pictures like passports and DL!

i was banded dec 13th and im having the exact same prob as you. however i was told to expect this as i would regain my appetite and poss gain back a little before my 1st fill and checkup on jan 9th. this is a "temporary setback", and not to worry about it. if my first fill is the right amount for me then i will start losing weight. if its not then it may take time to fine tune my band. in the meantime i was told this is the healing phase and not neccesarily the loosing phase. keep this in mind so you dont look upon this as a "failure". its not, its temporary !! youre doing great if youre healing ! keep your chin up and good luck on future nsv's !!!! ive had one or two already , arent they great ??

Yeah I weigh less than mine now and I am so happy! Great NSV!

Hurray for a salad from Taco Bell! That is a great NSV and don't let anyone tell you it isn't! Karen

Okay, great NSV!!! It's put me back on track...my whole goal is to be "normal" and I'm so not there yet. My emotional habits are fighting me right now. But, reading this helps! :biggrin:

Congrats Corgi! You know I ask everyone this, but what were your top 10 NSVs? Excellent work, btw!

Woo Woo! Keep on chugging, Corgi!!! You must be so proud!!! Tigh ab wall, I would say that is your #1 NSV!!!! Congrats!!! ~cheri

Bring on the questions, there's a lot of personal experiences and NSVs here.

I am so excited!!!!!! I haven't been able to wear my engagement ring since I had my daughter 4 years ago. Yesterday I got my second fill and found I was down another 5 pounds and have officially dropped to below my pre-baby weight... So I decided to try it, and sure enough, it fits!!! While it was very tight at first this morning, my finger seems to have adapted around it and I can now twist it and slide it around on my finger just fine. It's not strangling me!!! I am so so happy!!!

Let's come together and share our successes, thoughts and dreams! Banding is a journey and we each have a story to tell that can inspire others. Bandsters, pause and reflect where you have come from. Newbies, look ahead and have hope! How long have you been banded? What have you learned from this experience? Could you share your most rewarding NSV (non-scale victory)? What is your biggest challenge? What tips or advice would you pass on to newbies? What is your greatest fear? What goals do you have for the future? How has your life changed? Has living with the band met up to your expectations? If you could talk to yourself prior to being banded, what would you say? Thank you, my friends for all of your posts and for your successes. I feel a kinship with you. Each one of you is an inspiration to me! Good luck!

Congrats to you! That's a great NSV!

My weight hasn't changed all week, which considering the amount of calories I am consuming seems unbelievable. So getting dressed this morning delivered a much needed NSV. My "skinny" jeans - hardly skinny but jeans that have never fit well - feel pretty darn good and a shirt that I tried on a week ago suddenly has room to spare. The shirt really threw me because I had tried it on just a bit ago and decided it made me look pregnant. Now, it is loose in the stomach and doesn't leave an imprint across my butt from being so tight. It's amazing what an NSV can do for your mood. Plateau, schmateau.... Though I still hope to see the numbers actually go down soon!