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Now that IS an NSV to celebrate! Not too TMI for this crowd. Keep Pimpin that Sleeve!

What are NSVs?

Congrats. What a great NSV

wonderful NSV! one of the things I'd like when I get to a normal weight is to be able to be a passenger with the husband. comfortably. We need more time away from the teenagers.

My boyfriend can now wrap his arms around my waist and each hand can easily grasp the opposite elbow. That's an awesome feeling. Just love those little NSVs.

That's terrific! My NSV this week was being able to tie my shoes without worrying that I had roughly 30 seconds before I passed out. Yay me!

@gustavo52974, that is too funny!!! I hear ya!!! Congrats on your NSV!!!

It's funny, and like Kathy, I'm just amused at the sudden drop in weight. I dropped another 2 pounds in the last 24 hours. At this point, all I can do is laugh. That and track my symptoms. My DH was worried when he found out that I'm weighing myself everyday again. He was worried that I'd returned to my obsessing about every thing that had to do with eating or drinking. That there had to be a physical reason that I couldn' lose weight on 700 calories, that I was gaining weight on 1000 calories. But I'm at a place where I know that I have absolutely no control overy my weight. None whatsoever. I wonder if I've already counted that as an NSV, being out of control. Because, you are right. In a weird way, that is an NSV for me. I know that right now my tumor has shut off. Very dramatically, I know that it's shut off. So, I just have to keep things in perspective when it turns back on, and I gain 25 pounds in a month. Again.

Wow! What a difference a year makes! I have been thinking about this day all week. One year... What a ride! Here are some stats: I am 1.1 pound away from being "normal" BMI; I am down 147.8 pounds total (121 pounds of that since surgery); I have lost 83.5 inches (18 inches off my hips ALONE / 12 inches off EACH thigh!); pants size down from loose 28 to 12 or 14; dress size down from 24 or 26 to a size 12. Some of the best NSV's: Buckling airplane seatbelt and not having bruises on my thighs from the plane seat arms; ability to get up and down off the floor so easily; my clothes have stopped falling off hangers; ability to fit in a "normal" robe when I go to a spa or even the doctor; crossing my legs; not sweating all the time; diabetes in remission and no diabetes meds; off cholesterol meds; ability to mow my own lawn without being so exhausted I had to lay down for hours afterwards. I know there are more.... How did I do it? Perseverance. Seriously one bite at a time. I ate poorly or too much, I got right back up and did better next meal - not tomorrow, not next Monday. My keys to success: Therapy and logging my food daily and having occasional checkups with my NUT. (It is good to have someone look over my food logs and say "careful on that, or try more of this"). I really think therapy though is my number one tool. I had some breakthroughs just this week in how I saw food and will continue to see this therapist for AT least another year if not longer. Oh and I cannot forget the support I received from friends and family. Were it not for those cheering me on and yet still staying out of my business (i.e. not constantly saying "should you be eating that"), I do not think I would have been so successful. And of course this incredible website. Without the advice and the ability to rant and read others experiences here, I would never have been able to do this! What do I eat: deli turkey, cheese, blackberries, blueberries, apples, tuna, pork tenderloin, lean ground beef (less than once per week), turkey sausage, turkey pepperoni, LOTS AND LOTS of chicken (grilled, boiled, fajita style, rotisserie, baked, roasted, etc etc), cucumbers, avocado, green olives, mushrooms, onions, occasional slice of bread (a few times a week), triscuit crackers (limiting myself to 2 or 3 at a time), did I say cheese LOTS and LOTS of cheese. I still have 1 Protein shake per day (30g protein) to make sure I get to my protein goals. I eat around 100 - 120g protein per day / 60-80g carbs / 45-55g fat - total calories 1100-1300. (I have been averaging closer to 1000 this last 2 weeks and I need to be sure t get those calories UP because I am ready to stop losing weight.) I cook for myself, so it is much easier to manage I am sure than others who cook for families. What didn't change: I am not one of those people that have SO much energy they cannot stand it. Nope. I am still a fairly lazy person. I hate that I am but it is true. I watch too much tv still and I still don't enjoy exercising really (and don't do it as often as I should). (I mostly walk and it is nice to know that I can go on a 2 mile walk without a lot of effort but I don't get that HIGH from exercising some talk about.) I want to be healthier and I will keep working on that part but I will never be a marathon runner or CrossFitter, etc. I still struggle with making food choices. The struggle is much easier than it used to be (most things don't even cross my mind to eat anymore) but I still crave salty Snacks. I give in sometimes but I am working on the addiction part of that. Not because you cannot have salty snacks but because it is an ADDICTION for me. And yes - I have loose skin. LOTS of it. My butt and boobs took the worst hit. You cannot see it when I am dressed and it isn't as bad as I thought it might be, but I am going to have it fixed. I am planning my first of plastics for this fall. I took money out of my 401K to pay for it. I do not need to be perfect, but I want to be able to wear sleeveless shirts and some shorts without being uncomfortable and I need my butt and thighs to be reshaped so I can fit in pants (which are tough to buy right now). I had some struggles in the beginning - I had a stricture which we didn't figure out until 3 months post-op so I was constantly vomiting. I stayed nauseas until 6 months post-op. The constipation is probably the very worst part and it has only really resolved in the last couple of months as I have started to incorporate more Fiber in my diet. (It is tough to get fiber in the beginning.) I thought I was a SLOW loser (average 10-12 pounds per month). I know now that isn't slow. It is just right. My best advice to people starting this journey - DO IT! Seriously - just do it. Just work the program. Use the tools - all of them - therapy, logging, NUT, restriction, Vitamins, exercise. STOP comparing yourself to others!! It will derail you! (PLUS I just don't buy into the "I lost 40 pounds my first month") This is your journey. No one else's. Everyone's journey is different and comparing yourself to others is defeating mentally. GO SEE A THERAPIST! Please... accept that you have a food "issue". I will buy that some of you don't but let's be honest, the overwhelming majority of us have food "issues" and until you face that fact, you cannot learn how to start to move past it. HANG IN THERE - just keep moving forward. You are going to be stunned when you look back a year from now... My journey is not over. The hardest part is just beginning - Maintenance. I have lost weight before but never kept it off, so this is the real test. Can I do this for the rest of my life? I truly hope so. I have a great head start by having developed some great new habits and faced some of my food addiction issues that I allowed to derail me in the past. I have some big changes in my life coming up job-wise and it is going to take discipline to make it work. I will keep seeing my therapist and keep my eye on the prize!

Ok, so had a tough day today, have just come home from holiday this afternoon, which always leaves me a little blue, and then weighed in, and have GAINED 2lb (ok, so I wasn't perfect wilst away, but 2lb feels a bit harsh!). So I'm in a bit of a mood, then I start to download my holiday pics, and I come across the only one of me, and I think on reflection that I look fairly average in it, I certainly didn't look at it and think woah I look soo fat (my usual response to any photo of me). So I am claiming this as an NSV (photo attached), please feel free to argue I don't want it sugar coated, I am still only 1/2 way to goal, and know thats still going to take some doing, but I think I look really very average, which was the pick me up I needed! Plus as a mini NSV along the way this week - ended up at the beach without swimwear, so stripped off to just my knickers, and sunbathed topless (I have NEVER done this before, let alone in the UK!!) - although this did result in all over sunburn!! Anyway enough from me! xx

I'm losing a pound here and there, but it's frustrating not to lose pounds faster. It's great to know it does happen! I'm still hunting those NSVs and they've been plentiful, thank goodness!

I took a sip of soda before allowing it to go flat first a couple of weeks ago and I have to be honest, the bubbling from the carbonation doesn't feel good in my mouth anymore. Not only that, it became apparent that the gas in it could easily expand my pouch. Not worth it. I craved it really bad at first, so I would let it get flat (keeping it uncapped for a few days) before drinking it. That got me over the hump, but now I don't even need to do that anymore. I'm in love with green, black and black currant tea now. NSV

My favorite pair of sliver jeans are too big. I got a 31 about two months ago and now even with a belt they are falling down. It doesn't help that I have no hips or butt. But I love these jeans... Guess I'll have to wait a while before I get new ones. :-(

Now that's a double oh, make that a triple, nvs or nsv, one of those things. Good for you and Happy Birthday!

Well it's been a week and a day since I got my LB. I don't know how much I've lost becasue I am waiting for my first post op Dr. visit on Mar 15 for that. Anyway, I know I've lost weight because I am able to fit into a lot of pants that haven't fit in a long time. Today I decided to try on a pair of khaki cargo pants I had in a box in the closet(yeah, my "skinny clothes" box) They fit! Size 50! A week and two days ago I was tightly fitting into a 54! And guess what I found in the front pocket? $10! And today is even my birthday! WAHOOO!!!

Sounds like everyone is celebrating in high style! HarleyNana, my DREAM has always been a beach house. That's what I'm buying when my ship comes in, whenever that is. We saw fireworks last night, in a really cool way. The last couple of years have been frustrating, trying to find the right places to watch, where to park, getting too close, not close enough, which town's display is the best, etc., etc. But the next town's display is always partly visible over the trees from our porch, so this year we just decided to see how close we could get on foot. (With a 4 year-old after dark, we didn't think we'd get far.) There's actually a farmer's field down the street from us, the back of which rises up in a low hill. So we trekked down there and laid a blanket, and had the whole place to ourselves. Just the four of us sitting in a meadow as the sun went down, so idyllic! Then when it got dark, DH got all frustrated because we could hear explosions from various towns all around, but couldn't see anything. Then just as we thought we might have misjudged, the display began, RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACES! We were about a mile away, which is perfect with small kids who are more scared of loud noises than they think. The fireworks cleared the trees easily and we had a completely unobstructed view. It was literally perfect, and the start of a new tradition for this family. Like our own personal fireworks display. Next time we'll take sweatshirts, though. Brrr... Tomorrow we're going to the Land of Make Believe, a low-key amusement about 35 minutes from here. It'll be my first amusement park experience since losing weight, and I expect a whole raft of NSVs.

I do have one NSV I would like to report. My mom and I were at Kohl's over the weekend looking at shoes (my favorite) but I've never bothered to try on stilhetto heels because my feet have always been too wide. I've lost some weight in my feet and they aren't are wide anymore. I tried on a pair of Candies and they fit perfectly. They looked good too. I didn't buy them because I didn't have the money but I may go back one payday and get them. But I was very excited to know I could fit into a pair of those shoes!

@@lsereno you are such a silly head doahhhh back at ya like some/.many/most of us...... your tummy was probably near the steering wheel (like me) you needed plenty of room now that you are miss "cute, hot, sexy, mini ) you don't need all that extra room NSV's for newbies et al are great, normal/frequent but when you are 2.5 years old!!! you/me/we really appreciate them!!! keep up the good job (i know you will!!) kathy congrats

Officially 30 lbs down since surgery! Weighed in this morning at 288 lbs. On a NSV note I tried on an old pair of size 40 jeans last night and they fit. I can't believe it because I just got back into my size 42 only a few weeks ago. For the longest time I was thinking I'd never get back into any of my old clothes but finally starting to happen.

This is a great post and even though seeing the scale move down it is those NSV that mean much more

That is so awesome!!!! This is a NSV I will look forward to as well. haha.... Keep up the awesome job!!! Woot Woot

Haven't been on for a while... But had to share a victory. Tried on some new jeans..... My skinniest ones have baggy butt!! Size 14 was too big. 12 a little snug but can button n zip!! Not bad since 2 months ago I was in an 18!! Down almost 30#. Yippee.

It's been a while since I have posted. I frequent the forums, but only read the ones that stand out. As of today my weight is 239 pounds. That is 72 pounds since I got sleeved. I can definitely feel my strength returning. I can lift, and carry things. I can go up and down the stairs without a problem. I can do an hour of cardio plus weight training and still go on with my daily routine without having to take a nap. I fell great! I think besides the occasional migraine from my neck tension all is well. I think it is time for me to get that much needed massage. I deserve it! I haven't been as strict with my eating habits as I was in the beginning...I do admit. I definitely still make an effort. Where I lack in effort is preparing my meals and eating every 2-3 hours. I think if I ate every 2-3 hours then my metabolism would speed up. I've upped my carbs to about 100...sometimes 150. It is not necessarily low carb, but I can feel my body needs it when I work out. My workouts are way more productive and I don't feel light headed when I get my calories, protein, and carbs in. I don't really eat bread. I tried it a few times, but I just didn't like how it made me feel and pretty much avoid it now. I love quinoa! It tastes great with some chicken. As far as my hair loss goes...I chopped my hair off. It was annoying me and now it is much less noticeable. It is still falling out, but not so aggressively as it was before. I am not too attached to my hair so it was no big deal to chop it all off. And it is summer so it is much cooler. Some nsv's I don't need a daily nap My feet shrank I can do lots of cardio I don't avoid stairs Last month I only lost 10 pounds...I went on vacation for 2 weeks and didn't work out or eat right. Hopefully I can lose 15 pounds this month

Hi everyone, My one month anniversary was 5/4 and I've lost a total of 34.5 pounds including the weight lost during the preop diet. I also have the realize band and have not had to have a fill yet. I still feel great restriction. I'm now working out at the gym (cardio and weights) and I feel great. Also, my BMI is finally under 50! Yay! That was one of my first little mini goals and I've done it! Life is good! Congratulations on everyone's weight loss and NSV's. Kim

I've never been able to do ANYTHING for a full hour, non stop.. I mean.. NEVER... ANYTHING!!! UNTIL last night!!!! I was very tired, but feeling hopeful that I can up my cardio to an hour 4-5 times a week!!!!! And I HATE going to the gym.. But, with all of the encouragement that I get from several "Sisters in the fight against FAT", I think I'll be fine!!! Thanks for sharing my NSV w/ me!!! Keep up the great work guys!!!