Search the Community

Weird one: I was in the movie theater sitting next to my tall & very fit 28 yr old son and my knees were smaller than his!!! Awesome!!!! I've got bony knees!!!

One of my goals was to be able to shop at Old Navy. Wearing a size 26/28 as recently as May, that has never been an option. Old Navy wasn't around when I was a skinny teen and young 20s. So today I ran over there to see if I could find any capris or jeans that would fit. I tried on three size 18s and lo and behold, I had to put them back and walked out of there with perfectly fitting size 16s and a really cute top. That totally made my day!

Yes, that was a great NSV. I still use shower sheets, but love that when I go to a hotel or wherever, I can wrap the towel around myself when I get out. Especially when getting out of the pool. I like that the towels wrap around me. Hurray for weight loss! Karen

hi everyone, i was banded 3/30/07 by dr spivak. getting the lapband was the best decision i ever made. it is one tool of many we need to lose weight. i am still a work in progress trying to maintain. enjoy the ride. it is exciting when you have the NSV's in addition to the scale victories. such as getting into a smaller size, seeing my collar bones for the first time in years (this was big for me), not shopping in lane bryant. i lived until recently in Katy. since beeing banded i met a great guy and we are getting married in october. the best gift of the band is to get my self respect back... anyway best of luck to all my texas sisters and brothers. there are alo of us on the site which is nice... josie

Ok so my surgery was January 31, 2012 in the first two and half weeks I lost 32 pounds and have been stalled for 2 weeksish. This has caused me to be so bummed. Even through reading posts about it being normal, and doing everything right: I'm still obsessed with the scale and bummed. My NUT said I already started out with a dramatic weight loss and I'll start to equal out and lose 10 pounds a month, conservatively. However I am trying to focus on the positive. Therefore I am posting my first NSV: I HAVE A NECK!! In my wedding pictures I was at my highest weight (still had an amazing wedding). However the one thing I noticed was my head looked like it sat on my shoulders. Yuck. Last night I went out with some friends and after being tagged on Facebook (I usually dreaded) I was happy with most of the pictures and noticed my neck (: I also posted two pictures in my gallery and can see a little difference there as well. Here's to more NSVs and a healthy journey! Have a fabulous Sunday, sleevettes!

This is great! I typed it up, as well, so it will show up in searches. WLS - Weight Loss Surgery RNY - Roux-en-Y (Gastric Bypass) VSG - Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (The Sleeve) DS - Duodenal Switch HW - Heaviest/Highest Weight SW - Starting/Surgery Weight LW - Lowest Weight CW - Current Weight NSV - Non-Scale Victory ASMBS - American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome TT - Tummy Tuck SF - Sugar Free PCP - Primary Care Physician OH - Obesity Help TMI - Too Much Information WTF - Way To Go TY - Thank You YW - You're Welcome Nut - Nutritionist glossary dictionary define abbreviations terms

Keep your tickets! Most of them were probably too drunk to remember anyway! LOL! Think of it as a very firm reminder that you MUST buy new clothes! You are going to lose weight very steadily, so you will need to have the basics in your new sizes...I didn't lose so fast that I felt I didn't get to wear my new clothes long enough...and it's better than losing your pants at a football game! Thanks for the great story, and I do think it's an NSV!

I don't know, I'd call it a NSV myself. I'd personally be thrilled to lose so much weight that my pants fall...lol. Congrats on the weight loss!!

I can't even tell you all how beyond excited I am for this It's been making me crazy trying not to go crazy announcing it before the voting time actually started haha. Sooooo I follow Shelly, aka the world according to eggface, blog. Well a couple years back she was a grand prize winner in the Progresso Souper You contest. Well she posted about it a few months back, encouraging people to enter. Well I did and GUESS WHAT! I was picked as a finalist!! WOW! Crazy right? This time last year, I was laid up in bed, in pain, miserable and 115 lbs heavier than I am today at just over a year post op. The 3 grand prize winners get an amazing trip to LA, a full makeover, cash cards, clothing cards, and the best part?! Tickets to the finale of the Biggest Loser. PLEASE, please, please go vote for me. You can vote daily from today through March 25th. I would appreciate it so much! You can either search Progresso Souper You to find the site or use this link http://www.souperyou.com/Finalists.aspx And so you know who to vote for...look for this picture of me holding up my formerly tight size 20 pants Thank you

Thanks Ann. NSV = Non Scale Victory - a celebration of all those little things that come with losing weight, apart from seeing the numbers move on the scale (eg new clothes, being able to tie your shoe laces and breathe at the same time, etc). Size 10 eh? Whoohoo! Congrats! I'm sure that feels WONDERFUL!

Cerrin, I know the feeling...I've had dates with two guys in the past month because of my new found confidence. This is so cool! I didn't think of that being an NSV, what was I thinking. My last date prior to this was a blind date 5 years ago.

Oh wow! That's a big NSV!! Good for you!! You should feel very proud of yourself.

What does NSV mean?

An NSV is a non-scale victories. It's the little things we Celebrate during our weight loss that have nothing to do with numbers or scales. It could be fitting into an old dress, climbing up a staircase without losing your breath, etc.

Hi Everyone, As I See It At the risk of generalizing, it seems that many of us are within reach of the back door to Bandster Hell. Maybe we haven't found the elusive sweet spot yet (why does the Snitch from Harry Potter come to mind, fluttering in the air just beyond reach), but we are putting in the work, going for our fills, learning how to eat all over again through trial and error and maybe even seeing some NSV's or a little movement on the scale. Let me throw a Bible quote at you, since the Holy Land is my stomping ground: "Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid nor dismayed (Joshua 1:9)". I truly believe that there are great days out there for us, as long as we keep showing up and sticking together. Turning a Corner I have restriction after one fill. I have decided to blend my meals. I just don't have a supportive environment for eating slowly during the week, and I don't want to fight it. I'd rather get the food into me this way rather than dealing with the frustration of sliming and pb-ing in public. I think I'm done fighting the restriction and am ready to use it. I have roughly 3 cups of food a day along with a fruit between meals and clear Soup and herbal tea after dinner. Lately, the temptation to eat at night hasn't been there, and that is a huge relief. I feel I've turned a corner over the last few days and there's been weight loss as well; After having plateaued for a month, I'm down to 249 lbs (no longer morbidly obese!) from 286: a total weight loss of 37 lbs since surgery (I didn't have a pre-op diet). It is good to see the scale moving again. For All of You Firebolt, I strongly empathise with what you said about not wanting to count. I believe that some sort of frame of reference is necessary (cup size, plate size, serving size, or boundaries like not taking seconds) but I have to remember that the only thing dieting and obsessively counting my food intake ever did for me was made me gain weight, which is why I decided on the band! When you think about it, doesn't the band, with it's assorted gurgles, hiccups, and burps give us the best frame of reference at all? I don't mean to imply anything regarding what anyone else is doing. I only know that counting and getting into the diet mentality will only give me grief. Skinny Jill, good luck with Fill III. You are one determined, resolute woman; I would not like to be standing between you and something you want! Marilyn, despite your unpleasant experience after your first fill, I'm glad that things are moving for you, and that you've had some weight loss and pleasant encounters with smaller clothing. Boy, do you deserve it! Keep the good news coming! Marissa, I miss you - what's new?! Let's hear something from you!!! Longhorn, I loved your advice to Ovahkummer. Even when "giving in" to the hunger when restriction is not satisfactory, I've tended to eat less and bounce back quicker than before. I think that's better than assaulting yourself with diet frustration and guilt. Tlwempen, how are you hanging in there until your fill on the 18th? Towens, any more support group meetings? What are they like? Did you get in touch with your Doc after your second fill? And Ovahkummer - how was your adjustment today? I 'll close with Firebolt's words from a recent post of hers - she certainly speaks for me: "Again, I just want to say "Thank You" to each of you who continue to post & keep us informed. This is waaaay better than a "support group" that you only meet once a month. I feel like you guys are good friends now & we share so much together. " Love, Bandpal

Kim, to me progress is realizing you have character defects and are aware that there's always room for improvement. The fact something bothers you so much that you are working on a resolution is a very worthy NSV, indeed.

Any change in the right direction is indeed a NSV. Congratulations!!! Keep up the good work!

I am finally in the 30's with my BMI, 39.8, and excited. So not sure if that is or is not an NSV, but I'll take it. I know I post how slow my weight loss is, and still feeling it could be better, but excited BMI is in the 30's. I think when I first started, May 2014 my BMI was 49. I did my 6 month requirement for the insurance, which finished in Nov 2014, but had a work injury on my knee and fractured my wrist, so took a break from the program, then started up again April 2015 and finally had the surgery 8/3. Thanks to everyone for their responses, and I love reading these posts and everyones experiences.

THAT IS A GREAT NSV..non scale victory. Keep going.

I have mentioned before that since being banded I still allow my 1 single normal sized candy bar a day so I don't feel deprived, right? Tonight I decided to make myself work for it. I jogged all the way to the market (a few blocks) to get it tonight. Considering I haven't done more than 10 continous jogging strides in decades I was quite impressed with myself. I'm sure they felt the earth tremors in China but oh-well. Another thing I caught myself doing recently that would not have been attempted for the past several years is climbing up onto things. When I was painting our spare bedroom a few weeks ago I actually climbed up on top of this swinging bench I have so I could wash the top of the window frame. HELLO! SWINGING OBJECT and I was STANDING on it! Did I mention I have terrible balance and fell and broke my ankle 5 years ago? Later that day I climbed and stood on top of the bed to hang a picture. For years I have been worried I would break whatever I put my full weight on but that didn't even cross my mind when I started up this time. I had to curtail water aerobics since December because of schedule conflicts but I am happily heading back to the pool starting next week. I CAN'T WAIT! I have actually really missed that activity.

Congratulations, Teresa!! I'm still working on the jogging thing--been too chicken to try it at the gym on a treadmill, and it's too cold to do it outside. But I have dreams in which I'm running so I know I'm going to be doing that someday. Wonderful NSVs!!

Okay, this is the "FOREVER" part coming to bite you. Bear in mind, this is advice from an unbanded person who has gained 30 pounds since October - WAAAHHH!!! My advice to us both... lol 1. This is NOT a diet - this really really really really is FOREVER. Our eating habits will have to change forever. 2. In the end, our lifestyle changes canNOT be about losing weight - because once we have lost the weight, there will be no motivation to continue with our healthy habits. At some point, we will no longer have the scale moving downward to motivate us. And we certainly don't want to wait for the scale to move UPWARD(:eek!) to regain motivation! (Trust me on THIS one!!! lol) So... this journey HAS to be about HEALTH. Seriously. Losing weight is secondary to this journey. 3. Take 15 minutes to really think about all you have accomplished, seperate from the scale. Review all of those NSVs. Feel the regained health of your body. Realize that you NEVER, EVER want to give that up. NEVER. Admit to yourself that you are WORTH being healthy. 4. Recommit to your health in baby steps. Set one goal for each day. Make it a small, easily attainable goal so that you can experience the success. Add slowly to that goal until you are at the max for that particular health-breeding habit. For example, if your main goal is to drink a gallon of Water each day, and you haven't been drinking any, start with a mini-goal of a quart. Slowly add to that each day until you get to your gallon. Once that habit is reset, start working towards your next goal. Suppose it's walking. Maybe you want to walk a minimum of 30 minutes each day. So day 1 your goal is to walk 10 minutes. Do that successfully for a couple of days, and then add another 5 minutes. 5. Remember that you do NOT have to fix everything in one day!! This is for the rest of your life! Be gentle with yourself, start your positive habits small, and build on them. 6. Focus on what you WANT to do, not what you DON'T want to do. Don't focus on NOT eating something less nutritious - focus on eating MORE nutritious foods. Don't deny yourself anything - just make your more healthy food choices FIRST - always promise yourself (and keep the promise!!) that you can have whatever you want (IF you still want it) after you've had your health building food(s). 7. Continue seeking and offering support! Good luck, and I know you can do this. Sometimes we all need a little rest - there is nothing wrong with that. But you don't want to neglect your health for too long (like I have!) xxoo

Thank you for filling me in. My NSV for this month is I've admitted to myslef I am not a failure - but merely on my WL journey without the proper tools - thus Lap band, Thanks Alex - I always enjoy your posts.

Congrats on your Nsv. I am told that I look so young for my age of 60. I feel like I am 40. The weight loss has certainly added years to my life with better health . And the weight loss took years off of looking aged.

Thats great that you don't need a scale, but it's how I hold myself accountable. And I like those scale victories!!! Every 5 pounds down makes me so happy. But I don't compare myself to others...that just creates unwanted stress! As long as I am equal or less every week I have a huge smile on my face! And don't forget those NSV, fitting into a new size of pants makes me ecstatic too!!! Good luck and enjoy your weight loss!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App