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Commited to eating right August 2012. Sleeved November 2012. Lost 100 lbs as of this morning since August 2012. I am so geeked! Also, I had a NSV this afternoon...had to show my ID and the clerk didnt reconize me by my license pic.....She said "is this you" I said "really" she said "is this you?" I whispered " as of this morn, I have lost 100 lbs, can you really tell?" She said "oh my, this doesnt even look like you" So all in all today was a wonderful day! I love my sleeve, love the lifestyle, I dont feel deprived AT ALL! Why didnt I do this years ago............................ DOING THE HAPPY DANCE!

Ok, so like many people, I have a birthmark. Mine is a mole tucked so far up my thigh I have literally only seen it when contorted, and it has never seen the sunshine. So today I am wearing some silly underwear which fasten at the crotch, and after I pee I am hopping around trying to re-fasten things, when I see myself in the mirror (dont allow them at home), and notice a new mole on my leg. I'm at an age where these things happen so wasn't thrown, until it occurred to me that it was a familliar size & shape! So I check it out, and as the lbs have shifted so has my birthmark!! What was once very hidden is now sat at the top of my leg clearly visible, even in granny knickers! A very odd, and unexpected NSV!

I am down 2.4 lbs this week to 191.8 - just 2 ounces shy of my Thanksgiving goal. I hope to get into the 180's by next week - haven't been there in about 13 years! I had a great NSV yesterday. I am a singer and do a lot of gigs every Nov/December with people that I only really see during that time of year. I sang with one of the women last night and she asked me if I had lost some weight. I told her that I had lost 50 lbs and she said that when had I arrived at the gig she didn't even recognize me. That made me feel great!

Congrats! I have the cutest NSV related to this ever...if you heard it I apologize. My son is was 2 when I had the surgery last February. A few months later, he might have been 3, he woke up during the night in his room, next door to ours. The house was dark. I found him quivering on our bed, obvious he had been awake for some time but never cried. I was like "Benjamin! What is wrong baby?" My husband jumped up, he was so upset, just shaking and could barely talk. He finally cried and said "I LOST MY FAMILY!". I was like, what? No you didn't baby, we are right here. And he is still quivering and says, "But I couldn't HEAR you.". My husband and I looked at each other like WHAT? and we both realized at the same time it was because I wasn't snoring anymore. I was his sonar in the night I guess...who would know he would find out bed by listening for his momma snoring. I asked him later how he finally found our bed, and he said his nanny (he called her by name) came and got him by the hand and brought him to our bed. She wasn't even there! But I knew then she is his angel, or maybe my grandma was his angel and he thought it was her. But how sweet his guardian angels watch over him while he sleeps. He was very scared.

I weigh daily, in the morning when I get up, in my birthday suit. 😂 But I’m going to put my scale away for a while. I feel myself starting to obsess over the number and pick myself apart about what I must be doing wrong. The truth is I’m following my plan and doing some moderate exercise (walking and light weight lifting) but my weight loss isn’t nearly as fast as I had hoped. I’m 6 weeks out and have lost 18 pounds. So right now I’m in the process of adjusting my expectations, trying to celebrate my NSVs (like the fact that I’m wearing pants I haven’t been able to wear in years!) and trying to remind myself that I’m so early in this journey, my body has been through a lot and I need to appreciate the process even when it’s tough. I wish the same for you!

I think at first everyday I was discovering new "non-scale victories!" It's very exciting!! Congrats on your journey!! I think one of the best unexpected "NSV" for me has been how everyone has commented on how much younger I look now. I definitely wasn't thinking necessarily of looking younger as a benefit of losing weight. :-) But I'll take it!!!

I went to the mall to pick up a couple of pair of shorts (I live in Florida and it's already hot and I have nothing that fits...a nice problem to have...but still a problem.) My thought was to just hit JC Penny's and pick up a few things. On my walk to the dept store, I passed by Old Navy which was having a nice sale. My inner fat girl voice said, "you have never fit into anything in Old Navy...keep walking." But I stopped in and checked out their linen shorts. Super cute! I pulled an XL shorts off the rack and tried them on. TOO BIG!! My mean inner fat girl voice said, "a Large will never fit your fat butt...put the XL back and come back another day when you lose more weight." But I grabbed the Large and a large tshirt and they fit fabulously!!! I was shocked. I thought I was looking at a different girl in the mirror! I'm not going to lie....I almost cried. I bought 3 pair and 3 tshirts! That shut that mean inner fat girl up!!

Now that I am truly in the maintenance phase of my journey, I constantly look for ways to find motivation to stay on track. I weigh myself not for results, but to make sure the numbers stay constant. Without looking for weight loss, what is the motivation? I know how easy it is to fall back into bad habits. I found myself just a couple of weeks ago, realizing I was grazing too much and it showed on the scale. I have my own limits in terms of heading into the red zone. Above 115, I have to get my act in gear...above or even close to 120, that's a real problem. So far, I'm bouncing around between 112 and 116 but in order to stay in that range, I have to constantly remind myself of how it used to be with me. I make sure to keep myself aware of all the NSVs I have day in and day out and never to take them for granted. That means anything from buying clothes in the petite department instead of the women's department to walking around the city with minimal pain instead of struggling each and every step as I used to do. Even just this morning...starting my day by stretching my hamstrings and lower back as the physical therapist has recommended, I paid attention to how I could easily bring my bent leg to my chest because my leg, belly and thigh are normal sized. I went to JC Penney's yesterday because they were having a sale on fashion jewelry. I already have lots of clothes and don't need more, so I'm changing it up with accessories. I treat myself like I'm a real life Barbie doll and after years of buying clothes based on if they fit, it's wonderful to now buy based on how they look on me. I try to reward myself with things other than food. It's not always about purchasing things....I reward myself for getting to the pool to exercise by spending ten minutes in the sauna. Or I reward myself with a movie I really want to see, or an afternoon with a good book, a glass of wine, and a wedge of low fat Laughing Cow cheese. I know that I will have to be vigilant the rest of my life. Food will never be something I can take for granted or have a normal relationship with. It is my drug and I have to respect that addiction and always plan ahead to keep myself safe. I know that alot of folks on the site are in the losing weight stage and when they are maintaining, they drift away. I'm going to do my best to hang around and comment on this part of the journey. I daydream sometimes about my 5 or 10 year anniversary at a normal weight. My fervent hope is that my family and friends forget what I used to look like and think of me at this size like I was always this way. I think that's a good goal to reach for now that my weight goal has been met.

Yesterday I went shopping, and walked right past an angel food cake, and went and got a protein bar instead!!!

@@Jobey Wow, you look great ! Congratulations! Yes, I too noticed slowing down of my weight loss. I lost 33kg/72 Ib in my first 6-7 months. Lately I have been sitting on 68kg/149 Ib for the past 6-7 weeks, and it is not budging. I even made a post about it in the General Gastric Sleeve: "I'm still Shrinking", as I am still losing my measurements. I am very close to Goal, and I don't like my scales right now, but my wrist, shoe size, arms and face are showing more changes. Plus my clothes are getting looser still. I have changed to mostly Protein diet now, and I got my GENEPRO Protein powder from the States that I add to my coffee now. Still add my Aussie protein powder to my yoghurt. For me, the honey moon period finished after 6-7 months, hunger returned and weight loss slowed. Thank goodness for NSVs! @@Jobey I am in Queensland too, moved to the Gold Coast few years ago (from Sydney).

Definitely looking forward to that NSV Chrstyee . I go for op 16 July so not long now !

@@gowalking It is the posts and gracious shared experiences, such as those you have made, and so many others here on this forum, that keep our pre op hopes alive! Although I am still trapped in my prison body, I am buoyed daily by the amazing outcomes of those who have gone before. These words and testimonies, they strengthen my resolve, and fortify my patience. They allow me to poke fun at myself and release my inner fears through the outlets of laughter and hope. Hope above all else. Just as you would wish to somehow give us pre ops a way to better envision our glorious futures. We pre ops wish that we could better illustrate to you, that as a post op, here on bariatric pal - you already have. We virtually and vicariously walk in your shoes, share in your milestones, your NSV's, your incredible happiness, we feel with you, the realization of every heartfelt dream. We run with you, and bike with you, and hike, and dance, and live with a capital "L"! We fly - and it's only because you care for us, and nurture us, and keep us focused forever on the goal. So thank you for giving us this incredible gift. For allowing us to see the world the way you do, and always keeping us in line. I see my beautiful future, and it's all thanks to you. It's bright and shiny, and everything I've ever wanted. I promise you, gowalking, my eyes are gloriously open! In fact, I plan to never shut them again! And I hope that you see too, just how much we need and appreciate every single one of you!

Hello! I should be getting sleeved by mid-March. I am excited and nervous. Can some of you please share two things with me: 1. What (if any) complications did you have and were they remedied? 2. Any NSV's you have had and about how long into the process you had them?

Hi Sue! That's great news about your son!!!! How does he feel about it? Man I wish we had insurance, that would make things a lot easier. I was self pay and unless I get back to work with a company that has insurance that covers WLS my son would have to be self-pay as well. It would be worth it but I just wish I knew if he had what it takes to be successful. He's the type that makes excuses for everything and I could see him doing that when it comes to eating. Please keep me posted on your son's progress! That is also wonderful news about your BMI!!!! I just calculated mine and I have a couple of more points to get out of the obese category! I'll just be "overweight"! How cool is that? I also understand about the crossing of the legs. I find myself sitting with my legs crossed all the time now as it was uncomfortable for me to do so before. I love these littlle NSV's! Thanks for the notice about the clothing exchange! I have so many clothes I need to get rid of. I will be sure to bring a car load! LOL

Hey All - Another exotic and exciting day in Mortgage Lending.... Let's see - where to begin? Eileenie - if you are well enough - perhaps we can meet for lunch next week. I will be in town on Wed afternoon and thru the full work day on Friday. Thursday or Friday work for you? Mandy - Ah - love that kid - but isn't it nice when she goes to school? :] Chris - You're easy (at least on the Humor scale) Anne - you are so right about my lucky man. I remind him frequently. :] I love that Barbie thing, too. It's hysterical! (and all too true) Kat - I love the Black and White classic look. And Aw Shucks - you are too skinny to wear my party dress! I bet you are truly heartbroken over that.... lol! (anybody else? It will fit a pear between like 16 & 22) Betty - oh sure. Now I am going to have to fess up that I haven't made it back to the gym, STILL. *sigh*. Laziness, thy name is Irene. I suppose that if we both won the "big" lottery at the same time, I could survive sharing with you, Betty. Agreed? I think 200 million would probably split well between the two of us. :] Mary - wow! Your town has all those cool winter activities! We don't handle winter at all well here in Dallas. The city literally shuts down if we get more than an inch of snow. Employers let us use sick or vacation time to cover the absences.... I used to laugh when I first got here - until I started seeing the accidents on the roads. ***ICK*** But, I personally think a little White Christmas action is a good thing - ESPECIALLY since I will probably get to stay home! Cindy - cool about the Walmart Custom CD thing. I might have to do that, too. I have the same problem with only liking a few songs. The older I get, the more particular I become.... I think they haven't published any good whole albums since the 80's... LOL! Patty - HI!!!! So glad to see you. So, when is the time estimate to hear back on the appeal docs? Did they JUST submit? I remember this waiting between appeals to be particularly trying for me. I got pretty antsy. One thing I did was call once a week to "follow up" on the process. At least I knew right away that "they never recieved the paperwork". I would not rely on the Attorney's office... follow up yourself. You will feel better about having taken some action. At least, I did. Dianne - NOT wear a BRA??!?! - That's just Crazy Talk.... :] Seriously - unless you are going to drop down to a B cup - you probably will always want to wear one - but at least if you are a C or a D you will be able to FIND one that fits - any time, anywhere. Yep. A trip to VS is on my list of NSV's for the future. I REALLY want to be able to go in there and not have those supermodel chicklets that they always seem to hire LAUGH when I come in. Hurry back and give us all the news! Well my dears - I am past my lunch hour, again. I have to get back to the old grind and keep on top of the pile - cause if the weather is crappy - I WON'T BE HERE. :] I really hope it snows - HARD. Or better yet - freezing rain. :]

I'm doing my sunday pot roast in the crock. Tomorrow instead of beef stew (with leftovers) I am going to shred it and make beef sandwiches, with swiss cheese. We are having a house guest for a week so I will cook everynight. He actually lives about 30 miles south of here but he is doing some training for work and it is north of us so he stays with us to save the insane commute. It saves him about 2 hours each way in the car each day. It's almost like he isn't here, he comes in eats dinner and crashes in my basement to sleep, he is up and out long before we get up each morning. So basically I have a few more towels to wash and a dinner guest each night for a week. My house is kinda like a frat house in that respect, our friends come here and stay when needed, our door is always open. There is usually food of some kind in the fridge and they all know where towels and such are. We have a friend that lives in FL and we have told him when they come to Iowa to visit family they should drop in for a day or two on their way home. He said, I'll call and make plans, I said nonsense, call and let me know you are on your way, I always have room for friends. So if anyone ever come to Chicago, I have a place for you to stay. I have a fully finished basement, with a beautiful fireplace and private bath. Just let me know.... I managed to rake the back yard today, it's not huge but that is a huge NSV for me. A year ago I would be struggling to breath, this time I raked and came in and cleaned the master bathroom. I took a shower and started dinner in the crock. I am getting ready to vaccum, and then cnahge the sheets on Abi's bed. I did mine yeaterday. I try not to change all the beds the same day, way too much laundry. I am going to be listing a bunch of stuff on Ebay later today, all of the American Girl stuff that Abi never plays with. I'm sad to see it go but she asked for some big stuff (size not dollar amount) for Christmas so we need the room. Also it will give someone a chance to get some very nice things that they might not ba able to afforad any other way. I know that her first American girl came from Ebay, I saved about $40 buying it that way. I have a huge bin of stuff to sell, I should be taking pictures right now, but I am hanging out here and drining my hot tea. Oreo is snuggld up so close to me I can feel her breath on my leg, she is soooo warm I hate to move her. She tried to get in the shower with me this morning and she stayed right with me in the back yard the whole time. She has become really attached to me, she is my little sweetie. I will check in again later. ~Mandy

First off, I'm 64 years old, and had Lap band procedure coming up on 6 years. Prior to that, I was morbidly obese, diabetes, high BP, triglycerides, cholesterol, etc, etc, you name it, all out of control. Was seeing as many as 4 different Dr.'s all on a 4-month schedule. I was so out of shape I would become short of breath and need to rest doing the littlest things like carry groceries into the house. My PCP simply and straight forwardly stated that if I did not do something, specifically lose 50-80 lbs, I will not be around much longer. I should think about my family, etc, when I am gone. I told him, yet again, that I have tried every diet under the sun and was never able to keep it off. All diets started out good, but then I back slid and ultimately complete failure. I went for a stress test, and they found blockages in my arteries, which resulted in angioplasty with stents. It was then they discovered an area of my heart muscle was damaged which was a result of a Myocardial Infarction. They asked me when did I have a heart attack? I said never. They said Oh yes you did, a quite serious one...However it was silent which is very common for diabetics. Back to my PCP...suggested as a "Last Resort", I go for WLS. Which I did. WLS was 100% successful for me, once I got past the initial stages it became the easiest thing I could have ever done. Lost all my excess body fat, became a gym rat. I don't count calories or anything similar to traditional dieting. With the band I am forced to eat less so when I do eat I just make sure it is something as healthy as I can put together. Always focusing on the Protein. I indulge in things that are usually a hot topic here...point is, I'm not a glutton so a little here and then works just fine with me. Fast forward to a few days ago....went in for my scheduled Nuclear Stress test. Other people in the waiting room had O2 with them, were using walkers, etc...I came looking like I just came back from the gym knowing I would be running on their treadmill. Through every phase people would comment how good I looked and I surley worked out. One TECH wanted to know what my workout routine was. On the treadmill, where they take it to a high BPM (stress), they had me running at a good clip...I was also carrying on a normal conversation the whole time. Then they inject the isotobe and take pictures of your cardiac arteries First time I had one of these it didn't take more than a brisk walk, and I was so out of breath I could not speak. My cardiologist called me later and said I passed with flying colors..everything could not look any better...Perfect... This is what WLS did for me...literally saved my life. Turned around my Coronary Artery Disease, not to mention reversing my diabetes and everything else I was plagued with. I'm 64 years old and am the weight I was when I played football and ran track back in HS 45 years ago. I am at an optimal body fat %, (don't care about BMI's) cannot lose anymore because there is nothing left to lose. Wear normal clothes right off the rack, or order online without any worries, never short of breath, and I feel like I'm 30 years younger and can do anything. Last summer I climbed a volcano where the next oldest in the group was 1/2 my age, the rest younger...I led the pack most of the way up. I read posts on this forum all the time about people complaining about this and that, or having fears of failure only a year or less into it... People, PLEASE get over it....stop the whining!!! This thing DOES WORK...don't sweat the small stuff, focus on the big picture..like the rest of your life!!! Ok, off my soapbox. Thank You

@@B-52 Amazing NSV to get out and kick ass in life. Your health and fitness level always keeps me interested in what you are doing to keep yourself in shape. Love your posts.

wow ! ive only been banded 1 month and ive had nothing but supportive comments from family a nd co workers who know about it. i feel great , and ive lost 15lbs total. in the last 2 days ive received 2 compliments about how good im looking! some of my old clothes fit and so im dressing nicer. if sombody gives you grief about anything just explain youre doing something healthy for your body. wait until you get your 1st nsv ! (non-scale victory) clothes that finally fit, a nice compliment, walking without being tired, etc ) hope all goes well for you, mine has been a breeze !! just had my 1st fill. doing fine ! i'll be thinking of you on surgery day !

Flying today - this NSV makes me so happy!

Good morning all my beautiful sleevers! So I had an amazing NSV Saturday I had to share. I was out on the town with friends in a very hip spot of Dallas. I was out with my gorgeous leggy model looking friend who's a showstopper. I felt good and happy I wasn't insecure but by no means thinking anyone would give me a second look. But I love to dance so I went out on the dance floor and was shaking my moneymaker just in my element. I open my eyes and all eyes are on ME. I was so into the music I hadn't noticed sooner. All of a sudden a tall lean young guy comes up and starts dancing with me. He grabs me by my waist and picks me up! (jaw drop....heart racing....no time to process) he just tossed me in the air effortlessly. I seriously felt like Baby from Dirty Dancing. Hahaha. I've never ever felt so small, sexy and exhilarated. Best night ever!!! I attached a pic of me and of my beautiful friends who were with me that night.

NSVs = Non scale Victories

The NSV's are the best. I am 7 weeks out and have lost 31 pounds, post op. But, I went from a 2-3x shirt to a loose(not falling off) x large. My pants (that have remained after disposing too big's) are still bigger than I'd like. Pants went from a 24 to a 20 (maybe 18, if I have an elastic waist).

This is a great thread! I think I shall put in my fourpenneth. NSV's suprisingly already achieved!: 1) Dropped 2 dress sizes 2) Able to lie in my bath with space either side and don't have to heave my heavy bod out. In fact in some ways that was easier lol, now I have to rely more on my shoddy knees, it takes me longer to get out because the bath sides aren't supporting me doh! 3) Wearing boots without cutting off my circulation! My calves are now just the muscle not the flab that hdad creeped on as well! 4) Standing on a scales and being elated with the result. NSV's to be achieved: 1) To get down to a size 14 (UK) Currently 18 so have another 2 dress sizes to go. 2) Being at a healthy BMI. 3) The ability to wear my mums diamond ring. 4) To be able to stand in front of a cmarea and not feeling like I am in front of a firing line. 5) To be able to look at a pic of me nad smile instead of feeling that I have ruined what could have been a great picture. 6) To go to Disney and have all the photos taken that were done last time and being happy to put them on display! (This one may take a long time to achieve) 7) To go out on a date. 8) To have confidence to know that I am beautiful 9) To feel human again. (Sheesh I have some issues! :Banane17: ) I am sure there will be a lot more NSVs as the days and months go by but these are all I can think of at the mo. S0rry for prattling on Suzannexx

My husband has benefitted from my WLS too. He's eating healthier, cut out a lot of carbs, and joined the gym 8 months ago with me. We go 6-7 times a week...... He's down 50 too. Congrats to you snd your hubby. May there be many more NSV's in your future!