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Hello everyone - I've been MIA for a while - out of town, busy with work, family stuff...life sure gets in the way, doesn't it? I'm proud to say things have been going very well for me. Since my last fill I've had good restriction. I am down 75 lbs now and people at work seem to comment on how I look on a daily basis. It feels so good to get the compliments and to know that the weight will stay off with the help of the band is an even bigger reward. I've hit another plateau - staying the same for about the last week and a half - but I'm sure it will kick back into gear soon. I've been fighting a cold for the past week and even stayed home from work last Wednesday and slept the entire day. I went on a scrapbooking retreat with friends last weekend and sneezed and blew my nose the entire weekend. Then I woke up this morning doing the same thing - UUggghh!! Next weekend I'm going on another retreat. So I'll spend the week planning what I want to work on and packing my supplies. Last weekend we were in a house, so I was able to bring my Magic Bullett and have my shakes when I wanted them. This next weekend we'll be at a resort and everything is buffet-style. I'm going to just focus on eating my protein first and drinking my water during the day and then I should be fine. I just need to stay away from snacks. I had cheddar chex mix last weekend and it was SO good, but it was the first time I'd really just let myself snack and the guilt was terrible! Anyway, I see from your posts since I was on last that you are all doing well. Congrats on all the NSV's and take care of yourselves to the ones who were having issues. I'm going to try and check in more often. I miss chatting with you all!

Hello everyone--trying to catch up. I am doing okay. No pain with the flipped port. Just a twinge every now and then. For the first time, I am at a plateau I guess--no weight loss in about 3 weeks, but I am okay. Until I get the port thing fixed on September 28th, I am not really worried about weight loss. I have been going to the gym and working out harder, so it could be muscle. I will get my focus after the port thing, until then I guess I am like Christie on the weightloss sabbatical--I still haven't totally gorged out, just not in full mode like weighing my food, journaling, and counting every calorie. Just watching what I eat so not to get off track. Probably not going to meet the Labor Day challenge, but I am cool. Congrats on the NSV's

Hey everyone, I am home from my jailbreak. It was a lot of fun, I didn't finish last, as a matter of fact I was about 10 min in front of the last finisher. However, when I was almost at the finish line a guy passed me who was in the next wave so he started 30 after I did, showoff.:tt1: My knees and elbows are scratched and bruised, and when we were done we had to be hosed off with a fire hose because we were so muddy. I assure you its been a quick minute since I was muddy enough for the hose. 2 big NSV's 1) I beat my sons girlfriend. :thumbup: 2) When we were stretching I figured out I can almost do the splits again. I am only about 4 inches away. :thumbup: I will post some pics when they are processed.

Hi All, Sorry I haven't been around for a while but I've been so busy, I had organised my parents 40th wedding anniversary surprise party for last saturday and it was at my house, so very stressfull!! but a fantastic party and I now have 2 very ahppy parents.. As for the weight! well, I haven't been weighed for a little while, should be going to the gym tomorrow so will get weighed then and report in.. The Good news is I've had SEVERAL NSVs!!! 1) Went to get haircut and there was lots more room in the chair than normal! my thighs weren't bulging out the side as they usually do.. 2) Went to theatre and same thing there, I could fit easily in seat and had plenty legroom, which means my bottoms smaller!! 3) Went on my first clothes shopping trip and had difficulty finding clothes to fit!! nothing unusual there I can hear you all say...but this was good news as i'm down 2 sizes almost 3 and that was the problem...but a good one!! 4) I got all dressed up for the party and I actually felt good about myself..even slightly pretty!! and i never feel like that..and I was happy looking in a mirror checking out my reflection..lol I think that's all of them for the moment, but you know all of a sudden I feel worthwhile! I know you all will understand that but I would find it hard to explain to my non lapband friends... Well done everyone, keep up the good work and lets beat this thing together!! Beth - sorry I think it was you who keeps having the pain in the chest(if not then I apologise) I also have this pain, it usually happens when I eat too fast, or the wrong kind of food and I find I have to stop eating because it's telling me I've had enough and haven't realised I'm full and I count that as a finished meal and don't go back to it, if I was to continue eating I would PB, so maybe you should try this and see if it helps stop it. recurring

Good Afternoon, my friends! I'm smiling like crazy today :-) I feel great, the sun is shining here, and I've lost the 4 pounds I gained! Soooo, where to start ... Christie - I'm so sorry you're feeling blue. I don't have children, so I can't honestly say I know how you feel. However, for those of us with fur babies, we DO understand that day we realize our babies arent kittens, or puppies any longer. When did they get so big? When did they grow up? I realize its not exactly the same, but the feeling of Loss, so to speak, is the same. ((HUGS)) oh, rabid pack of chickens? LOL I almost peed myself when i read that !! :laugh: HB - a size 14 ??? SWEET !!!! I'm SO looking forward to wearing a 14. Because then you can shop anywhere! They're the biggest size in a regular store, and the smallest size in a plus store - the best of BOTH worlds... Congrats! :redface: Leigha - DON"T give up the wine! It's your one and only real splurge. Life should be enjoyed. So ENJOY it! I agree that it will just take a bit longer. But this is a lifestyle, remember? You shouldnt pressure yourself with dates, and deadlines... But i doubt you're looking much like a man!! LOL I think you look amazing! :w00t: Hey Bets - how many calories did you end up burning before nightfall?? LOL I had a great image in my head of you - chanding clothes as fast as you can, and literally running around the house, the block, cleaning, yard work, whatever you could muster up to do - all in fast forward motion! It made me giggle outloud ... :smile2: All you BB people - thats so awesome that you all got it and like it. I've been on the fence ever since MIA BOB mentioned it a few months back. I don't have the funds, but i think the tool would be invaluable if used ( for me , USED would be the key word lol ) So i ordered a Fitbit... its the same principle, but less expensive < Fitbit > its smaller also. So, we'll see :-) I'll let you know how it is once i get it. they're on back order until june 15. :wink2: And once again, a big hello and welcome to all the newbies that have joined us !! Where have all the oldtimers gone???? HELLO??? And a big WOOHOO to all the NSV's out there ! I also had one at my scrapbooking retreat. I wore an outfit i wore there just last October, and i swam in it! I didnt realize i had lost 35 pounds since then! And all the gals noticed it :-) it was sooo great for my ego at this time to have some possitive feedback! :tt2: I start my new job on monday ! I've been a grazer the past few months, and really need to get back to the 3 Squares a day ... working 8-5, m-f should be a HUGE help in that department. I'm not one to drink my meals, so I need to ask - is it ok to eat a couple / few hours after i wake up for my first meal? I know we're supposed to eat w/in an hour or so, right? But I just can't have much besides coffee. I was thinking cottage cheese or yougurt around 10 am. Would this throw everything off? I assume lunch will be around 12 or so, and i'll be eating supper between 530 - 630. I'm hoping this will work for me, and Onderland and I will become fast friends :tt1: I'd give anything if we all could meet for a weekend. Find a central spot, and spend a weekend laughing, crying, chatting, sharing and supporting ... just a pipe dream , i guess... :crying: I need to fly to tthe store, Any suggestions on portable breakfast and lunch ideas are welcome HUGS to all today !!!!!! :wub:

congrats on the nsv's! 50 lbs, onederland, twoterville! sorry i have been busy and had to read pages of postings to get up to date...sorry about dr. sanchez, what a loss the pix posted are great! i really need to do that soon. i can really relate to the problems eating!!! i was pb's a few times a week for almost a month. i went to the dr. yesterday for my 4 month check up and got yelled at! he said if it happens again to call cuz he doesn't want me to hurt myself. so he wanted to find out why and filled my 4 cc band to 1.5cc's. after i chugged the water...up it came!!!twice!!! then he took out .25cc's and up it came again! now i am just over 1 cc a smidge over where i was before we started. so he said to eat slowly and only protein just to jump start my metabolism so i can lose more weight. he also reminded me that our tummies are the size of a thumb and i am NOT!!!! to eat more than 1/4 cup per meal. we'll see! is everyone ready for the holiday season? i am soo excited...only 2 weeks left! dez

Officially, the program I am working with recommends not weighing in so frequently. I weigh myself daily. At times, this has been frustrating. However, at this point (11 weeks out) it has helped me understand my body and my weight loss patterns. I know that I will go down to a new low, then over the next several days I may bounce around (up to 2.5 lbs) above that low before hitting the next low. As I said, early on this was frustrating, now I understand that it will happen and it does not stress me out (as much). I am currently using Fitness Pal to track my weight . I only enter new lows, and I don't record the little jumps back up between lows. Having that to examine the weight loss over time is very helpful. After the initial drops my weight-loss has felt so slow, but looking at it over weeks is helpful. I have a hard time "seeing" my weight-loss. The other things that has been helpful is recognizing the NSV. I had to buy all new pants. Also, I am almost done shopping in my closest. Those things can offer a boost when the scale is not moving as quickly as we would like it to.

They were huge fans of my NSV last night. Hubby still gives them piggyback rides to bed even though our 10yo is 5'3". I got to take a piggyback ride down the hall too this time! We are BUSY! ❤️❤️❤️

#14 - Biggest NSV so far I'm going to change this to my biggest NSV this month .... hiking without feeling anxious I would be out of breath, sweaty, overly exhausted, and generally just feel embarrassed about my weight. That was a huge reason I avoided physical activity, I felt humiliated I was so out of shape.

WOOOO HOOOO!!! congrats to both of you on your NSVs!!

I could feel it for the first few weeks but now, not at all except maybe when it's protesting because I ate too much. I can feel the port sometimes when I lift or bend. I just got back from my (plane) trip and MY SEAT BELT DID UP. I rushed on to the plane and looked down at it thinking, "Ok seat-belt, you don't like me and I don't like you but let's just do this thing." I adjusted it as long as it could get, sat my wide load down and 'click'. It clicked in. There was no room to spare length-wise but it wasn't pinching either and I left it on the entire trip. I didn't even need to lift the armrest, which was another relief. I spent the rest of the flight grinning but didn't want to blow my euphoria by trying the tray table, so lived in blissful ignorance. Huge NSV for me. I was so worried about this. I stand by my choice of aisle.

These are the NSV's that are worth it. They make you feel great when you don't have a SV that week. You will start noticing the smallest things. It is great. When other people notice and start pointing it out, it is so worth it. It isn't in the pounds, it is in everything else in your life. I promise, you will learn to take the NSV's over the SV's any day. I have learned from experience.....even though the scale isn't moving, your body is changing. I was looking back at pictures yesterday from June 29th and there was such a big difference in the way I look. It is amazing. You don't realize how much 5 or 10 pounds does for you. Congrats on all of it!!! Erin

Karen, Congratulations!! All of those are wonderful NSV's, and you should be very proud of yourself!

Hi all! Checking in with some NSVs! We went on vacation to Myrtle Beach 2 weeks ago and I didn't gain anything! I was conscious of what I ate but I didn't limit myself (red velvet donuts are delicious!) but I still didn't gain. In my pre-band life we'd be talking a minimum gain of 5 pounds! I also wore a 2 piece bathing suit! Probably to the horror if the rest of the resort, but who cares! I'm okay with my stomach, my thighs and arms are my trouble zones and they would have been a problem in a one piece! This weekend I'm doing my first 5k! I won't be running, but I'm still amazed I signed up! I'm surprising my best friend in NC who was just diagnosed and treated for breast cancer; I'll be walking on her team. Also - my parents were up this past weekend for a quick visit. I saw them in June and had lost 35 pounds, but I'm up to 73 now. My mom said if she had passed me in the mall she wouldn't have even recognized me! Is that good or bad??? Ha! I think I'll be okay for the holidays. I really feel my restriction and try to avoid at all costs the pain I get from overeating. Does anybody else get "ice cream headaches" when they eat too fast? I get pain at the band but also a horrible forehead headache if I cram it in! I'm okay with a bite or 2 of DH's dessert. We'll see how it goes though.

whew! What a Saturday...busy busy. Hi everyone! Well...I've decided that I am definitely at restriction. Just made taco salads for everyone for dinner. I measured out a 1/2 cup of the beef mixture. Added a tbsp of salsa, tbsp of sour cream, tbsp of sliced black olives and just a few tortilla strips. I really didn't think it added up to that much but it must've been a full cup of food. Oh my word...I am absolutely stuffed!!!! But I'm also satisfied with that. 8 months ago...I would've gone back for another cup full. Today was 1/2 price day at Goodwill, and DH and I both had OT on our paychecks this week...so we went shopping. Well, I shopped more than he did. LOL. We went to two GW stores. I came home with three kitchen towels, two toys & a t-shirt for my son, a t-shirt, golf shirt and a pair of LEVI's for the DH, a pair of slacks, 4 skirts and 6 blouses (one of which can be worn like a jacket also). I didn't spend over $45!!! But the big "WAHOO!" NSV of this day is....all of the clothes I bought were 14's!!! You have no idea how long it has been since I've worn a freakin' size 14! I still have 17 pounds to go for my primary goal. I'm now thinking to myself that I might actually see a size 12 again!

Hello everyone!! Here is a quick update. So i had my 4th fill 2 wks ago I thought I had found my sweet spot. But once on solids there was no restriction. Maybe next time. I can pretty much eat anything still and I know I shouldn't but I have been in a slump and I have been eatting pretty bad. I feel guilt for a little while then tell myself tomorrow is a new day but then I eat bad stuff again! I am really craving chocolate, but then I got my period (haven't had in 10ths due to IUD) so maybe that explains the sudden cravings and bad eatting. Maybe I should try liquids to get the sugar out of my system again? Maybe I'm having sugar withdrawal & that is what is making it hard to not eat that cookie or order the greasy fried stuff. Any ideas?? Well there is a NSV out of this. Normally I would feel so guilt for eating something bad that I would get upset & depressed & then binge then start it all over again. This time I really don't feel any guilt & don't feel like bingeing. I just find myself eating something sweet every day. But yeah I'm not depressed about it. And I am still working out 3-4 days a week and drinking most of my water. Ttyl!!

Well, I guess it is time to get a list going! Please post your online name and your surgery date here so we can find Banding Buddies! You know, someone to commiserate with during days of Bandster Hell, and someone to share Non Scale Victories (NSV) with - like tying your shoes without having the laces crooked. Maybe one day, we can even have a mass "granny pantie" burning! September 2007 Bandsters MDICURN (Jeni) - 9/?/07 Rwel4 - 9/4/07 Guinessgirl77 - 9/4/07 PCracker - 9/4/07 Stacy73 - 9/5/07 Littleroo1 - 9/5/07 Surfbored - 9/5/07 Toots - 9/5/97 Missy - 9/6/07 Ghostbuster - 9/7/07 Butterfly17 - 9/7/07 Natie716 - 9/7/07 Allisarin- 9/7/07 Sharon2u - 9/10/07 Skodes - 9/10/07 Phillyms - 9/10/07 Eli - 9/10/07 Andrea71 - 9/11/07 Want3bemeagain - 9/11/07 Nanann - 9/11/07 NcNyrk - 9/12/07 Lap-bandit - 9/14/07 Suemtt- 9/14/07 Kelly5Bellies - 9/15/07 Lmjlmj - 9/17/07 Arley - 9/17/07 Philly08 - 9/17/08 Gurlygirl - 9/18/07 Darragha - 9/19/07 Zgril - 9/20/07 ScareDcat - 9/20/07 Bubblebelly - 9/20/07 Globetrotter - 9/24/07 Juliacleone - 9/28/07 Chubbyone - 9/28/07

Marz - Congrats on the new sizes! I also wondered about all of the other members. Some of them may only post on the B2G website now but I'm not sure about that. It would be nice to see how everyone else is doing. I tried to take some pictures of myself last night to post on here. My DH is working nights this week so I had to set up the camera and use the timer, etc. The pictures are not that great. Plus they are in some weird format and I am not sure how to switch them to JPEG so, hopefully the hubby can work on that for me today. I might have some on here tomorrow. We have dial up internet at home so I won't attempt it at home. I have a NSV that I just realized this morning. I can finally use a regular sized bathtowel to dry off with until of the giant bath sheet. It actually closes together now! And I am almost just overweight. .8 lbs away from never being obese again! Woohoo!

Thought id add this one i took today also,,i can really tell in it,,,The jeans i have one in both pics are the same right out of the dryer..NSV..THEY WERE BAGGY WHEN I PUT THEM ON TODAY!!! :faint: Can tell in the pics how loose they are now..wahooooooooooo:clap2: :clap2:

Today is one month from my surgery date and I'm considering this to be my first nsv and that is I actually weight the same as what is says on my drivers license. May sound silly but I haven't been this weight in years!

My favorite NSV ... I'm able to buckle my seat belt without lifting my butt/hip I can just click and go! I wear my watch and it slips up and down my wrist. .::SurgeryDate 7/25/12::.

I hope your surgery went well @SGirl35. MY NSV is being able to cut my toe nails with out pain. P. S. what does NSV actually stand for?

I am getting my hair braided, and as all my sista's out there know I'll be here for hours. Every time I sit in a chair like this, for hours I dream of this moment of comfort, and now it is here! My NSV is that I'm sitting in a hair salon with my legs crossed enjoying this iPad comfortably in this uncomfortable salon chair. I'm leaning to side a bit so I'm not 100% there yet, but this still so exciting!! No one here knows how excited I am about this on the inside. I do not know the stylists here very well so I'm not gonna tell them, but I had to tell someone, so I choose you, my BariatricPal's. Yay me!

I just had a nice surprise. My husband and I are going to Italy and Greece for 2 weeks in June. I don't know what made us start talking about our passports but we did. So he goes and pulls mine out of our lockbox. We got it renewed in March of 2008. Here is where I digress a bit... so, my 'ah ha' moment was in november of 2006 while at my moms house. I didn't own a scale and she had one in her guest bathroom. I jumped on it and saw 267 pop up and realized I can't do this anymore (at 5'2", I was easily 140lbs overweight). It was right there that I decided to do whatever it took to take the weight off. If someone told me shooting horse pee into myself would work, I'd do it. Luckily for me my answer wasn't as gross. I scheduled a consult at the mayo clinic to get the lapband. Mayo has an extensive bariatric program and requires six months of appointments prior to surgery. I jumped in full force. By March of 2008 I was 25 lbs down, tracking my food religiously and exercising regularly. So when I had that picture it wasn't even my 'come to Jesus' moment but wow five years makes such a difference. As many of you know the band didn't work for me. I had it placed in June 2008 and did well the first 2 years. Then I started having terrible reflux and playing what I referred to as my food games ( waiting until 2 or 3 in the afternoon to eat, get stuck, throw up, look longingly as others ate around you knowing darn well you can't even swallow Water but you are starving). In December of 2012 I couldn't ignore it anymore. I made an appointment with mayo again to get an EGD and find out what was going on. I found oyt later that week that the two years of vomiting, reflux and heartburn had manifested itself into intestinal metaplasia. It was then I decided the band has to come out and I wanted converted. Having a friend die from Barrets several years ago, I knew I was done playing. June 2013 (almost five years to the day from my lapband) my band was taken out and I was converted to RNY. I was 220 on the day of surgery and am 160 this week. I am confident I will reach my goal if it takes me another 20 years. God willing horse pee won't factor in. So back to my NSV.. Seeing that picture was a great visual reminder of my journey to this point and reminded me how every step along the way helped me get here. My relationship with food is better than it has ever been, I feel healthy and while I have the all too damiliar freakouts from stalls I never take my eye off of the prize. Me and my worth to achieve anything I desire.

@@amylynns My arms are jiggly too and I can't seem to lose in my thighs very well. Major stubborn area. Calves too. Ughhhh! NSV: I went on a ropes and zip line course the other day and I was so proud and happy with myself that I did it! Taking those leaps of faith into thin air at 30 to 40 feet would NOT have been possible just 6 months ago and although my arms were a little shaky afterward from that and climbing up cargo nets, I have only a little soreness in my muscles. Pleasantly surprised! Before, I would have been out of breath after the first course and worried about the weight limit and if the cable would hold me.