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I wish I would have had a better idea of the emotion struggles through out this journey. I tell you it has been one H*ll of a ride so far. You can read about it, listen to it. but experience it is a whole different kettle of fish...... One example is that every other time I dieted. When I lost a lot of weight I would panic and get scared that if I got too small I would attract unwanted attention. The exact opposite happened. I enjoy every pound that leaves my body and can't wait for the next NSV. I have no idea why the change but that is part of dealing with your thinking. Your brain and mind set.... A journey..No kidding!!!!!!!!!!

…and another NSV: My primary was so thrilled, that she ran two blood tests. My A1c is down from 12.2 to 9.6. Allowing for the fact that it's really just been the past month that my bloodsugar has improved, it's a pretty big jump. And my Fructosamine came back… wait for it… NORMAL! It's a miracle.

I used to take zinc, vitamin c and echinacea before my band, but zinc just hurt my stomach so much back then I don't want to chance it now. The otc decongestants almost all raise my blood pressure. One positive NSV already is that with my weight loss so far in this journey, I've gone down from two blood pressure meds to one. Yay! I'll try the Robitussin mucus thinner stuff if needed, but it feels like it's breaking up today. It was just so weird to feel that "slow down" signal for the first time when all I was having was liquids. It was actually good to "know" my band was really in there!

Oopsie! Definitely time for you to invest in two new items. Some new jeans and a new skirt! Wear them to death until you experience the next 'whoops' moment! Congrats on the embarrassing NSV though!

This is a selfie and NSV! I took this in the bathroom at work. I was excited because now I can fit in the yellow stripe scrub top, which is an XL!

Hi, friends. Just sharing, as I'm so excited. Wednesday made 16 calendar weeks post-op VSG, and as of today, I've lost 50 pounds! Holy cow. I am halfway to goal in just four months!! SW =257.2 Dec. 4th--->Today = 206.0 ---> 170 (or 150--ultimate goal). I was hoping to enter Onederland by June 1st, but I think I'll get there before that, do you think...? I need to do monthly weight-loss tallies, but oddly, I lost 13 pounds this month! (I don't know why, but I'll take it!) OMG. And the NSVs are occurring every week. I really need to take pictures; I think I'll regret not having done so along this journey. Just sharing. This feels good...and I really needed that to happen. For any still wondering whether to have WLS, VSG or any type, I can already attest that it does change your life, energy, attitude, appearance, style, confidence, socialization, sexiness, etc. It all gets better, with more to come, it seems. Have a great day.

I had a bittersweet NSV today. My wedding ring set has been sliding all around my finger over the last 2 weeks or so. To keep from loosing them. I had to wrap medical tape on the back. Going to have to figure out a better way to deal with this. I don't want to take them off. Will need to have them resized once I loose all my weight. But not sure what to do for now...

Congratulations on ur NSV!!!

What is NSV?

Congrats.....That was one of my favorite NSV's too!

Had to travel for a retreat and experienced another NSV. In the past, I was always worried about if the seatbelt would fit when I flew occasionally I had to request an extender(humiliating) but usually just sucked in my guy and squeezed into the seatbelt to avoid embarrassment and avoided getting up on flights so I wouldn't have to struggle to close the seatbelt again. Today, I got onboard, snapped my belt shut without a struggle, didn't encroach on my seat mate and was able to put the tray table all the way down. My weight loss has been slow and as I've become more active, it's been all over the place going up then down so I've been very frustrated. However I have been steadily losing inches and today's NSV showed I'm making progress and moving in the right direction. I'm so thrilled right now and am looking forward to more NSVs.

First little NSV! I have these underwear that are a little too small, the front tends to roll down under my tummy. Just put them on and they are staying in place. I need a scale!

I painted a 3 foot high wooden Easter Egg as a hanging ornament for my front door. It turned out pretty good, if I say so myself. So, I posted a photo of it on face book with me holding it. Holy cow, I got so many comments but they weren't about the door ornament, they were all about me. I've lost 35 pounds but people were acting like I had lost 80 lbs or something. All the comments were so positive and I had no idea anyone would really even notice. I felt like a rock star with all of the comments. LOL I am loving this sleeve and I am so motivated to stay on this diet and do what I am supposed to do in order to lose the weight. I am so excited.

Hi, I'm 5 months out and I hit two major goals this week. I'm officially"overweight" and I hit the 65% goal my Dr. said he expected to be my total weight loss. 100% here I come!

Yes. A definite NSV. And I would share a picture with her from a year and a half ago. It might help her to know that we're all in this together. Fighting our wars against society's expectations and our own inner battles.

Let me start at the beginning. A lot of you know I am taking a creative writing course. I used to have no trouble coming up with ideas and putting them on paper. After I had my WLS and all the complications I was blocked. I could not write a thing. Tried, mind you but came up empty This course came up and I thought maybe it would kick start my writing again. It has been fun but at times nerve wracking to say the least. Last night like every other class we had to write a story on the fly. I mean no prep, on the spot, no time to think. This time the teacher handed us a slip of paper and gave us a topic and let our minds go where they decided.One of my classmates wrote about her two sisters. The story went something like this. " I was always picked on at school for being bony thin. Elbows, knees and everything else. I was also tall and lanky. I couldn't even get a date. My family, especially my two sisters used to pick on me all the time. I was the different one compared to almost everyone who lived in our little town. I stood out as weird. My sisters were short, blond and saw themselves as voluptuous, where I saw them as fat. As the years went by I stayed exactly where I am now tall and bony and they have continued to expand their voluptuous bodies. They are coming for a visit and my daughter and I are taking bets on how long it will take them to start on me about putting a few pounds on and be more healthy like they are. That is the gist of the story. She went on to say that she loved her sisters but did not understand their view of her. It was a well written story and a spin on abuse. She assured me at our ten minute break that yes she did have two sisters and that they were short blond and stacked. She told me about high school and how she felt she was treated there. Her sisters are fat as she calls it but a healthy fat. I told her that it was interesting that she wrote it that way because usually the prejudice is reversed. Thin people picking on heavy people. Not where I come from she said everyone there looks like my sisters. I stood out as different. I repeated that it was interesting how they all saw her. She said why can't people just be happy with who they are and not pick on others. I said society does not like differences. They want us all to be cut from the same cookie cutters. Well she said if your fat then your fat. If your bony then your bony. I don't get it. I said that the thin is in revolution started when they saw Twiggy in the 60's and she modeled for clothing companies and they liked the way clothes sat on her frame. It spiraled from there and now bone thin, no breasts, no shape is the ones they want us to look at on the catwalks. She then talked about her daughter who is voluptuous as well and how she gets mad at her because she goes to weight watchers because of health reasons she now has to stay this size. I asked her who is voluptuous in her mind and she said Marilyn Monroe, Loni Anderson and a singer that I did not recognize the name. I said I still find it strange that a person who is thin could be picked on in our time when everyone is concentrating on the obese society who by the way out number thin people 2 to 1. NOW!!!!!!!!! This was the shocker. She said I wouldn't expect you to really understand. If you were fat you would get how it feels to be picked on for who you are....I stared at her and my head spun. IF I WERE FAT I would understand. Looking at me she new it would have been an insult to say if you were bone thin because obviously I would have taken offence in her mind. So looking at me she used the IF YOU WERE FAT instead. She continued to talk until the teacher called us all back to our places and it was over. I spent the rest of the class wondering if I should have pulled out a picture to show her I knew abuse. Tell her that one was not the same as the other. Let her know a year and a half ago I weighed 380 lbs. But I could not get it out of my head that she said " if you were fat you would understand abuse" She was telling my I was not fat....It was like I had heard it for the first time. In my wildest dreams I never thought that someone would ever see me this way. I guess you could call that a NSV.

Congratulatiions on your NSV! (Non-scale victory). That is a major accomplishment! I'm off my diabetic medicine as well. It is so nice to periodically check my blood and it's within the range it should be in.Be proud of yourself! That is awesome!

My best NSV. Was when I went shopping in my all time favorite store Catos and the sales lady told me I needed to go to the other side of the store. Now I can't fine anything that fits on the plus side.

Guys! I'm so excited!! I had my first NSV yesterday! I was sitting in a meeting with my boss, and I crossed my legs at the knee!! I didn't even realize I was doing it. Hahaha! And I love how people are starting to notice at work!!

Ok, so BIG NSV yesterday. Since before I had surgery 2 years ago, I dreamed of riding rides with my boys and knew it may never happen. We moved to Florida last year, and finally had a chance to visit Legoland yesterday. Not only was I able to keep up with them and their friends, I was leading the pack! AAAND riding roller coasters and other rides with them, and I didn't have to worry about fitting. There was ONE ride with a teeny car and the girl had to really push down on the bar to lock it, but that's ok! I've got a ways to go, but I've come SO far! I'm back on track with a trainer and we're going to get this job D O N E!!! KEEP WORKIN' IT PEOPLE!!!

I just went shopping in my own closet. I've had friends who have lost weight before me and gave me tons of clothes in smaller sizes. I can finally fit into them! Went from a 26/28 down to a 20. I know that's still big, but I'm thrilled to have new clothes. I'm also thrilled to pass my larger sizes on to a friend who is starting her journey. There is so much power in knowing you'll never be that size again and never need those clothes. Our daughter is getting married in June and when we went to get her dress alterations yesterday, she saw a Mother of the Bride dress she wanted me to try on. I got the size 24, doubting it would fit because those bridal shops always have size smaller than what the actual size is. I was FLOATING in the 24! I went to a 20 thinking, "I'll never get this on." But you know what? It fit! In fact, even that was a little large! I was thinking that being in a 16 for the wedding at the beginning of June would be a pipe dream. I'm actually thinking I could make it! I was so excited I just had to share. I know other people have NSV's similar to this and everyone gets excited for them. It's just such a relief after all that time doubting that I really CAN do this. I really CAN lose weight. I really CAN be healthy. I really CAN fit into a 20!

I am so impressed by everybody on here - October was obviously a good month for Sleevers! I've had a week of NSVs this week - just come back from skiing in Austria. Covered 300 miles in a week and had no problem keeping up with my ultra-fit dad and brother! Then went out for dinner with my new man on Saturday and had no problem squeezing through tiny gaps between tables! Mentally I am struggling a little bit though - I am down from 240lb to 154 and I know that within the next 20 or so pounds I am going to be having to start maintaining rather than still losing - and the thought terrifies me. Losing weight has been my life since October now and I think I will feel lost when I'm not losing anymore. Also, I still feel absolutely huge and I really can't see that in 20lb time I will be any happier with the size I am. Have an appointment with my surgeon and his team at the beginning of April so will mention it to them, but if any of you lovely people have any thoughts, they would be appreciated!