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That is a wonderful NSV! That is a landmark! To me it ranks right up there with not having to be weighed at the feed store, not having to use a seat belt extender, and not having the slats fall out from underneath the bed when you lay down on the mattress. BTW - I take two measurements - I measure my "belly" - which is what I call the largest part of my stomach / apron. I also measure my "hips" - which is where the widest part of my butt is - and it is (now) just below where the apron ends. I even lifted up the d**n apron to get this measurement early on. I take that measurement to let myself know what my hips would be if I get the apron removed. (I can dream, right?)

Really no secret, just your basic, healthy meal plan..... For the first 6 weeks I followed my surgeon's meal plan and transitioned slowly through the food stages (very good restriction did not allow for "skipping ahead"). As hard as it was, I met Protein and Water goals 90% of the time. Once I was on regular food I focused on protein and non starchy veggies. Steak, burger, ham, ribs, pork, chicken, BBQ, tuna, refried Beans, eggs, milk, Protein Bars, PB2, Greek yogurt, avocados, cheese, cottage cheese, mixed nuts, beef and turkey Jerky, broccoli, spinach, kale, green and yellow beans, mushrooms, red peppers, edamame, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Chinese mixed veggies, you name it.... Now at just over 7 months out I have a 24-32oz protein smoothie with 30-40g protein everyday and eat 4-5 meals and Snacks. I get a MINIMUM of 64oz water daily and I take whole food based Vitamins. I have had sweets, deserts, chips, fries, alcohol, bread, Pasta and rice, but in moderation and probably not even once/week. As I got close to and passed goal, I started adding more fruit and whole grains. Besides protein bars (Natures Valley Protein, GNC Lean Bars, Fiber One Protein) I added whole grain bars like Kind, Kashi pumpkin Flax, and Pure Ancient Grains. I snack on mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, edamame, Peanut Butter and apples, frozen pineapple, melons, and plain Fage or Chobani Greek yogurt flavored with Protein powder. I add berries and other fruit as well as Metamucil and benefiber to my protein smoothie. But really, the simple answer is I eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein (always first priority) veggies, fruit and whole grains. I eat when I'm hungry and only until satisfied, not full. Besides protein and water, I never tracked anything. I have no idea how many calories or carbs or fat I eat. As for exercise, I've got no magic formula there, either. I haven't been to a gym in years. Immediately postop I walked a lot but that was pretty much to help with digestion and to decrease the bloated feeling I had. I rode my recumbent bike 20-30 minutes/day for awhile but I haven't been on it in a couple weeks. I actually just have a very active lifestyle. I work 60+ hours/ week. I am a vet tech, so I'm standing, squatting, bending, lifting and walking all day. On the weekends I ride my horse, sometimes 15-20 miles/day (which is an excellent Pilates and thigh master workout if you are riding "correctly"). And along with the horses comes chores...shoveling shit, fixing fences, hauling water, feeding and stacking hay. Last weekend I got 42 bales of hay. Each bale weighs 80 pounds and I had to lift and move each one 3 times (big stack to truck; truck to shed; stack in shed). So essentially I lifted 10,000 pounds in 2 days....and at least part of that over my head (Basically lifted weights and did stair master for a couple hours). I got another 21 bales yesterday and the day before went whitewater rafting and rowed a boatload of friends 8 miles (more Pilates and push-ups). Anyways, everyone's journey is going to be different. What works for me might not work for you. Just figure out what you are most comfortable with (establishing a workout routine and tracking everything is not a bad thing, it's just not what I did). And if you are still reading this, let me say my biggest advice is don't compare your weight loss to others. Concentrate on being healthy, don't torture yourself with guilt, keep a good attitude, and look for NSV's for validation, not the numbers on the scale.

So my schedule between work and the pt (due to car accident) has been super busy. It's a little less than 4 months but I've hit my 70 pound loss already. I started at 330 pounds so I still have a long way to go but it feels so wonderful to be normal. Im sorry to say I don't count calories and I pretty much eat whatever I want but since I eat so little i make much better choices. I've started to play tennis with my husband and even purchases a used elliptical that I love. I'm only 2 pounds over my husband and can't wait till I weigh less than him. I started with a size 26/28 and to my amazement I acidently put the wrong size uniform in my bag to change after pt and I fit into an 18 petite. I could not believe it. I ordered that size for the future after my seemstress said she could no longer take in any of my other uniform pants since they would lose the pockets. Ive also found 2 boxes of clothes from when I was smaller so I haven't had to do any major shopping. Another NSV is that I can know wear all my beautiful heals and sandals since my foot has gotten smaller. Everyone at work knows I've had the surgery but they are all so supportive of me and tell me what a great job I'm doing and they even say they're jealous of me. Haha. They've nicked named me skinny which is funny cause I'm still a pretty big girl at 260 but ive lost by double chin and no longer run out of breath just walking around my job. This surgery has to have been the best investment I've ever done for myself and i love reading all the other success stories. So to all the sleeve sisters and brothers out there WE ROCK!

Hahaha, Shasta Daisy!!!! This is one of the simple things I am most looking forward to. Congrats, it's an awesome NSV!

My NSV today is not getting on the scale since Sunday LOL I am almost 3 months out and this is the first time i havent weighed myself daily. My next NSV is to not get on the scale between now and Sunday. LOL.. Any other NSV out there anybody want to throw out? Happy Tuesday!

Great NSV! Mine is that I'm in a musical right now, and finding costumes for my characters has been MUCH easier than it has been in the past!

Hey CT Banders! Sil - congrats on your date - you're going to do SO well! Heather - I'm just getting to mushies...doing well so far, but it's only been two days :biggrin: I'm finding that 'more liquid' is better than 'more solid' so far. Had chicken risotto Soup yesterday and with the mushy veggies and soft Pasta, had no trouble whatsoever. Allie and Sharona - I hope to duplicate your results! I'd love to be down 45 lbs by my birthday in February, though I'm not going to destroy myself by pushing it too hard. My current goal is to make 230 by Jan 1st. First post-op appointment this morning, band support group tomorrow night. I'm loving my new banded life so far...making better choices with food, fighting the head hunger a bit (that's the hardest part) and people have already started to notice the weight loss! Had a NSV (non-scale victory) over the weekend - bent down to tie my gymshoes before walking the DDog, and realized my tummy wasn't in the way any more! It's definately not FLAT yet, but it's going down, and I'm so excited!

Happy New Year to all CT Lapbanders! Bandfan1 - I was banded by Dr. Duffy, who is a colleague of Dr. Roberts...small world! Do you attend the support group meetings in New Haven on the first Wednesday of the month? If so - hope to see you there!:wink_smile: Not too bad over the holidays - I think I've picked up a few pounds, but a lot less than I would have without my band, "Jillian". Lots of NSV's - smaller clothes, more stamina and strength, and even went swing dancing with my hubby on Friday and didn't huff and puff at the end of the night! We took it easy, but still - I'm thrilled with the difference the few pounds I've lost are making, and I can't wait to lose the rest. First fill appt scheduled for tomorrow morning - will check in afterwards.:thumbup:

Oh, sorry! LOL! I didn't read the title....no idea what POPT is, but NSV is a Non Scale Victory. Basically anything good related to weight loss that isn't actually reflected on the scale. For example, I'm looking forward to being able to cross my legs again. That will be one happy NSV for me!

Ok I'm the QUEEN of stalls lol So here's what I can say. Take from it what you will. Cold hands and feet: I have that, and for me, it's due to weight loss AND low iron. I'm anemic, so I take a bariatric vitamin w/ iron and an additional iron supplement w/ vit c and it keeps my iron levels at the lowest part of normal. When it dips down, my hands and feet are like literal ice cubes. Breaking a long stall: So I tend to gain 3-5 pounds when a stall hits and then lose the same 1-3 pounds over and over until it breaks (and I lose like 6 or 7 pounds all at once). My stalls can last anywhere from several weeks to 3 months. It SUX. When I have a stall, I change up my work out routine to confuse my body. If you do the same things in the same order every day, your body gets used to it and gets complacent and the work out becomes less affective. So I add new things, take things out, add or take away reps, etc. I pay extra close attention to what I eat and when. On work out days, my fluids, protein, calories, and carbs MUST be higher because if not, my body thinks it's starving and holds on to everything. I prioritize fluids, protein, and low carb above all else, but I still make sure that I'm at a calorie deficit while getting in enough to prevent my body from thinking its starving. I also only weigh myself once per week and pay special attention to NSVs, because even when the scale isn't doing what you want, your body still is. Fat gets redistributed, you slim down, that's when you see you drop sizes in clothes, rings, etc... When I work out, I keep my calories at around 1300 - 1400 depending on what work outs I do. I drink an electrolyte drink (Propel or gatorade zero) and an additional 64oz of fluids at LEAST. I keep my protein at 80-90g, my carbs at 40-50g, and healthy fats at 40-50g. When I'm not working out, I keep my calories at around 1000 - 1150, my fluids at around 64oz, my protein between 60-70g, my carbs between 20-30g, and my healthy fats between 20-30g. We need less when we aren't working out. We need more when we are. Just keep at a deficit while still providing more when working out. And make sure you change up the work outs. Right now, your body is really confused. You have to be patient with it, but at the same time, show it who's boss and shake things up to get it going again. You still have time to get where you want to be. Make sure you're not grazing through the day, be mindful what you're eating, when, and how often. Go back to your bariatric diet basics if you need to. You got this.

Congrats on both, now, what have been your best NSVs? Or your favorite ones?

No I can't eat anything. I can have pureeds. I ordered a Soup that was crappy and ate 2 bites and was full whilst he is eating loaded yummy nachos and slurping down delicious looking soda! I just wanted to dig in. I also ordered some chicken quesadillas, (as I mentioned earlier I am a cheater) and well the chunks of chicken were too big to eat but I did manage a few bites. It was our first time out to eat. It was super hard and very depressing. Not to mention I look around the restaurant and I wonder why I was so worried about my weight in the first place, almost everyone there was overweight and larger than myself. I started doubting myself and this whole decision. I always think I could have done this on my own and then I could have had a damn cheat day if i wanted! Then I look at my super awesome 2 year old daughter who is my motivation for all of this and things always seem a bit brighter. I can't imagine her being made fun of her whole life for being overweight like I was. I tend to think if I am overweight she will think it is okay to eat and be overweight like me. I DO NOT want that for her. Exercise does indeed help, I will admit the first few times or even weeks totally sucked for me! I try and briskly walk anywhere from 3-5 miles a day on my treadmill. Like I said I have cheated and it wasn't worth it. I am supposed to be on pureed's. I have had mac and cheese, I have had chex mix, I have had chips, I have had cheese, I have had quesidillas, I have had popcorn, I have had peanut M&Ms, I have been a BAD sleeve patient. BTW that was all the things I ate just YESTERDAY! I tend to think I know everything and my surgeon is just babying me. Well now here I am wondering if I stretched my sleeve, wondering if I will have a leak, and I'm telling you I felt like complete crap after eating those things. My stomach was bloated, I got sweaty, I had to lay down, and I didn't get my Protein or liquids in for the day. It was so not worth it for me to advance. I would call your surgeons office about the support group meetings, if you havent already. Otherwise on here they have a ton of local groups and although I'm not entered in any I'm pretty sure they get together from time to time. It sounds like you are losing weight too, I ended up cheating because of the fact I hit a stall for so long and I got mad and ate food. Congrats on your weight loss and all of those NSV's. Time will pass and hopefully things will be better. I tend to think since I can't change what I have done I better just try and make the most of it. Keep up that exercise and the weight will melt off.

Looks like I need to be baaaad (*make that sound like a sheep*). I think I can stretch to be naughty just to break this plateau. I was having my own pity party last night thinking that I am probably in a spot where I have been many times before. In the past when I have been on diets I have always lost around the same weight or got to a certain time after starting, only to let the bad habits creep back in again. I have eaten small portions of chocolate occasionally, not enough to have not lost and not gained weight though! I think without knowingly have done it, I have become bored with it all.. But now I don't know the funk I am in! I am having difficulty moving beyond the head hunger stage now. However, food no longer rules my life and that's my most important NSV so far. Today I had porridge and a banana for breaky, 100g tin tuna and a cucumber with 200g yoghurt and probably some spag bol for dinner before I go to netball. I think this is still too much, as I am still hungry with a small amount of resriction. What do you think?

Coming up to 8 months post op and life feels better than I remember it being. This week has been a week for NSV's : * completed my first fun run, 8 kms in just on 1 hour * I fit into a size of jeans that I have not worn since I was 14 * feeling great and positive about the direction and the people in my life * am even planing a glamour shoot to show how far I have come. Even the scale is co-operating a bit.

Congrats to you! I relate to your NSVs. A glamour shot? That is a huge NSV. I hope you post it here when you do it. I let my friend take a photo of me today. It was scary, but it felt so good to not be afraid. Celebrate every moment of your new life!

A couple of other cool NSVs: While out hiking, a friend was walking behind me (one of the few that know I had the surgery). She made a .comment about how different I look from behind and that my waist was cutting in I ordered a new v neck tshirt in size L and it fit perfect!!! I was wearing 2XL and many of them were too tight. I was cleaning out my coat closet today (I've cleaned out my main closet a few times, but never got around to my coats). Being in Northern California and wIth surgery end of December, then Covid, I didn't really wear most of my coats this year. I have a raincoat that last year was really tight - I could wear it but couldn't button all the buttons. I tried it on today and it was HUGE. You could literally fit another person in there with me Yay!

This afternoon my fiance went to a christening for his cousin's daughter. We took some pictures and after looking at them later on I thought to myself "Hey, I don't look half bad!" It's amazing I actually let myself have my picture taken in the first place because normally I hide from the camera at all costs. Definitely an NSV for me!

Tyler as a obese male 46 yrs of age I couldn't care less who knows and who doesn't. I have had serious health issues for the past year that required three hospitalizations. At my highest I weighed 451lbs last April. I made the decision to have the Lap Band surgery last August for my family and me. I have had nothing but support from family, friends and co-workers. In the last year I have two co-workers and a personal friend that has begun the Lap band journey since I had my surgery. I have also given some info out to about 6 others who ask me about Lap Band surgery. It is a personal preference to tell people or not. You do what is best for you and your family and try not to worry what others may think. I have heard so many negative comments about my size my whole life that if some one wants to say something stupid now, more power to them. I don't care what they think. My kids tell all their friends that they won't be able to call me Big Unc for much longer. They are so proud of me and that's what matters to me. I would like to share one more thing before I go. I had a NSV yesterday that wasn't planned. As I was walking past my Daughter she hugged me and said "Pop, I can finally get my arms completely around you for the first time in my life". I had never really thought about it but she was right. I can't explain how great I felt at that exact moment in time. Life is Great!

Well, I am 37 years old and have bought my very FIRST pair of bluejeans! (Hold on to something tight, the earth might be moving where you are - I am in he process of doing the happy dance!!) I have always been a big girl and never ever thought I looked good in jeans and still don't actually look good in them, but at least I feel comfortable in a size 18 now! I never would bring myself to buy them to wear because I never felt I would look decent in them. Might not be a big deal to alot of folks, but that is going in my scrapbook as soon as I get my hubby to take a picture of me wearing them! Thanks for listening to me and my silly NSV.

Awesome job! Being outside and doing something you enjoy is a NSV so add that to your list also.

Wow - how healthy and glowing you look! Phenominal change! NSV moment here - do you notice now how you do not have to bend over at the waist to be in a face shot with friends(!!!!!!!)?

Jetsy62, you go girl! You will make it. I know about the nagging feeling this isn't going to work (all the yo yo dieting really did a number on me). I still have moments like that, but it's those NSVs and the scale moving in the right direction (regardless of how little the movement) that renews my hope. I AM GOING TO MAKE IT! YOU ARE TOO!:biggrin:

I don't sign in here very often, but since it had been awhile, I thought I'd check in. It's a year ago this month, that I had my last fill. That last one was so restrictive, I have not wanted to get another. Maybe I should go for a check, but I don't know that I want more added. I only managed to lose about 20lbs since that fill. I wonder if this happens to others. I lose 2-3lbs, then gain a little back at "that time of the month", after that, I may lose a little but then it remains the same weight for several days, before starting to lose again. It is very, slow. It's like two steps forward, one step back (that kind of thing). It is frustrating, but, as long as I keep heading in the right direction, I'm okay. The good news is, that I have been buying smaller clothes. Medium tops and smaller pants/jeans/skirts. Bottoms are mostly 10s, but I have at least one or two 8s, one size 9/10 and some just say Medium. I even have one pair of jeans I got at a yard sale, that I'd had hanging as my inspirational jeans, that I fit into!!!! I just about fell over, when they zipped up, because they're size 6. That brand's sizing has to be off. I've got other size 8s that I can't get even closed to zipped. It has also been nice that people have obviously noticed that I'd lost more weight, because they comment on it. I've heard 'skinny', 'thin' and 'svelte'. That last one gave me a good laugh, as nobody has ever called me svelte. So, as of right now, I am 23lbs from my official goal. As I've always said though, we'll see how it goes. If I feel great and am happy with a little bit higher, I'll be good. I do not want to be wafer thin. I think we should have 'some meat on our bones'. Stick thin is just not cute. If you're frustrated like me, just hang in there and work for it. Don't give up. It is hard, but I would've never gotten as far I as have, without the band. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

So I have found myself in somewhat of a dilemma that I could have never imagined six months ago. I had my six-month follow-up appointment with my surgeon after having the sleeve done in April. Needless to say I have worked really hard and have lost 88 pounds from my highest weight during the last 7 months. I have met my surgeons goal but I have not met my own personal goal as of yet, but I am still working diligently on that. Overall I am a pretty private person, and aside from my bariatric pal friends, only my mom and husband know about my surgery. I have gotten lots of questions at work and from friends, but have managed to keep my decision to have surgery private. This is where my dilemma comes in..... When I started at my highest weight, I felt ashamed about having surgery to lose weight. Even though I know now this is a totally incorrect way of thinking, I struggle somewhat with admitting now that I have had surgery since I have kept it private all this time. I don't want people to feel lied to, even though this was a very personal decision for me. So upon going to my follow-up visit with my surgeon, he proceeds to tell me how amazed he is with how great I look, and how successful I have been. He then says he wants to have before and after pictures of me to feature on their Facebook page, and to include in their seminar for future bariatric patients as one of their success stories. So my dilemma is I have kept my decision to have surgery private to this point and don't want to come across as a liar, but now that I have put in the hard work and feel successful I am proud of my accomplishments. On one hand I want to oblige the office and be included in their success stories because of all of the hard work and effort I have put in, and I do feel proud of myself. On the other hand I know how quickly social media travels, and I don't want to look like I have just been lying to everyone all this time. I considered submitting pictures and just blocking out my face, but then I don't really feel like I am owning my accomplishments. I know this post is probably extremely confusing and I find myself going back-and-forth a lot. I would love others feedback or input if you have been in the situation, or of what you would do if you were in my situation. Also thank you to all of you BP veterans who take time to post and give responses to questions for those of us who are still going through the beginnings of our journeys. Your knowledge and wisdom has been invaluable for me through my journey.

NSV are the best