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Thank u so much, Mark and Fiddleman! I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to check out the link and try adding one component at a time. Anything is possible with systematic baby steps, right? Running is tough on the joints and I would like to be running for many many years. I also like the appeal of the reduction of injuries (this is a biggie) and increasing my times. I can't believe that I've been almost running for a year! That's a huge NSV for me. It's time to improve and fine tune. Thanks again!

Awesome! This is actually one of the NSV goals I set for myself! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm digging the NSV - mountain climbing, took a fencing class, one lady is getting me into a dance class (which is terrifying to me). We shall see, I know I am LITERALLY lighter on my feet than I used to be.

DOn't be so disaproving, this is a great NSV!!! She probably couldn't/wouldn't have done this before! Hurray for you!!!Karen

I survived my first dinner in a restaurant. Only ate the grilled chicken out of the taco. Did not eat the flour tortilla or the cilantro & cabbage that were also inside. I cut it up into the tiniest pieces ever. ( I think the waitress thought I was nuts). The only thing that bothered me was that I never got to even take a sip of my water ( damn half hour rule!) The "old me" would have been bothered by the massive amounts of wings & beer that surrounded me. Or the plate of "loaded tater tots" that the couple next to us had. But instead, this Sleevie Wonder was bothered by not being able to drink water when she wanted to. Should we chalk it up to a first NSV???

that is a great NSV!!! congrats

PB'ing (Productive Burping) When you burp and junk comes with it. NSV (Non Scale Victory) A weightloss success that didn't directly involve the scale.) LBT (Lap Band Talk) This site. VGB (?) I think it stands for another surgery. TOM (Time Of the Month) The monthly visit from aunt Flo. Ha Ha. I hope that helps! Yeah, all the abbreviations can sometimes take awhile to figure out!

Goals. Goals not met. Goals can be a real beyotch if you don't have some refinement and structure around them. At least that's the way it is for me. I certainly have an ultimate goal of where I want to be.....but I've set intermittent goals that feel freaking great when achieved. Not all of them are weight goals. Many are NSV's that I get a kick out of reaching. ....A piece of clothing that I want to fit in comfortably. ......An activity that I want to do without difficulty. ......Fitness goals. It is imperative that I have goals beyond the scale. My daily weigh-ins would drive me nuts if they were my only source of validation. One of the ones that I achieved yesterday.....hit me like a hammer and made me grin stupidly......was on the treadmill. Had my first morning off work after a 60 hr pressure cooker workweek. I hit the gym and busted off two hours on the treadmill. Even when I'd find that "right" music and turn up the speed and elevation.....I couldn't seem to get my heart rate up above the high 140's. Crazy. A month ago I couldn't keep it under 160. Soon....soon the knees will be ready to run and it's going to be ON !!!!!!

Jalese i agree that you will need to take your body pierces out as you are going to surgery-along with all jewelry WLS - 12/10 -good luck, speedy recovery - you are in for the ride of your lifetime towards health and happiness - wishing you well that being said - i have to laugh a bit, not at you but ...i want to experiment, new things since WLS since i've been losing my weight - i've tried to step out of the box, do a couple things that i never did joked to DH about piercing my naval - i don't think so!!!!! but .......... got a tattoo!!!! OMG got my 2 front teeth capped - changed my "natural" blonde by Loreal to a light,warm blonde with a little red!!!! Face Lift 1/30/13 there are other smaller but cool NSV's that i keep on enjoying this grammy isn't in a rocking chair - but I'm a ROCKIN change is good

Impressive! Those results should be considered an NSV! ???? Sent from my KFFOWI using the BariatricPal App

Hahaaa!!! Truly awesome isn't it??? Thanks girlie!! This is so very very true. You hit the nail on the head, because being obese we carry more weight on our shoulders than we do on our whole bodies. Our lives, the air we breath, our every thought is consumed by being heavy. I know that feeling too well wondering if that chair with the sides is going to be able to work on my giant frame. Or if I step on a step stool, will it break underneath me??? - that kind of thing. It's so sad and is becoming more a memory for me every day - but I still find myself thinking like this from time to time. I have to remind myself, that yes - I can fit in those tiny seats at the sporting event and all that kind of stuff... and believe it those seats are tiny!!! Now I'm fitting in them with even a little wiggle room. It's pretty cool. I do really love this NSV because for once in about 20 years, I'm actually being considered of normal size. I never imagined I would be here already barely 6 months out when I was looking up at those lights getting ready to take a deep nap and wake up with no stomach (and no band! ). Cheers!!!

Yes it's true, I've been Up and Down with my weight for the last almost 20 years. I've never been thin as an adult, only since being a young teenager, then shortly after I got married and stopped doing things to keep myself thin. I gained that weight pretty quickly. You do have a lot to look forward to, and that's a lot less of you. NSV's are my favorites. The scale going down is nice, but I'm telling you, it's the little things that keep reminding me that I'm doing mighty fine. Good luck!!!

Hi there and welcome to lapband talk. My name is Lana and I was banded 05/21/08, I remember being in your position. Curiousity, bewilderment and about to embark on the journey of a life time. I don't have any horror stories but I do have some eye opening stories with regard to the band. Pre-op, surgery and post op were all very uneventful and not really very pain for me, everyone has a different story. I started very gung ho, with the full understanding that it was only a "tool" and without me it would in no way shape or form transform me into a gorgeous size 2. I understood that I need to exercise and agreed.. The one thing, that has me discouraged are the sheer amount of fills I have to have. So far I have had 10 and with each one I was sure I was getting closer to the spot. I'm just not there yet and it hurts emotionally a little. Exercise has given me a new body, I changed my eating habits, I no longer eat out nor can I tolerate that type of food..(I just can't stand the taste anymore). But yet and still 15 or so months later I'm still hungry and I just don't know if I even want to get another fill. The whole process just takes too much out of my day at this point. I haven't lost much weight as far as the scale is concerned but I do have a shopping list full of NSV. (non scale victories) Even after all of that, I would do this over again. Those first few weeks without food were actually magical for me. I learned a lot about myself and wanted even more to be on this journey. I guess the point is, the band is not a miracle. The actual weight loss could take longer than you think and without a real change in self (diet and exercise)there would have been no progress to speak of. I wish you luck, this is a wonderful place to start. This journey is not without its bumps and bruises, lacks perfection and at times is down right ugly. But its till worth it, even on the days I doubt it (like today) its still worth it.

Mel, One of the best suggestions my friends gave me was to slow down when you're trying to jog for longer. After a few times at a certain speed, I can typically speed up a little, even if for only a few minutes. I think I have to be more vigilant about what I'm eating, not just calories and protein. I haven't had any issues with getting food down lately, so it's kinda been "open season" if you know what I mean......because I haven't had any problems with tolerating food, I've been good about eating salads and eating more veggies, but it makes it easier to eat brownies, french fries, and crap I wouldn't normally eat. I bought 2 containers of Unjury and they should be here tomorrow. I've also decided to start walking on my "days off" from running. In a huge NSV for me, I walked 2.5 miles yesterday at a 4.0 WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT!!! Ok, I typically look like I've gone swimming in my clothes when I workout. It felt really good to know my body is finally in good condition. Now I just need to go shopping for some headphones. I accidentally left mine in the gym the other night and someone kept them. Jerk. So it's been quiet for me, but a good time to think.... Keep up the great work!

One Year Bandiversary Well, I’m about here. Next Friday will be my one year mark since receiving the band. <O:p</O:p In this first year, I achieved 77% of my weight loss goal, going from 307 to 244 pounds, for a total loss of 63 pounds, leaving 19 more to go. The weight loss period is not over yet. Since I still have up to 2 years of potential weight loss left to go, I am confident I will get that last 19 pounds off, and realistically, had I followed all of the Bandster rules religiously, I am sure I would have already taken those pounds off, too. <O:p</O:p How did the year go? I went from abject terror prior to surgery, full of fear from reading the various threads and claims about successes and failures, to an immediate sense that “everything would be alright” on the morning that I awoke from my really, not very invasive surgery. Sure, the incision from my port hurt a lot for the first two weeks. And the nausea I experienced for the first 10 was so monumental, that the memory still stays with me. But after that initial recovery period, I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to receive this life saving device. <O:p</O:p Other than the occasional bout of having food that I shouldn’t eat, or that I ate to fast, come back up, I don’t have any side effects at all. <O:p</O:p How did life get better, and what are those NSV’s that are always asked for at the one year mark? I have had many, many more than the ones listed below, but here are the ones that come to mind: <O:p</O:p 1) My wife and I delivered a healthy baby boy 2) My blood pressure went from around 154/100 to about 121 over 75 3) My pulse went from an average of 110 to about 65-70 4) My painful, swollen feet which were so bad that I couldn’t walk in the morning, are no longer swollen or painful. In fact, they’re just fine. 5) My shortness of breath, which left me red and stressed and gasping after walking only a few blocks, is completely gone. Now when I go running with my dog, the dog runs out of energy well before I do. 6) As my weight fell away, my physicality picked up to the point that I am much more active in my favorite sports, (i.e. karate, skiing, walking and running.) I can ski for 6 hours straight, and the only reason I get off the runs, is because the lifts close, not because my legs are tired, and not because I can’t breathe. Now I am planning on rock climbing, hiking, and biking. I would have never considered this before, and now I really look forward to it. In fact, I feel like I have to do it, because my other exercises seem to fall short in terms of trying to get my heart rate up, and trying to really get a good workout. 7) My knees no longer hurt. 8) At night, I used to gasp, and feel like I was suffocating. I had to lean up in bed in order to breathe. I used to snore really loud, and my dear wife just had to deal with it. Now, I don’t snore, and I don’t have any problem sleeping at night. In fact, I probably went from the worst, loudest snorer in my whole family, to the least, if at all. 9) My waist dropped from a tight 46 to a tight 36. My shirt size went from an XXXL to an XL. I can now go to any store, and am still flummoxed when I select clothes, that I pick it from the MIDDLE of the range of sizes, rather than searching for ANYTHING that might be big enough for me. It also means I can now buy a pair of walking shorts at costco for $15 rather than paying $65 for an inferior quality pair at the big and tall store. I can go swimming with my kids now and be seen with my shirt off, and not feel embarrassed. 10) My friends and co-workers tell me that I have never looked better. Old friends know that I look better now than I did 25 years ago. <O:p</O:p Most of all, I look forward to what I hope will be a longer, healthier life, that I can share with my family. And it just keeps getting better. <O:p</O:p My thanks to Doctor Layton Alldrege at the Sandy Medical Center</ST1:p, and to Vivienne Sullivan, his fill nurse, and the rest of his team. He has the most amazing practice, staff, and follow-through. I am thankful that I was fortunate enough to have chosen him and to receive his care.

I bet they weren't looking at you, and if they were, they were probably thinking, "Good for her." Believe me, if they were looking at you, they will be the first ones to tell you how great you are looking when the weight starts falling off. People can be mean but I honestly feel like when they are at the gym, they are more concerned about how they look. Please don't let your new journey be hampered by what you think others might be thinking. Their opinion doesn't count. Walk into that gym, hold your head up high and start exercising. All the sweating is helping you melt fat. The heavy breathing will lessen as you get more fit. You will start to see many NSVs and you are going to rock that new body!!!

I was also sleeved on the 27th. Down 20lbs since surgery 43lbs since starting the 2 week preop diet. I feel good. If I sit for too long my incisions are sore. I am going to start seeing a therapist that specifically deals with WLS because I have a lot of struggle with head hunger and emotional eating. Hope she has some ideas on how to curb that! My mom noticed I had a waist and that was a pretty awesome feeling and NSV for me!! Good luck to everyone! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for your encouragement Vinesqueen and LaMadam. Guess I need to quit focusing on the scales so much. I am comparing me to the first year of surgery and was losing about 15-18 lbs per month that first go around before my revision surgery. Thanks again, and I will try to focus on how my clothes are feeling loose and the NSV that are still showing up. This board is great for support, thanks so much for listening to me whine!

What a great NSV! You brought tears to my eyes with that one! Congradulations!

Okay... now you made me cry... that is a wonderful NSV!

Congrats on your NSV! Please post pics as proof!

OMG people! I just busted my lip raising up my knee to tie my shoe. I am in my office chair and I leaned forward slightly raised my foot off the ground to be able to reach my foot to tie my lace, and I raised my knee so high I smashed my lip! No belly in the way, so it just kinda "wham"...sooo happy no one saw it here, yet had to share...I take them where I can get them!

oops, didnt see porcelndoll! Sorry about that! You are SO right - being able to actually HAVE a decent cleavage to show off is a big NSV!!! No offense taken here - you look great! (((I cant believe Im talking that way about another womans breasts')))

GRRR, I keep trying to re-size this so it's not all ginormous! Anyways, my photo NSV is the fact that I even let people take my pic now. This is the sexiest pic I have since you can see my bra (I think I had one too many cosmopolitans this weekend!)

ummm, i meet with the surgeon friday. he is getting my income tax and then we get to schedule the deed. BUTT, i mean, but, i will be saving my super-queen-sized-mega-tugboat-rope THONG for my NSV pic...tee hee. YOU WILL BE SEEING LESS OF ME THIS SUMMER!!!