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Here's the background data. I took an early retirement package from my employer at the end of December of 2011. They were having some tough times financially and wanted to reduce costs - so when they offered the package, I accepted it. I took a gamble on myself and my skills being marketable in the bad economy. Not a fun time to be in the job market. For those of you who haven't looked for a job recently - it is completely different than it was even two years ago. If you don't know how to use social media, have a great "content-rich" resume, and are willing to network almost continuously, you are going to have a difficult finding a new job. I am 55 years old, and am competing with "kids" half my age and willing to take less money than me for the very same job. Here's the NSV - I received four job offers! The first was about 3 weeks ago, for a contract position - which I accepted. That seemed to bring all sorts of other good things my way. I received three additional job offers in the last ten days. All three of them were good offers for permanent positions (if any jobs these days are really "permanent"). I had the amazing task of deciding which one was the one I wanted - because I would have accepted any one of the three. I did a little negotiating with the companies - to maximize the offers - and picked the winner. I resigned from my contract job, accepted the job I decided on, and told the other two companies, "no thanks". I think the fact that I had successfully lost 100+ pounds and am a "normal" weight both really helped me have a successfull job search. I believe the confidence boost I got from having beat my personal demon carried over into my interviews. I know people looked at me differently during the interview process at a size 12 petite than they would have at a size 26W. I didn't have to worry about hiring managers or human resource people worrying about the costs of insuring an obese person. I think I look younger than I did 100+ pounds ago - and younger is definately better in today's job market. It is going to be nice at the new company to just be known as "Sharon - the new woman" rather than "Sharon - the fat woman who is new". I look forward to planning what I will be wearing the first week of work! Sharon

This is truly an NSV! Congrats on your new found confidence and your new job!

Ok... so if you've read some of my posts recently, I've been complaining about being in a stall or not losing inches or anything. I received some killer advice on this board and took it to heart. I stopped consuming 2-3 Protein shakes a day and decided to get most of my protein in via food, I stopped weighing myself everyday, and I up'd my Water intake by double! So, here I go last week with all my changes and what happens? I get hit with my kids' cold/flu! I've been out of commission since last Thurs and am finally back to work and feeling somewhat normal. The bad news? I havent been able to eat anything substantial since last week and have only been able to finish 1/2 of a Protein shake. I know I'm depriving my body of the nutrients it needs to survive but nothing is going down. I made chorizo and scrambled egg for BF and was only able to eat maybe 3 bites. I have baked chicken for L today and am hoping to get most of the 2oz in but I highly doubt it. Anyway.... on to my scale VICTORY!! I am officially down 30lbs post-op!!! (Ticker to reflect this later) YAY!!!! My "stall" has broken since last week due to all your help and advice!!! and for my NSV.... I fit into my size 14 slacks today!!!! So very excited!!! One more freakin pound and I'll be in ONEDERLAND!!!! Doing the Happy Dance!! Thank you all for your encouragement and advice!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Hard to believe it's been three months. Today I hit 70 lbs lost. Starting Weight: 311 Surgery Weight: 292 Weight Today: 240.2 Weight Loss: 70.8 lbs Target Weight: 205 My favorite NSV is buying and wearing normal clothes again. I'm a regular XL now in most shirts, and I have a brand new pair of 38 jeans that are actually loose on me. I'm eating mostly what I want, but what I want seems to be mostly Protein and low carb...with some exceptions lol. Thanks to everyone for all the great posts that have been a huge help. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@NYSuperDuck hey dude you are aces! wonderful job great NSV @@Waler you haven't done so bad yourself 147 lbs gone (don't look at me, i didn't take them lol) woo hoo - party dance keep up the good work for the rest of your healthier, happier, longer life congrats to both of you kathy

Holy cow, today is my bandiversary. I’m just going to let my fingers do the walking and see where this story takes me, so try to stay with me if I get a little boring! On March 4th, 2009 I drove to my clinic with my mom so early that she had time to get McDonalds Breakfast. I was so glad the day had finally arrived, more than anything glad that pre-op was over and the medical issues I was going through weren’t stopping me from having surgery. I weighed 255lbs that day, down 15lbs from my highest weight of 270 which was recorded at my consultation for lap-band surgery, January 13th. What a year. I now weigh 90lbs less than I did when I started this journey at my consultation, 75bs less than when I had surgery. For those doing the math, that averages to just under 1.5lbs a week - slow losing IS STILL LOSING. That is probably my biggest piece of advice to remember, and surely advice I need to remind myself of. Even if you lose a small amount, week after week, when you don’t give up, those small numbers turn in to big ones. I had lost more most weeks I was on weight watchers. But I never stayed on a diet before. I was twenty-three years old when I had this surgery, and at that point was really wondering if I would ever be a normal weight. I had struggled with my weight since puberty, and could not remember a time past the age of seven where food wasn’t a crutch or a treat or a secret or a shame. I saw a nutritionist for the first time when I was seven years old, after all. To think that one year later, I’ve done it. Sure I am not at my ideal weight by my nor my doctor’s standards, I’m so freaking close. I’m close enough that I get to- Shop at any store Buy (overpriced) designer jeans from lines like Citizens of Humanity and JBrand Buy Hunter boots that fit over my calves... OK so there’s clearly a shopping theme here. I am fit. Or Phit, rather. I work out a minimum of eight hours a week, and I love every moment of it. I love that last night I did 144 push-ups - real perfect push ups. I couldn’t do five when I started seeing Julie in September. I struggle a lot still with loving my body - I struggle to see how different it is and how much closer to ideal than not it is. But after a workout, when my muscles burn and my hair is matted down with sweat, I love my body because it is strong and it is powerful. I didn’t start working out seriously until about six months post-op, for whatever reason it took that long for it to click with me. For those waiting for that moment, it will come, I truly believe that everyone can love exercise if they find the right workout, and in my lucky case, trainer for them. It is hard to say how much this surgery and losing weight has changed my life. In many ways I have not changed at all, and in others, I am becoming the person who I always hoped I could be. I am accomplishing the thing I knew I never could, and doing that is beyond empowering. I am more settled in myself, I can let my whole self just exist and not worry quite as much as to what I’m projecting. I am so grateful for the band... And so incredibly grateful to all of you for the support all my friends from my blog and here on LBT - I'd be lost without the support you’ve given me. I could never have come as far as I have without the support I get from my friends online, as well as a select few in my real life and my family. No one without the band can understand what we go through - the highs and the lows, the stucks to the the elation at experiencing a huge NSV. I have come so far in my first year with the band, and am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with it. Lots and lots of love to you all, I’ll speak to you when I come back from Mexico with lots of pictures to share!

Congratulations on NSV! and welcome back also!

Phoenix climbing stairs, no huffing or puffing - how cool is that!!!! we love those NSV's!!!! keep up the good job DOS....July 1, 2013??? ticker please raising a glass of Water to your continued success kathy congrats

Hello all! I am a *new* member of the 100 lbs to loose club. I am currently 265 and before surgery I was 279.8. Lost 15 on the pre-op and a few more on the post -op liquid phase. When I say few I truly mean a few. Lowest I reached was 262. I have lost inches, and that is the NSV I am holding on to. Glad I have that to hold on to because truth be told, even thought I focused on having no expectations, I have found I have them all the same. I keep reminding myself this is a "life" change and it will not happen over night. My heart knows this but my head will not get on board. Speaking of head.....darn that head hunger. So, here I set, had my first fill on Monday. My band took a fill of .7 cc's. Dr. McBride began the fill with 1.5 cc's and backed it out until the liquid did not get caught up. I hope the fill settles in nicely and I will have some assistance. I am really wanting to have some help with my non existent *FULL* button. I am not trying to be a downer, *BUT* I really was bummed that I did not loose more on the 21 day liquid phase. (Self talk - inches lost...inches lost!!!) So, recap started 280 lost 15 solid lbs. Feeling like I am hanging on the the 15 and having head hunger issues. I am newly banded as of 4/24/09. I am keeping the faith that this will work for me. Anyone else relate to where I am?

NSV's wrapping a bath towel around my small body sitting in the middle seat on the airplane or booth in restaurant certain body parts no longer hurt or have improved doing a double take past a mirror in Kohl's, is that really me?? not running away from the camera confidence to go out and about don't feel "everyone" is staring at me & my weight now if they stare, it's because i'm cute as a button!!! not having to use handicap public toilet saying good-bye to plus size clothes phew, this is an add on during my 720 minute allotted time!! doing volunteer work is a BIG BIG NSV for me being in the public around 100's of people in a hospital i would never have done that before WLS losing weight does NOT fix all evils/problems but it doesn't hurt!! i still can't play the tuba!! but i never could why would i want to?? LOL consolidate all my NSV's........... i am healthier and happier than i would have ever dreamed possible life is good one day at a time kathy

I can't imagine a better NSV. congratulations.

Congrats on your Nsv. I am told that I look so young for my age of 60. I feel like I am 40. The weight loss has certainly added years to my life with better health . And the weight loss took years off of looking aged.

And what is this "only lost 26lbs"?? - that is a whole lot of weight my dear! It wouldn't be I "only gained 26lbs" would it??? Don't be hard on yourself!! You made a positive decision to change your life and every pound and NSV counts towards that goal to be healthy!!

Today I went shopping to get some new clothing items because well my old (new) stuff is to big I am changing sizes every 2 months big chester cat grin. I was able to buy bras and panties from Victoria secret ( may I recommend the bombshell bra my boobs need a lot of work due to my weight loss but the bombshell bra restores the look my fat used to give them at least in the bra and under my clothes) . Shopping at black house white market, shopping in the regular size cloths stores no more plus or women sizes for me. Walking into "normal" size stores and knowing I fit there and sales people trying to dress me and offer me outfits to tray supposed to the look I swore i used to get like why the hell are you here. Certainly not my reality 100 lbs ago. I leave these stores with my purchases on such a high as I say to myself HOLY Bleep I can wear this my hard work and my band really is showing off. I call my sister or best friend to sure my NSVs I can't believe they want to share clothes with me and that we can swap clothes if need be ( truth be told Im a little smaller than my best friend and maybe the same size of my sister this has never happened in my life.) I have m ore workout clothes in my laundry then my regular clothes I plan my schedule around my gym time people in the gym looking up to me and making me their role model WTH !! But its true I am working my A$$ off in the gym literally lol I packed for vacation and my suitcase looks empty but I have more clothes then I will need but it looks less then previous vacations because my clothes are half the size.!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know these are feelings all of you on here can relate to but I need to share because no one in my life can relate. I booked ziplinning and safari tours and proudly checked the YES box when they asked if i was under 250 lbs. I actually took a snap shot of the screen and almost cried when that happened. I wanted to scream Im under 200 LBS Im in onderland dear cruise line I can do all ur excursions now what lol Can't wait to get on that rock climbing wall and see the gym schedule. . Instead of worrying about what Snacks i will need to pack just incase. I am happily packing my gym clothes sneakers,Protein powder ,Protein Bars, shaker bottle and Water bottle having my trainer give me workouts to do while I am there need to get my exercise in!!! I know cruises can be a food orgy but the cruise line will not go broke because of me this year Unless when I win big in the casino. So excited to go one vacation as a healthy skinner me !!!! I don't know what I more excited about finally going on vacation and unplugging from the world and enjoying fun in islands or the fact I know I will fit in the seats on the plane and no activity will I have to pass on because I am afraid I am to big or the fact I am to big. I am finally a "normal healthy size"!!! That is what the band gave me a life I never knew I was missing out on. I was happy when I was fat but I wasn't healthy now my healthier life style has introduced me to a whole new happier lifestyle I am sure you understand what I mean. Thanks for letting me share/brag whatever. The band is an awesome tool when you work it and dam it I am working it lol

Well, here's a new one for me. I was unable to donate platelets today because my blood pressure is too low. The woman at the Blood Center said this is the first time in 30 years that she's ever had to defer someone for LOW blood pressure. Considering that 2 years ago my blood pressure was continuing to rise despite the meds I was taking to lower it, I'll call it a victory even though I really wanted to donate today. I am coming back next week to try donating again, with strict instructions to booze it up the night before, eat a bunch of salty foods, don't exercise that morning, and guzzle two cups of coffee before my appointment. My, how my life has changed. ????

32lbs off and 31 inches all over. From a start on op-day of 249, I'm delighted. Favourite NSVs so far... I can do up my DMs properly I bought clothes off the peg in a vintage shop I fit a supermarket bra I got 11 miles worth of 1:1 time with my 12 year old today

The husband was taking some clothes out of the dryer ( he does not do this often) and he pulled out a pair of my jeans and said "Who's are these" I gave him a funny look and said mine why? He said "No, way, they like Tammy's".. Now mind you, Tammy is his sister and she probably wears like a size 1 or 2. I laughed and said thanks, but I am no where near Tammy's size. He really was shocked, he could not see it on me, but when he held up my new size pants it suddenly hit him. I really don't think he is capable of seeing sizes, his own or mine.

NSV stands for non-scale victory. There is a great thread in the success stories someone started called NSV shout outs that is really inspiring!

I hit a couple of major NSVs today. I’ve lost 100 lbs (or near enough to count), and finally dipped down into the 100’s. I am pretty pleased with myself, and I am so glad that I had the surgery. HW = 299 CW = 199.4 SW = 280.0 Surgery Date = 07/23/2020 I follow my program of eating healthy extremely well. Cravings are at a minimum, but the weight loss isn’t a complete breeze. I feel like I need to make a conscious effort to stick to the plan. I’m a slow and steady loser, and weirdly each pound lost always feels like it’s going to be the last. Not sure why, because I am not a pessimist by nature. The body dysmorphia is strong, and I have absolutely no sense of how big or small I am now. I feel much better than before, and my clothes are getting looser, but I don’t *feel* like I’ve lost much weight. How very weird! It’s not disheartening - just kind of a clinical observation that my brain can’t quite figure out what’s going on. My initial goal weight was 165 lbs. I picked that weight because it was a goal just beyond what the average weight loss for my height was. I honestly didn’t think it was attainable. But now I do. I’d like to shoot for maybe 140 now. I initially didn’t think I was going to be interested in plastic surgery. However loose skin, age and gravity are not a winning combination. It’s on the table now! I’m glad I don’t have to think about it anytime soon, though. Other observations: * I log my food meticulously. I focus on high protein and low carbs, and feel like it’s a good day when my protein intake is > carb intake. I pretty much ignore the fat intake, but I am eating healthy so it’s just not a concern. * I’ve averaged about 1100 calories/day since the new year. * I don’t think I would have been this successful if i hadn’t been teleworking since the pandemic started. I live alone so I cleared out my kitchen of all temptations. * I walk 3.5 miles a day and I’ve grown to really enjoy it. I rarely miss - only if there are monsoon-like rains will I stay in. * I wear a Fitbit, and I think the most important and useful feature is the reminder to walk throughout the day. I typically average about 15K steps/day. * I have started jogging a little bit, and have been ASTOUNDED that I can do it. I’m super slow, but I can do it. This morning I jogged over 3 miles without dying a single time. 😂 * I do not like jogging. * I was going to the the gym, but stopped because of the crowd of ‘New Years resolution’ people who didn’t seem to be very good with the mask-wearing. I’ll pick back up with that once I get the vaccine. * I have become more limber, and a lot of my aches and pains have receded or disappeared. I love that I can cross my legs now. * My hair fell out. A lot. Started at about 3 months and it was just shocking. It was particularly bad around my temples, and around the crown of my head. It is growing back as seen by the scraggly hair sticking out in all directions. I am so pretty. 😱 It seemed to stop falling out pretty abruptly about 2 weeks ago. * Eating breakfast is still a struggle. I’ve always hated it and I still do. I almost always rely on the Fairlife shakes for breakfast. * I eat a lot of chicken, shrimp, salad, and Morningstar frozen vegan options. I am not a good cook, and as much as I think about food I guess I am just not willing to spend much time preparing it. I like the salad kits that most grocery stores have now. * I take a tremendous amount of joy in cleaning out my closet of clothes I can no longer wear. My closet is so empty! It is seriously so awesome! I’m not ready to do much shopping yet, though. I don’t need clothes for work (yet), and I’m hoping to still lose more weight. * I weigh myself every morning, and I think I’m always going to have to do this. It’s an accountability thing for me.

Congratulations on your success! We are pretty similar — I had my surgery just a week before yours, and I have also lost 100 pounds since my surgery (I lost about 70 pounds before surgery). My initial goal weight was 180 pounds based on average weight loss (this was before I lost the first 70 pounds), but now I’m shooting for 150, although I honestly don’t care all that much about the number on the scale; for me, it’s all about the NSVs. When I stop and think about it, I’m in disbelief that I have lost such a massive amount of weight. I used to see people who have lost 100+ pounds and think it was impossible, and now I’m one of them. i also have the same sense that it doesn’t feel like I’ve lost as much as I have. I am literally half the size I used to be, and of course I can tell that I’m smaller, but I definitely don’t feel like I’m half my old size. I actually like to cook, and I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking at bariatric-friendly recipes (I find a lot of recipe on keto web sites, even though I don’t exactly follow the keto diet, but a lot of keto recipes are good because they’re low-carb). One of the cool things about being a bariatric patient is that my portion sizes are so small that I get a ton of servings out of a single recipe. I made a batch of turkey meat sauce that came out to 27 portions! I have a freezer full of single-serving meals from just a few cooking sessions. I’ve really enjoyed finding new, healthy recipes that I love, and I hardly even miss the old unhealthy foods I used to eat. I recently discovered that I like spaghetti squash! And I eat cauliflower rice all the time. I hardly recognize myself anymore. Anyway, it’s great to see someone else enjoying great results from WLS. It is truly life-changing!

I have been a little down because the scale is not moving and has not for a week. I know about stalls I am guess I am in one at only 2 weeks out. However, I just went upstairs to get dressed for an open house I am hosting as a Real Estate agent this afternoon. First I put on my "hold everything in" foundation garments because my incisions hurt a lot and it helps. I noticed sagging skin on my legs I have never seen before. At first I was inclined to freak but then I realized that meant I was still losing somewhere even if the waist tape measure and scale were not budging. Then I started trying on clothes. All my favorites were too lose. Even some that were tight before surgery. I decided on something I used to love to wear that was very tight before surgery but looked so good on me now that I just kept looking at myself in the mirror...in wonder. This is the first time I am saying this: I LOVE MY SLEEVE.!!!

Congrats!!! What a great NSV!!!

Last night I had a meeting for my son's high school football team. I had not seen many of my friends from football since before the summer. It's only been 10 weeks since my surgery, but I got so many compliments on how great I looked. I have not felt pretty in YEARS! Last night I felt like Miss America! I also felt confident and happy. I am amazed at the psychological change losing weight brings on. For those of you experiencing stalls early out and stressing over them.... I have had two so far (am currently in one now) that have lasted a few weeks. Trust me when I tell you, your body is still changing for the good!

Lissa great NSV - i can only imagine how happy you have felt with all your weight loss- successes btw haven't seen you around in a bit, then again, maybe you were standing sideways, too little to see now show that "little" self more often, love to hear and see more (less) of you keep those NSV's coming

Those sound like a ton of NSVs! Great job!