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The following abbreviations are commonly used on this website: ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament AGB = Adjustable gastric banding AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible (crossfit) BB = belly button bc = because BCBS = Blue Cross/Blue Shield BED = Binge Eating Disorder bf = best friend BM = bowel movement BMI = Body Mass Index bp = blood pressure BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder or Biliary Pancreatic Diversion bs = blood sugar btw = by the way C25K = Couch Potato to Running 5K CBT = cognitive-behavioral therapy CC = common channel c diff = clostridium difficile cos or cuz = because CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure CRNP = certified registered nurse practitioners cw = current weight CXR = Chest X-Ray DDD = degenerative disc disease Dr. = doctor DS = Dumping Syndrome or Duodenal Switch EGD = Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EKG = Electrocardiography ff = fat free GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease GI = gastrointestinal GNC = General Nutrition Corporation store GP = general practitioner or family doctor HBP = high blood pressure hr = heart rate hw = highest weight ICU = Intensive Care Unit Idk = I don’t know IMHO = in my humble (honest) opinion IMO = in my opinion IUI = Intrauterine insemination LAP Band = Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band LES = lower esophageal sphincter lol = laughing out loud LSG = Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy med = medicine MFP = my fitness pal msg = message NASH = Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis nf = non fat NG = Nasogastric NP = nurse practitioner NSAIDS = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSV = non-Scale victory (“scale” means “weight scale”) NUT = nutritionist OA = Overeaters Anonymous omw = on my way Onederland = a magical place or destination for those trying to lose weight. It might correspond to attaining a weight in the hundreds or losing a hundred pounds. op = operation OSA = Obstructive Sleep Apnea Oz = Australia PB = Productive Burps PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCP = Primary Care Physician PICC= Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter PM = private message (email) PMS = premenstrual syndrome POSE = Primary Obesity Surgery Endolumenal postop or post–op = post-operation or post-surgery PPI = Proton Pump Inhibitors ppl = people preop or pre-op = pre-operation or pre-surgery PTSD = Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PVC = Premature ventricular contractions RA = Rheumatoid arthritis RH = reactive hypoglycemia RN = registered nurse RNY = Roux-en-Y RTD = ready to drink RYGB = Roux-en-Y gastric bypass SADI-S = single anastomosis duodeno–ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy s/f or sf = sugar free SG = Sleeve gastrectomy SIPS = stomach intestinal pylorus-sparing surgery smh = shaking my head, scratching my head SO = significant other SOB = shortness of breath sw = weight at surgery tmi = too much information TPN = total parenteral nutrition TT = tummy tuck TTC = trying to conceive Ty = Thank you. [but according to the urban dictionary “Ty” is also an abbreviation for “a total stud with a massive carrot”.] u = You UGI = Upper Gastrointestinal VSG = Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vit = vitamin wks = weeks WLS = Weight Loss Surgery WOD = Workout of the Day w/o = without wt = weight

This week I realized I had 2 NSV. The first one is my 8yr old can hug me (at my thickest belly part) and reach his arms all away around me. No more half hugs here! I almost cried when I realized he can now fully hug me, not just part of me. My 2nd victory is being able to have a regular shower towel wrap around me and cover all my bits. No more need to use a beach towel! I might be at a stall right now, but these NSVs are encouraging me! Sent from my VS995 using BariatricPal mobile app

This week I realized I had 2 NSV. The first one is my 8yr old can hug me (at my thickest belly part) and reach his arms all away around me. No more half hugs here! I almost cried when I realized he can now fully hug me, not just part of me. My 2nd victory is being able to have a regular shower towel wrap around me and cover all my bits. No more need to use a beach towel! I might be at a stall right now, but these NSVs are encouraging me! Sent from my VS995 using BariatricPal mobile app

Way to go with the weight loss and the NSV!

My first 30 day on my supervised diet are nearly complete. My first two weeks were a bust but the second half I have lost 9 pounds to date. My biggest struggles continue to be eating out and unplanned eating although I am geting better at making quick choices that are on plan. I am doing well sticking to calories but see that my carb creep up and fat is creeping up. I havae a few NSVs my clothes fit a little better and I do have more energy. I have started working out or being more active eather. I walked 2 miles with my kids the other day and felt great. I have my first appointment back with my PCP on Monday for the official weigh in then it is on to month 2. My favorite meal plan items this month have been yoplait greek 100 whips, celery and (insert cream cheese, peanut butter, or dressing) string cheese and deviled eggs. My goals for this week are to exceercise three time per week with at least two of those being core work and stretching.

One of the hidden joys of weightless surgery is dropping clothing sizes. Some call it a NSV (non scale victory). I went from a size 3X in shirts down to a size Small and from a size 46 in pants down to a size 32. I think I enjoyed this more than dropping pounds on the scale. Your body responds differently as you lose weight. Sometimes you lose a few pounds, sometimes you lose a few inches - but it all adds up over time.

Hello folks.... so I've been thinking about how some of the things discussed here are rather relative. I haven't really thought it through but what got me thinking was this one post (can't remember which one but it was one from years ago!) and the poster was my height and considerably more overweight when she got started. She was celebrating having come down to my current weight and was listing her current NSV as well. That got me thinking... so we are the same height and at that point in time the same weight and this was a big success for this poster and that was great... I mean I was genuinely happy for her as it had clearly been a while since she was that weight. But then I started thinking about how her [emoji106] was my [emoji107]... so I started wondering how much of this was perception. H 5'6" HW 253, CW 245, TBS 9/19

@Redmaxx you have worked hard you deserved all your success 100 lbs gone walking easily 2 miles in parade great NSV's keep on keepin' on kathy congrats

More NSV's, it helps detract from the thinning hair I'm on my third throw out from my closet and even had to throw some new thinner cloths out !!! I pretty much have nothing old left. I literally put on every item and can't believe how tight they used to be, just look like a sack of potatoes now. This is all I have left and the top left section is my BF's cloths. New smaller cloths take up a lot less room and weight in the suitcase. And whoever said you need to get to a size 14 before folks really notice was absolutely right, one lovely comment from my Indian colleague that was here visiting and last saw me 70lbs heavier " you are reducing a lot "

@fadstabora that is a win! Social situations can be a minefield. It must have felt really good to walk out of Wingers having made good choices@chiquitabananaz14 focus on little consistent steps...getting on the scale is up to you... don't feel defeated, you've reached out for support and it takes guts. Bravo! Not everyday is about the # on the scale we all have areas to work on to make ourselves stronger and more resilient...Just look at this thread...you started with honesty and openness and as a result we all found a place we can come for support and encouragement while we work towards our personal goals... your current choices have had a positive impact on others, that is an NSV if I've ever seen one!! Stay on your path:)

I was really worried about the negativity before I had surgery. I was just so nervous that people would think I was taking the "easy way" out. It is most certainly not the easy way, as I'm sure anyone post-op can confirm. Since having surgery I find myself telling anyone. If someone compliments my weight loss or asks why I was out of work I just come out with it. I realize that's not everyone's path and I didn't think I would want to share it with many people at all. I've found it a bit cathartic to just be honest about surgery. I luckily haven't had any negative reactions, at least not to my face. People are going to think what they want anyway, and all I can do is deal with my experience. I can't imagine having someone you trust enough to disclose about surgery being so negative. I know that it's way easier said then done to ignore the comments. The truth of the matter is that what's done is done. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself and focus on your journey. You've taken a huge step towards self improvement! There's nothing wrong with that. I've found that reminding myself of the NSVs is a huge help to staying positive. You got this!

I can tell you a few that may help: HW-Highest Weight CW-Current Weight SW-Surgery Day Weight GW-Goal Weight NUT-Nutritionist NSV-Non-Scale Victory These are a few I know! Good luck!🍀

Have to be out of the house early today, I had my husband wake me up at 5am to workout. I woke up feeling pretty good actually. Not too tired or sluggish. I did my workout video, showered, and then got my girls up to get ready. I'll be focusing on my fluids once again today. In fact, I need to do this everyday. I won't worry about what I'm not eating, but what I may not be getting in fluid wise. I had an awful dream that my throat was so dry and I couldn't find a store to get a drink. Now, I'm pretty sure that dream was because my throat was pretty dry last night!!!! It was awful. I don't want a dream like that again. LOL Water it is today!!! OH....as I was working out in my pj's (best part of not having to go anywhere), my bottoms slipped down! LOL NSV!!! Ya'll have a blessed day! I'll check back in later.

I am just over a month out and already there is a lot that has changed. Mostly I am just experiencing *change*, which I usually find difficult. On Sunday I cleaned out my closets. I have six garbage bags of clothes, most of which is business attire that no longer fits me. I have a small selection of clothes that were either too small for me prior to WLS or are stretchy and can move across sizes. Given that after the initial 15 lb post surgery drop, I am averaging 5 lbs a week, dealing with buying clothes that wont fit me in 3 weeks seems like a hassle. I no longer think about food from the viewpoint of "what am I going to eat". I still think about food, but it's more like the same way I think about going to Paris. I miss some of the things I loved - really good bread with butter, pizza and a great burger. But missing these foods is more like a series of passing thoughts. I barely have an appetite and when I am hungry, I am fully satiated after about 2 oz of a dense protein. I find I have a lot of attention on my wellbeing - managing my liquids, protein intake, what I'm going to wear, looking for openings to walk and move where this was not the case before. I have a very demanding job and work on average 70 hours a week (and was back to work 1 week after surgery) and to some degree I have not yet adjusted to managing my weight loss journey with my career and this will come with practice. Like many others, the NSV are really the best part. I live at the top of the hill and before surgery I needed to stop halfway up. Last night after a 14 hour workday, I hopped out of an uber at midnight and walked 3 blocks up the hill at the same pace I walk down the hill with no shortness of breath. The quality of my sleep has improved (although, I find I am needing more of it and I suspect that is temporary and probably due the fact that I am barely cracking 700 cals/day). I have no more swelling in my ankles and wrists. My seasonal allergies have been reduced by about half (I suspect because I am not eating wheat, processed foods, etc.). Since surgery I have avoided or declined a lot of social things - for no other reason that it supported my management of my diet and having no alcohol in this initial phase. I will need to train my friends to engage in other things - walks, going to the park, etc. I have worries about loose skin - I have no way to predict this. I have phenomenal skin for my age (I am 50), but I am 50 and will be loosing a lot of weight. The only question for me is how bad will it be. But I will deal with that when it is time to deal with that. I have no question that this was the best decision I have ever made - and I won't say that it is always easy. If my goal was to loose a bunch of weight, that would be easy. However, my goal is to reclaim my health and there will be nothing easy about that. Fortunately, I can be tough and patient and take the long view of things. There are things I am considering - I may permanently give up alcohol since I don't miss it. I am considering transitioning to veganism. That is not something I would have considered in the past. I do celebrate the small victories - but I don't spend a lot of time doing that. Mostly I am planning the next step, the next goal and how I am going to achieve that. When the scale moves, I just enter it into my spreadsheet where I am tracking weightloss. That said, I am coming to the conclusion of what everyone has been saying here - the surgery is a tool and if used as a tool - without question life will change for the better.

I will be 6 weeks on Thursday and I've only lost 20lbs... I started at a heavier weight (284.6 the day before I flew to Mexico) and I don't feel I've lost nearly as much as others at my size however I am happy with where I am. I think you guys are right on track and doing great!!! I had a stall at 3 weeks and when I increased my calorie intake for a day or two it broke but they happen so focus on those amazing NSVs and ignore the scale!!!

I have a few NSVs to celebrate: 1. I walked past a mirror and did a double take. For the first time in many many years my first thought was "wow! You are actually really pretty!" Instead of the usual "ugh so fat" or "you look okay today but you are still fat" I'm going to be conceited today and say I am pretty [emoji23] 2. I went to a jewelry stand with my friend who is pretty skinny and we have the same ring size! I now wear a size 8 ring when just a year ago it was a size 14! That made me feel really skinny! 3. This is a scale victory but I'm at the point where I've actually lost more weight than I weigh right now! I am down 279 pounds and I weigh 261! I started at 540! I am just feeling awesome today!

great job! i'm about 8 weeks post opp - sleeved May 3rd. Here is a pic from November (around my highest weight) and one from this past weekend. Lots of little NSVs, including wearing this sleeveless dress and not completely dreading it. My biggest NSV though, is how many people tell me how happy I look. It must really be showing. I'm still not sure about my progress, Dr said I should be losing 5-7 a week. I'm averaging around 3-4, but happy with my progress overall. I agree this forum has been really helpful, especially when I'm not feeling as confident. Best of luck and keep up the great work!

the fact that you acknowledged your feelings and came here and talked about them instead of turning to food is such a huge accomplishment. Count this as a NSV - non-scale victory!!!

I'm so thankful for this site to be able to hear about everyone else's progress and experiences. It has definitely helped me though a lot of times especially in the first couple of weeks after surgery. I'm just over 2 months out from my surgery. I have those moments when I wonder if I've made enough progress or if I'm not doing well enough. There's no real guidebook to having weight loss surgery. I keep reminding myself to look at the positive changes since surgery. Yesterday I had an exciting NSV when I got to buy a plain XL shirt and some skinny jeans. Those moments are so exciting and always seem to catch me by surprise. I find a lot of times I don't really see the changes in my body when I look in the mirror. Looking at pictures makes a big difference. I have my first set of progress pics attached. The picture on the right was just taken in December 2016. I was wearing a size 24 pant and 3XL shirt. The picture on the right was taken yesterday. I had on size 18 jeans and XL shirt.

Hello ladies...so I had a NSV today....guess who bought shorts in a size 12 🤚🏼🙋🏼 I was a 16 just 1 month ago.... wooo hooo I also bought 2 medium size shirts I was an XL looking forward to buying more clothes but not to much right now lol

My NSV's 1. Fitting properly into my too small clothes I had planned to donate pre-Surgery. 2. Donating the clothes I wore in April 2017 prior to surgery, because the are too big. 3. Seeing my clothes get looser and looser 4. My scars are barely noticeable. My face is slimming and dimples are deeper. 5. I walk a lot faster 6. I can cross my legs!!! HW - 339 SW - 327 CW-. 289 Surgery Date 04/19/17 Sent from my Z981 using BariatricPal mobile app

NSV!!!!!! i was just here on my phone replying to another thread. And I moved my hand down my chest to find my fingers hitting my bra cup....a big gap by the way. I didn't realize it. The band is too large, I knew. I'm happy they're going down too!!! Had to take a pic!!! My seven year old in my lap. Lol the only time y'all will see a piece of my booby hahaha

Hello, I hope everyone here is doing well on their weight loss journey! I'm posting this because I've been having some serious mental health difficulties after surgery and I don't know what to do. I just need to reach out to other people here who understand the struggles of bariatric surgery and who would be so kind as to offer any words of advice or support. I had VSG surgery 9 months ago on Sept. 19th, 2016. I started at 285 pounds before Opti and I'm at 180lbs right now, putting me at a total loss of 105 pounds so far. At my ultimate highest weight I was 310lbs. My ultimate goal weight after surgery is 150lbs (I'm 5' 7") and I'm trying SO hard to try and make it there. A little too hard in fact. I was actually diagnosed with an eating disorder by my psychologist at my last follow up and my NUT is concerned with my eating habits. I've been dealing with a lot of bodily dysmorphia, which I know is definitely normal for bariatric patients due to loose skin or just in the process of getting your mind to catch up with recognizing the physical changes in yourself that everyone else sees. But I'm so unhappy with my body still. I know I've lost a lot of weight, but I still feel so huge and ugly and fat, and I'm so distracted with the way my body looks and with the fact that I still don't feel thin enough. Because of that I've been restricting my meals a lot in an effort to try and lose the rest of the weight faster, thinking it'll make me feel better. I've been skipping meals sometimes, going hours without eating, weighing myself multiple times a day on 3 different scales I have at home, and I've been restricting my calorie and carb intake as much as I can. I know it's unhealthy and a sign of disordered behavior, but I just can't seem to stop doing it, no matter how much I recognize that it's a problem. I track everything I eat on myfitnesspal everyday and I weigh my food using 2 different food scales, and sometimes several times. I'll log say, 15 grams of cheese on myfitnesspal, but only weight 11 grams of it to make sure I'm always eating at a deficit and that I don't accidentally eat too many calories. I've set my calorie goal in myfitnesspal for 900 a day but I never hit it. I have a mental barrier in my mind at 800 calories and most days I feel good when I eat around 700-750. I feel really proud of myself on days I eat closer to 500-600 calories, actually. Other things I'll do, is when I use a spoon to scoop and weigh my Greek yogurt from a carton into a bowl, for example, instead of just using the same spoon to eat my bowl of yogurt I feel obliged to aggressively wash it or just get a new spoon because I don't want to eat any extra calories from the yogurt residue on the spoon. If I don't do that sometimes I'll just lick the spoon and then spit it out whatever was on it into the sink. It's messed up... I know I know this behavior is really unhealthy, but I can't seem to get over this huge fear I have of food now. I'm honestly so terrified of food. Especially carbs. I had my original limit on myfitnesspal set at 20 net carbs a day, but I'll adjust my daily macros by eating 5 grams less here and there to round it out to 15-16 net carbs a day, because I'm so scared of 'hidden carbs' I may be eating accidentally. As I type this I have a plate of chicken breast that I weighed and logged in myfitnesspal already just sitting beside me because I'm too scared to eat it and I want to cry. I read all about patients who regained everything after surgery and I'm so scared that'll happen to me. A little voice in my head keeps telling me "if you don't weigh out this lettuce at a slight gram deficit from what you've logged, or if you eat 19 net carbs today when you really should be eating around 15 to make up for any hidden carbs, then you'll just go right back to being 300+ pounds again and miserable with your life If you can't control yourself now, then you won't ever be able to control yourself again and there's nothing stopping you from regained all your weight back". And that's the thing... while in general I'm dissatisfied with the rate at which I'm losing (I can't help but feel extremely jealous of those people who reach their goal weight at 6 or 8 months postop), and while I hate the fact that my stomach hasn't flattened out yet and I still have a belly that prevents me from wearing the clothes I want, and while I hate the fact that my body feels so disproportionate now, and while I hate the fact that I still have 30 pounds to lose and even if do I reach my goal weight it won't feel like enough......I know I'm MUCH happier after having had the surgery. I like the person I've become, how my personality has changed in subtle ways, and how losing weight has allowed me to be the person who I truly want to be. I always felt that with being fat, you don't get to be the person who you want to be or who you feel you truly are on the inside because you're always hiding from the world. Maybe that's a bit too abstract of a feeling to put in words, but that's how it's been for me at least. I know I'm much happier and confident now, and all my family and friends are so proud of my weight loss. I feel like I can't allow myself to let them down. I keep telling myself that once I reach my goal of 150lbs that I'll allow myself to eat more calories/carbs for maintenance, but in reality I know that my disordered behaviors are only getting worse and in the state I'm in right now I'll never want to stop losing weight. I've wrestled with the idea of trying to get down to 135-125lbs if I can. If I gain back any considerable amount of weight I'm worried I might become suicidal. I know that's a really extreme statement, but I absolutely cannot allow myself to gain weight or I know I'll be completely devastated. I don't know what to do now. Every time I go to weigh my food or track my meals it honestly just turned into such a mental battle with myself and I keep wanting to lose as much weight as possible. I want to be able to eat normally and responsibly, and not feel like food is the enemy, but I just can't help feeling the way I am now. Food has prevented me from living the life I wanted for so many years and I feel like I'm just not emotionally ready yet to begin to eat normally. My physical health has suffered a lot as a result sadly, and I'm always incredibly tired, fatigued, and my muscle strength is totally non-existent. Even just walking up the stairs in my house has gotten considerably more challenging than how it was before surgery. Exercising is something I really want to do but I honestly just can't with the energy levels I have right now. My blood pressure and blood sugar are always both pretty low too (around 80/50 range and 3.5, respectively). I really just can't seem to get over these mental struggles unfortunately. It's been quite rough. And that's why I'm desperately seeking your support right now. I'm just looking for some support/encouragement/advice or any kind words in general, because we WLS-ers are all in this together, for both the NSVs and the challenging parts of our respective journeys. If you read this far, thank you so much for listening! I really appreciate it

1. Wore a minidress for the first time in my life 2. It is a size 4!!!!! 3. No spanx 4. No thigh chafing!