Search the Community

I started to clean out my closet today. I am now wearing a 12 in pants and an XL top. I felt a bit sad to throw away some of the clothes that I liked... I can't figure out why that is... I can't wear them now nor do I want to be a size that would allow me to wear them. I am very happy with my weight loss so far and looking forward to losing much more. Not much left in my closet. Maybe that is why I feel a little down. I think the clothes topic in general is having its way with me at this point. Belly dance teacher brought in pictures of outfits for our peformance. I asked what size they came in and she said she didn't know. The class picked an outfit anyway. It is a one size fits all outfit on ebay. It says the bottoms are up to a 38 hip... mine are bigger. The top fits a small/medium... mine is bigger. Maybe this is a way to weed a fat girl out of the class. I don't really think of myself as fat now...because I have lost 60+lbs. But welll I am still a fat woman. Khy

Yea! It's the NSV that make your day. :-)

During the time I was in "active weight loss", the first 12 to 18 months or so, the frequent congratulations and " you look so good" comments were awesome. They were one of the things that kept me diligent and working to follow all the rules and stay on track. I don't mean to say that I was an attention hound, but the immediate feed back was a motivator and felt great. In addition there were NSV victories coming left and right, the ability to climb stairs, fit in stadium seats, set in booths, etc were more instant gratification and motivation Now most of the people I encounter don't know anything about me "before" or have already shared in my transformation. I have recently started a new career and those people all know me as the "after" version. When I talk about running or biking as a hobby, to them I'm just a normal guy. It is bitter sweet. On the one hand, they don't look at me with disbelief, they see a guy that is fully capable of running for sport and completing long distance bicycle rides. On the other that "Wow, you have come so far" sparkle in the eyes of long term friends is nowhere to be found if I were to be telling them of my new hobbies. There still is the rare occasion when I encounter someone I have not seen since pre-surgery, and those times I get to re-live the initial joy I had from the congratulations and way-to-go's but its very seldom. I can't say I'm surprised about the diminishing attention, it's the natural course of events. At some point in time we all fall away from being the latest, greatest show in town and become who we will be from here on out. I do have to admit I miss those days of new experiences and excitement. Am I alone in this period of having to adjust to the new normal? Should I be concerned that I'm going to morph into a Daffodil?

Hey Marchies. I'm feeling a piece of the disconnect too. It's on the extreme other side of the equation, but it's real none the less. I know I get on here and talk about my biking long distances and losing with out a fill. I'm not on here bragging, but sharing my experiences going through this journey that we all started around the same time. But to be frank, I don't report all of the NSVs and all the good stuff that's happening because I don't want to seem as if I am gloating. I recognize that many of you are not seeing the same results that I am. I want to say "hang tough" and "keep to the plan" and support and encourage and I do that to a certain extent, but apparently not enough. And yeah to make my point, yesterday my surgeon asked me to speak at his next group orientation of 100 people because in his words I'm "the perfect banded patient." I didn't feel like I could share that here, because it would be recieved as Juli bragging. But I was flattered and proud and feel like for once in my life I'm in control of food instead of food being in control of me.

hi tammy: thanks for the welcome back. i was keeping up with everyone by reading posts but i wasnt posting. i dont know why? but maybe posting and getting to know everyone....you sort of have to commit. and/or you have a responsibility to the group. i think i'm past those issues..... i'm not sure how old you are but i have the cutest trainer. he lives in houston. he's 28....and a really good guy. he's really good too..he trains some professional football players here... if you are ever here in houston ...he's single....i can introduce you ha! juli, can i tell you...the NSV's really mean more...even tho' we tend to focus on the scale. the airplane seat and the movie seat victories are HUGE! it's so nice to not have to worry about our butts spilling over. the USA airlines are usually discreet about extensions. one time i was on a plane in india and the flight attendant shouted from the front asking if i needed one. needless to say...i wanted to open the door and throw her out. ot better yet...ask her for 2 extensions so i could strangle her with one ha! also your daughter probably liked being "babysat" . i remember when i was a kid i always felt it was special. i'm going to use my clothing size as my indicator.....i'm trying to anyway..lets see how i do staying off the scale. i was in a rehab for eating disorder at one time and they wouldnt let me see the scale. i had to face backwards...it was such a mood changer for me. anyway...i just spent a few hours weeding. (i hate gardening) this is my day off from exercise but i feel i got a little in with this. for july....i'm commiting to 5 days of exercise per week. right now i'm doing 6 but need a little wiggle room anyway have a splendid sunday!

Josie That's a great idea to get the scale out of the house. It can cause us to focus on the numbers and not on the nutrition. I'm trying to focus this weekend too. I want to see some change on the scale. I'm not ready to move it out of the house tough. (I have a little scale addiction, shhhh don't tell.) I'm a FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal user. It takes a little getting used to but I do like it for tracking my calories. You might want to check it out. I want to chat a minute about NSVs. Yesterday I took my daughter to see Ratatouille, and I plopped down between the arm rests and fit. It took me a minute to realize I didn't raise them before sitting. I was like, "wow, that's cool". Last week I rode on an airplane for the first time since November. I didn't need an extention. Truth be told there were two inches to spare too on the belt! And this one is killer. I'm a single mom with shared custody, I have my 5 y/o daughter every other weekend, some weeknights too. I either take her to the pool or walk around the zoo for my exercise on our weekends. But for the first time EVER I've asked the neighbor girl to babysit for a few hours so I can get in a two hour bike ride. It's worth $10 to me, and Zoe just loves the girl. Isn't that crazy!? I'm actually a little proud of myself. Cheers. Juli

Happy July, friends! So glad everyone is doing well (despite the plateaus--aren't they a bummer???). Those NSV's are awesome. Send some my way, would you? I had my fourth fill last week and do feel a bit of restriction for the first time--mostly when I don't chew enough or take too big of bites. The dr. told me to call and see if they have a cancellation for later this week if I want another fill before I leave town for 3 weeks. Hmmm, what to do? I really can't decide. Although I want a fill, I am nervous about getting one on Thurs or Fri because then I can't try solids until Sat or Sun and I leave Monday at 6:00 a.m. I hate wasting 3 weeks with not being tight enough but I'm nervous about having problems (haven't had a PB YET) and being on the other side of the country. Advice? I'd love to know what you guys think. I haven't lost at all for three weeks. Discouraging for sure. I exercise five days a week and keep track of my calories on sparkpeople.com. I'm eating between 1,000 and 1,200 most days, although I had three days last month that were 1,800. I really wanted to be in ONE-derland before I went to welcome my two new little grandsons to the world (one in Connecticut and the other in New Mexico). Unless I can break all my previous records and lose 7 lbs. this week, it ain't gonna happen. July will be an interesting month for me--3 weeks of vacation with my daughters as they give birth and adjust to being first-time moms, my father in gravely ill health with colon cancer, and we're selling our house while building another and making all the decorating choices, etc. Crazy. Hopefully the timing on everything will fit beautifully together and I'll sail through July with joy, grace, and peace--and lapband success to boot. Have a great month, everyone. Love and success to all! Karen

Hey everyone! Happy Labor Day. Hope you are all well. Just checking in. I’m heading into my week 7. So far so good. Glad I can finally begin to do some intense workouts. Still feel some pain on my left side so I will take it somewhat easy. Lol. I feel so good and loving all the NSV. So far I’ve lost 37lbs since the day of surgery.

Riss you are so beautiful, too! And size 16s? That would be heaven. I can't imagine. I am in size 20's now, though, down from 24s and 26s, so that is pretty awesome. Last Chance Sue -- that is so awesome-- wearing the jeans again! Woohoo! My favorite NSVs: 1. Being able to wear my wedding rings I haven't worn in 10 years (guess I lost weight in my fingers first...LOL) 2. Shopping for a transitional wardrobe at an upscale thrift shop, and being able to buy all "normal" brands rather than just Lane Bryant brands and the such. Still plus size, sure, but before I was beyond the sizes that regular brands make. 3. Less to no pain in my knees going upstairs!

40.2 lbs! NSV um is a little harder. I would say eating healthier therefore so is my family. Sounds funny but sprinting! Dr Fox told me today to start sprinting to burn more calaries and I just started doing it this week before he told me. So I'm going to try tweeking it a little bit with some advise he gave me. We had a good visit.

As the great Mark Twain said, "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics." You can make statistics say anything you want about anything. If you know what you are doing, you can statistically prove that my weight affects the price of tea in China. The other thing you need to keep in mind is that scales lie. All of them lie. No two are calibrated the same way. The BMI scale is a lie too; it simply is a guideline. The BMI scale takes no consideration for body make-up. It takes no consideration of body fat percentage, your fat-free mass. A body builder who's buffed to the max, or a professional athelete could come up as Obese. A body-builder, with 19% body fat is obviously not obese, even if the BMI scale says they are. Scales lie. I was told by the woman who does the fills for my doc's clinic that I should weigh 125 pounds given my hieght, and that I should be a size 6, because statistically, that's where I should be at 5'5". But the thing is, that will only happen if I get some terrible wasting disease, like cancer. A cancer that eats my muscle mass. My FFM, my fat-free muscle mass, is currently 40%, down from 45% in May. Right now, my goal weight is in the range of 190 to 177 pounds. That might sound like a lot, but that weight range will put me in the 25-35% body fat range that is healthy for my age range. 190 pounds is a far cry from 125 pounds and I don't give a damn about socity and "norms." Staticistally speaking, I've been an outlier my entire life, why should my weight or my muscle mass be anything but out of bounds? If you want to see why this has been worth it to me, even though at 190 pounds I'll still be considered Obese, check out my list of NSVs, my non-scale victories. The link is in my signature. Good luck on your research, we all wish you the very best.

Oh man, I cannot WAIT for this! Still pre-op, but this is my most anticipated NSV (besides getting healthy, of course). I freeze my kids out in the car- the air conditioner is on full blast at all times. (they each have blankets beside them in case they get too cold). Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Today I am 24 month, 2 years post-op. I just went back today to read what I posed a year ago. At that time I was super happy with my weight loss at the time. 4 months later I was not as thrilled with my weight loss. I was fairly miserable and in the middle of a complete identity crisis. Now 8 months later I feel a lot better about everything. At this point I am pretty scared about long term success because there is so little support for long term “successful” WLS patients. If you are regaining or never reached goal that is a lot of support but if you are “successful”, it is mostly a pat on the head and “keep doing what you are doing”. The change from being super morbidly obese to being a “normal” size and under 200 pounds has been very mentally taxing. Like I said there is little support for it. There is little support in the bariatric community because most people never do it and there is virtually no support outside of it because it is a real rarity. I spent a lot of time and money trying to find a therapist that could help and there are basically zero with any experience, so I was left on my own to find my own plan to work it. Which luckily I was able to do. Everyone, even medical professionals (perhaps especially medical professionals) seem to think losing weight solves all your problems and that is really not the case at all. Losing created all kinds of new problems for me that I never even knew existed. Weight at 1 year post-op 231 Weight at 2 years post-op 186 If I was just going by the scale as a measurement, I would be disappointed right now because I have only lost 45 pounds in the past year and I wanted to be down 50 by now. I stopped eating for weight loss about 5 months ago, and while I am not necessarily trying to eat for maintenance, I am not eating to lose either. In that time period I have still managed to lose 10 pounds. The goal right now is to lose another 15 pounds total over the next year, and hopefully lose another 5 pounds before the end of the year. I could lose it faster if I tried but it is better for my mental health to stay weight stable. Physically I am already at a size I like. 8/10 is pretty perfect for my height/frame. I am pretty sure with skin removal I will be a 4/6. I have lost a lot of inches, and more interestingly my body shape has changed and adjusted a lot. I have a 34 band and I don’t even think my band size was that small in HS. I can’t ever recall buying anything with a 34 band, so that a huge shock, NSV for me. Last fall I really wanted skin removal surgery very badly. Now I see that would have been a tremendous mistake. The surgeries I would have picked last year and the results would have been lackluster. I definitely see the advantage of waiting for plastic surgery. Your skin, fat, body distribution changes. The body is amazing thing and watch it repair and rebuild itself is amazing to witness. I always took a lot of pictures of myself. I have never been camera shy even at my heaviest. Now I take multiple pictures a day as a way to become accustomed to how I look. Pictures and my clothing sizes are my size validation. My face is so different now, the shape is totally different. It has gone from round to square, which requires different makeup application and accessories. Inch loss I have lost 65.5 inches total since last year Difference Bust (fullest part of bust): 6 Pecs (just above the bust line): 4 Ribs (top of rib cage just below the bust) : 5.5 Waist: 10 Abdomen: 5 Hips: 8 Right Upper Thigh: 4 Right Lower Thigh: 4 Left Upper Thigh: 4 Left Lower Thigh: 4 Right Calf: 2.5 Left Calf: 2.5 Right Upper Arm: 3 Left Upper Arm: 3 Totals 65.5 I have so many NSV almost daily it is impossible to list them all. I appreciate the wonder and amazement of what I can do now. In some ways I look forward to when this is more normalized but I kind of hope it never is so I don’t forget. I love my new sports car, I worked hard for it, and I look great in it. I would have never been able to fit in it comfortably before or get in and out of easily. My lap dog really enjoys my lap now that I really have one. I can fit anywhere and shop anywhere. My total losses HW 377 SW 358 CW 186 Size 28/30 at Surgery Currently 8/10 Measurements Difference Bust (fullest part of bust): 26 Pecs (just above the bust line): 19 Ribs (top of rib cage just below the bust) : 26.5 Waist: 35.5 Abdomen: 28 Hips: 25 Right Upper Thigh: 12.5 Right Lower Thigh: 13.5 Left Upper Thigh: 12 Left Lower Thigh: 12.5 Right Calf: 4 Left Calf: 4.25 Right Upper Arm: 9 Left Upper Arm: 8.5 Totals 236.25

This is an oldie-but-goldie thread. Really worth reading for inspiration. My recent non-scale victories (NSVs) include mostly clothing victories. I now wear (mostly): * Size 4s in jeans and slacks. It's just freaky! * Size smalls in jackets, coats and other random pieces Occasionally, the size that fits me best is Petite Small or even a size 2. I cannot fathom how that works, since I'm 5'5" and weigh 138 pounds. Boy, bodies are weird. But I'm a big fat sucker for single digit sizes.

Your initial post really made me smile! What a great feeling of anticipation. Fun to see the follow-up post with your befores/afters--great suit...you are looking very dapper! Congrats on an awesome NSV.

I had to do a "wash" of 1/2 Water 1/2 peroxide, then neosporin, just on the two stitches where the two tubes were. I didn't have to do anything to the dissolving stitches, but as soon as they started to heal I started using Mederma. Next time I see my ps I'm going to ask for a RX of some type of bleach. I had a great NSV yesterday, I tried on 12's and they were too big, I had to get 10's!!!!!!!!!

I had my 100 day check-up yesterday and my blood pressure is 121/ 79! I was on blood pressure meds pre op because of hypertension. The reading only 100 days ago was 158/ 92. Also my BMI went from 43 to 27!! I am so psyched about the BMI drop because it on needs to go to 23. I no longer need to use my cpap machine either. Doctor basically said keep doing what you are doing and congratulations. Thank you sleeve!

Hi there, I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body. I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times. Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst. I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward. Food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin. Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

That is great! Those NSV's are better than the scale number! I notice that mine aren't swelling at the end of the day like they were... still some, but not near as much. I really think all the carbs I used to eat made me retain Water too.

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? Lap bands have a lot of long term complications 2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Yes. 3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? Salmon, Tuna 4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? Less than 4 months out, so no verdict yet, but I am down 66 pounds already since surgery. 5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? The sleeve itself. Not so much the limiting capacity because you can still graze--but most of the time, I am just not hungry, And a scale. People love their NSV and more power to them--but numbers don't lie. The scale will always keep you honest.

Good luck! What an awesome accomplishment to look forward to. Plus it is a NSV! I hope to be there one day.

Hey, Sleeve Plication Talk Members! Now that Memorial Day has passed and we’re well into June, it’s summer time! Why not use the warm weather and casual dress code for motivation to stick to your diet? Of course, the newsletter’s a great way to remind you to be good, too! We keep you updated on what’s going on at SleevePlicationTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Sleeve Plication Support Groups: Are you taking full advantage of special forum groups on SleevePlicationTalk.com? To Tell or Not to Tell – Do you tell others about your sleeve plication? Member Spotlight – None other than Alex Brecher, founder of SleevePlicationTalk.com! Sleever Challenge – This is a great one to kick off the summer. We encourage you to stay involved with SleevePlicationTalk.com. Ask your questions, answer your peers and keep your profile current. All of your participation keeps you on track and helps everyone else! Always let us know when you have suggestions, comments and questions. Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleeve Plication Support Groups: What are They, and How Do They Help You? SleevePlicationTalk.com can be a huge part of your life. Many of us check the boards every day or more, and depend on the site for support, information and encouragement. Joining one or more SleevePlicationTalk.com support groups is a great way to get even more out of SleevePlicationTalk.com. These support groups are like exclusive clubs, but all you have to do to join is to participate! Just look at the different types groups we have. Monthly groups based on when you got your surgery Groups based on your hometown, age and weight goals. The sleeve plication buddies and mentors forum in case you need a little extra help or want to help someone in their weight loss journey. And more…for religious sleevers, gay, lesbian and bi sleevers, crossover addicts, biker sleevers…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for sleevers who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your weight loss surgery. They may have great solutions to problems that you’re having, and they can be super sympathetic to your situation. You can make close friends on these boards because you already have so much in common, and because you can spend a lot more “one-on-one” time with them. Come on over to the SleevePlicationTalk.com support group page and see which groups you want to join! Hot on the Boards: Coming out of the WLS Closet. To tell or not to tell? That’s a pretty sensitive question for a lot of weight loss surgery patients. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about your surgery, especially when you’re dealing with people who look down on you. Always remember that you don’t have to let others make you feel bad. As long as you’re healthy and happy, you should feel proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who truly loves you will also be proud. It’s a personal decision whether to tell people about weight loss surgery. You might tell your closest friends and family first, and let others in on the secret when they start to ask you how you lost so much weight. You don’t ever have to tell anyone if you’re shy or just don’t want to. Or, if you prefer, you can tell everyone as soon as you set the date for your surgery. Maybe that’ll make you feel more accountable and inspire you to success. What are your thoughts? Do you tell people that you’ve gotten weight loss surgery? Do you explain to them what a sleeve plication is, since they probably don’t know? How do you choose when to tell, how much to say and whom to tell? Do you have any tips for other sleevers? Tell us about it! First Member Spotlight – It’s Alex! We promised, and now we’ve delivered! It’s time for the first true Member Spotlight, and who better to be honored than…Alex! He’s the founder of RNYTalk.com and the other communities belonging to WLSBoards.com. He manages and promotes the boards to make sure that they’re here for everyone. He is truly passionate about helping others reach the same weight loss success that he did. Here’s his story. He’s the handsome, friendly face you see hanging out on the forums, but he took the same journey as many of you to achieve those looks. Alex struggled with obesity and diets for years without finding permanent weight loss success. He finally realized that he needed to lose the weight if he wanted to be around for his children for years to come. Alex got the lap-band, lost more than 100 pounds and never looked back. Thrilled with his new energy and health, Alex had the motivation and confidence to stop smoking. Today he is an active, lean family man who loves to run, bike and spend time with his children. In 2003, Alex founded LapBandTalk.com, which quickly became the largest weight loss surgery community in the world. He started VerticalSleeveTalk.com in February of 2009, and the other WLSBoards, RNYTalk.com and SleevePlicationTalk.com, followed in 2011. That’s right – we’re only starting our second year, and we’ve already got thousands of great members! Alex works hard to make sure that all members to have positive experiences and benefit from being part of the communities. Do you have someone you’d like to see featured in the Member Spotlight? Would you like to be our spotlighted member? Come tell us in the Member Spotlight forum! It’s a regular feature of the newsletters to let you learn a little more about someone in our community with an inspirational story or who helps out our members. Thanks for your nominations so far! Sleever Challenge! Challenge Yourself and Achieve Something New! We give you a challenge in each SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter. It’s not a challenge for you to compete against anyone else. It’s just a way to set a new goal for yourself to try something new or push yourself a little harder. Nobody’s keeping score, so try it! You can always find the old challenges in the Challenge Forum. So far, the two challenges have been: Try a new food or recipe. It’s pretty simple. Come up with a new recipe or try a new food that fits on your diet. Tell us about it! Recognize your non-scale victory (NSV): An NSV is something that is an accomplishment during your weight loss journey, but it isn’t based on the number on the scale. It might be something like fitting into a dress you like or being able to keep up with your grandchildren without getting tired.. It’s never too late to try the old challenges and write about them. Share what you come up with to brag a little and help out others. The New Challenge: Be an Exercise Buddy! This challenge is great for your health and the health of a lucky new or old friend. Why? Over the next two weeks, your challenge is to do a workout with a new person. Some ideas for the challenge are to: Ask your neighbor to take a walk with you Ask someone at your gym to be your partner while you both lift weights Go for a bike ride with your kids or spouse Take a new exercise class Be creative! The goal is to do something fun and healthy, and maybe make a new friend or two along the way. Don’t forget to post your challenge results in the Challenge Forum. The forum’s also great place to go if you need ideas or have advice for other Sleevers so they can complete the challenge. Good luck! And Finally: Please Support Us! Just as a reminder, we’d like to ask you to support us when you can. We know you value SleevePlicationTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post SleevePlicationTalk.com fliers in their offices. We’re always growing, and you can help. Thank you. That does it for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and for your continued participation on the boards. Take care! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.sleevepli...&tab=newsletter

Me too! That is the strangest but nicest NSV so far for me. I sweat in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. Now I am chilly all of the time and freezing at work. They look at me at work and say with disbelief "you are cold"?. I love it!! Vines and all you other ladies remember this you are not having Hot flashes! Just your own private summers!!! LOL

I'm not sure whether this was an NSV or not. I have lost a fair bit of weight and all my clothes are loose. I went to the kitchenette and the back of the classroom to get some water and my pants fell down! A few of my students saw I think but they did a good job pretending that they didn't. How embarrassing (in a cool way). Needless to say, I bought some safety pins on the way home.

Congratulations on your NSV! You must be so proud of yourself!!! It never occurred to me to use clothing as a motivator, but that IS what gets my butt up and moving! Thanks for the tip!