Hello Turtles! This is the official thread to track our NSV Challenge!

We had talked about creating a challenge, but I never got around to starting the thread for the challenge. ... Doh! I blame it on midterms...

Okay, the Challenge is that each week we recognize at least one new NSV.

To get the ball rolling, here are my NSVs for the week:

10/27/05

I am offically no longer Morbidly Obese, but simply Obese. Today my BMI is 39.6, so I might not even qualify for the surgery, if not for my co-morbidities, which are all under control.

My second NSV for the day is that I have been invited to dance professionally at a Greek restaurant here in town. It will be fun to be able to put on my resume that I'm a Professional Belly Dancer.

Please remember to update your personal NSV lists as well as posting them here!

Well - I posted this on the slow losers thread, but it definitely counts as an NSV.

I have been banded for 13 months and this week is the first time any one has noticed my weight loss (I'm a closet bandster).

Two people, my hair stylist and my neighbor, both said I 'looked good' and asked what I was doing different. I just shrugged my shoulders and said thank you.

Capt'n Jack, I saw that one coming... Excellent work with the CPAP. I'm going back on mine for a while. I haven't been feeling very well in the mornings, so back on the snorkle goes.

That's a great NSV Kim! It is always nice to have someone finally notice! You've certianly waited long enough! Shine!

Uuuuummmmmm........NSV? I'm loved just the way I am in all of my fatty gloriousness by my family and friends. Does that count?

Crystal, when are you dancing?? I am due for a trip to Poky. lol

NSV - I decided to wear jeans again instead of loose comfy cotton pants. Yes, they are a size 20, but they do not squeeze my belly fat and make an unsightly roll. This NSV has a lot to do with regaining some care for what I look like. I was on this whole thing of being fat and not caring about looking nice or dressing up. Now I actually care about how I look again and put makeup on and everything. Damn, I think I got my groove back!

I just went through my closit and I took out all my size 18 things and put them into another closit. No one else has noticed that I have lost weight but me. (I am a closit bandster) He He. I had size 18 that I was wearing, I have size 16 that I am just fitting into and another closit of 12-14's. They take up so much room it will feel great to clean closits in about 6 more months (because I lose so slow.)

Um...I think I have been taking my NSV's for granted, actually.

So, here are today's.

I ate a pita sandwhich for lunch at my desk, then went out to lunch with the girls at the office and had a glass of Water. Didn't even feel deprived. Didn't even eat a fry off of their plates. I was satisfied with my half a pita. Amazing.

My clothes are too big again. Not all of them..but anything I've dug out of my closet from last winter hangs on me.

Someone I work with told me I was looking skinny today...I looked at her funny and thought...skinny? I weigh 230 pounds lady..but then I realized that I was wearing clothes that FIT, so I suppose I do look smaller.

I had two fun size milky way bars today and savored every bite of them...and didn't have one bad thought like "oh, why did I eat two, I'm so fat and such a failure!". Nope, I ate them and loved every bite. MMMM. And I only had two- but there are still a bunch sitting out and I have no desire to have any more.

Those are my NSV's for today. I have to remember not to take them for granted- thanks, Vines for the reminder.

Megan

Hmmm, well, let's see what I can think of:

I had a session with a personal trainer at the gym I joined, and when he asked what I'd been doing and I told him 35 minutes on the Elliptical, he told me I was ahead of the game because alot of folks go in there and can't do 10 minutes of cardio. There was a time when I was one of those people, so I think that's an NSV.

I bought a shirt at Hot Topic the other day. Granted it's a 2X in girls which is kind of funny, because I have Large shirts that are bigger, but hey. It's a "girl's" shirt, so it's more form fitting and look pretty good.

Oh! I went to Lane Bryant to get a shirt, and the smallest shirt size they had was too big. I could still buy pants there, but not shirts!

I've been moving back toward my funkiness from my fun days. I used to dress exactly how I wanted at it was "me". Then I entered the corporate world and gave it all up, so now I'm getting it back! This goes along with caring what I look like when I go out. First I just wanted to look 'nice' or 'decent' and now I want to look like "me". If that makes any sense.

Sarah, that makes perfect sense! Finding "me" again is so important and so very wonderful all at the same time. It's like looking into the mirror and seeing a friend you haven't seen in far too long. Finding that spark, that flame, that glitter. And wow! 35 minutes on the elipictical, you kick my butt!

Megan, I'm so glad you are not taking your NSVs for granted anymore! Thise are so important.

And Kelly, accepting yourself, and loving yourself is the name of the game! The fact that everyone loves you just as your are should be proof that you are wonderful as is.

Hey Sarah - I understand about just being clothed neatly and professionally... Congrats on being able to dress in your own Style. Woo Hoo!!

You guys all Kick A$$!!

OK here is my NSV for this week. Well it happened over the weekend but it still counts. LOL!!!

John and I went to a musical conference and had a display booth there with his music and other items to promote him. There was a friend of ours there that hadn't seen me since I was banded. HEE HEE!! John was talking to our friend and this guy who I have known for 5 years looks at me and says to John, "Who is this?" I look at our friend and say, "HELLO, IT IS ME PENNI!" He takes a jump back and says loudly in a crowded room, "NO FUCKING WAY! WOW! YOU ARE HOT!" LOL!! Isn't that the greatest?!

By the way, does anyone else feel taller after losing weight? I just realized I feel taller for some reason. Could be I feel better about myself and don't wanna be in the back or slumped down trying to hid anymore.

Okay, I love this thread but doing the Fall Challenge...well, I'll join in after Thanksgiving. I will, I promise!!! Plus I have my NSV thread going...I just can't keep up.

Great NSV's people!

Alright Ladies and Gentlemen, time to check-in with your NSVs.

11/5/05

All my pants are starting to look like giant clown pants, none of them fit in the butt or thighs anymore. If I didn't have this damn thick waist, I would really be in honest size 18 jeans.

My black leather jacket is going to have to be retired soon. It's rediculously large on me now. The sleves alone now hang past my finger-tips and it looks like I could smuggle a medium sized ham in each shoulder. So I tried on my big winter coat, and now it really is my huge winter coat. It's about XX too big. It's fully reversable a suede stadium jacket, with lepord fake fur on the other side. I love this jacket, but next year, some other lucky bandster gets to love it.

It's important for me that last winter before I was banded I couldn't zip the black leather jacket up. There was a 2-3 inch gap that just wouldn't meet. While the stadium jacket fit, it was pretty snug. Not any more!

11/10/05

Lastnight I was using my laptop. In my lap. This means that I HAVE A LAP!!!!! Woot!

11/14/05

When I sit on the floor or in a hard chair, I feel the bones in my butt. Not only my tail bones, but other bones (probably my pelvic bones?) as well.

Lets see. It probably counts as an NSV that I'm moving and I've been able to haul stuff around without getting winded (and there's even a flight of stairs in my new place!). I think that's good.

In the process of moving I sorted through all of my clothes and threw out a bunch of stuff that was to big. It's fortunate that I saved a bunch of stuff as I grew out of it, so I have it to shrink back into, which is good. Oh! I tried on a dress that I wore to my friend's prom the other day and it fit. The last time I tried it on it squished my boobs together so bad I had a uniboob! haha.

NSV time - I like looking in the mirror and don't feel so disgusted when I catch a glimpse of myself. I feel like I'm looking thinner, even though I weigh a good 220! Still, it's smaller than before. Go Turtles, Go Turtles, Go!