I do look at my weight in terms of pounds lost, but increasingly more important are the NSVs that I'm having. I was wondering how important to you they are too.

In this poll are ten NSVs that may or may not apply to you. Which do apply and how important are they? Please vote for up to three NSVs and let's get an idea of the most popular ones.

Hi Maincat. thank you for posting this. Often times we lose focus on just one area of weight loss. I also like the fact that I don't need a seat belt extender on an airplane anymore. I am almost out of the plus size sectionm of the store as well. Thanks!

I kinda wanted to pick...."all of the above" I have my life back and I'm incredibly appreciative of the second chance.

Great Poll. It is all to easy to focus on the scale to the point of missing out on the true reasons we were wanting the scale to move in the first place.

To me, its to do with being able to buy nicer clothes, look good in them and feel good about myself.

When I got banded, I had a BMI of 35 and made my decision based on how crappy I was starting to feel, and fear of what middle age was going to be like as I got inevitably heavier. However at the actual time I was banded, the preventative factor was big but it was mostly a cosmetic thing for me. It was all about how disgusting I felt, how much I loathed how I looked, how I couldnt present myself the way I felt inside and those are the things that I really enjoy now.

Playing with the kids, doing jobs round the house, I could still do that stuff energetically, I was only 38 with a BMI of 35. And I didnt have any comorbidities like sleep apnoea by that stage.

My big ones aren't options in the poll, so I voted using the options available, which means my votes actually represent something closer to numbers 18, 20 and 32 than numbers 1 - 3. :biggrin:

I haven't been banded yet, but the things I'm looking most forward to that aren't on the list:

Buying "normal" sized clothing and shoes

Fitting in airplane/stadium/any other armed seats, amusement parks

Not having to worry about being too heavy for things, fitting into toilet stalls, etc.

There's a lot of things I'm hoping happens!

None of the above (although they are all great).

Keeping it off & maintaining my lifestyle.

OK, I think that this is a good time to look at the results. The votes cast are as follows:

48 Clothes fit better

46 You are or feel healthier

42 You feel more confident in yourself

19 Your sex life is better

15 Family have complimented you

12 It's easier to play with the children

10 You find it easier to do jobs around the house

09 Work colleagues have complimented you

05 You enjoy playing sports now

04 You don't have to wear a CPAP mask now

So, on this very unscientific poll, the top three most important NSVs are clear. Personally, I'm surprised about the top choice, that clothes fit better, beating (not by much) you are or feel healthier. Any comments?

I don't guess I'm TOO surprised about the clothes being the top of the list. After all, how we dress is an outward reflection of how we feel inside as well as a statement of our identity. Stands to reason it would be a biggie.

I love ALL the NSVs. No matter how small.

Found a new one last night. I kept having to swivel my wedding ring around to put the setting back on top, when I finally realized what it was I was doing it was all I could do to not go wake hubby up to share the good news! LOL