Hi everyone! I just read so many newbie posts on this site and lots of issues and problems - maybe it reflects how we're all feeling about the economy... So I thought I would post some good news and ask for some from you!! We all need a lift and some motivation on this journey...

I had surgery 19th Dec 2008 - I lost about 16 lbs pre-surgery and about 23 lbs post-surgery - totalling now about 39. Now that I look at it, it's a big number, but you guessed it - it's just not fast enough for me!! Even though it's the first time in my life I've been able to sustain weight loss for longer than 6 months...

Anyways - I wanted to share a few non-scale victories and hoping to hear some from you...

1) All my jeans are too big on me - even the ones I bought after surgery that were so tight I had to suck my tummy in

2) I fit into normal size shops - I don't have to go to the big lady stores anymore, I can buy things at normal stores

3) I don't fill the entire plane seat anymore - there's still only a few centimeters gap, but it's there!

4) I feel more confident about how I look - when I'm out meeting people, I no longer tug at my tops to cover my big bottom - in fact, I almost (but not quite) like my bum now!

Yours??

That is so awesome! I'm so happy for you.

Lets see here are mine:

I lost more than a foot in inches

I have so much more energy

I exercise

I'm getting more and more protruding bones

I'm starting to get a nice shape

Congrats to both of you.. You are doing great.. I need a scale aholics meeting.. I love my scale but I hate it at the same time.. I do so good and then the fat girl in me craves something sweet and even thought it is just one cookie it feels like it comes on with a vengence and then i HATE my scale.. ha ha that is how I am feeling this morning.. Anyway, my non scale victories...

My back no longer feels like it is going to split in two ..

My feet are smaller...

I have been able to shop in Lane Bryant, JCpenney, ect.. Instead of catherines...

I handled 3 days in a row at Disney theme parks where before I would be complaining after about 3 hours that my feet hurt..

I climbed EVERY FREAKING step up to those Water slides.. I am not saying it was the easiest thing ever, but I DID IT.....and at the end I was not out of breath just felt a little weak in the knees ha ha

I work out 1-2 times a day for at least a total of 45 min each time..

I feel guilty if I miss my work out where before I did not care..

I feel GREAT after I work out..

I enjoy sweating when I am working out..

My husband and I can get closer...

I love to go outside and be with my family on new adventures..

I still have a very long way to go, but I remind myself EVERYDAY I have come this far. I am only 7 months out and sustained a weight loss of 95lbs which I know is A LOT, but when the scale stops it gets very discouraging exspecially when you are working out and working out.. HOWEVER, I just keep reminding myself 175lbs left to go ha ha.. I WILL DO IT... I WILL BE HEALTHY...

So far these are just a few of my non scale victories.. I love them, but I love the scale victories too ha ha. I am serious there needs to be a scale aholics group ha ha

Best wishes everyone

I purchased a new work out top yesterday and was modeling it for my husband to get his opinion on if it looked ok. His response was.........its to long and covers to much of you and proceeded to tell me that i look better in the smaller skimpier work out tank tops! OMG ME, i can quite honestly tell you i NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THE DAY!!!!

I had a NSV yest.

I ordered a few dresses on-line from Ann Taylor Loft. ( I didn't have the guts to go to the store, as I feared nothing would fit)

When I received the dresses and tried them on, they were all too big! I then returned them to the store and picked out items to try on, again all too big!

What a delight!

Congrat to all on your weight loss.

I'm down 56 lbs since 12/22/08

I can't fit any of my old jeans and tops.

The best for me was going into lane bryant and fittting a size 1 last month and this month they are too big. I am officially to small for lane bryant I would of never believed this day would come. Also taking the stairs I don't ride the elevator to the 3rd floor at work any more. I take the stairs 3-4 times a day and don't get winded I love this band it is helping me so much.:laugh:

I'm 6-1/2 months out from surgery and I've only really gotten comfortable with my band since the last fill. Reaching my "sweet spot" has changed everything. Every pound I lost before that was a struggle.

Now:

1. I don't think about food all the time anymore.

2. I haven't had a late-night binge in over three months.

3. I packed up every piece of plus-size clothing I had and gave it to the Goodwill.....confident that I will never need them again. I am now a size 16-18 and don't need to buy clothing with an X in the size anymore!

4. My feet hurt less. I laugh more. I'm happier.

My weight no longer consumes my every thought. It doesn't prevent me from going anywhere or doing anything confidently.

I can shop anywhere for cute things . . . even the misses section. There is never a need to buy matronly outfits just so that they fit. I look at my old clothes and think, yuck, but they were the best that I could find that covered me sufficiently.

I can wear a modest swimsuit without being ashamed.

food doesn't occupy my every thought like it used to. In the past, I was thinking about what I was going to eat for every meal before the prior meal was even finished. I used to even dream about food but not anymore.

I can eat and be satisfied for hours. I used to always be hungry again 20-30 minutes later.

Best of all, I am now just me . . . not heavy me or thin me, but just who I am as a person. Weight has lost most of its relevance in my life and is not so much of a concern. I still watch what I eat and get exercise but that is just a small part of my life. Food used to be everything and now it can be an afterthought most of the time.

Gosh - thank you all so much for sharing... sometime when the scale isn't moving it's so easy to get obsessed by it - and I agree with your point about scale-a-holics. I went in for a little top up fill today and the nurse pointed out that I've lost 3 lbs in the last 2 weeks - and that's not bad at all... here I was thinking that I had stalled, and I haven't!!

focusing on my NSV's and yours really helps with motivation. I'm going to keep this thread and make sure that I keep thinking about it.

Best of luck to everyone!

Let's see....

In the past my boobs would be so heavy that I would kinda pull up my bra straps to separate them from my belly. Well they still are heavy enough to put a little pressure on my port. The other day I lifted and...well...they fell out the bottom! I was at work and thank goodness no one was nearby. I need smaller bras! Woohoo!!!

I play baseball with my grandsons' baseball team.

I ride my 3yr old new bike everyday.

My clothes are seriously drooping.

I am learning that food is for the nourishment of my body.

1 week out from surgery and I have noticed my chin and my shoes do not fit tight anymore :-). Thank you for the inspiration.

I haven't had surgery yet (next Friday!) but I've been losing for the past few months and I'm 32 pounds down. I've been exercising almost daily and here are my NSV's --

I can see and feel muscular definition! Mostly in my arms and legs, but even in my abs when I do a crunch!

I had to move the seat in the car forward.

On the recumbent bikes at the gym, my butt fits in the seat now! (Before, it was uncomfortable because the seat has a back that isn't adjustable and so I always felt like I needed to scoot back but could not.)

I'm wearing my wedding rings. (That's a big one.)

I'm wearing clothing I haven't worn in a very long time, down from 24s to 20s. I even wore my Eddie Bauer size 18 jeans a couple times.

I'm sleeping better - I must be snoring less, I think. And no reflux at night lately.

I'm seeing parts of my body that I haven't seen in years... Blush Blush...

Hello to each of you!! Yes, it is quite a good feeling when you realize that things are changing, and not just the numbers on the scale! Looks like everyone is enjoying success...keep it up!

Those I am noticing are:

**I can cross my legs!! Haven't done that in YEARS!!

**My feet are shrinking in width...hehehe...reason to go shoe shopping!

**I am not tugging at my clothes where they are too tight and bunching up on me.

**I can wear my rings again too!

**I can go up two flights of stairs now without nearly passing out.

**Much, much more energy!

I am feeling sooooo much better these days, I feel like going out and doing things I haven't done in a very long time. I am so happy that I decided to have the surgery to give me my life back!!

Best wishes to all.....

It is awesome to hear how well everyone is doing! This is a great thread!

These are my NSV's:

*Shoes are too big (had to go shoe shopping):smile:

*None of my previous clothes, coats, undies fit - have given bags & bags to Salvation Army, etc. (have gone clothing shopping numerous times):eek:

*No longer feeling like a sausage while riding on the plane! YEAH..

*Eye glasses no longer worked for me (the progressive lens moved).. my face/neck are way much smaller (had to get new glasses).

*No longer sleeping with CPAP & am getting a full nights sleep! YEAH!

*Can walk/run on the treadmill for a much longer length of time (although I need to get on much more)

*I purposely find reasons to take the stairs at work several times per day.

I just feel sooooo much better about myself!!

Still noticing them...

Shaving legs sooo much easier.

I even gave myself a little bit of a pedicure today.

When I look up and run my hands through my hair, there is no more big lump of flesh at the back of my head. It's not gone all the way, just a LOT smaller. LOL