What's Your Most Recent NSV

I swam off more than 20 lbs in the past 2 years. I can now wear a bikini (if no one is around). I'm 67.

Following up from Thursday: I got lab test results back yesterday. The results are an improvement from my last bloodwork three years ago -- more improvement than I thought I would see.

I have been monitoring my blood pressure at home, so I've watched that improve over my weight loss and stay healthy in maintenance. I showed him some of my data, and he was pleased. My BP in the office was a little elevated, but they say that's common.

The bad news is my total cholesterol actually increased by one point. The good news is that my LDL (bad cholesterol) dropped 45 points from being borderline high to being optimal. My HDL went up 50 points, perhaps to compensate. Maybe that HDL is still working to get the LDL out of my system. Triglycerides also dropped 20 points.

I guess it's true. You can be healthier by dropping excess fat.

I had to take a photo of myself for work and I thought I looked pretty.

It was quite stressful trying to take a picture for their blog because I hate photos of myself, I have lockdown hair and trying to take a picture that doesn't look like a selfie when you live on your own is near impossible - but when I was done and stopped and looked at the photo, I thought, hey, I look pretty. Which is a much nicer adjective than fat.

I still have so far to go, I'm still technically obese, but I already feel happier about how I look, and I can visualise where I'm going. I'll take that as a NSV!

So... I poked my wiggly little nose out of my burrow, sniffed around, consulted yarrow sticks and the alignment of various astronomical bodies, and decided that it would be all right to don my mask and go shopping. It was a long drive to an international supermarket I used to go to maybe once a month, but I was low on a lot of stuff. Anyway, my NSV is that with temperatures at around 105 and driving a good ten miles or so without using the AC in my car, then lots of walking in the store and a trip across their large, hot parking lot, I was NOT out of breath at all. Even while wearing a mask. In previous years, that whole excursion would have left me sweaty and winded. Occasionally near to fainting. This time - I was just kinda sweaty, no big deal.

I danced for 50 minutes today

I changed the shade on my kitchen ceiling light...by myself. I'd been meaning to do this DIY (or pay someone to do it) for almost a year now.

I went from a white metal pendant light to a black fabric light with the pendent cord wrapped in black jute.

This included rewiring, not getting electrocuted, and replacing the bulb with a cuter, Edison type one that actually fit.

Why an NSV? This all required an amount of mental acuity and patience that, tbh, I wouldn't have had even a few weeks ago. I believe my current fitness level has helped with my thinking processes.

Got some new shorts that fit perfectly. Went from a 22W to a regular 16! The new shorts are so comfortable I'm basically living in them.

Thanks for everyone posting their NSVs. It's a reminder to watch for the little things--and sometimes, even, bigger things I might not have realized really are connected to getting to a healthier weight.

My NSV was working out steadily when in FL for 3 weeks (helping a sister after surgery). I went out every evening, even at 96 F, "feels like" 102. I sweat like few others. I know folks think I'm dying--red-faced and positively drenched--but nope; I felt good. Sweat, to me, has always been like oiling up the machinery for a smoother run. I sweat like this when I'm thin. Still, I felt good about getting out when everyone else is complaining it't too hot to do anything.

I lost 2cm off both my hips and waist - my weight it bouncing around, but I'm getting smaller!

I went for a nice hike the other day. About nine miles in the Coast Range. The week before I had gone for a hike up in the Cascades. I had a couple NSVs on the more recent hike.

First, even though the second hike was longer and included more elevation gain, I had a better pace, a lower overall and maximum heart rate, my fitness tracker said I still gained training effect but didn't "overreach." The next two days, I was less sore. That's all great and a reasonable NSV.

The other one ain't about hiking. Like I did the week before, I stopped at the grocery for a couple Lara bars to take on the hike. They were still on sale and there was a coupon on top of that. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. I got four flavors.

Like last week, I put two in my backpack. As I was coming back down from the summit for the last few miles back to my truck, I ate one. I did about the same thing last week.

Here's the part that's different. Unlike last week, later that night, I did NOT eat the other three bars. In fact, I put them in the pantry, and I didn't eat any of them yesterday either. They are still there. My plan (and we know about the best laid plans) is to leave them there until next time I go for a hike. I'm hoping that's this coming weekend.