What's Your Most Recent NSV

I walked downtown to get my mail at the post office. I packed up some empty glass bottles to drop off at the recycling center at our local food co-op on the way. Done. I also (finally) brought a box of corks I'd been meaning to drop off at the cork recycling program. Done.

Well, I walked through the co-op to see what soup they had. There's two of them that normally if they have I'll get a 12-ounce to-go container. Unfortunately, both of them are cream-based, so they are not exactly low-cal. They had them both. Uh-oh. I wasn't particularly hungry. I had just had lunch. Often that won't stop me. No worries. I figured I'd decide which one to get and stop again on my way home from downtown.

On my walk up and back, I thought about how much I'd enjoy that soup, but also that I really wasn't hungry. I thought about whether it would even still be hot by the time I got home. I thought about what I already have been planning to cook for supper and figured the soup might put me over for the day.

The NSV? I didn't even go back in the store, and I don't really miss the soup. They'll have it available again some time in the next few weeks, and if I see it, I'll either have some... or not.

I flashed a v4 at climbing recently. It's not much; but it is definitely progress.

I had blood work done recently (covering lipids, blood count, liver function and kidney function.) Everything was in the normal range, with some things like LDL cholesterol bring pretty low. This is in contrast to 5.5 years ago, pre-diet, when I had hypertension and hyper cholesterolimia.

It's "Stuff Your Face" week at school and there is an insane amount of food in the faculty room. In addition to everything the teachers and staff bring in, some families bring us cookies, bagels, sandwiches, etc. In the past, I spent quite a lot of time in that room mindlessly munching. (My nurse office is conveniently right next door). This year, I am keenly aware of my 18 pound weight loss since October 2nd and don't want to jeopardize it. I decided I would only eat what I truly loved instead of wasting calories on things I wouldn't normally even want. I found that ONE peanut butter cookie with the Hershey kiss on top and ONE small piece of fudge, eaten slowly and deliberately, was plenty. I could have probably even done without the fudge. Eating deliberately and slowly makes such a difference!

First time I've been on a flight and even tried to use the drop down table. So much room!

My Year End Wins!
Hey all! I am a weight loss winner. I have had several wins this year, and I would like to share them.
First, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season. no matter what you celebrate!
-I lost 10 clothing sizes this year! Size 32 to size 22!
-I taught myself how to walk again! I finished at 2 miles.
-I had to be my own Case Manager and advocate for myself.
-I wore clothes that I haven’t worn in years.
-NO food comas for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
-I returned food the day after Thanksgiving.
-I lost 87 lbs. for the year. Woo Hoo!
-I had “imminent death” on my medical report. This was very serious.
-I am adhering to my budget and decreased spending lifestyle.
-I learned how to eat 2-3 pieces of pizza with a large salad and be satisfied.
-I decreased my consumption of Vanilla iced coffee.
-I decreased my addiction to pop, considerably.
-I stopped buying iced tea at MC D’s. I make peppermint tea or decaf, or green tea instead. I love fruit teas before bed.
-I gave away lots of Christmas cookies and did not eat them!
-Eating at Mc Donald’s is no longer a treat for me. I think most of their food is gross.
-I don’t eat most fast foods.
-I have more money for savings in going out to eat.
-I stick to my food budget and don’t go over.
-I am alive, and fought very hard to be here at the end of the year.
-A special thanks to all the doctors and nurses that saved my life. I am humbled and grateful.

kiteflyer105 wrote: »

My Year End Wins!
Hey all! I am a weight loss winner. I have had several wins this year, and I would like to share them.
First, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season. no matter what you celebrate!
-I lost 10 clothing sizes this year! Size 32 to size 22!
-I taught myself how to walk again! I finished at 2 miles.
-I had to be my own Case Manager and advocate for myself.
-I wore clothes that I haven’t worn in years.
-NO food comas for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
-I returned food the day after Thanksgiving.
-I lost 87 lbs. for the year. Woo Hoo!
-I had “imminent death” on my medical report. This was very serious.
-I am adhering to my budget and decreased spending lifestyle.
-I learned how to eat 2-3 pieces of pizza with a large salad and be satisfied.
-I decreased my consumption of Vanilla iced coffee.
-I decreased my addiction to pop, considerably.
-I stopped buying iced tea at MC D’s. I make peppermint tea or decaf, or green tea instead. I love fruit teas before bed.
-I gave away lots of Christmas cookies and did not eat them!
-Eating at Mc Donald’s is no longer a treat for me. I think most of their food is gross.
-I don’t eat most fast foods.
-I have more money for savings in going out to eat.
-I stick to my food budget and don’t go over.
-I am alive, and fought very hard to be here at the end of the year.
-A special thanks to all the doctors and nurses that saved my life. I am humbled and grateful.

Best NSV post, ever, on every count. What a joy to read this!!!! May you enjoy many many more years of health!

Wish you’d share more and spend some time in the boards. What an utter inspiration you could be to others.

I had a couple sweets this month (not part of my plan!) and I went over my calories a couple days. But things didn't fully derail like they would have in the past. I ate a couple chocolates and some pie, and then I went right back to my new normal: pre-logging all my delicious healthy food, and sticking to my eating goals. I feel like a different person now, calm and collected. No more spiraling out of control, no more sugar frenzy... I eat to fuel my body and mind, and I love it.

Christmas was pleasant, because 1) when it came time to get ready, instead of the usual OHMYGODWHATAMIGOINGTOWEARIHAVENONICECLOTHESTHATFITME I just took something off the hanger and put it on, and I was ready to go. and 2) instead of obsessing over food the entire day, I had a nice time with the family -- and then I went home and ate my regular meal, knowing that I don't have to sabotage my eating just because it's a holiday.

I also zipped up my size 14 jeans yesterday. Not ready yet to wear them out, but I imagine that's not too far off.

A big one!! I have to return a pair of pants I ordered online because they are TOO BIG!!!! I usually don't order online for this very reason, however we've moved and now that particular store is a bit of a drive, and through a big city. I have been struggling very much with consistency lately, both in nutrition and exercise. I had pretty much resigned to accepting the bigger sizes.

But I was wrong!!!! I will gladly admit I was wrong!! Even if I lose sight of the forest for the trees, I can still be successful!! 🥳

Today I brought an afternoon snack to work, like I always do, and didn't eat it. I didn't get the afternoon munchies.

This is especially big because I've been maintaining/eating ALLL the treats all December long. This is the first time I've felt like I can get right back on track without regretting all the indulgence.

I have several, nice coats stored that are too small for me to wear. Today, I just decided to try them on. I screamed with surprise and delight as I can fit into all of them! They've been stored in the closet for about 3 years. I never dreamed I would be able to put them on or do them up. I’m very surprised, even after losing 50 lbs.

Measured my waist today and since October to now have lost 4cm or about 1.5 inches and I’ve gone down two sizes. Yay! My adult kids tell me I’m looking great and when out to dinner my sister told me I looked lovely (in my new blue dress) and kept turning to me and smiling - then said ‘I can even see your cheekbones’. A lovely moment.

OK I'm gonna cheat, you guys. This is technically a scale victory: today I'm half-way to my goal weight. (Or what I think is going to be my goal weight... I'm going by BMI for now, but I might adjust a little as I get closer.)

The reason I decided to post this update is because reaching this milestone represents a monumental mindset/outlook change for me -- it is so much more than a number on the scale. On January 1, 2023 a friend asked in a group chat if we had any resolutions for 2023. I said I wanted to lose 50 lbs. I had no real vision and no plan whatsoever! I literally plucked a number out of thin air. I was ridiculously obese and I knew I had at least 50 lbs to lose, but I could have said 10 or 100 instead, and it wouldn't have made any actual difference at that point. After years of "trying" to lose weight and just yo-yo'ing around aimlessly, I couldn't imagine myself permanently losing 5 lbs, let alone 50. But I decided I might as well set an intention. Well, as of today I have lost 65 lbs.

Due to some unexpected events in my life, it took almost six months for me to actually get started. June 27 is when I gathered all my resolve and decided that enough was enough, and that I would make whatever changes I needed to make -- no exceptions, no excuses. I still had zero idea how to get started, or what exactly to aim for, other than that I was going to try MFP again (I had used it many years before). But I had made a commitment, and I was going to do this, come hell or high water.

I started by looking up some information about how to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, and what might be a reasonable weight to aim for. I then decided I was going to give myself one year (through July 1, 2024) to reach 169 lbs -- the upper limit of what's considered "overweight" for my height. This meant a weight loss of about 100 lbs. or an average of about 2 lbs per week, which is considered a healthy rate of weight loss. Since I wanted to track all my food, I knew I had to eliminate any unknowns... so I decided I would not eat only eat what I had made at home, from scratch, for the duration of the one year. This meant no restaurant meals, no eating at family or friends' houses, no traveling. A price I was willing to pay, because I was miserable and I wanted to feel good again.

I started tracking my food, and quickly changed to pre-logging everything, which has been a game-changer for me. No more eating and then regretting it: I know exactly what I'm going to eat, ahead of time. I know it's good for me and tasty. The peace of mind this gives me is indescribable. I started out eating low-carb and I set a daily calorie limit, but over time I started paying attention to more than just carbs and calories: I now track my protein, carbs & fiber, fat & saturated fat & cholesterol; sodium; iron; and a couple other things. I'm still low-carb, but I eat more beans, fruit, etc. than I did in the beginning. I'm gradually switching to a Mediterranean Diet, except with very little processed carbs (flour, sugar) and close to zero alcohol and caffeine.

I started exercising, and have worked my way up from literally zero to about 50 minutes a day now. (That's an average... I learned that I need to build in regular rest & recovery days.) In the beginning, my "exercise" consisted of things like deep-cleaning the cat litter box, cleaning the balcony, or vacuuming. That's all I could do at the time, so that's what I did! Now I do water aerobics, swimming, and walking. Honestly, nothing overly strenuous: I'm a slow swimmer and my walks are quite leisurely, I always take time to watch the wildlife or admire the Christmas lights or gaze at the moon. I started out terrified, ashamed of my body, and utterly clueless. I couldn't get up a flight of stairs, or walk around the block. I've learned and improved along the way, and I can't express in words how much regular exercise has improved my life. I love to get out there now and explore the neighborhood, or the parks in my area; move around in the water to music; or find that nice meditative rhythm while swimming. I like to walk at sunset, or after dark, just to enjoy the peace & quiet out there or listen to an audiobook. I take the stairs because it's easier, or just because I feel like it. These are things I never could have imagined myself doing or even thinking about doing, back in June. What a difference six months have made!

This thread here has been a part of my success: it was important for me to notice and celebrate my real-life victories, instead of just focusing on some meaningless number on the scale. Sometimes when the going was rough, I would come back here to re-read some of my previous comments and remind myself how far I had come. I was also buoyed by all of your updates! So much progress to celebrate! Some of your comments reminded me of things I had also achieved, without even noticing. And others gave me new successes to aim for. And always I would come away from reading everyone's small and giant victories to feel renewed enthusiasm and joy.

Here are two other MFP communities that have been instrumental to my lifestyle changes: What Mini Goal is motivating you right now! and the Ultimate Accountability Challenge group (this is the January edition) which has taught me a lot, and where I have found friends who support me and whom I can support in return. I invite you to check us out and join if you'd like!

Here's to many wonderful NSV's in 2024 for all of us. Happy (almost) New Year everyone!

takinitalloff wrote: »

... oh, also

A few days ago the weather warmed up a bit and I decided to wear a short-sleeve top... come to find out all the ones I had in my drawer were far too big on me! Had to dig back into my big box of old clothes to find some smaller ones. Which means I no longer wear plus size tops

Oh my! Thanks for sharing. Congratulations - you’ve achieved so much with your determination and motivation and you must feel proud.

I agree that scales are not the best way of measuring success except perhaps over time. Yes, my goal is to lose weight but really what I’m trying to achieve is fat loss, a better BMI and a healthier me. I’ll check out those groups as well.

@springlering62 Thank you, that means a lot to me especially coming from you, because you inspire me SO MUCH 🤸

@ginadacat Congratulations, you are rocking this thing! I'm glad you're getting positive feedback from others, especially your sister (not everyone's family is supportive, and it makes such a big difference when you know your loved ones are rooting for you).