bunch of NSV's

I just felt like posting about some of my NSV's.  I had surgery on April 11/11.  Here they are:

I can comfortably cross my legs.
I biked to work and back (45 minutes each way).
The pain in my knees is down by about 40%.
I have only worn my ankle brace once in the past month, and it was when I was hiking in Algonquin Park.  I used to have to wear it every day.
People often tell me how great I look.
A guy checked me out on the street the other day.
My husband checks me out all the time! (Although he did this quite a bit before surgery too).
I'm a size 16!
I comfortably painted my toenails recently.
Today I walked up 3 flights of stairs without feeling like I was going to die.

And the one that motivated me to write this:  Today I did a presentation at a national conference.  I do quite a bit of public speaking, including presentations, workshops and trainings.  For the past 18-19 years, every time I do something like this I feel very self-conscious.  I choose my clothes to try to minimize my "fatness" as much as possible, and I obsess about what people might be thinking about me because of my size.  Today I wore a really nice outfit that showed my figure, and I felt very confident and comfortable.  What a wonderful experience!  If you're new and awaiting surgery, please know that many experiences like this await you.  Have a great day!

Karen W

Those are all great things to accomplish Karen. Way to go!!! I have some of those on my list too.

Way to go. You have inspired me to start my own list.

Keep up the good work.

I forgot to ask, what does NSV stand for please?

NSV stands for non-scale victories.  It really helps to focus on these things more than on the number on the scale.

 Hi Karen, 
                    I am in OAkville ON waiting for my surgery hopefully in August, I felt great comfort reading your post just wanted to say i'm happy for you!! Glad to hear things are getting better, I have oesteo arthritis in my knees and some days the pain is so bad, so I can relate to the knee pain!! All the best and thanks for sharing!!

 Looking forward to crossing my legs.......

Thanks
Linda

WOOT WOOT!!

I almost called to leave you a voice mail this morning because we were both so rushed that I didn't get a chance to mention the incredible difference there was when I gave you a hug this morning. You're positively dwindling.

Congrats and we'll see you soon. 

Thanks so much for this post Karen.  I LOVE seeing the NSV's.  There is so much I can't do now - and I look forward to being able to do those things even more than seeing the number on the scale drop.  NSVs ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel suddenly motivated to made my own list, just to look back on and see how much it's improved throughout the journey. These are all so wonderful and I am incredibly proud of you Karen!