Those of you under 9 months out... tell me what NON-WEIGHT goals you have met

I think it is really important  for people to try not to focus solely on the numbers (clothing size, scale number) along this journey because eventually the numbers stop dropping, the compliments stop, and real life kicks in... but you still have to keep doing what you have been doing in order to not regain weight... so non-weight related goals and positive aspects of your "new life" have to be what motivate you.

So... those of you who are less than 9 months out... tell me (and everyone else) how far out you are, what kinds of non-number related goals you have, and which ones you have already met.

Lora

I wish i could say i felt better about where i am on the scale - but, you are right that its not all about that. I am 7 1/2 months out and i was a 22 and now i am a 14/16 in most stuff. I have a whole new wardrobe that i can wear now. i had stubbornly refused to get rid of it as i started outgrowing it. Frustratingly, in this process i found i have an aortic stenosis - so i have actually more meds to take now then i did before but i would have never known i had this condition without going thru this process. so, i am on my way to being healthier on many levels. the big perk so far has been that now i can sit and fit on the back of my girls motorcycle and not feel like i am overflowing and looking ridiculous. its way more fun now, except that my but has all but disappeared and now long rids hurt my ass in a different way. all in all - i am doing well, not losing as fast as i had hoped or shrinking in size as fast as i had hoped but all those other perks in life are good things and i am grateful!

The scale hasn't been too kind to me, but I have a lot of very positive things in the 8 weeks since surgery.

1.) My blood pressure is back to normal, now it's usually 108 / 70, prior to surgery it was borderline hypertensive.

2.) I took a cpap repressure test a couple of weeks ago, and the pressure on my cpap machine is being lowered already (WHOO HOO)

3.) Stamina ... my stamina is so much better then it was!

4.) I bought Hanes undies!!! (yes, it doesn't sound like much, but it was so nice to be able to get undies somewhere other than Lane Bryant!)

Nice topic Lora!

Sandy

I can ride my horses again!!.  I can run to the car when it's raining out.  I can cross my legs.  there is just way too many I cans to name.  I am happy!

 I'm six and a half months out, the scale has been kind so far, but there are times when it is frustrating.  There has been so many non-weight goals I have met:

1.  Energy to burn!  
2.  Being able to do up the seatbelt in the car and not be choked to death by it 
3.  Riding my bike - Completing on a weekly bases at least a 45 KM ride. 
4.  Shopping in a regular department store
5.  Finding muscle definition even with the flappy skin on my arms
6.  Going from a resting heart rate of 92 to an athletic 61
7.  Blood sugars low/normal
8.  Blood pressure normal
9.  No more sore feet in the morning
10.  Did I say energy?
11.  Having the confidence to try some new things I've wanted to forever
12.  Painting my toes, by propping them up on the bathroom counter (while standing) and painting them on the go!
13, Being able to shave my legs in a stand up stall shower, that I barely could wash in before.
14.  Catching the eye of men for the right reason rather than the "Holy cow look at that cow" catching it.
15.  People actually smiling at me, holding the door open, etc.
16.  Walking past people on the street and they do not even recognize me

And many more that I can't think of at this moment, but it's been lifechanging

Never just concentrate on the pounds lost!

Gypsy

1.  I live in a 3rd floor apartment and I wanted to be able to carry groceries up 3 flights without feeling out of breath and needing to stop half way up, I can do that now.

2. I wanted to be able to play at the park with my neice for as long as SHE wanted.  Done

3. I want to be able to share clothes with my sisters as they have always been the same size and I was always the larger one.  Even though we are all grown adults now, I still want to share clothes.  I am just now getting close to their sizes.

(I know you said non-weight related but number 3 is a big one for me for some reason.  I always felt left out of their circle when it came to clothes).

 I am 7 mths out and I have had soooo many non scale victories...
My most happiest victory is shopping at ANY STORE I want to SHOP at...not being restricted to Additionelle...
I can buy those "One size fits all" designs stocking and tights...I buy them without even looking at the chart...and they FIT!!!
Being able to get hand me downs from friends...
Buying a dress a couple of hours before a party for $5...I didn't even use to get underwear for $5 before.
Buying underwear at the sales 7 for $10 wow...use to be 3 for $25
not being a Wide Width shoe...still waiting for my shoe size to decrease(praying)
The attention from men is UNBELIEVABLE...especially the young boys age 20-25...dammm I often have to tell them I am old enough to be your mother...which shocks the hell out of them...and makes me smile...lol
I was complaining to my mom one day that there is so many BLACK clothes and I want colours bright colours...a lady overheard me and said yes honey show that sexy figure in bright colours you don't have any flaws to hide in BLACK...I thought to myself wow if you only knew me 7mths ago...lol
People calling me Skinny *****(I take as a huge compliment...lol)
People telling me I can stop losing now, because I am skinny.
Going into the change room with a size and having to ask for a smaller size....
I walk from the basement of the house to the top floor without being out of breath, 
I am more active and I do 1 hour of bootcamp, and look forward to the class not dreading being the biggest one there or the one that is out of breath...
I love the new ME!

can i play too? im 15 months post op, but i was taken off my diabetic medcines while in the hospital before being released from surgery, i was taken off my blood pressure medicines with in a weeks time, i no longer have any acid reflux, that was gone from the first day
at my 1 year post op blood work, for the first time in adult life, my good cholestrol was higher than my bad cholestrols...which at my 6 month mark the bad was still higher than my good...so in last 6 months it was changed..
so far all of my goals have been met as i wanted off my medicines, and i have lost 105-110 pounds since...so sorry i am not under the 9 month phase, but wanted to play too..
have a great day
debby

 Hi,

I agree!  While it is difficult not to think about the numbers... it's the life long changes that we are adjusting to and will have to continue to make those conscious choices for a healthy lifestyle...

For me its the fact that I managed to quit smoking (something I was planning way before wls) and I haven't smoked since February of this year!!!  I can breath better, don't spend the night coughing and don't run out of breath as easily as before!  My surgery was 4/10/12 and prior to the surgery I had difficulty walking for more than 2 minutes before my upper thighs would hurt and I would be out of breath...  Since the weight loss I can now walk for nearly a half hour on most days before the pain starts again.  It feels great to be able to handle walking up stairs and I think overall I just feel better physically and emotionally...

Just the goals of breathing better, walking better, and just plain feeling better is all contributed to the wls.  The more I lose, the more determined I am to see this through.  I have been known to "get bored" quickly and have often found it hard to maintain motivation, but I am proud of the fact that I have been able to "fight" that from within and continue on the path of improved health.  I'm not sure what happened to me, but for some reason I felt that this would be the year for me to make all those goals/changes in my life and I'm so glad that I still feel this way and continue to do so...

Another goal was to learn how to buy, prepare, and eat smart without deprivation... I think that's an on-going goal.  Sites that are recommended from OH suck as egg face and Nik have been a huge help and have encouraged me to "play with my food" as Nik would say.  

These are just a few things that I could think of off the top of my head...
~Marie

Buying an XL shirt instead of a 2XL
Acid relux is gone
High BP is gone