To tell or not to tell ??

Amber -

I think you know what's best in your heart and how it makes you feel .. As for my self I only told REALLY Close family and friends and that was it ! I'm the type that I do not like having people judge me or my decision .. Dont feel pressured you know when the time it right to tell everyone you feel needs to knows =)
Hope I helped =)

Did you tell everyone you were going to have the surgery? I feel I need to explain ahead of time.
I was excited about my surgery, but I basically told only my family and close friends. If it came up in conversation with someone, I might say something, but didn't go out of my way either.

I would add that you do not owe anyone an explanation. (Except if you are working and need to make time-off arrangements with HR. But even then, no one at work besides HR has to know the details.)

When people see that you have lost weight, are you compelled to offer up that you have had the surgery?
Depends on the situation. If they ask "how did you do it", I tell them I had WLS, and quickly add that I also exercise and am conscious about what/how much I eat.

If they don't ask "how", I don't offer more information. Sometimes I find it tiring to talk about WLS w/someone who hasn't had it.

Is it lying if you just take the compliment without an explanation?
No, but I get why you ask. I had that same worry as well.

Basically, though, when I compliment someone, I want them to feel happy about the fact that they are being complimented. When someone "downplays" or "dismisses" the compliment by explaining why they don't really "deserve" it, I find it ruins the moment. Know what I mean?

My advice is to just say "thank you" and be sincerely pleased. That is what the other person probably wants out of the interaction--to say something nice to you, and for you to be happy about being complimented.

I think I have told everyone.... I am really excited. But should I start holding back? or is it a bad thing not to tell.
It is neither bad nor good. There are no hard and fast rules. You have to use your judgment based on the situation you are in. I would say that it really depends on the person and your relationship with them.

Also, not to sound harsh, but while this is a very big deal to you (and rightly so), except for those close to you, aside from being polite and happy for you, people generally are going to wish you well (except for the nasty ones or the ones who are jealous, and the ones who could benefit from surgery but are in denial) and then go back to living their lives--it isn't really going to matter to them for more than a moment. So whether you tell them or not, it doesn't affect them much either way.