Explaining your weightloss.. My thoughts....

For me, I felt like I couldn't just say "diet and exercise" or "low carb" and feel good about that, because I know that those things NEVER worked that well for me in the past.  I know for a fact that the restriction of my sleeve and removal of the part of my stomach that made all those hunger hormones is a bigger factor in my success than anything else.

That said, what people want to say or not say is their business.  Althought I do kind of hate it that the true numbers of people who've had surgery, and whose success is actually due to surgery, is so hidden because people won't speak up.  That makes me sad.  I guess there is more than one way to be "in the closet."

I kind of agree with the above poster, I mean I work a bunch of nosey ******** and I dont need to hear their rude comments coming out of their mouth like diarrhea. I havent even told my parents, the other day I was talking to my mom about my cousin who was thinking about having the surgery, and my mom said "Jaime is thiking about having that stupid weight loss surgery", then proceded to tell how someone where she used to work had all sorts of problems etc.....So part of me doesnt even want to tell my parents until afterwards.....anyone else do that?

I attempted to not tell my dad, who is 89, as I was afraid he'd worry too much.  I told his wife.  However, with my first try at the surgery, I woke up in recovery to my surgeon saying she didn't do it - my heartrate went way down, just as they were getting ready to pump the gas in, and they had to cancel.  Turned out to be too much beta blocker, and I had the surgery 3 weeks later.  My husband called everyone on my list, including my dad's wife, but left a message, which my dad heard.  He called and left a frantic message on our mchine, so my attempt to spare him backfired!  LOL  He did try a bit to talk me out of the surgery, but, as I'm "stubborn just like your mother was", he knew not to push, and is very happy for me now.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 I don't know why it would be a lie... not telling people how you lost the weight.   I don't think it is anyones business.   After thinking about I didn't have the correct weight on my drivers license.  Did you?? BUT... it didn't affect anyone either...  

To each their own...  I see both sides and my is going to be private.  

I think each of us gets to decide if they tell or not...it isn't anybody else's business if you don't want it to be.

For me, I tell everybody who asks.  I'm realizing that part of it is political for me.  I think it is nigh on impossible for obese people to become normal weight and stay that way...I don't want anybody using me as an example of weight loss without knowing that surgery was involved.  Does this make sense?  I'm sick of the whole "blame the victim" that happens with obesity.

AMEN!!!

And I could not agree more. I am already informing all of my friends and family that I am on the surgical path. I am tired of the cultural misinformation about obesity (and I work in health care). Bottom line is, bariatric surgery is the most effective method of permanent weight loss, PERIOD. I do not want to play any more in to the American stereotypes about willpower. I already have to deal with enough heartache in my job with helping people cope with feeling like they have somehow failed when they have terminal illness.
 
I will not contribute to the "white lies" in our culture like that which are so heartbreaking and ultimately deeply harmful.  

I only told a few people before surgery...close friends and some family.  Now that I've had it, I can't wait for folks to start noticing that I'm dropping the lbs so I can tell them all about my journey!!

Maria

I have decided to only tell a select few. The others, I plan on telling "diet, and excercise!". Which is really the truth..the surgery part left out :) 

I told my family and a few close friends and a couple of collegues. My family and close friends have been nothing but supportive.  I should not have said anything to anyone at work. The information that I had WLS got out and spread with lots of misinformation and I overheard a good friend of mine at work saying to a woman about me, "... he had his stomach RIPPED out and now he eats like an anorexic! It's gross." I let it go, but this coming from a woman who had her boobs sliced off because they were too big and believed caused her problems but refused to exercse per doctor's orders really irked me. I'm not ashamed of my WLS one bit. I just didn't want to deal with attitudes such as that from people *****ally are uninformed and delight in office gossip.

Exactly why I don't want to tell anyone. I told one person at work and I'm stressed out to go back.