Going Public

I wouldn't make a formal announcement.  Just post some selfies/family shots between now and then, soften the drastic (yes, 80 pounds is noticeable!) change before you go.  if people start making a big deal about it, just downplay it, change the topic and move on with conversation.

I am seeing my college friends for a girls weekend at my 6 month mark and they do not know I had surgery.  I have no plans to tell them before I see them. Hoping shock & awe will get the whole conversation over with in a matter of minutes than we can move on with our regularly scheduled programming so to speak.

If I ever hit 150 pounds lost I may create some sort of before/after FB post...but I think will just let the progression of pics with my kids and our annual fall family photos tell my story w/o creating its own post for now.

I'm definitely going to opt for the picture route instead of the announcement route.  I think it will nicely fill my needs to warn people and, also, to not feel like I'm just bragging.  

I hope your trip goes really well, it sounds fantastic!  Hopefully you can get all of your friends informed in one conversation and be done with it.  

Don't stress over it...to tell or not to tell...facebook post or no facebook post; you've made amazing progress & are working hard to achieve your goal, don't worry about how it will come up.  I'm not a facebook person myself but if you want to post go for it or not just don't worry about it.  You've accomplished a lot & 80 lbs. lost is noticeable, I didn't think I could tell a difference after 50 until my daughter took some progress pics & I really could tell.  Since I'm not a facebook person I think the element of surprise would be cool; "Wow you look great" they will say...you don't have to even tell them you've had surgery unless they ask.  You've already told those closest to you you've had the surgery but now you're putting in the work.  Just don't stress over it & you deserve to do or say what you want regarding this situation.  Good luck

Not stress?!?!  Clearly you don't know that stress is my middle name! ;)  

I appreciate your thoughts - I'll try not to get all worried about this ahead of time, and just handle things as they come instead in this matter.  It'll probably be more relaxing :D

If you feel you should post it on FB, maybe put something like "I am so happy I made a lifestyle change to get healthier; I feeling and looking great!". If folks at the convention read it and ask what changes you have made, then you can go into further details. If they don't ask and are content with what you have posted, no further discussion is needed.

Thanks for the suggestion!  I think I'm going to work on posting a few pictures between now and then so that people will have warning.  (I already post about my exercise a few times a week.. so there's that.)

My opinion is that you should not post it. I guarantee that although people will notice the weight loss, the conversation will only stay on that topic for a small portion of time. When they say you look great or have lost weight, just say thank you and, if you wish, that you had weight loss surgery to help this weight loss be more permanent. Leave it at that. Have conversation points that are more interesting than the surgery that you can bring up. A FB post just seems to intimate for such a public place where everyone doesn't share your values and challenges. 

Thanks - for what it's worth, all of my FB friends are also actually friends, so I wouldn't be too worried, but I get what you're saying.  I'm going to opt just to post some pics between now and my event, instead of making a big hullabaloo out of it with an announcement :)

I agree with Kairk and Skeller. You needn't feel obligated to make a public announcement just to prepare people for the "shock" of seeing your weight loss. If it was me, I would deal with comments on a case by case basis. Announce it if it feels right to you, but don't feel obligated to. Would you have made a FB announcement if it weren't for the conference? ~Jan

I would make a FB announcement at some point, because, as I said, I'm having a hard time containing my happiness about this.  I'd just probably wait until I was closer to goal.  Or a year out.  Or something like that.  

But, for now, I'll just post a few pics to "warn" people.