Were you a jolly fat man or a bitter fat man?

WLS has pretty much turned me back to my jolly old self although the last five years before WLS, I had become pretty much mean, bitter and a load to deal with. I'm not sure about the "jolly fat man" thing. I be thinking it's more of a myth. Kind of a "tears of a clown" kind of deal.  Just wondering if any of you guys were actually happy when you were obese. Boner

Interesting thought Boner about "tears of a clown".  I believe that is a very good way of describing how I felt before WLS.  I tried to keep a positive outlook but I know over the last couple of years before my surgery I was a miserable human being.  My wife and daughter are truly saints for putting up with me.  Due to all that weight I was carrying around and the other medical problems it was causing me, I was pretty much an stationary blob that was barely making it through each day.  Without the surgery, my doctor, my wife and many of my friends believe I would have been dead by now.  So before surgery, I was certainly not a happy person.  But I tried very hard to be good to the ones I love.....although I know I failed at times.  But thank God for WLS!!  Life is still not prefect......and never will be.....but I am a much happier person, can do so much more and I am able to let those I love know how much I care about them.  Life is good!!!!!!!!!

Interesting Boner. I'm going the other way.  I was generally happy (on the outside) at my highest weight.  I think I had more patience dealing with work and family.  (not saying I was easy for anybody else to deal with from their point of view).  It probably had more to due with confidence  and suppression issues. Now I'm finding it very difficult to deal with the everyday crap people try to heap on you.  Less tolerent,  more likely to call bullsh*t when somebody is obviously spewing it.  I work for a top 5 company with LOTS of BS to deal with daily so maybe I'm just over exposed to it. Guy

I don't think that my personality has changed one iota.  I believe that it's the fact that society now considers my words and opinions valid that sometimes gives the false impression that my persona has intensified.  Not so, it just seems to take less words and effort to get the same results these days. I'm a big Lost fan.  If you are familiar with the show you will know who the character Hurley is.  I can't help but feel sorry for the morbidly fat and unhealthy young actor that plays his role... and wonder if he is really enjoying his success, money, and fame.   I also wonder if his contract  prevents him from seeking WLS.  If so, I sure hope he lives long enough to finish the popular series.

I've always been a basically happy person. Sometimes I think it hurts me because happiness goes hand in hand with satisfaction. Which tends to allow you to accept less than the best. Sometimes good is the mortal enemy of better and best. I was pretty happy at 455, but I was starting to get those non-verbal vibes you get from other people that I was not being acknowledged by some and not taken seriously by others who had to acknowledge me. And that hurt. I think I'll be a pretty happy slim person too. But I always have to work at not being so happy that I get complacent. I keep a note in the bottom of my desk drawer that says "Don't stop being pissed off!!" It doesn't work very well.

The girls always thought I was the cuddly teddy-bear type. I was also pretty lucky in how I carried my weight. It gave more of an impression of being strong and powerful. That's gonna go away.

Anyway, I've always been the jolly type. Hopefully I can hang on to that. I'll still like the feel of a nice warm pair of jugs squished on me, so I won't be giving out any less hugs.

> I'll still like the feel of a nice warm pair of jugs > squished on me, so I won't be giving out any less hugs. Pre-op, those "jugs" were always my own! /Steve

Hah, I know. I was complaining that my chestal region is getting a little saggy and she admitted that I had full-on man-boobs before.

I'm pretty much the same except that I have hundeds of *****es that do what I tell them and a huge **** to use a few times a day.  Otherwise, I'm the same kind, gentle boy.

I had become more and more bitter as my weight ballooned. I carry my weight well and don't look like what I like to call "globulously" fat like Jabba. But I would still get those non-verbal things from people who thought they were better than I was because they were smaller, etc but I just brushed them off. Now I'm more verbal about what I want. Before WLS I was kind of timid and let people basically walk over me, but not anymore. I'm quick to say what I think about things without that background fear of everybody thinking I'm a complete loser who has no meaningful input. I'm more assertive, I think I'm more proud now than ever before of who I am both inside and out, and most of all I'm finally free of that mental prison that kept me behind bars for so many years. I finally feel like I can DO things that I want to do and not be super embarrassed to be out in public doing them. Funny how the internet just opens up your inhibitions and allows you to pour your heart out on a forum huh?!!!?