How do I answer when someone tells me " you took the easy way out"

Thank you!

I have done it both ways, and gotten to this same weight both ways.. this was far EASIER. It was also much, much SMARTER. At least I have a fighting chance to stay at a healthy weight vs almost none without it. I make no bones about the hassles of post-op life, but in reality, they are small and are much more deal-able than they were trying to white knuckle every waking moment in my prior weight loss struggles.

Exactly. My biggest pet peeve is when people make it seem as if this is just as hard. Piece of freakin cake compared to the other way. I'll take these struggles any day. That's why we're all so successful with it. I just think the general public should be educated in the fact that many people who have the surgery still need to make good choices and exercise in order to keep the weight off long term. We've all seen people eat **** all day and lose a ton of weight but 5 years later..... smh. But even those people have a much lower chance of regain because it's EASIER not to regain.

My standard line is that I don't care about "easy" I care about "possible" and significant weight loss (more than 5 to 10% of body mass) is just not possible for most folks. 

Tell her you are having surgery as a tool to help you lose weight. You still have to do all the work and sacrifice. If it was easy everyone would do it!  She could have all the plastic surgery in the world and she will still be ugly. 

Did anyone really have surgery to make it harder?  Seriously if it's not easier than pre-surgery you're doing something wrong. Just smile and say "I'm kinda over the whole suffocating on unhappiness thing. You?"

I don't know if it will be easy or difficult.  I do know it's the ONLY way out for me.  I've battled my weight down with WW, JC, NS, for YEARS... and the moment I stop the minute by minute battle, the weight creeps back.

If I'm ever asked that, I'll probably ask them if they arrived (wherever we are) on foot, or did they take the easy way and drive.

Really, I'm beyond caring what anyone else thinks. 

I thought of a great response..Im going to say to people.."If your not prepared to hear my opinion of some of your life decisions, lets not talk about mine" For anyone who has had marital issues, money problems, employment problems,,and who hasnt, that should be enough for them to fear what I may say about them. Why should it be okay to question me and not you??!!!

And as for "easy" we wouldnt say a women who had to have a cesarean just "didnt try hard enough", its all relative.

YES.  THIS.

That's really tough, and frankly, a pretty ****ty thing to say.  It probably comes from a place of jealousy, though.  He/she is probably feeling like it will strain or change the relationship, as well as feeling that his/her situation is a little more bleak and unchangable.  I have a friend who has done nutrisystem, WW, and all sorts of other things with short-term success.  And every time she lost and I didn't, I felt a lot of jealousy and bitterness.  The difference, though, is that I knew that was MY **** not hers, so I was nothing but supportive to her, even though my head was screaming about how much I wish I was losing weight and how terrified I was that our friendship would change somehow (irrational, I know).  She's returning the favor now by being extra supportive about my decision to have surgery. 

Maybe something you could do is talk to this friend about the surgery and educate him/her.  While yes, I do think this makes losing easier initially, it's clear from posts that this is a lifetime commitment to your health, and it's not something that is going to magically make you skinny and keep you skinny.  It just helps you to be able to make better choices and get more lasting effects.  So, sure, it's "easier" in a sense, but it's also more effective long-term, and you need and want lasting results.  Maybe putting it in that light will help this person to come to terms with it.  (I would also suspect that this person may wish he/she had the courage to do it.  Educating him/her might reveal that.)

Good luck, and I'm sorry that your friend is being hurtful at the moment.  Either way, you have a support group here. 

(Oh, and um ... I'm totally the type of person who would tell most people to go **** themselves, so that's always an option. haha)