CharmingTortoise

I told 3 directors in order to explain why I needed the time off. The next several people came up to me and asked why, when and stupid other questions. I was so upset.
Before surgery only my mom, my sister, my dad and my bf knew (with the exception of my uncle and a friend of my moms who got hers done too)
The day after my surgery i
NONE of my friends no and i am HAPPY that I didn't. Again with the exception of an old co worker who had the bypass done last year.
My so called best friend last week commented on our old coworkers weight loss and said "idk why the eff she keeps posting pictures of her in the gym when she knows dam well she had surgery and she is not losing that weight on her own. She needs to stop taking pics of her at the gym."
I was mortified. I told her the surgery is only a tool. But i knew she was just jealous. Especially since she's been trying to lose weight for the last year and hasn't. I'm so appalled with her comment. I dont know why she would hate on some else's success now I can imagine the crap she would say about me if she knew.
My advice to you. DONT GO STAR JONES. lol it back lashed on her. and it wont work. It will slip. I wanted to do the same but as it came closer to surgery i started feeling comfortable enough to tell some people (not really close in my life.. like certain co-workers, lady at the hair salon, etc) and it actually felt good. However, since your going to Mexico. This can be just a simple vacation. Good Luck!

I was very candid and open. I never defended my choice. I did share the info I discovered in my research.
My family, friends, and coworkers have been wonderful support.

The other night while laying close to my Husband, he asked me if I knew that I had hip bones, I say of course I have hip bones, and he's like " No, really, you have HIP BONES."

I am only about six weeks out now...but I have my 'skinny closet' separate from my regular closet ...yep, I have kept skinny clothes from the past. I periodically go through it & get rid of what I wouldn't wear now...but I've got quite a few clothes in it...my NSV was me having the determination to get a dress out of there this weekend, hang it on the outside so I see it as soon as I wake up....and for the first time in years, I KNOW I will be back in that dress in a year or so ( I hope sooner, but I am realistic!)...yahoo!!!!!!!

The other day I'm pretty sure a woman was checking me out - I simply can't remember the last time that happened and it felt nice

Fit in a booth at a restaurant without my gut and breasts touching each other on top of the table lol

I "allow" myself time to relax in my recliner with a good book.

Mine's not that huge but it was awesome for me - Fitting in to my size 18 jeans. I was so excited. They are a little tight, but I don't care, I am wearing them. My 20's were starting to fall off me.

I remember seeing a quote that was something like, "never treat yourself with food, you're not a dog!" That kind of stuck with me.
I've already treated myself to a new Vera Bradley bag and I'm going to start treating myself to some new undies, which I'm very excited about. I can finally get some "pretty" ones.

Congratulations on holding strong! Thank you for the advice. I will definitely remember that!

I did a dumb thing tonight. I decided to go get more of my nutritional supplies at the grocery store. Skim milk, tea, flavored water, Soups, Jello, pudding, yogurt. A member of my household asked me to pick up some mini-donuts for her. No problem! I have no desire for that anyway. Then, I get a text to pick up their favorite sodas. Ok.
What I didn't prepare myself for was walking through the bakery and deli and produce surrounded by chewable food everywhere. Familiar foods.... Foods that I enjoyed before... And I walked past all of them to get my Soup and water.... And the other items. Needless to say, Ethyl was pretty distressed and put out with me for taking her in there!
The ghosts of Eating Past swirled all around me in that store. I told myself if I ate anything, it would make me sick. I KNEW that! It wasn't that I yearned for any one item. It was the psychological impact of knowing I was surrounded by familiar foods that I used to find pleasurable. I'd say it would be like placing a NEWLY recovering sex addict in the middle of the Nevada Bunny Ranch with free passes.
What did I learn and what do I recommend? If you have other members in your household ABLE to do the grocery shopping, let them. DON'T go into a grocery store when you haven't eaten solid foods in a week. Just don't do it. It is an unnecessary stress. JUST WAIT until we are leveled out on a regular diet before going grocery shopping again.
Did I succumb? I'm so proud of myself. I didn't. I raced home and made some Cream of chicken Soup and kicked back and enjoyed it. But, I'm not going back in a grocery store until I'm on solid foods. It is just too cruel.

I remember seeing a quote that was something like, "never treat yourself with food, you're not a dog!" That kind of stuck with me.
I've already treated myself to a new Vera Bradley bag and I'm going to start treating myself to some new undies, which I'm very excited about. I can finally get some "pretty" ones.

Last week my friends mom, who I have known for a long time, didn't recognize me. I haven't seen her for 6 months or so. She even came up to ask me who I was. That was the best feeling EVER!! She was pretty embarrassed once I told her my name

Gosh, this is hard! There have been so many!
I would have to say all of the instances that make me realize I no longer stand out as the FAT girl and that my life is so much less limited now. For example, I am a HUGE Cincinnati Reds fan and finally got to go to Opening Day this year. (It's pretty much a holiday in Cincy.) I was able to walk around all day and sit in a stadium seat comfortably. I used to have to be the one to buy my own tickets so I made sure they were on the end or next to an empty seat so I wouldn't make anyone else feel uncomfortable. One time, I literally took a cab from the stadium the 6 or 7 blocks to the parking garage. I claimed I didn't know how to get there but that wasn't really it. Another example: going out with my girlfriends a few weeks ago. There were 5 of us in the car and I wasn't singled out as having to sit in the front seat. I was able to sit in the back with two other girls AND they made me get in the middle! lol
Oh, and, making my crush do a double take when he saw me after 10 months. He didn't even recognize me at first! Now if I could just see him again so I can flirt with him!
I know you said one but I am so horrible at the best/favorite thing!

For me, yesterday I rode my new bike (bicycle - not Harley-that's my husband's territory!) I felt like a little girl again - hair flying free! Oh yea, being "checked out" again by the opposite sex -- priceless!

Best NSV for me was going from 27 prescribed pills a day to 11! 3 more will be gone in June!!

This weekend I ran my first mud run. The 5k part was doable before surgery but there's no way I could have done all the obstacles. But I totally did it on Saturday. Scaling 10 foot walls? With this body-no problem! Yay!!

Best NSV for me was finally loving myself enough to let someone else love me!

Going shopping with my daughter last week, I picked up a big, loose fitting top and she said to me, "Mum, you don't have to wear fat clothes anymore!".

Large amounts of weight loss can definitely impact hormonal balance. My guess is that you're just experiencing the mood swings that can accompany the imbalance while your body adjusts. It doesn't make it any less uncomfortable, but it is sometimes a little reassuring to know what's going on.
It might be a good idea to check in with your doctor just in case, though.
Good luck!

Hey all, I had an idea of an analogy for WLS and I just want to k ow whether it's accurate and/or lame.
If a person needs to nail something, they don't do it with their hand, they use a hammer. If a person needs to put in a screw, they don't screw it in by hand, they use a screwdriver. So like those examples, WLS is a tool that I'm going to use. I still have to do all the work but the tool makes it easier.
Okay, lame? Accurate? Just plain stupid?

I based my decision to tell only a select few by reviewing my history. My previous weight loss efforts had been more successful when it was less public. Of course I've never kept the weight off for more than a year but that's besides the point
The big picture thing for me is that I don't want having had WLS to be my identity to the people in my world. I've told only those who really need to know, or who I know will be supportive. I will never lie if someone asks, but I'm not announcing it.

There are as many answers to this question as there are people on this forum. I told everybody. And I have no regrets. There was no way I could have kept it to myself. Everyday (even now, 11 months post op) people's first question is "how did you do it?" Like there is some secret bean I bought at the health food store. It's everyone's favorite question. Total strangers ask it as soon as they figure out I've lost weight. A friggin car salesman asked me the other day after taking my license so I could do a test drive. He just said "my you've lost a pound or 2...how did you do it?" They are going to ask this question alot. I wasn't prepared to sidestep it, so I answer that I had gastric surgery and now I eat right and exercise everyday. I need to get business cards made saying this cause I'm tired of repeating it.
I'm lucky that I've surrounded myself with the kind of people that none of my friends or family have given me the least amount of grief over it. I expected to hear some ignorant remarks from my coworkers but I haven't heard a word. Now what they say behind my back I don't know or care. I think this is one area where men have it better than women. Men do not try to talk each other out of these kinds of things....generally speaking. Or maybe it's just that I carry myself like a person that sends out a message that I'm going to do what I'm going to do, and I don't give a flip what anyone thinks about it.
Either way, I totally get why people don't tell. But I don't think my life would have been any easier if I had kept it a secret. I'd still be getting the weight loss questions daily, plus I'd have the stress of always giving an answer to that question that I'm not entirely comfortable giving.
But....to each his own...or her own. We all must do what we must. In the end it's about your life, your health, your sense of happiness....and nothing else.

I think for a lot of people it's a fear of judgement. A reason for me is that I don't want to hear the story about the neighbors cousin twice removed who had the surgery and three days later they died. There are the stories of how someone's sisters mothers cousin lost 800 lbs and then regained 900. Also there is the famous "it's just a question of willpower" stories. It's tiresome and I can avoid them by not telling everyone my private business.