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I do my best to listen to the TONE instead of the WORDS that are being said. A friend who says excitedly, "You are shrinking down to nothing!!" with a smile and a hug means something much differently than a "friend" who says, "You are shrinking down to nothing" with a bit of a sneer and a sideways eyeball.
I also know that I take things differently from people who I don't care much for than I do from people I love. I know I brace myself for insults from people who never have nothing nice to say and even when they do, I may hear it differently than they intend.
We can't control what other people say or do, but we can totally control how we react. I am choosing to take every word as a great compliment because I am riding high on excitement with my emerging new self and NO ONE can take that away from me.

This is a great thread.. Here in the UK, people seem so reserved to just say.. Wow you've lost weight so what they say is 'wow, you look well!!' At first it annoyed me they couldn't just acknowledge my weightloss.. Hey I know I was super fat before.. But now I'm getting used to it, and take it as the compliment it was meant to be! I'm far from skinny and still have at least 100lbs to loose but one of my friends called me 'skinny mini' that was a massive compliment. Other compliments that spur me on are just generally how I'm looking healthier, smaller, half my size.. And then the encouragement to keep going!! Weirdest comment was my dad.. Cringe.. You've lost your boobs!! Yes dad, I know they were enormous but just keep the thought to yourself!! Happy Monday all

My absolute favorite is very simple....my very best friend and person I admire the most in the world said to me your doing really good.....simple but means a lot. Also, when I saw my surgeon last time, he is always very encouraging but he hugged me and said I'm proud of you. Nothing has really bothered me, I feel like anything said to me has been said with good intentions so I receive it that way.

I got called a skinny b***h last week. I took it as a compliment!

I'm only 2 weeks post op but my mom said "oh my gosh look at your face it has already gotten so thin, way to go" oh and first day back to school and one of my classmates said "your scrubs are already getting baggy on you" it was just nice that someone noticed even the little things.

Lets all share our best and worst well meaning compliments about our weight loss.
My best was after returning to work after summer break: where'd you go this summer?! I mean where'd you go? Half of you is gone!
Oddest (considering it came from my mother in law): look at you! You're nothing but boobs!
Rudest: wow you lost all that weight and it found me. (Yes I am now responsible for others weight gain)
But the nicest compliments are the simple, you look great! I know they mean my weight loss and I appreciate the subtlety.
What are yours?

Morning weigh-in 249!!!! I've lost 76lbs! Holy crap! This is the lowest weight I've ever been since about the age of 14! Loving my sleeve, and filled with gratitude for my new lease on life!
pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4; 12 weeks post-op 274; 4 month post-op 266.2; 5 month post-op 262.6; 6 month post-op 253.2

Had my 6 mo post appt yesterday. Surgeon was very happy. Hit my surgeon's goal of 165 lbs.
HW 263
Pre op 242
SW 233
CW 165
77lbs lost and feeling great.

I also like to thin mine with almond milk and shake it up, or pour over ice with some leftover brewed coffee.< /p>

Gamergirl you are my hero, I love your posts. I met my hubby when I was relatively thinner and much more athletic, but he has never ever made me feel bad about my weight. I asked him point blank once if it bothered him that I had gained so much weight and he said that when he looks at me he sees the girl that he loves and married not any adjustment in size.(He made me cry!!) So nope I didn't settle, I got the guy I wanted!

When I met my husband I was wearing a size 8 and had blonde hair. Over the last 25 years I have gained 100 pounds. My husband has never mentioned my weight or my hair. I am sure he has noticed my added fluffiness but never ever would hurt my feelings.
This weight loss surgery is all about me and how I feel about myself. My husband has supported me every step of the way. He even said that if the insurance does not cover this, our savings will. I feel blessed that my husband has been there for me through thin and thick!!!
Hopefully, I will get me back again and be able to live a longer healthier life with this great partner.

Did you try Care Credit? I tried United Health Medical because my husband already had a Care Credit card. He asked for an increase in his limit because it was at $4100 and we hadn't used it in 2 years. They only increased it to $7500. United Health Medical was going to give me $7600. I applied for my own Care Credit. I asked for $18,500 as that's how much my surgery will be and they gave me a limit of $16,700!!
So, with Care Credit, his card and mine, we have it covered.
Good luck!

Brilliant gamergirl!
I think I sabotaged a lot of prior relationships as a result of my weight related perceptions of myself.
I settled on the man who refused to allow me to use my weight as an excuse to push him away.

This will sound weird but I fell in love with my husband before I met him in person. Tons of phone calls, lots of emails, and we were both goners. I was terrified that the in-person chemistry wouldn't work out but of course it did.
I never felt like I was settling for less. I felt lucky to have found such an amazing man and to have my love and admiration reciprocated. I dated a lot before I got married and never thought that I was "less than" because of my weight.
I've loved him at much higher weights and now, he's thinner than I've ever seen him before and I still just adore him. His weight is a non-issue for me. He has seen me 25 lbs lighter, and 25 lbs heavier than I am now, and has never made me feel less loved.
I think WLS is like every other challenge a couple faces together. Challenges seem to strengthen good relationship and bring people closer, and weaken shaky ones and tear them apart. I've been in both types of relationships and know how that goes.
If it wasn't WLS for some of those couples, it might have been something else that either brought them closer or broke them up.

I decided to tell my kids a bit about the surgery. My husband didn't think I should. I explained to him, that I will be in the hospital for 2 nights. That is a little long for a grocery shopping trip. Talked to my boys 10 and 12 and explained what the dr would do, what my recovery would be like etc. No major reactions to it.
I spoke to my 8 and 5 year old girls tonight. I kept it more simple that I was going to the hospital to have a surgery to help me get healthy so I could do more with them. I explained how I eat will forever be different. My 5 year old pipes up so will you still use silverware. Love that girl.

Foxy lady :-)

Weight at start of six month pre-op diet (required by insurance): 484. Lost 112 pounds during pre-op diet. Sleeved 2/25/13. Weight on date of surgery: 372. Current weight (as of 9/10/13): 247. Weight lost since surgery:125 pounds. Total weight lost since 7/25/12: 237 pounds.

Well Done everybody!! We are all well on our journey to a healthier, smaller version of ourselves. I was 397lbs the morning of my op, 2/16/13 - no pre-op diet required by my consultant and my most current weigh in, last week, I was 293lbs!! That's a loss of 104lbs. So super pleased with my journey although I still have a 'weigh' to go ????

Starting weight - 311
Surgery weight - 294
Current weight - 209
Sleeves on 2/13/13 - total loss of 102 pounds. I don't recognize myself in my old photos.

Today I tried a couple of drops of cinnamon oil to my chocolate shake and wow! The sharpness of the cinnamon overpowers the nasty Gummy Protein quality, but don't use more than a drop or two in an eight ounce cup. Use true cinnamon oil, not ground cinnamon. Yummy!

Ok so I plateau for about 3 weeks its because I was also gaining muscle now I'm 170 from 243 sleeved 2/20. I feel stronger and better. I am walking about 5 miles daily and eating 6 small meals a day...

Had my 6 months check up all labs are normal even my Vitamin D. Yay. Weight loss 79lbs
Weight 188lbs today my first goal 170lbs. Nurse practitioner said I was doing great.
Need to do another pouch test.

Im 5 lbs away from making my high school freshman weight! Whoop whoop! Im sooo excited.

Thank you. I can't wait to hit the next mini goal. 199 for DisneyWorld. Last year I was 315 at Disneyland and it was so uncomfortable. I can't wait to rock it at DisneyWorld