Hey, I work at a very friendly place. Everyone is great and cares for one another, very close. Well I know that once I start going on my liquid diet and when i want to take off of work I will have many questions. (For one because we were all doing Weight Watchers together and suddenly i'm going straight liquids) and I NEVER take off of work (I teach elementary school). So what do I tell them? Like specifics. Just saying "something medical" won't work, and I feel as if they will wonder what is going on if i don't open up like I usually do.

Help!

Oh yeah, went for my EKG today and am planning on surgery (my first one ever) the monday before thanksgiving.

Im of the mind of less is more-I told no one-my daughter who lives in my home doesnt even know-nor do my friends or family for most part-my fiancee,1 sister(who can keep a secret like nobodies business)and 2 friends who are unbelievably loyal and never say anything to anyone unless told to.I plan to never tell-its personal and honestly Im embarassed that it came to this and I couldnt do it alone but thats me.

I wouldn't use the gallbladder excuse because then later on if you do need to have your gallbladder out what would you say?

Just tell people you are revving up on your weight loss for the holidays if they ask about the liquid diet. Heard it was a good plateau buster, you're only gonna do it for a couple weeks, etc. And soon enough you'll be back to normal food in small quantities, not enough different from Weight Watchers that anyone will think it odd.

im one of them who decided not to talk about the surgery...

i hate convertations behind my back... or "look! she is the one with the band"...

i make a strategy now cause arround November i ll say that i had to remove gallbladder!

well i dont feel bad about it cause i need to protect myself by bad comments and gossiping!

Tell them that you are on a MD supervised liquid diet. No one needs to know you had surgery. If it helps you can still go to weight watcher meetings. They discuss portion control and you can benefit from that too.

if everyone is so close and supportive why not just come clean?

In my situation, I've only told one person - a friend who lives on the opposite coast and doesn't have any contact with any of my family or other friends. Now she's worried sick over it. I'm definitely not going to tell anyone else.

I am also a teacher in an elementary school. I went with the evasive "minor female surgery" thing. Most people just let it go at that. Only one lady, a former team teacher of mine (that always gets the scoop on any gossip) just seems to be going crazy that she doesnt know every detail of what I am having done. She approched me again today (friday is band-date) so I finally told her "I refuse to have a hysterectomy, so I am doing something less traumatic. I just really dont want to talk about it...it makes me nervous". All of which is the truth, lol. She finally seems satisfied, she was reassuring me that doctors are so good nowdays, and that she is sure everything will go fine, etc... Anyway, I figure that everyone will assume I am having some fibroids removed. (That is also a laproscopic procedure and is followed by a liquid stage) Anyway, it is YOUR body, and YOUR peace of mind. Lie if you need to. People will forget you had anything done in a week anyway. People generally inquire because it is the polite thing to do. Only those VERY close to you really care that much. And those are the ones who take my story at face value and drop it...because I am also usually very open, spill my guts type, they really do assume I dont want to talk about it, and they let it go at that.

As for lunch, which is the only meal you really have to worry about, just say you are doing a version of Slim-fast. A shake for Breakfast, a shake for lunch thing.

I told a lot of people from church and no one from my neighborhood so far so good. I have told people I had surgery or was having surgery and when they asked why I said girl stuff when they probed I said oh you know the typical. But the gall blatter sounds really good! I had mine out already.

I just said I had to go into hospital for day surgery. For those who pushed I went with the "women's surgery" also. I was on Optifast prior to surgery so just said the liquid stage was an extention of that as I was sick of optifast!

My hubby, parents and best friend were the only ones who knew the truth. I kept it that way for a fair while and then told a few other people but not many. Now when people ask me how I am managing to lose weight I say "Basically by eating less and exercising more". That is the truth, I just leave out the part about the tool I have to help me do that.

I have found that as time goes on I feel more comfortable telling other people and eventually I am sure it will be common knowledge...but not yet. ALTHOUGH, one result of people NOT knowing is that the local gossips have me with some form of Cancer! Well they can whistle Dixie from their bottoms before I tell them what I did!

Thérèse

I went with the evasive "minor female surgery" thing.

I like this one the best!

A year later and -70 pounds, and Im just NOW coming clean. I dont regret it one bit. I chose VERY carefully who and what I told.

You are being very wise by doing this.

Good luck