Have you told people you got banded? I'm a pretty open person, so when someone asks how I've lost my weight - I tell them. And the response back is usually great.....either someone needs to loose weight or they know someone that does, they will ask lots of questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. But some of my friends cringe when I talk about it. They feel it's a very private, personal procedure and I shouldn't talk about it......they also feel it's rude when someone even mentions that I've lost weight. Three years ago I quit smoking and I tell anyone who asks how I did that.....so what's the difference?

What do you say?

You say that you are proud of yourself for your wonderful accomplishment and if they don't like it too bad!!!! That's what I say!!! We should be proud of ourselves for taking control and losing the lbs!!

I've told everybody, but know know others who haven't. It is embarrassing to some people, I think. For me, it's just easier to tell them what's happening so that I don't have to figure out how to answer their questions once I lose all the weight!

I haven't told many people, but as people ask, I do tend to tell them. Sometimes, I can sense that it's a gossipy-curiosity question, and I don't give all the details, but in general, I do tell.

Why? Because when I was struggling so hard to lose pre-banding, one of my son's fathers came to pick up his son, and mentioned he'd lost weight---and told me how when I asked. At the time, I was on the fence about banding (had been thinking about it for a very long time), and his experience with the surgeon I was considering gave me the nudge to move ahead and explore banding.

If I can gently help someone else, I want to do that. So I'll tell.

Exactly what Betsy said!

I know some women who had it done but won't admit it for nothing. And when asked they say "diet and excersise". BS! It is so hurtful and mean to insinuate that "I did it w/diet and excersise and YOU can too." I have struggled w/weight forever and that avenue obviously didn't work for me and to lie like that just to save face for oneself while bringing another person down is cruel. Why not share the info w/people to maybe help save their life?

I sing like a canary about it especially to friends/family I know that are obese. Lap Band is saving my life and it can save theirs too. I just don't understand why someone wouldn't share this infomation with others. If I knew a Dr who had a cure for Cancer, wouldn't I run and tell everyone? Of course I would, so I don't see how the Lap Band is any different.

So it's a social "issue" to some therefore private. We can't keep ignoring that in a room of 40 people 75% of them are obese and 20% are morbidly obese. I'm sorry to go off, but this topic really irks me. It's not like people we know didn't know were were obese, it's not a secret. So why the weightloss be a secret?

I've already been approached by several people about the procedure. 2 have made appointments with my surgeon and 1 is already doing what needs to get done for insurance approval. She's ready to change her life. I'm so excited that by me talking about it so much that soon she'll lose the weight and get off her cpac machine and live a longer healthier life. Did I save her life? No, she & the surgeon are doing that but I will gladly take credit for helping her on her journey.