This is to all veterans, people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight, people who are almost unrecognizable in the streets due to so much weight loss...

Do you feel like a different person? (And I don't just mean your way of eating, your habits), I mean do you see people the same way? Do you hang out or socialize with the same people? Do you like to do the same things still? Do you ever find yourself looking at an obese person and thinking "oh my gosh, he/she is so huge! They should do something about that!" Do you find yourself discriminating against other big people? Have you become that "skinny b***ch" who not only eats healthy, but is judgmental towards others who don't eat healthy? How different are you? When you think about it in all honesty with yourself and try to remember the way you truly were.... Just how different?

17 months out. Lost 180 lb by month 7. I feel great and have spent the last 9 months or so getting athlete fit. Love it! It has changed my whole approach to exercise and I hope others have the joy of getting more active. I do notice obese people. My wife and I often think we should talk to these people about sleeve, but have not actually followed through. I have the same friends, but have made a lot of new ones through my cross fit box. It brings me joy to socialize with others who are athletic where I would not have had the courage to do this before. So I had a situation on the airplane a couple weeks ago where I was in middle and 450 lb was on one side of me. He made it seriously uncomfortable from being squished the whole flight. However, I did not say anything for 2 reasons. 1. I did not want to embarrass him and 2, I remember where I had come from. While I was never as large as this person, I was quite large on the plane. And probably squished my fair share of people. Just my two cents.

Edited December 17, 201312 yr by Fiddleman

10 months out 93lbs down. I get mixed things said about me especially at work. Some skinny folks have said that I lost too much work. But others have been first to notice.

I don't look down on over weight people. I have compassion! I know without the Sleeve I would be heavier by now. And lots of aches and pain. More and more I'm more appreciative of this surgery. I have a ways to before I hit goal but I'm on my way.