So..... my brother, some of my friends and coworkers....(all of them who have never been overweight or fat) are reallllly annoying me!! Its like they cant live a normal life knowing I am preparing for WLS, When really its none of their business! I have struggled all my life... I have dieted joined every kind of weight loss program there is, and for 2 years straight I worked out daily with my brother (who lives at the gym) to lose weight and nothing has every gotten me results! And nothing has been permanent! They don't understand what its like to feel miserable in your own body! Or to workout day to day and only lose a few pounds in a few months. I finally have something that can aide me in my never ending journey to shed the pounds and I feel like everyones trying to take that away from me. My one shot of happiness seems to be upsetting everyone around me. Its not like Im taking the easy way out... nothing about WLS is easy and it will be the hardest thing that I have ever done. Just want them to be content with my decision and at the very least keep their mouths closed if they cant be supportive! Is that so much to ask for?! Or at the very least be happy that I have never given up on losing weight and becoming healthier I just decided to chose my way to get there! END RANT. lol p.s. sorry about my run-on sentences (Im famous for them)

Thank you soo much Geekmom! You guys are why im soo proud to be apart of this community and why I feel comfortable moving forward with my decision!

Though the people closest to me are all incredibly supportive, I totally understand how you feel. I think in a weird way, I've been them. My sister had RNY 8 years ago and I pretty much felt it was "the easy way out" and lazy. I am using the hateful terms because that is what I thought... though I never said it or expressed it to her. My dad also had RNY and I think with him I was far more understanding because I had seen him go up and down over 100 pounds at a time over his life and saw the struggle and roller coaster ride... I knew he had tried. My sister ont he other hand, maybe once or twice she went on a short lived diet and even after WLS she eats unhealthy and is in my opinion not a healthy person. I always swore I would NEVER take that road. Yes obesity runs in my family, yes I have endocrine disorders (hyperprolactinemia, PCOS, IR) but I had this mentality that I was going to do it the "right way." In my mind, the only way to be proud of oneself.

OK< so 20 years of doing it the right way, age 40, a huge investment in personal trainers, nutritionists, and obsessively endlessly dieting... I have had several injuries in the last year from cross fit style workouts, I have become more afraid of my obsessive lifestyle than I am of WLS (complications or judgement from others). So to those people who express that I should go about it the "traditional" way, here is my reply.

It is a fact that only 3-5% of people that lose a significant amount of weight manage to keep it off the traditional way. I've found myself in the 95-97th percentile of that battle most my life and NOT For lack of effort, so you'll have to just suck it up and accept that it is important enough to me that I am willing to take drastic measures that statistically give me a 60-80% chance of reaching and staying at/near my goal as well as significantly increase my chances of a longer more quality life, than continuing to live in that 95% fail rate and suffering the consequences of obesity.

It kinda shuts people up... ask them how many people that lost 50plus pounds in their life and kept it off... MAYBE than can think of one that did it without surgery. maybe... and they may have had surgery and just not shared that fact.

It is amazing how poorly people count.

They can't seem to count to one, that's the number of lives each of us have.

No one yet has lived for two people.

The brain in each head is supposed to control what it's body does.

We are sovereign territory which only we have the deed to.

The truth is you have to fight for your right to own your own life. Power hungry life hackers seek to have points of control in as many heads as their coercion skill allows. It is up to us to keep possession of that which is ours.

It is our life, our body, our right to our own thinking and life direction. If running my own life comes at the expense of losing the companionship of those who wish to direct my destiny by whipping me with insult and slander, it is a price that I am happily prepared to pay.

Power hungry life hackers is the best new term I've heard (texted) It will replace my usual saying of "Hater gonna Hate"

I told my family and friends that while I respect whatever their feelings are toward wls, if their feelings weren't positive to please keep them to themselves. What I need is support whether you agree with my decision or not. I just walk away shaking my head when people say something stupid.

Just walk on past the soul suckers. A year or so from now, the joke will be on them.