I had my VSG on 1/20/2015. I told a few close friends I work with and of course my family prior. When I started my preop diet, people were quite nosey, so I was honest about my plans for surgery and really have had positive feedback. I returned to work after 4 weeks down 15.5 pounds (I lost 11 pounds in the 6 months working with the dietitian and 10 pounds on the preop diet), so I was at a total weight loss of 36.5 lbs.

I really hadn't seen much of a difference personally in my appearance, but my scrubs were definitely looser. Everybody, made comments! It was crazy. I was very upfront about surgery and the response has been overwhelmingly supportive. The only somewhat negative experience I had was a doctor that I love dearly come up to me in excitement about losing weight and I told her about surgery, but she took a step back from me and stopped talking to me. She is overweight herself, but I was shocked at the look of disappointment she gave me.

I'm now at the 8 week mark and I'm down 43.5! So not much of a change since I went back, but yesterday everybody again was commenting. Is the weight loss that different with WLS? I haven't changed much in 4 weeks, but I had multiple people use the phrase "skinny minny" yesterday! I'm a little overwhelmed by the attention. It's a very weird situation for me because I've always preferred to be a fly on the wall and now all of a sudden I'm front and center. Have any of you had this experience? Any advice? It's definitely not a bad thing and it is positive that people are so encouraging. I'm just not used to attention like that. It's a very new experience for me! ☺️

Sweet!

My co- workers are also very supportive. I think with the WLS, a lot of people lose weight so quickly in the beginning that's it's actually water weight, then as they slow down, it turns to fat coming off. I've only lost 16 pounds and am getting comments from people, you would think I lost 50 ( I wish) !! Lol

It seems like around 40-50lbs lost is when everyone starts noticing.

And even though you haven't lost the 43.5lbs IN YOUR FACE, that is where people notice it the most, because that is what they see first.! Look in the mirror, do you see it?! All happiness to you!

Thanks guys!!!! That's what most people have said!!! It's just such a foreign concept to me!!!

Congrats on your success this far! My situation is a little different because there was only 1 close friend at work who knew I had surgery (others have figured it out since then I think) and there was this one woman who just would not leave me alone. She was obsessed with my weight loss. "What are you doing?" "What are you eating" "When will you stop" etc etc etc. She made a comment to me at least once daily. It made me really uncomfortable, but now 18 months out, no one really mentions it anymore. They've adjusted to the "New me" and your co-workers will too. But expect lots of compliments in that first year of active weight loss!

Even today someone came back to work who I had resigned a couple weeks ago for visit and we hugged and she said "Oh, you're as thin as a rail!!" That's definitely not something I'm used to hearing!

Also weird is new people who have started or I've met at my work, church, kids' school since I lost 140+ pounds. It's so weird to me that they never knew me as overweight. Sometimes it will come up and I will show them a before and after picture and they are floored. It's kind of cool the first time someone says "I never would have known you were overweight".

Good luck to you on the rest of your journey!

@@jenkbacon I am 6 weeks out and returned to work after 4 weeks. I got some of the same reactions. "wow you look great!" or "you dont look sickly at all!" (from friends at work) or "have you lost weight??" and my all time favorite "how do you feel?"

Its like they expect me to look and feel like I am on my death bed or something. I feel great no doubt but are they wishing I had complications??? I had one co-worker tell me that I am wearing my clothes big on purpose. Really??? I am not running out to buy new clothes just one month after surgery. I am wearing my regular work clothes for now.

And absolutely I get the questions 'what are you doing?" "what are you eating?" I dont know if it's because I work in the medical field and diet seems to always be the topic around there or what. Maybe its different in a regular work environment. For now I enjoy the compliments, but hoping that soon the spotlight fades.

Edited March 15, 201511 yr by Dee951