So I've noticed...

[prbaby28 26]

@@FireWife Congrats I wish you the best!

[FireWife 20]

Thank you! And continued success to both of you!

[Alex Brecher 10,484]

Elode,

First, congratulations on losing so much weight and getting so close to your goal weight…how exciting!

As to your first question, about why strangers are nicer to you…it’s the other end of the unfortunate truth that strangers are meaner to people who are more overweight, and nicer to people who are closer to “normal” weight. The bias (conscious or subconscious) against obesity is a real phenomenon in our society, and it sounds like you’ve experienced both ends now.

As to your second question…it’s another unfortunate truth! I can’t speak about woman-to-woman compliments, but I do know it’s common for “friends” and some acquaintances and family members to treat successful losers badly. Maybe they feel threatened somehow by your enviable ability to be in charge of your life – maybe they’re jealous! Maybe they feel dumb or silly because they realize they were wrong to have judged you for getting WLS and predicting your failure. Who knows? Who cares? As you said…just an observation, and something interesting to wonder about.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@tlemieux220 Oh you will get there. I rarely weigh and when I do before I even step on the scale I tell myself no matter what this piece of plastic will not Dictate how I feel about my progress and it doesn't! I've had very few stalls that I know of. I just take it one day at a time and before you know 96 lbs gone! It took 8 months and that kinda seems like a long time when I say it but 8 months FLEW by! I can't believe it's been that long. It's crazy! Sometimes I re weigh 3 times because I just can't believe it.

Everything bolded above for me, too. It just seems unreal sometimes. It all happened in 0.2 pounds at a time, but it still went by like a fast dream.

This surgery is a bloody miracle! My life is nothing like it was before. I'm the "best me" I've been in a long, long, long time.

Hallulujah!

[prbaby28 26]

@@FireWife thank you so much

[Elode 8,093]

@@Alex Brecher Thank you! Everything you said rings true and has crossed my mind. I did this for myself. I feel like I have proved a lot of people wrong already In such a short amount of time but the most important person I proved wrong was myself! For years I didn't think I would ever be able to be at a normal healthy weight. I felt like I was doomed. My mother is super morbidly obese as are her sisters and my brother. I am the first person in the family to take the step in having surgery and I'm incredibly thankful everyday that I made that decision and didn't listen to others opinions about it. I've always been pretty head strong when it comes to getting something I feel I need. I am hoping that it will inspire my mother to do it since I worry about her health all the time. She's thrilled for me and sometimes I sense a bit of jealously from her but not in a bad way. I think she's scared that she wouldn't make it through surgery? Hopefully in time she will get passed that fear. I've been setting goals, exercising (finally) and staying completely motivated. I have a DR appointment In September which is two months from my surgery date and I want to drop 20 more lbs to be at 110 pounds lost! It's So unreal just typing that lol! Here's to many more miles beneath my feet

[Elode 8,093]

@@VSGAnn2014 AMEN sister!!

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@Elode - no doubt, women are tougher on each other than guys. And its tougher for women to handle attention - lack there of, and too much. First time I saw that was from nurses who were in Viet Nam. When they were in theater, they were they only American women around and they were getting too much attention from young hot guys, but when they got back state side they felt ignored because the circumstances had changed. Many became very depressed.

But reality is what it is. So you can be mad about the situation, or become philosophical, but the reality is what it is.

As to bat arms, start googling about High Intensity Training with weights. Very high weights, pushing to muscle failure. It will put on muscle faster than any other method out there and takes about 25 minutes twice a week. It is actually much more effective than low weight, high rep methods. Now the downsides of HIT: you need to increase Protein, you will stall weight loss (not fat loss), and it hurts like crazy for 20 minutes.

We were sleeved about the same time. I've been at the same weight for about two months, but still lost another two inches off my waist and dropped 5% body fat, so I quit looking at the scale for validation and just stuck to weekly caliper tests to let me know if I'm doing something wrong.

I now run 3.2 miles twice a week, two hot yoga classes every week, and two HIT wieght sessions. Tuesday's I take a break . But I am digging the attention and its easier getting dates. I'm a single guy...I WANT the attention .

[KristenVSG2014 1,871]

@@Elode you've made AMAZING progress! We are sleeve sisters, same surgery date. I've loved reading about your journey along the way. You look fantastic.

I've also noticed people being nicer to me but my favorite part is when people I haven't seen in a year or more don't recognize me at all. I usually giggle to myself and then tell them who I am. Their reactions are priceless.

[Elode 8,093]

@@OKCPirate Lol! That's awesome! You deserve attention! I'm going to check into that HIT! I'm sure there's a YouTube video for it. I don't mind a little burn, in fact I need it. Now that I have been walking/jogging it's amazing how much easier it is since dropping that amount of weight. I actually look forward to getting on the road. I haven't found any desire to be inside of a gym yet. We live out in the country so I prefer to be outdoors. Which is the complete opposite of what I use to do. I just want to be out now. We are pretty dang close in numbers! Keep it up! Almost to the goal line! Yay!

[Elode 8,093]

@ Ha! We are sleeve sisters! You've done amazingly! Don't you fell 100x better?! I wish I could run into someone I haven't seen for awhile! I told a lot of people and have mandatory progress updates I have to send out to aunts. I guess it kind of helps to keep me on track because I refuse to fail at this. I'm a religious food tracker and I try to follow all the rules. Being meticulous has paid off so I don't mind it at all. I do finally have a bit more hunger but still a lot of restriction so if I do feel like going over my calories I make myself earn them by exercising and adding it in my tracker. My daughter always laughs at me because she's like "why do you do all that extra walking to waste it on a Protein Shake or fruit? !" I guess she thinks I should do it for cookies!? No, not so much!!

[alexsisv 139]

Absolutely. I've noticed the same thing. No one talked or made eye contact when I was 70 lbs bigger..... now, it's totally different.

[LessOfMe0503 157]

I haven't noticed it yet as I am pre-op still but I have wondered about it. Since beginning the process of bariatric surgery, I've noticed how people interact with me. A few months ago it really stood out. I was ordering the food and the guy who took the order very politely. However, the lady behind me? He engaged in full on conversation! Asking how she was, if she was having a good day, etc. It kinda hurt.

[prbaby28 26]

@@LessOfMe0503 I wish you the best

[LessOfMe0503 157]

Thanks @@prbaby28