I was sleeved on 3/7/16. I had some complications and was off of work for a total of 7 weeks. When I came back I had a lot of coworkers who have been super supportive and have been encouraging me through my journey. I have been an open book with everyone about my journey. The problem is I have one coworker who came up to me yesterday and wanted to talk to me in private. She is a little bigger and I thought she was going to ask me for advice. Instead she told me that she doesn't understand why I did the surgery. She said in the 2 years she has worked with me she has never seen me try to diet or anything (which isn't true) and she said that I shouldn't have done the surgery snd I should have tried harder. She doesn't know my past and how I have struggled for years of dieting and failing. She said that I should have tried harder with dieting. By time I had stated working with her I had severe depression and had given up on weight loss working for me.

She was really upset that the other day I had gone to Subway with some other coworkers and had gotten a salad, which she didn't go, and I had gotten less lettuce and more Protein, and also added my own protein that I brought (because I was prepared and knew I was going) she said that I shouldn't be going out and that I should be bringing my own food, that I am falling into my old ways and that I am going to fail at this weight loss too. She said she isn't the only one that feels that way at work and that there are others but they won't come up to me and tell me. I'm not sure of the truth to that, but it makes me feel extremely self conscious while I am at work.

This is the first time I've had anyone have negative response to my surgery. I feel really defeated about this and it is bothering me so much more than I feel it should. Any advise?

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Firstly tell her to go f*%k herself. Unless this is affecting your work (and I don't mean with regards to the time you are taking off) then it has nothing to do with her. You can eat a tub of ice cream in front of her if you want. That's your decision to make! She doesn't know if you then go to the gym for 5 hours after work. She is seeing a small snippet of your day and judging you on it which is bullsh*t.

She is 100000% jealous and is being defensive because she is bigger than you and probably feels like because you feel moved to making extreme steps towards losing weight and improving your health then it looks bad on her because she isn't. That of course isn't the case everyone's life/body is their own to do with as they please but I bet you that is what she is feeling like deep down. There is no other logic for her behaviour. And I highly doubt also that anyone else except her think like this.

I am early on it my weight loss journey and I am fully prepared for the comments, potential loss of 'friends' etc. But so far everyone around me has been wonderfully supportive. But if and when this does happen I'm not taking any of it because like you said no one knows what it's like to be you and have struggled in the way that you personally have.

My surgeon said something that really resonated with me which was that Doctors/Researchers are finding so many more reasons now why people struggle to lose weight or even gain weight so easily. It's no longer a simple case of just eat less and exercise more, things like your DNA and Genes come into play, chemical reactions, hormones so many things that people that are naturally slim DO NOT understand why us 'fat people' don't just do XYZ to lose weight. IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS THAT!

She is very jealous that you were brave to make a decision to change your life with wls. This is obvious! I have learned that when someone tells me about everyone else talking about me it is generally because that one person is going to start the conversations. Continue doing you and following your medical plan to become a healthier person. She will really be mad at you! . Her insecurities are definitely showing.

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