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6 minutes ago, longway2go said:

I like the "resting b****" answer to any questions about wls. I haven't told anyone outside my girlfriend not even family. Thankfully I have been already losing weight for years on my own and I'm thinking everyone will just think I've been doing this for awhile so they won't ask. My girl and I were talking this morning on the drive to get my surgery, today, 5/3/17, and she said prepare yourself because people will ask after the surgery. I don't have a resting b face but I have perfected the don't F look at me face, thanks to my line of work

Congrats on your journey! Hope all is well. And people will assume no matter what, ya only live once & im loving my decision:)

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I haven't told anyone about my VSG surgery. I told my work that I would be out for 2 weeks for a hiatal hernia. I had been doing my Protein Shakes prior and had lost some weight, so when people asked what I was doing I told them Atkins (everyone knows Atkins), so when I came back to work 25 lbs lighter after 2 weeks off, they just think it's from surgery and my Atkins. Which is not a lie at all, I did have hernia repair. I just don't tell them about the other surgery I had. So I just tell people I'm on Atkins and walking a lot. They just say that is awesome keep up the great work!

Edited by samiam67

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I have SWEET resting b**** face - especially if I haven't had my eyebrows plucked in a while :D. I try not to pull it out at church, though, which has been my problem of late.

I haven't lost weight particularly quickly in the last six months - my husband went low carb out of solidarity and has lost almost as much - but have had legitimate health problems that have kept me out of the loop. So, a few hard months of anemia and a hysterectomy later, I'm back at church with people who haven't seen me for 40 lbs... :blink:

I was looking pretty awful when I was there, so people I know better are just like, "You're looking much better!" As in, not deathly white or looking like you might pass out during the service. People who don't know me as well are ... what's the church version of wtf? ;-)While I did have a hiatal hernia repair along with my sleeve, I can legitimately say I've had a lot of health problems the last few months. When I explain my abdomen was so swollen I was basically living on Protein Shakes (which was true the two months before my hysto) they get way less jealous. Having my honey in on our low carb lifestyle also helps.

I know I shouldn't be so weird about it - and I don't mind discussing the sleeve with my medical practitioners *at all* - but I only told my husband, one sister friend, and one actual sister. I swore my nieces to secrecy after they figured it out on their own, and if I'm not telling my mom or my two other siblings, I'm sure as heck not telling the general public. I need to focus on healing from my second surgery, getting back my health, and losing the weight I need to lose instead of a bunch of random people's uneducated opinions on weight loss surgery. Bless their hearts.

Maybe my feelings will change when (God willing) I'm at a healthy weight and place. I'm intensely private but having survived two special needs kids to their teens, have also become very outspoken on autism and special needs education. (Quiet...quiet... "HAVE YOU SEEN THE LATEST RESEARCH ON AUTISM?!") I'm already prone to this with nutrition, so we'll see how it goes.

Good work everybody!

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I treat my WLS like it was a life saving operation.
I view this surgery no different than having heart surgery or any other high risk surgery to save someones life. I see no embarrassment or issue with telling people "I had weight loss surgery because I was getting far too heavy and unhealthy."
The stigma needs to stop -- this surgery should be treated no differently than any other surgery.
Remember, this isn't a "solution" it's a tool to help you survive.

so much yes!!! If you had a surgical cure for diabetes wouldnt most people do it? Oh wait... For some this is the case!!!!

HW 420
SW 347
CW 327
Sleeved April 10, 2017

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I tell them straight
Yes I had the sleeve
And don't you wish your boyfriend looked hot like me [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
Anyone who tries to tell you they weight loss surgery was the easy way out has no bloody idea.
The life change, the struggles and remembering it's a life change not short term.
And in the end it's none of their business
I have been lucky because my support base is huge and encouraging


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I've been open and honest about my WLS with friends but then I thought why am I hiding it like I'm ashamed? I'm 3 days post op and decided to tell everyone on my Facebook feed. I've gotten nothing but encouragement.


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On 5/3/2017 at 10:00 AM, samiam67 said:

I haven't told anyone about my VSG surgery. I told my work that I would be out for 2 weeks for a hiatal hernia. I had been doing my Protein Shakes prior and had lost some weight, so when people asked what I was doing I told them Atkins (everyone knows Atkins), so when I came back to work 25 lbs lighter after 2 weeks off, they just think it's from surgery and my Atkins. Which is not a lie at all, I did have hernia repair. I just don't tell them about the other surgery I had. So I just tell people I'm on Atkins and walking a lot. They just say that is awesome keep up the great work!

This is my experience as well. I also had been eating healthier prior to the surgery, and people were aware that I had been making changes in my eating habits, so no one has questioned me at all so far. I did skip a luncheon at a restsurant when I was first back because I thought it would be too difficult to explain my lack of digging in to the huge meal. I just scheduled an appointment at the same time and let people know I wasn't available at that time.

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I like the "resting b****" answer to any questions about wls. I haven't told anyone outside my girlfriend not even family. Thankfully I have been already losing weight for years on my own and I'm thinking everyone will just think I've been doing this for awhile so they won't ask. My girl and I were talking this morning on the drive to get my surgery, today, 5/3/17, and she said prepare yourself because people will ask after the surgery. I don't have a resting b face but I have perfected the don't F look at me face, thanks to my line of work [emoji4]





Love it!

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Today was my first encounter with someone asking me this. I was at work & just rambling about weight loss & how many ounces an average stomach can hold. Then out of the blue, a coworker asked me the dreaded question that I was hopeful I could avoid.

DID YOU HAVE THE LAPBAND?🤦🏾‍♀️

Now I had already prepared myself for when this question that I was avoiding was asked, but I had to step back & really ask myself
1. Do I fess up?
2. Ask them how is this of pertinence to them?
3. Do I lie?

Oh oh my goodness, the only response I could muster was "Maby I did, maby I didn't". I don't know why I even give two damns about others opinions but maby it stems from the last journey I had trying to shred the EL [emoji219]. People at my previous job accused me of starving myself & I feel people generally have a negative view in regards to bariatric surgery.

Just had had to share for those who kept it a secret. P.S I eat lunch with coworkers and sometimes in my office but it's been hard to hide why I eat the way I do. I won't be the first nor the last to undergo WLS. We should be proud of our decisions & yet should still maintain secrecy if we CHOOSE.


Interesting. I was just sleeved three days ago and contemplating as well. I feel it should be private if you choose so. But people are so brassy they just won't give up sometimes.


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It could be worse. They could ask if you are sick. That is what happens to me.

Yep and on drugs lol



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You should do whatever works best for you. How I've done it....I've told many people, but I don't rush up to people just to tell them. I can't concern myself with what other people think of my life. Why the heck would I care? If they want to be bit$hy....so be it. Not me. I'm happy, and that's the finest answer to rude people. I'd say if you don't want to answer, don't. For work, a simple 'that's not an appropriate question' works for me every time. Don't let yourself be lowered to a game of 'my witty zinger will one-up your rude question'. Especially with someone who really doesn't matter.


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So funny that i am reading this today. I went to see my rhuematoid doctor yesterday first time since surgery i was excited to report back to her that some of my pain was gradually going away hooray! However when going over the meds i no longer take with the assistant she turns and tells me that they were also all on diets and that she was going to win because she had already lost 65 pounds the natuaral way all on her own! Just pure hard work and it was coming off. I said good for you if i could have done it naturally i would have however having the surgery has been alot of hard work too. It does not just come off. I wanted to really rip into her but opted to take the high road. Then when it was time to draw blood i realized that everyone knew about my surgery the lady that drew my blood kept telling me that now that i was skinny my life would change. This enraged me being that yes i have lost weight i would not consider my self skinny i am still considered obese. She just kept throwing that skinny word around over and over. I could not wait to get out of there for fear of blowing my top (not pretty the beast comes out and yes i just saw split lol) how unproffessional of these people if there were another specialist near by i would change doctors. They took something wonderful to me and poked at it till they were content. I still had a sense of pride however i was able to walk out of there with no blood pressure and normal sugar levels not needing more pain meds HA!

Sent from my SM-G920P using BariatricPal mobile app



Incredibly unprofessional and rude!


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I have my reply ready knowing I may have to use it. I am keeping my surgent a secret because my husbands family are huge massive eaters. They make fun of everyone if you don't eat. I have helped my husband change his eating habits and is truly working towards being healthier. We both have diabetes and he is adamant about using health to reverse it. Me do to other health issues need the surgery. He supports me 100%. My response: I am glad that being fat works for you and you are happy, yes I had the surgery because being fat doesn't work for me. It's is deteriorating my health. I know I will be met with open mouths and bitchyness...but to hell with it. They deserve the insult for being so rude and condescending.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal mobile app

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When your doctors do not support your decision or staff makes you uncomfortable it is because surgery reverses many of the conditions that you no longer need that doctor or the meds they prescribe, so they losing their money maker, you! Find another Dr!
I believe that one of the biggest reasons wls gets a bad rap is that it makes you healthy and you don't need to be a slave to the Dr or the meds any longer. Look at our health care system....being ill is big business!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using BariatricPal mobile app

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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