Does anyone else feel weird talking about weight loss attempts????

I was talking to a friend today at work and she was telling me how upset she is that she has started regaining the weight that she has lost. This is a common topic where I work. Many of us have made many attempts over the years to lose weight. We have lost and regained together. One of the girls had RNY Sept 2005 and another girl is currently struggling with her weight and has been trying to lose for over a year now. These 2 girls are not very supportive of my surgery and don't even talk to me about it. That is fine... My question to all of you is: Now that you have had the surgery, do you feel strange talking to those that have not had it about their attempts to lose weight? I think that I felt awkward because I am afraid she/they are looking at me and judging me by thinking..."don't give me advice, you took the easy way out" or possibly even thinking that I wouldn't understand what they feel anymore. I know that I didn't "take the easy way out" but I also know that I was a failure to weight loss attempts in the past. Does anyone else feel this way?

I dont like telling any one about it now ,at first I wanted to tell everyone but mostly everyone thinks I took the easy way out. We know this is not the easy way.

I dont feel weird about it... but at the same time i am rarely asked about it. I have had nurses ask me about my surgery and I tell them... so far no one has said I took the easy way out... to my face. The only thing I have ever felt was somewhat guilty and then i slap myself back to reality with it. Most of the nurses that have asked me about it are SMO and they desperately need the surgery but they have been supportive so far.

I'm not even two weeks out yet, but I definitely feel weird when my friends are talking about trying to lose weight. Two friends (one supportive of my surgery and one not supportive) have joined together to lose weight. I haven't been invited to join them on their walks, but I get to hear all about them afterward. One friend last night on the phone was upset because the weight isn't just melting off of her because she's walking twice a week and trying to eat healthier. I tried to say something helpful and she cut me off by saying that I just don't understand anymore what its like to have to lose weight the old fashioned way. In essence, I took the 'easy way out'. If only they knew! How anyone could call major surgery the easy way out.....blows my mind.

For people to say we took the easy way out is a joke. I have never worked harder in my life to loose weight. Of course at first it was easy but after 6 months I have had to watch everything I eat and exercise every day. Easy, I don't think so. Good luck to you.

It honestly depends on the company I am with as to who I feel. Most of the time I don't care and proudly admit when asked what my secret is to losing my weight. My thoughts are that I know my reasoning as to why I had it and if they don't like it oh well. I am trying to be a healthier person and not trying every kind of fad diet out there, been there done that didn't work for me. It is up to you as to how you feel but generally I am proud of having my surgery. You all know I am wierd too but hey that's me.

You know my feeling. For the first 6mths I appologized for the weight loss. I'd say "Oh I had gastric bypass" I felt like I needed to applogize for losing such a large amount when they said they wished they could lose 10lbs. But then I thought the "He!! with it". I am very proud. Yea I feel like I am under a microscope and people are waiting for me to re gain. I am sure some are waiting for us all to fail and they can say see, I knew it. But we can't let them say that. If we are committed to making this new life committment then we have nothing to worry about. I hope they can lose the weight they need but I for one couldn't take being a failure one more time. This was my last attempt. None of us did this on our first attempt to lose weight. Some people are just clueless. Jane

I do know how you feel. I have had people comment that I have taken the easy way out. I've decided that instead of trying to defend my decision, I'm going to say "you're right" I know this is the "HEALTHY" way out. It is definately not easy. My husband made black beans and rice tonight and I about cried smelling it. (I'm still on liquids) But I know I'm doing the right thing for me! And, in the long run, for my family. If I could do it on my own, it would have been done. This is something I need help with. Just like an addict to achohol we have become addicts to food. I have kept emotions inside and comforted with food. Not anymore! I'm speeking my mind more and not being sooooo conciderate of everyone elses feelings and letting mine get swept away with the comfort of stuffing my face. Ok.....I'm off the soap box! Hold your head high girl ! We've got each other for support.

I feel SO guilty because I've lost weight and my daughter hasn't, my mother wants to, my sister ALWAYS tells me how great I look (she's the one who's always had weight problems and can no longer control it because of steroids, she's an amputee, and terminally ill). Imagine how horrible I feel. NO ONE knows about my wls except my daughter and husband. I feel like a HUGE hypocrit when people praise me for my weight loss success, ask how I do it and tell me how they wish they could. I tell them I'm "low-carbing it", which is true. I just don't tell them I low-carb because I had wls. Too many would have too much negativity to say to me if they knew and I just don't need that in my life with everything else I have to deal with. I do the best I can and try to encourage anyone who talks to me about weight loss to join me in exercising or whatever. No one does. My daughter has tried a few times but finds it difficult to match my schedule counta my job and her children, one year old and five year old. Yeah, I feel funny talking about my weight loss... but not the surgery as I do not talk about that part. I did ask my daughter however, if it bothered HER for me to talk about my weight loss and stuff and she said no. She and I talk openly about it but still, I do feel guilty even with her. She's about one size smaller than I was before my surgery. Gale

Mimi, You know what I am going to say about this.......Screw them! We did what is best for us. If they don't agree, who cares, it is our life. We know how hard we have tried and what we have gone through mentally and emotionally. I don't care how hard you exercise if you still eat like crap you are going to stay the same and she knows it. She will never get rid of her weight if she doesn't start eating right. When she was venting to you, you should have told her you knew a good surgeon. If they want to make fun of us for doing what we know is best for us and it makes them feel better so be it. Eventually we will be saying nanney, nanney boo, boo, we look better than you. I am so tired of going through life and walking on egg shells around certain people. I think it takes a lot of guts to do what we did. We did it together and we have each other. I will always be here for you and don't feel weird or ashamed for doing this. Love you Jenn